Supporting choice, recognising Personal Assistants and strengthening personalised care in Lambeth.

Personal Assistants (PAs) play an essential role in supporting people who use Direct Payments to live independently and achieve the outcomes that matter to them.

In Lambeth, a partnership between Lambeth Council, Blue Sky Brokers and the Blue Sky Social Care Card (BSSCC) provides Direct Payment users with an opportunity to recognise the important role their Personal Assistants play.

Through this arrangement, eligible Direct Payment users can purchase a Blue Sky Social Care Card for their Personal Assistants using their Direct Payment funds, where this has been agreed as an appropriate use of their budget.

Supporting Direct Payment users in Lambeth

Blue Sky Brokers provides the Direct Payment Support Service for Lambeth, helping people who receive Direct Payments manage their arrangements and understand their responsibilities.

Support can include:

Recruiting Personal Assistants
Employment advice and guidance
Payroll
DBS checks
Employment documentation
Employment law support
Managing Direct Payment arrangements
Ongoing advice and support

As part of this support, Blue Sky Brokers can refer Direct Payment users and their Personal Assistants to the Blue Sky Social Care Card.

The PA can then apply for their own card and provide evidence of their role. The Blue Sky Social Care Card team reviews the evidence as part of its verification process before issuing a card.

Recognising the role of Personal Assistants

Personal Assistants can be central to someone’s ability to live the life they choose.

They may support people with:

Personal care and daily living
Accessing the community
Attending appointments
Maintaining relationships
Taking part in hobbies and activities
Developing independence
Managing everyday routines
Achieving personal goals and agreed outcomes

Unlike traditional care arrangements, a PA may work directly for one individual and provide highly personalised support around their employer’s life.

This makes the PA role unique — and recognition of that role is important.

Verified social care identification

The Blue Sky Social Care Card provides verified identification for people working within and supporting the social care sector.

PAs applying through the Lambeth pathway complete the Blue Sky Social Care Card’s verification process and provide appropriate evidence of their role.

Once successfully verified, the PA receives their card, providing a simple way to demonstrate their connection to social care where the card is accepted.

The card also gives verified PAs access to participating discounts, offers and benefits.

Recognising the people behind personalised care

For Direct Payment users, their PA may be one of the most important people in their support network.

They may be the person who helps them get out of the house, attend an appointment, meet friends, pursue an interest or maintain their independence.

Being able to use an agreed Direct Payment budget to recognise that contribution can help strengthen the relationship between the individual employer and their PA.

It also sends a wider message:

Personal Assistants are part of the social care workforce — and their contribution matters.

More than an ID card

The partnership is about more than providing a piece of identification.

It connects three important elements of personalised care:

Choice – Direct Payment users have greater control over who supports them.

Support – Blue Sky Brokers helps individuals manage their Direct Payment and employer responsibilities.

Recognition – The Blue Sky Social Care Card provides verified recognition for the PA delivering that support.

Together, these create a practical approach that puts the individual and their chosen support network at the centre.

A partnership supporting personalised care

The Lambeth arrangement demonstrates how local authorities, Direct Payment support services and social care organisations can work together to recognise the people who make personalised care possible.

By providing a pathway from Direct Payment support to PA verification and recognition, the partnership helps ensure that Personal Assistants are not overlooked.

For the Direct Payment user, it is another way to value the person supporting their independence.

For the PA, it provides verified social care identification alongside access to participating benefits.

And for the wider sector, it helps raise awareness of the vital contribution made by Personal Assistants every day.

The partnership at a glance

Lambeth Council
Provides the Direct Payment framework and supports eligible residents to exercise greater choice and control over their care and support.

Blue Sky Brokers
Provides the Direct Payment Support Service in Lambeth, supporting Direct Payment users with their arrangements and employer responsibilities, and referring users and their PAs to the Blue Sky Social Care Card.

Blue Sky Social Care Card
Provides verification and social care identification for eligible PAs, alongside access to participating discounts and benefits.

When people have choice over their care, the people they choose to support them deserve to be recognised too.