DPs see the council provide a service user with a set amount of funding – depending on the outcome of their care assessment – each month to purchase the care they need to live independently.

The two new systems are The Virtual Wallet and The Care and Support Finder and both have been developed in partnership with Public Partnerships and have been  developed using ICF funding from the Welsh Government. 

The Virtual Wallet

www.myvirtualwallet.co.uk/powys

This is an app which helps DP recipients manage their budgets, the services they purchase as well as billing and other administration.  All new DP recipients will use the Virtual Wallet to manage their care from this week and, in the long term, the ambition is that this system will replace all existing ‘managed accounts’.

Virtual Wallet will simplify the administration of service users’ care needs and there will always be support on hand (from PCG) to help resolve any difficulties.

The app will allow service users (or a person designated to help them)  the opportunity to self-manage their care, giving them more choice and control over how they purchase the care they need. It will give recipients easy access to all documentation, making it easier to manage their care in one place and they will be able to submit photographs of their receipts via the system

You can find more information, including a tutorial at www.myvirtualwallet.co.uk/powys

The Care and Support Finder

https://caresupportfinder.org/

This web-based resource is designed to help people looking to purchase care and support find suitable people who are available to provide this. These providers could be Personal Assistants (PAs) or Community Micro Enterprises (CMEs).

The Care and Support Finder will help link up Personal Assistants and Micro-enterprises with people looking to purchase care through their DPs.

Should you have any queries about either systems, please do not hesitate to contact the Commissioning Team at PCCSSCommissioning(at)powys.gov.uk.