About self direct
At self direct we are passionate about making sure that all people who need support to improve and maintain their health and well being are in control of their support and their own lives. self direct is a social enterprise included on the SE100 index. Founded at the start of 2008, we have opened up self direct associate membership to other like-minded people and organisations.We are working in partnership with others to develop the 'social and health market-place' by:
- growing and developing peoples' choices
- changing support and services
- creating new services and support
- bringing people together
Why do we need to do these things?
Individual and Personal Budgets, Personal Health Budgets and putting Self-Directed Support into practice could free millions of people from just having to think about a limited choice of traditional services to using their imagination and choices to create new ways to be supported and get a life that's right for them
But for many people using their own money, people who have to pay for themselves or someone with an Individual or Personal Budget, the 'social and health market-place' offers very limited choices
Also, people don't always have the information to find out what is already available for them to buy or have opportunities to tell providers of support, services and products what they need and expect
New and existing providers of support, services and products need to know what people want to buy and what people expect from them. Providers also need to know how and what to change about the way they offer support and products to people
How will we help to make these things happen?
self direct believes these changes should be driven by people who have personal experience of how social and health care services affect lives
self direct associates will help people to drive these changes by taking a full and equal part in self direct events, activities and in the production of self direct products
self direct associates include people with real life experience of how social and health care services affect lives and play an equal role in working with local people to find solutions to the questions people have about how Self-Directed Support will work for them and in helping providers of services and support to change and develop