Issued in association with Royal Bank of Scotland. Ms. Gina Walton, Project Manager, Kent County Council

1. Kent Card
Issued in association with
Royal Bank of Scotland

2. 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

3. The result was the first pre-loaded card
programme for Direct Payment recipients
‘The Kent Card’
Launched March 2007

4. 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

5. How the card works…..CARD ISSUING &
Application Form LOADING
Monthly
Statements & Daily
Web-access
Within
9 Working
Cardholder detail spreadsheet RBS Days
Funds Loaded
- Day 3/4
Crediting

6. 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

7. Kent Card Figures and Targets
Currently in Kent there are 991 Kent Card Users
East Kent: 683 Kent Card Users
West Kent:308 Kent Card Users
Target figure for March 2010 is 1500

8. Service User Groups on Kent Card
Service Users Groups within East Kent 2008-2009
Physically Disabled
Service User Groups
Older People
Mental Health
Learning Difficulties
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
Amount of Service Users

9. The Future of Kent Card
In 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 pilot
Personal health budgets as close to a direct payment
as is currently legally possible

10. 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

11. 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

12. Award winning Kent Card
Winner at the VISA European Awards
‘Best corporate social responsibility
programme’
Kent Card has been nominated for Innovation and Progress at
Guardian Public Service Awards 2009 and The pre-paid
awards 2009 category- Best Corporate or Government loaded
programme

13. Kent Card Film
This can be viewed on
www.kenttv.com