Overnight, 24-hour & live-in care available
Edinburgh 0131 285 1221 · Fife, Kinross & Perth 01592 382 302
Overnight, 24-hour & live-in care available
Edinburgh 0131 285 1221 · Fife, Kinross & Perth 01592 382 302
Home › Our Services › Self-Directed Support
SDS gives you legal control over how your social care budget is spent — including the right to choose your own provider, and to top up council-arranged care with private hours. Here’s how it actually works.
homecare.co.uk, 2018–22
Edinburgh & Fife offices
PVG-checked & directly
Accredited
Days, nights & live-in
Self-Directed Support (SDS) is Scotland’s legal framework giving you choice over your social care. After a council assessment you choose one of four options: a Direct Payment you manage (Option 1), an Individual Service Fund a provider manages for you (Option 2), council-arranged care (Option 3), or a mix (Option 4). Options 1 and 2 let you pick your own provider — including Eidyn Care.
What’s included
Every package is built around a personal plan agreed with you and your family — flexible visits from one hour through to full 24/7 support, delivered by a small, consistent team of SSSC-registered carers.
Option 1 — Direct Payment — the council pays you the budget; you choose and pay your provider directly. Maximum control.
Option 2 — Individual Service Fund — you choose the provider; they manage the budget for you. Control without the admin.
Option 3 — Council arranged — the council chooses and arranges your care for you
Option 4 — A mixture — combine options across different parts of your support
Topping up — add privately funded hours on top of your council package — same trusted team, more support
Our role — we work under Options 1 and 2 across Edinburgh, Fife, Kinross and Perth, and we’ll help you navigate the process
Who it’s for
Anyone assessed by their council as needing social care support has the legal right to choose between the four SDS options. Many families don’t realise this: if you want a specific provider, Options 1 and 2 make that your decision, not the council’s.
The second thing many families don’t realise: council packages have limits, and you can top them up. A typical example — the council funds personal care visits, and the family privately adds companionship hours, an evening settle, or weekend support from the same team. One provider, one consistent set of faces, one plan.
If you’re at the start of this process, the first step is a needs assessment from your local social work department. We’re happy to explain what to expect before you make that call — no obligation, and our costs and funding guide covers Free Personal Care too.
Areas: Edinburgh, Fife, Kinross & Perth
Visits: from 1 hour to 24/7 & live-in
Availability: days, evenings, overnights, weekends — 365 days a year
Team: SSSC-registered, PVG-checked, directly employed
Funding: private, Self-Directed Support or Free Personal Care
How it works
Speak to our care team — no obligation, no pressure. We’ll listen and answer your questions honestly.
We visit at home, meet the family, and build a personal plan around routines, preferences and outcomes.
You meet your carers before care starts. We review the plan regularly and adjust as needs change.
Yes. Under SDS Options 1 (Direct Payment) and 2 (Individual Service Fund), the choice of provider is legally yours after your council assessment.
Yes. Families frequently add privately funded hours — companionship, evenings, weekends — on top of a council package, ideally from the same provider so the team stays consistent.
Contact the social work department of your local council (Edinburgh, Fife, or Perth & Kinross) and request a community care assessment. We can explain the process beforehand.
Both let you choose the provider. With Option 1 you receive and manage the money yourself; with Option 2 the provider or a third party manages the budget on your behalf — same choice, less paperwork.
Yes — Free Personal Care applies to assessed personal care needs regardless of age in Scotland, whichever SDS option you choose.
A friendly, no-obligation conversation with our care team. We’ll help you work out what support is right — even if that isn’t us.
