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The Department of Health has suggested "substantial" funds will help councils tackle the funding crisis in learning difficulty services through improved commissioning.

Its Care Services Improvement Partnership has proposed that a three-year scheme to develop  individualised services for users could save millions of pounds per year.

It suggests that the project's central costs would be funded through money from CSIP and the DH's care services efficiency delivery programme, set up to implement the efficiency review in adult social care. Councils would pay a subscription of £5,000 a year for the three-year period.

A CSIP spokesperson said that no costs had been set and that the proposal was still a "work in progress."

Anne Williams, co-chair of the Association of Directors of Social Services resources committee, said the proposal had been welcomed by directors, but added it should be seen as "just one strand" in a strategy to ease the funding crisis.