Hi @MaryP,
There is some stuff in this chat that you may find helpful: Ask permission before, or check up afterwards? - Legislation & Guidance - SDS Forum (sdsscotland.org.uk)
Whether the LA have a right to insist that permission is sought above a certain level is not clear to me, and there is very little consistency between different LAs on this. In general, I think it is fairly standard practice, but this is local policy and not the law (and you probably won’t find it in writing, although I could be wrong). I suspect most of us on this forum would agree that this is not entirely in keeping with the spirit of SDS and I would always like to think that as long as you can evidence it being used to meet needs and outcomes, it should be fine, but it can very much depend on social workers and team leaders.
Decisions can (almost) always be challenged, so might be worth contacting a local advice organisation: Find Local Information and Support - Self Directed Support Scotland | Self Directed Support Scotland (sdsscotland.org.uk)