Surrey County Council has agreed a deal to provide the NHS’s social care services for people with learning disabilities, in the biggest cash transfer of its kind nationally.

The transfer means the council, recently castigated for its management standards, will take sole responsibility for funding and buying social care for people with learning disabilities across the county.

The council will receive £58m for the 2009/10 financial year and £60m for 2010/11, covering funding and commissioning arrangements to 31 March 2011.

After that date, the council will be funded directly from central Government. The transfer is required by the Government as part of its national Valuing People Now strategy.

The transfer will cover day activities, accommodation, short-term breaks and support and advice. NHS Surrey will still be responsible for commissioning specialist learning disability health services and providing mainstream healthcare services.

Under the arrangement, agreed by both the council’s cabinet and the NHS Surrey board, people with learning disabilities will have greater independence in choosing services as part of the council’s drive to personalise care.

Michael Gosling, Surrey County Council’s cabinet member for adult social care, said: “This ensures local social care services meet people’s needs and aspirations. We can continue to give people with learning disabilities and their carers high-quality, person-centred services, putting people at the heart of decisions about the way they wish to lead their lives.”

Michael Munt, director of finance of NHS Surrey, said: “We have worked closely with Surrey County Council to put the necessary arrangements in place to transfer commissioning responsibility and funding in April.

"The council, as the lead for social care in Surrey, is best placed to commission social care services that meet the needs of people with learning disabilities at the right time and place.”

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