10-11 May 2007 - Sofia, Bulgaria - 'Personalised Budgets & Direct Payments'

 

In the last decade service provision for people with disabilities has changed rapidly. Central themes in the disability policy in many countries are: awareness raising, empowerment, de-institutionalization and personalized services.

EASPD as important network from service providers is aware of what often is called the paradigm change. The last years discussions in EASPD are centered on the theme: person centered services. Different aspects were subject of conferences and discussions in the past three years. When talking about person centered services as basic assumption for today’s services the discussion about the payment of services is directly connected.

Since many years in several countries a system for direct payments, personal assistance budgets or individualized payments are introduced, sometimes as experiment, in other situations as the next step for financing services. This means that a budget is given not to the service provider but directly to the person with a disability, who then buys/contracts its own support.

Whatever the direction in a country will be it is a fact that person centered services are required by service users and that direct payments and personalized budgets are increasingly important and challenging for service providers.

Now EASPD offers all stakeholders a unique chance to get the last information from different countries and different perspectives.

 

During the seminar EASPD wanted to:

• Map the developments in the different countries
• Provide service providers with information about consequences and conditions
• Make clear the challenges for service providers
• Inspire service providers in finding solutions for tomorrow
• Open a forum for service providers in taking initiatives facing the needs of people with special needs and own budgets
• Contribute to discussions about new patters for funding services

 

Program in EN - FR - DE

Report by Mineke Hardeman, Chair of the Conference

 

PRESENTATIONS

Please find below all presentations of the Sofia Conference:

  

Personalised Budgets and direct payments: nightmare or dreams come true?

Mineke Hardeman - State of Play

Simon Cramp - In Control

James Elder-Woodward - SWOT Analysis of the Direct Payment System in Scotland

 

Models

Flanders - Diane Serneels, Vlaams Welzijnsverbond

Netherlands - Bart Branderhorst, Pameijer

UK - Phil Madden, HFT

Romania - Zoltan Elekes, Regional Government

Portugal - Carmen Duarte, FENACERCI

Sweden - Cecilia Blank, Jag

Additional Model: Germany - Thomas Umsonst, BAG:WfbM

 

 

WORKSHOPS

 

1. Personalized budget as condition for new forms of services - David Ellis (UK)

 

2. New perspectives for services in central and eastern Europe - Akos Pordan (HU), Zoltan Elekes (RO) and Diana Chiriacescu, Handicap International

Report

 

3. Changing responsibility of clients means changing role of staff - demand orientation, employers role and professional requirements - Bart Branderhorst (NL), Phil Madden (UK)

Report

 

4. Service providers: take care!! - New roles in policy making, influencing governments, stakeholder approach and other new dimensions - Diane Serneels (BE), Aymeric Audiau (FR)

Report

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