Personal health budgets are helping children and young people to have more choice about their healthcare in Luton

S is a young person from Luton with a diagnosis of Autism and Global Development Delay. S also has a problematic sleep pattern. She attends a local Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) school which enables her to have specialist 1:1 support.

Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board (ICB) has commissioned Autism Bedfordshire to manage the personal health budgets for children and young people in the area. Personal health budgets can improve people’s quality of life and their experience of care by helping them to have more choices about how their healthcare needs are met.

Using her personal health budget, S was provided with a brand new bed to promote good sleep hygiene and reduce dysregulation, and a tablet with accessories for entertainment and stimulation while at home.

The support enabled S to improve her health with improved sleep and gave her the opportunity to relax, de-stress and regulate emotions in her own space.

S’s parents said: “The bed was important as S cannot share a room with her two sisters due to her needs during the night. You have supported us during the most difficult time we normally face as a family when there is no school.”