Have your say on East Sussex County Council’s ‘Support with Confidence’ scheme

East Sussex County Council would like to know what people think about the plans to close the current Support with Confidence scheme and provide support in another way.

Support with Confidence accredits personal assistants and other care and support providers across East Sussex. The scheme is used by the public, adult social care teams and support organisations to find accredited support providers and services for clients.

If you’d like to take part, you can do so online: www.eastsussex.gov.uk/swcfuture

You can also get in touch with the Support with Confidence team if you have a question about the consultation or to share your feedback:

Please also contact the Support with Confidence team if you’d like a paper copy or easy read version of the survey.

The closing date for the consultation is 5 December 2023

Background to the consultation:

The Support with Confidence scheme was temporarily paused following publication of a report by the National Direct Payment Forum about the employment status of personal assistants (June 2023).

The report raised questions about personal assistant employment status, the work they do, and how they work. This made the council reflect on how the Support with Confidence scheme was operating and led to a pause of all scheme activity.

Please be assured that the council remains committed to giving those with social care needs greater choice and control and supporting providers and businesses to deliver personalised services. The aim of this consultation is to understand what would best help people, providers, and businesses to meet those aims.

If you have been directly affected by the decision to pause the scheme, there are two ‘frequently asked questions’ documents on our consultation webpage. One is for members and applicants of the scheme and the other is for residents who have used it or may be planning to use it. Both documents will be kept updated during the consultation.

A final decision will be made by East Sussex County Council’s Lead Member for Adult Social Care & Health in February 2024.