Care & support · England
Help to arrange your support
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A support broker helps arrange care and support.
They can help you explore different choices.
Ask what their service includes.
Start with the life you want.
Explain your interests, routines and support needs.
You should stay involved in decisions.
Ask your council about local planning help.
Some help is free.
Other services charge a fee.
Ask who pays the broker.
Ask whether they also sell care.
Check how they choose the options they show you.
Ask for the full price in writing.
Check what costs extra.
Ask your funding team before spending public care money.
The broker cannot promise more funding.
The council still makes its assessment and budget decisions.
Tell the council if your plan cannot meet your needs.
Agree what the broker may do for you.
Agree what personal information they can share.
Keep copies of agreements.
An advocate helps you speak up for your rights.
A broker mainly helps arrange support.
You might need both kinds of help.
Agree when your support will start.
Plan what happens if it goes wrong.
Ask for a review after it starts.
What you can do next
Ask your council about support-planning help.
Use the comparison worksheet to check your options.
Read about care needs assessments Web pageThis link opens another website.
It may use harder words.
More useful links
- North Lincolnshire: support brokerage explained Web page
An example of a council describing what brokers can help with; local offers differ.
- NHS: ways to use a personal budget Web page
Understand council-arranged care, direct payments and mixed arrangements.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
Getting help to plan and arrange support
Understand support brokers, check independence and costs, and stay in control of your choices.
Adults arranging care and support · England · Local offers and charges vary
What support brokerage means
A support broker helps turn your wishes and support needs into practical arrangements. They may research local services, compare options, help write a support plan or support PA recruitment. The title does not tell you exactly what a service offers. Ask for examples of the work they will do with you and what you will receive at the end. You can use help for one task rather than handing over all decisions.
Start with your life and your choices
Explain what a good week would look like: home, relationships, personal care, work, learning and activities. Say what is missing and what already works. Ask for information in your communication format, enough time and people you choose at meetings. A useful broker explores how support can fit your life, including ordinary community opportunities. Ask them to show how each proposed option meets your priorities.
Find out who provides the service
Ask your council’s adult social care or direct payments team about local brokerage, user-led support and planning help. Some councils have their own arranging teams; others fund external organisations. There may also be independent paid or voluntary help. Availability is different between areas. Check experience with learning disability and your particular communication needs. You do not have to pay a broker just to ask the council for a needs assessment.
Check independence and possible conflicts
Ask who employs and pays the broker, whether they also sell care and whether they receive referral fees or commission. Ask which providers they consider and whether they search beyond a preferred list. A council or provider-based broker may still be helpful, but their role is different from someone instructed independently by you. Get any financial interests explained clearly before agreeing to recommendations.
Agree costs and a clear piece of work
Ask for a written price, what it covers and whether later meetings, travel or ongoing administration cost extra. Agree the work, timescale, cancellation terms and how you will complain if necessary. Do not assume a direct payment will cover a broker’s bill. Ask the funding team to confirm whether the proposed cost is allowed and funded before spending. Check whether equivalent planning help is available without a personal charge.
Keep assessment and funding decisions clear
Brokerage does not bypass the council’s assessment, eligibility or budget decisions. A broker may help explain needs and gather options, but cannot promise a particular budget or service. Compare quotes against your agreed care plan and tell the council if no realistic option meets your needs within the budget. A financial assessment of what you pay is separate from assessing the support you need.
Understand what authority you are giving
Ask whether the broker only researches options or will also negotiate, book support or handle money. Agree limits before they contact organisations or share personal information. A brokerage agreement does not automatically give someone authority to make decisions for you. Where capacity or legal authority is an issue, get appropriate advice. Keep copies of agreements, costs and the services being arranged.
Know when you need a different kind of help
An independent advocate helps you be heard and challenge decisions; a broker mainly helps organise support. The roles can overlap in practice, so check whose interests are represented and whether statutory advocacy duties apply. A managed account or payroll service handles particular financial tasks. A solicitor gives legal advice within their area of work. Ask for the right help rather than expecting one worker to perform every role.
Check the plan works after support starts
Agree a start date, named contacts, a backup arrangement and a review. Ask what happens if the chosen provider cannot start, is unsuitable or raises its price. The plan should identify who follows up problems and who contacts the council about unmet needs. Keep your right to question the options and request changes. Paying for brokerage does not guarantee a provider will accept the work or that funding will increase.
Words you could use
“Please explain what brokerage you offer, who pays you, any provider links and the total cost. I want choices that match my own goals.”
More useful links
- North Lincolnshire: support brokerage explained Web page
An example of a council describing what brokers can help with; local offers differ.
- NHS: ways to use a personal budget Web page
Understand council-arranged care, direct payments and mixed arrangements.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
Where the information comes from
Links checked 1 November 2026.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
- North Lincolnshire Council: arranging care Web page
The practical role of support brokerage.
- Devon Council: social care terms Web page
Plain-language meaning of support brokerage.
- Care and support statutory guidance Web pageFuller information
Person-centred planning, support to arrange care and direct-payment help.
- NHS: care needs assessment Web page
Free assessment and separate funding decisions.
- NHS: personal budgets Web page
Ways of arranging and managing agreed support.
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