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Third sector organisations are being offered training to help them find out more about self-directed support, how it could affect them in the future and how they can get involved.

Self-directed support enables residents who receive social care support from the County Council to have a personal budget which they can use to purchase their own care specifically to meet their needs.

An information event organised by the West Sussex Social Enterprise Network together with West Sussex County Council started the ball rolling last month, and was attended by nearly 100 third sector organisations.

Self-directed support will mean changes for providers and the event offered a chance for organisations that provide social and/or health care services to find out how it may affect their organisation – both opportunities and challenges.

It was also an opportunity for organisations to tell the County Council about the issues they may face and for them to question senior managers.

County Council Cabinet Member for Adults’ Services Peter Catchpole said: “Self-directed support will present many opportunities for organisations to get involved with providing care and activities in West Sussex.

“The first event was a good chance to outline to groups what self-directed support is, and how we can help them. We will now be taking that to the next level and providing training for those organisations that want our assistance.”

Third sector are generally community, voluntary and social enterprise organisations. They are value driven and if they make a profit it is reinvested towards those values or for the general benefit of the community.