The role and function of a Resource Allocation System

The Resource Association System (RAS)  defines each person’s Personal Budget. The system must therefore give an indication of how much money should be made available to the person in their Personal Budget and say clearly what outcomes should be achieved through the use of the money.

Defining both the outcomes and resources early on in the process ensures that people can spend money in ways and at times that make sense to them. This early transparent declaration is in stark contrast to the current social care system in which the resources supporting a person are seldom known by that person. Resources are very rarely under the person's control and the level of resource is either hidden within a block contract or determined only at the end of a protracted screening assessment and planning process.

By creating a Personal Budget using a RAS, Self-Directed Support offers the individual and their family both clarity of outcomes and flexible control of resources, whilst avoiding an over-reliance on pre-commissioned block-purchased congregate service solutions. By passing control to people who ned support and their famalies in this way the conditions for personalisation and innovation are introduced to an inert system.

Having clarity of outcomes and resources also allows individuals and their families to develop personalised support plans sensitive to their own unique circumstances, aspirations and needs. As state resources are declared early on, the individual is free to draw on their own social and financial resources to implement support that looks beyond meeting basic needs and outside of the limited range of service solutions traditionally on offer.

Watch John's Talk on the development of a RAS

RAS Video Page