Personal Health Budgets for children and young people with complex needs

The document includes key learning points;

• There has been some joint planning which has worked well. For example, one plan was developed in a mainstream school. An advocate was present, and lots of actions regarding preparing for adulthood were identified. It was reported that this process was leading to a better way of working as the conversations were ‘different’. However, although there is a clear link between this type of planning and Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), planning is not currently well tied in with EHCPs.
• The role played by a third sector partner, the Enham Trust, and the skills around individual service design and support planning they possessed is particularly important for this type of work and should be embedded locally through the partnership.
• Clear communication is critical to the success of this work. There is a need for clear information for children/young people and families about what Personal Health Budgets are, and what can be achieved. Stories of a local child/young person with a PHB can illustrate this.
• There is a need for a clear process around accessing Personal Health Budgets that can be shared with families so that they know what the steps to a PHB are, what will happen and when.

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