Personal health budget (PHB)

1. What is a Personal Health Budget?

A Personal Health Budget (PHB) is an amount of money to support someone’s health and wellbeing needs, which is planned and agreed between them and their health team. PHBs give people more choice, control and flexibility over the support they receive. In North East London (City & Hackney), PHBs are being used to support people to work towards an identified mental health recovery goal. PHBs can be used to buy an item, service, or membership that isn’t available through existing statutory or community support.

Each PHB request should start with personalised care and support planning, where the person works with their clinician to decide what will help them to be well and stay well. Once the mental health recovery goals are identified, they plan what is needed to achieve the goal. One of the options available is a PHB.

Core Arts is commissioned by NEL ICB to deliver the PHB Brokerage service for mental health recovery in City & Hackney. The Core Arts PHB Brokerage team process PHB referrals which meet the standards agreed with ELFT (East London Foundation Trust) and NHS England. Core Arts PHB Service works closely in partnership with ELFT Recovery & PHB leads to support clinicians with related queries and PHB holders budgets.

The Personal Health Budget process requires referrers’ support and review the PHB alongside the PHB holder over a 3 month timeline, as well as support the PHB holder to use/ purchase the specified items detailed in the PHB support plan as planned in line with the specific recovery goal and ongoing care and support.

For specific ELFT guidance please check here.

2. Who can access a PHB?

In City and Hackney, our PHB service for mental health recovery is available for people who meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • Adults receiving support for their mental health from East London Foundation Trust in City (ELFT).
  • Residents of City and Hackney.
  • Persons who have a DIALOG+ Plan and on s.117 aftercare
  • People who have recourse to public funds (unless on s.117 aftercare, see NHSE guidance section 4.4).

The wider PHB offer is also open to all ward inpatients, referrals will be accepted from those teams, however an allocated worker will need to be able to have oversight of the PHB timeline.

Due to limited NHS funds ELFT and NEL have made the decision that value for money needs to be considered as part of the approval process. There is also a particular focus on underserved or marginalised groups who may require personalised support planning to meet thier recovery aims, In City and Hackney, persons of African- Caribbean Heritage are encouraged to be supported to apply.

3. Making a case for a PHB

A PHB request is submitted to Core Arts using the online referral form. On the referral form the clinician will provide details of the person’s mental health recovery goal and clearly describe how the PHB will help the person achieve their goal. A PHB Support plan will need to be submitted with the referral. The clinician should also provide details of other support options considered and why these were not suitable.

There are 3 types of referral,

1) PHB Inpatient and Discharge: specifically for inpatients and those being supported with discharge from the ward, there are various offers for this, incuding ‘Core Essentials’, ‘Feels like home’ starter pack ‘ for example. Please see ‘Make a referral for more information.

2) PHB Referral: All PHB applications for ELFT clients under s.117 – for personalised support planning.

3) Stay Connected: Digital inclusion offer of smartphone and supported set up, able to choose a model up to £100.

Please see our guidance notes for more information. We encourage clinicians to contact the ELFT PHB team to discuss any queries at elft.phb@nhs.net.

Approval for any applications over £250 will require managers approval, which will be requested at referral. Applications over £500 will require ELFT PHB Oversight panel.

Once the referral has been submitted, if you have any question please contact the PHB team at phb@corearts.co.uk or by phone at 07585054308 or 02085333500.

4. What can’t be funded by a PHB

Some things can’t be funded by a PHB because there’s already support for these through different avenues. These include alternative therapy, support for de-cluttering, and household items. See our guidance notes for more details about what cannot be funded by a PHB in North East London.

If you have any questions about what a PHB can cover, please ask us before making a referral or liaise with the ELFT PHB team, who is available to support all aspects of Recovery planning in line with PHB.

If the person you are supporting requires White Goods, these are not available via PHB funds, however the following charity may be able to assist https://www.percy-bilton-charity.org/

5. ‘Stay connected’ smartphone / data

We have a streamlined pathway to fund smartphones and data for people who are eligible for a PHB, contact us to find out more.

If the person you are supporting does not meet eligibility for PHB, but requires Stay connected support, please refer to the charity www.yoursimpal.com to see if you can apply on behalf and recieve a phone and up to 6 months calls/ minutes/ data allowance.

6. How can I find out more?

If you are considering applying for a PHB but wish to speak it through and receive further guidance, the ELFT PHB team may be able to advise, and or if you wish for your team to have training in this are please contact elft.phb@nhs.net and the dedicated team will respond.

Core Arts PHB advisors in place to support clinicians from the point of submission, we will also need to be in touch to process the PHB. It is the referrers role to support the PHB holder to implement thier PHB and be supported in this progress through thier clinician. Please contact phb@corearts.co.uk or call us with questions or feedback and suggestions.