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An international study of individual budget schemes finds that service users are “very satisfied” but there are concerns about costs.

The Social Care Institute for Excellence report finds clients in most countries are very satisfied but adds that clarifying the role, skills, training and pay of carers directly employed by service users is central to the success of projects.

It calls for more research into the cost-effectiveness of such initiatives after finding evidence that many European Union schemes had underestimated demand and set-up costs. It also says that the popularity of such projects could uncover unmet need.

The report, published last week, examines the experience of individual budget-type initiatives in the European Union, USA, New Zealand and Australia.

● Choice, Control and Individual Budgets: Emerging Themes