Commissioner FAQs
Individual Service Funds (ISFs) / Third-Party Budgets
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1. What does ‘Empowered 2 Support Ltd’ provide?
'Empowered 2 Support Ltd' is an independent ISF and Third-Party Budget management service for adults and children. We manage agreed personal budgets on behalf of individuals, enabling flexible, outcome-focused support while maintaining financial governance and commissioner assurance.
2. What is an Individual Service Fund (ISF) / Third-Party Budget?
An ISF is a personal budget held and managed by a third party organisation on behalf of an individual, rather than:
- being paid directly to the person (Direct Payment), or
- being fully commissioned and managed by the local authority or NHS.
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ISFs are explicitly recognised in Care Act statutory guidance as a legitimate mechanism to promote choice, control and personalisation.
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3. How is an ISF different from a Direct Payment?
ISFs:
- Do not require the individual to manage the contracting of support or payment responsibilities
- Allows the organisation to manage the budget flexibly within agreed outcomes
- The organisation keep financial records and reporting controls for monitoring purposes
- Retain commissioner oversight and governance without day-to-day administration.
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They are particularly suitable where Direct Payments are not appropriate, have broken down, or are not the preferred option.
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4. Why is Empowered 2 Support different from provider-managed ISFs?
‘Empowered 2 Support Ltd’ is independent and neutral. This means we do not provide care services directly, do not receive referral fees or incentives from providers. This ensures decisions are based on outcomes, value for money and personal choice, avoids bias and is fair.
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5. Do you operate block contracts?
No. We do not operate traditional block contracts for ISFs.
ISFs are intended to be person-centred and flexible. A block arrangement would restrict access .
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6. Do Local Authorities need to offer ISFs?
The Care Act does not stipulate it as a MUST, however Local Authorities should offer this when a user requests one or where it’s deemed suitable as an alternative to a Direct Payment. Administrative convenience is not, in itself, a lawful reason to refuse an ISF where one is requested and appropriate. ‘Empowered 2 Support Ltd’ offers a spot-purchase option so Local Authorities and NHS can refer on a case-by-case basis without committing to long term contracts and still meet their statutory responsibilities.
7. How can commissioners commission your service?
We operate through:
- Spot purchase arrangements
- Framework agreements, where authorities wish to pre-approve providers while retaining choice at an individual level
- Trial/ test and assess
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These approaches reduce risk, and ensure funding follows the person. It also allows commissioners to consider neutral ISF providers rather than specify types or support and client groups on frameworks that limit options and providers.
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8. Are ISFs suitable for adults and children?
Yes. We support:
- Adults with care and support needs
- Children and young people, including SEND
- Transition from children’s to adult services
- CHC/ NHS and complex needs
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9. How is the budget controlled and monitored?
We provide:
- The weekly budget is paid to us (usually every 4 weeks or monthly) and we open a separate bank account to manage the funding/ support.
- We monitor the funds regularly as we are paying for the support but will provide financial monitoring to commissioners. (Annually is preferred).
- All expenditure must link directly to agreed outcomes in the support plan. We are accountable to the user and commissioning authority so any concerns are raised accordingly.
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10. Who retains statutory responsibility?
Statutory responsibility remains with the:
- Local authority or NHS body (Who ever is responsible for the support / funding)
- Social worker or care coordinator
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'Empowered 2 Support Ltd' manages the ISF within the agreed plan and parameters and does not replace statutory functions.
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11. How do you manage safeguarding and risk?
We work within:
- Local safeguarding procedures
- Agreed escalation routes
- Existing statutory responsibilities
- Internal Policies
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ISF providers still comply with safeguarding responsibilities. We work alongside existing professional roles.
12. What assurance do you provide on data protection and cyber security?
We:
- Are registered with the ICO
- NHS OCD and OCD1 registered.
- Meet NHS DSPT Standards Met (2025–26, Version 8)
- Operate access controls, audit trails and data minimisation
- Maintain a Record of Processing Activities (ROPA)
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13. How does this support commissioning priorities?
Our model:
- Reduces brokerage and care management workload
- Enables creative, community-based solutions
- Improves outcomes without increasing cost
- Supports market diversity
- Responds to financial pressures and growing demand
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14. Can this be piloted?
Yes. We welcome:
- Small-scale pilots
- Time-limited trials
- Test-and-learn approaches
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Pilots can be aligned to local priorities and evaluated jointly.
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15. What are our options?
Commissioners can:
- Spot purchase for individual cases
- Consider framework inclusion
- Explore a pilot arrangement