Essex County Council has commissioned ECDP’s new research and policy function, Insight (working with OPM), to undertake a longitudinal study of people on personal budgets in Essex. The study will provide a unique opportunity to fully understand the experiences of people living with a personal budget over a 3-year period.

Primary research will begin in summer 2009. Using a range of qualitative methods, researchers will track the experiences and expectations of 50 people with physical impairments, learning disabilities and older people in receipt of personal budgets over a three year period.

Research will also be conducted with carers and family members of recipients of personal budgets, as well as a number of service providers across different sectors (including voluntary organisations and the private sector). This will provide evidence of the implications of the new system on service needs and delivery and to anticipate what the emerging market in service provision may look like over the short-, medium- and long-term.

A full briefing on the study, with information on who to contact if you would to know more, is available here: ECDP’s longitudinal study on Personal Budget holders.