Revolutionary scheme set to start in Herefordshire

5:00pm Friday 5th September 2008

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A PILOT scheme that will radically change the way people receive and manage their social care services starts in the county next week.

Using a website called Shop 4 Support, which goes live on Monday, people will be able to handle their own social care funding to view payments online, order services such as homecare or equipment and seek information and advice.

There will also be a forum for exchanging tips and an area where users can rate service providers on quality of service and cost. The new portal, piloted by Herefordshire Council and independent social enterprise In Control, can be accessed at shop4support.com.

Gill Vickers, head of transformation for audit social care at Herefordshire Council, said: “We are really pleased to be taking part in the pilot, as it will offer a much wider choice for service users.

“At the moment we have a number of people across a range of service user groups who are receiving individual budgets and our aim in piloting a web-based service through Shop 4 Support is to enable even more people to take control of their lives in this way.”

Herefordshire Council is one of six local authorities to be selected for the pilot.

Caroline Tomlinson, consumer support director at in Control, said: “The Shop 4 Support will directly help people plan their social care needs, making the whole process much more user-friendly.”