Personal Health Budgets

This is NHS funding. It is not new money, money has been allocated to fund PHBs to support mental health recovery.

If a PHB is being used to access a service or activity, the duration of support should be based on the time needed to make progress with the goal. The maximum amount of time a PHB can be used for is a year.

A PHB is not suitable funding for ongoing care and support needs or support for daily living.

Yes, if a digital device is needed to help someone work towards their mental health recovery goal, they can access this through a PHB. If someone needs a digital device to stay in contact with support, they can access a ‘stay connected’ PHB for a smartphone and data.

The same referral form is used but parts of the normal PHB process have been changed to get them connected quickly.

No, a PHB is NHS funding and is available as part of the mental health support provided by ELFT.

The amount of money requested should be based on the goal and what is needed to progress with the goal. If a specialist item or service is requested, information should be provided about why this is needed to meet the goal.

How the PHB is approved is dependent on the total budget requested. 
 

A person can only have one PHB open at a time (apart from with a ‘stay connected’ PHB). However a person can access another PHB once the original request has been closed at the 12 week review. If a second PHB is to be considered, once again the starting point is the mental health recovery goal.

Once the PHB has been closed, a further PHB referral can be submitted, however the request must start with a conversation to identify the person’s goals and planning should take place around what is needed to achieve the goals. Consideration should be made around whether the person has had enough time to make progress with their original goal.

A person cannot use a PHB to access the same item twice or to extend access to a service over one year.

The exciting thing about PHBs is that they can be used in a range of ways to support someone’s recovery goals. However, there are some things a PHB can’t be used for that have either been decided locally or by NHS England.

For a list of things a PHB can’t be used for, contact the PHB team at The Advocacy Project at PHB@advocacyproject.org.uk or call 020 3869 9728.

Recovery is an ongoing process, it’s normal for changes or setbacks to arise along the way, therefore a person’s goal or required support may change after a PHB referral has been submitted or once a person’s budget has been set up.

If that happens, contact the PHB team at The Advocacy Project as soon as possible PHB@advocacyproject.org.uk or call 020 3869 9728.

The person is set up with a prepaid card account through a company called Prepaid Financial Services (PFS). The agreed funds are deposited into the account. The person has the option of an online account that they use to make the purchase or a prepaid card that is sent in the post (it can take up to 12 working days to arrive).

Someone from the mental health team should provide support to make the purchase if required. If there is a reason they cannot make the purchase themselves (even with support), they can be set up with a ‘managed account’ which means The Advocacy Project makes the purchase on their behalf.

The PHB must be used to purchase the agreed support only. If the funds are spent differently, the person may be asked to pay back some or all of the funds. A document called a direct payment agreement sets out how the budget must be used and is reviewed and signed by the person before they receive the funds.

At the point of referral, a plan is completed with details of how the PHB is used. The person should receive a copy of this plan either by email or printed. The person also has the option to access their PHB plan on the digital platform Patients Know Best (PKB). To do this, they will need to register with PKB.