Individual Service Funds

A banner that says 'Individual Service Funds (ISF)'

Individual Service Funds are a flexible and personalised way of paying for your care and support, whoever you choose.

KeyRing can be your ISF holder or you can choose KeyRing to be one of the providers that help you get to your goals.

What is an Individual Service Fund (ISF)?

An Individual Service Fund is an amount of money which the local council makes available for your support. This is given to a provider to look after. You can choose the provider that looks after your ISF. They will be your ISF holder. The ISF holder may deliver some, none or all of your support. They will support you if things change and you want something different from your support.

It will still be your money to spend on your care and support. The ISF holder is there to help you manage it. They are a good option for people who cannot or do not want to manage a cash budget. To discuss whether KeyRing could be your ISF holder, get in contact with us.

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What is the difference between an ISF and a Direct Payment?

If you have care or support needs, you will work with someone in your local council, usually a Social Worker or Social Care Worker, to build a plan to address these needs. You should also think about your goals and ambitions in this plan. They will be able to tell you from this plan what care and support they will help pay for.

The way this support is paid for may be through:

Care Managed Services

This is where the local council manage your budget and pay the provider directly. They may have already commissioned (paid for) a service that they can refer people into. Just to let you know, this is how most of KeyRing support is funded. You can look at where we work to find out if there is a local KeyRing service that would be right for you.

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Direct Payment

A 'direct payment' is money that is paid to you (or someone acting on your behalf) on a regular basis by your local council so you can arrange your own support, instead of receiving social care services arranged by the council. Source - Think Local Act Personal

Most care and support providers will accept payments from an individual through a direct payment. If we already have KeyRing support in your local area, we'd love to chat to you about your direct payment and the opportunities you could experience through choosing our support.

Individual Service Fund

The Individual Service Fund is paid to a provider of your choice by the local council. They use it to pay for your care and support services as well as any other activities that help you get to your goals. To discuss whether KeyRing could hold your Individual Service Fund, please contact enquiries@keyring.org.

Mix and match

One size doesn't fit all. It is absolutely possible to have a bit of a pick and mix approach to your funding. You might be referred to a service that is already funded by the local council and also have a direct payment for another part of your support.

The important thing to remember is to chat through all your options when you are building your plan. The options are there so that you can choose a life that not only meets your needs but one that you have control over and enjoy.

We know it is confusing, trust us, we've tried to make this as simple as possible but it was a challenge!

Why would I choose an Individual Service Fund?

It is always great to have choice but there is a lot of choice out there. Your ISF holder will know lots about the activities and support options that will help you reach your goal. And if they don't know already they will make it their job to find out.

A good ISF holder should also be able to help you find way to make your money stretch further. They'll encourage you to set challenging goals and look at lots of different ways to get you there. And they will be your champion when it comes to making sure you get the money you are entitled to and can spend it in the way you want.

Flexibility - decisions can be made quickly and flexibly when things change.

Resources - can be used creatively to reflect the community you live in and your own unique skills.

Clear - a clear agreement is set up between you and the ISF holder so that you know exactly where you stand and what you should expect.

Where can I find out more?

You can speak with your social worker or the Adult Social Care team at your local authority. You have the right to request an Individual Service Fund (ISF) under the Care Act 2014.

Or you can download our Frequently Asked Questions.