Kent CardIssued in association with

Royal Bank of Scotland

Brief History• A new streamlined and cost effective solution

was required for delivering direct payments• A system was needed for people who have been

excluded in the past from having a direct payment

• Kent County Council in partnership with The Royal Bank of Scotland developed a system that would revolutionise the direct payment process

The result was the first pre-loaded card programme for Direct Payment recipients

‘The Kent Card’

Launched March 2007

Why did KCC introduce Kent Card?• To support the personalisation agenda in social

care and empower individuals• Reduce the complexity around direct payments:

- Kent Card removes the need to negotiate the opening of a bank account- Each card is pre loaded with an agreed

amount

flexibility, freedom, choice and control

RBSWithin

9 WorkingDays

Funds Loaded- Day 3/4

Application Form

Cardholder detail spreadsheet

Crediting

Monthly Statements & Daily

Web-access

How the card works…..CARD ISSUING & LOADING

Kent Card Features

• The ability to block spending in certain Merchant groups• Cash facility is automatically restricted• Monthly statements • Detailed management and audit information reporting• KCC 24hr helpline• Personal Assistants can be paid via Kent Card• Cardholder can nominate an additional cardholder

Kent Card Figures and Targets

Currently in Kent there are 991 Kent Card Users

East Kent: 683 Kent Card UsersWest Kent:308 Kent Card Users

Target figure for March 2010 is 1500

Service User Groups on Kent CardService Users Groups within East Kent 2008-2009

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180

Learning Difficulties

Mental Health

Older People

Physically Disabled

Serv

ice

Use

r G

roup

s

Amount of Service Users

The Future of Kent CardIn NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent

To build on the integrated commissioning structures between Health and Social Care, KCC has been

supporting NHS eastern and coastal Kent who have successfully submitted an expression of interest to the Department of Health as a pilot site for personal

health budgets.

The Kent Card is the cornerstone for this pilotPersonal health budgets as close to a direct payment

as is currently legally possible

Kent Card and Personal Health Budgets

• Maternity Services piloting the use of Independent Midwives through Kent Card

• Reduction health inequalities • Increasing homebirths and breastfeeding • Access ante-natal and post natal support

• End of Life Care• Continuing Care• Carers • Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing

Benefits for Providers who accept Kent Card

• Payment credited to providers accounts directly, this reduces processing time and associated costs

• Users of direct payments is set to increase• Providers are added to a list of UK suppliers that

accept VISA• Providers are added to the Kent County Council

website showing that they accept Kent Card• Increase business opportunities with the facility of

accepting VISA

Award winning Kent CardWinner at the VISA European Awards ‘Best corporate social responsibility

programme’

Kent Card has been nominated for Innovation and Progress atGuardian Public Service Awards 2009 and The pre-paid awards 2009 category- Best Corporate or Government loaded programme

Kent Card FilmThis can be viewed on

www.kenttv.com