You can use a Community Micro-Enterprise (CME) if you fund your own care from your income or savings - known as a self-funder. You can also pay for a CME with a Direct Payment from Cambridgeshire County Council.
What is a Direct Payment?
Direct Payments are direct cash payments. Direct Payments are available to people who have been assessed as being eligible for some adult social care funding toward the cost of their care.
Weekly money for support is sent directly to you, or your nominated individual. You then make and oversee your own care and support arrangements. This could include choosing to pay to use a CME to meet your care and support needs.
For those that are already in receipt of a Direct Payment that wish to use a Care Micro Enterprise, you can find a CME local to you by using our online directory.
How can I access a Direct Payment?
In order to receive adult social care support (including a Direct Payment), you must first be assessed as having eligible needs following a social care needs assessment.
If you are assessed as having eligible needs for care and support, a financial assessment will determine whether you need to pay a contribution towards your care costs and how much this will be.
If we will make a contribution to cover some or all of your care, a Direct Payment is one way to provide this.
To learn more about Direct Payments please visit Direct payments for adults and older people - Cambridgeshire County Council
Are you paying for your own care?
A person paying for their own care is known as a self-funder. You may be a self-funder for several reasons:
- you may need some additional help at home, to enable you to remain healthy and independent, and employ the services of care provider to support you with this
- you may have had a care needs assessment by an adult social worker, which determined that you do not meet the requirements to be eligible for local authority funded care
- you may be paying for your own care and have not yet had a care needs assessment
If you are a self-funder and would like more information on eligibility, social care needs assessments, including information on how you can request an assessment, go to our webpage on adult care needs assessment.
For self-funders who do not meet the threshold for 'eligible needs' for adult social care, you can contact a Care Micro-Enterprise directly to arrange support. Please visit the CME Directory to find a CME that is local to you.
