Budget Holding Lead Professional (BHLP)
A budget holding lead professional (BHLP) is a lead professional who has access to a budget to buy goods and commission services directly from providers to meet the identified additional needs of a child or young person and their family. It is envisaged that the BHLP role has the potential to make sure services are delivered around the needs of the child or young person by:
- bringing decision-making about additional support as close to the child or young person and their family as possible
- enabling practitioners carrying out the lead professional functions to have access to, and greater control over, individual budgets for children, young people and families
- promoting a more responsive, transparent and creative use of existing resources for individual children, young people and families with additional needs.
There are two sources of funding that the Lead Professional can access.
Early Help Local Offer. The Lead Professional can access up to £200 per family per annum to meet outcomes identified in the CAF action plan and help prevent the need for Tier 3 social care involvement. For further details contact your local Level 2 Advanced Professional:
| Matt Greenhalgh | Northern Localilty | 07967 176751 | matt.greenhalgh@devon.gov.uk |
| Karen Thompson | South and West Locality | 07814 460638 | karen.thompson@devon.gov.uk |
| Juliette Brown | Exeter, East and Mid Locality | 07791 003308 | juliette.brown@devon.gov.uk |
Local Short Breaks Offer. The Lead Professional can access up to £200 per year per child with a Common Assessment Framework and CAF Action Plan if
a) the child has a disability classified as severe or profound elements in their Joint Agency Record or
b) the child is awarded the middle or higher rate disabled living allowance, to purchase their own support for short breaks. It will be necessary to complete a Joint Agency Record if the child does not already have one. The JAR Record Descriptors are available here .
The Local Short Breaks Offier Request Form can be downloaded below and must be emailed to fasb@devon.gov.uk for approval and access of funding. For further information contact Heather Spackman available on heather.spackman@devon.gov.uk or (01392) 382107.
Associated documents
| Format | Title | Date |
|---|---|---|
 |
Process flowchart for Short Breaks Local Offer | September 2011 |
 |
Short Breaks Local Offer request form | September 2011 |
|
Budget holding lead professional guidance and appendices | March 2009 |
