Direct payments/Self directed support

[Jeannie]

Some information about Direct payments/Self directed support for those who are unaware. You will see it states that you cannot employ your partner/spouse however under exceptional circumstances you can i.e. other carers cannot meet your needs whereas your partner can and or you do not wish to have your privacy invaded etc.

In short; your local council authority will come out to assess your needs and work out the number of hours support you require. They will work out how much it would cost to cover your assessed support and will allocate you a personal budget to fund the support you need. Once you know how much you have been allocated you can arrange to employ your own personal support workers.

Direct payments - arranging your own care and services. Direct payments are local council payments for people who have been assessed as needing help from social services, and who would like to arrange and pay for their own care and support services instead of receiving them directly from the local council. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/disabled...rt/dg_10016128

What is self-directed support?

Self-directed support is about people being in control of the support they need to live the life they choose.

You may have heard it being referred to as 'personalisation' or 'personal budgets'. There are different ways to describe it, but whatever name's given to it - it's about giving people real power and control over their lives.

To help people get control of their support we have developed the 'Seven steps to being in control of your support'

http://www.in-control.org.uk/support...d-support.aspx

[xbecky07x]

hi does this work if the person is on continuing care because we have been informed that there is no direct payments with conitinuing care but my mum cares for my dad all day and we have carers in 8am -6pm but my mum does help during then and all night through she doesnt have a job atm but is looking but tbh she is up most of the night with my dad hes on bipap 24/7 and cannot move. the care agency finds is difficult to provide carers and tbh the carers we have are good but they wouldnt be able to do it without my mum or me or my bro being here as they do not know properly * they have been in place 12 months =[*

so would this work? x

[Jeannie]

Hi Becky, I haven't got a clue about NHS Continuing health care however ALL local councils must offer you Direct payment by law.

I did a quick google search but didn't find much, I did find the following Question and Answers;

Q. Is an individual able to refuse a continuing care assessment on the basis that it would have an impact on their direct payment, ILF and other benefits?

A. Yes, a person does have the right to refuse an assessment, although in practice, they
may find themselves in a situation where the local authority wants to withdraw support
because they believe NHS Continuing Healthcare is necessary.

Q. Is an individual able to refuse the provision of NHS continuing healthcare once
the individual has been assessed as needing that care, on the basis that it would
have an impact on DP, ILF and other benefits?

A. Likewise, once the assessment is carried out and a recommendation for NHS
Continuing Healthcare is made, the Local Authority will usually withdraw direct payments
and similar payments [e.g. ILF]. This is because the care needed is of a type that would
mean the local authority would be acting outside its legal boundaries, and the concern is
therefore that the individual or their family may wish to complain at a later date about the
costs of means-tested care provision.

Many other benefits, e.g. state pension, do, however, remain unchanged by a switch
to NHS Continuing Healthcare, and there is nothing to stop the individual using those
benefits to supplement a care package to tailor it further to their needs, or to stop the LA
contributing to e.g. home improvements if the person is eligible for such support.

Concerns that a person may object to changes in how their support is provided should not
stop the PCT and LA communicating properly with the individual about the reasons for an
assessment.

[Jeannie]

Just found this article and it seems you cannot revert to direct payments.

Kay Jenkins fights NHS to keep direct payment
Mithran Samuel
Thursday 27 March 2008 07:39

A direct payments support adviser is fighting to hold on to her own direct payment after health chiefs deemed her eligible for continuing healthcare which she doesn't want.

Kay Jenkins is appealing against Rhondda Cynon Taff Local Health Board's assessment of her as eligible for continuing care - the system under which people whose long-term care needs arise from a health need receive full NHS funding for their support.

They then become ineligible for direct payments, though government guidance emphasises that health commissioners should seek to maintain continuity of care for those who previously had direct payments.

Jenkins, whose condition requires her to have oxygen 24 hours a day and use a ventilator with a mask at night, said she had been assessed for respite care but was deemed eligible for continuing care.

The direct payments support worker, who works full time for Cardiff and Vale Coalition of Disabled People, said her needs were not significant enough to warrant continuing care, nor did she want it.

Yet the health board, which refused to comment on her case, confirmed that anyone deemed eligible for continuing care would be unable to challenge the decision itself, only the process behind it.

As part of her direct payment, Jenkins pays a personal assistant to sleep at her house in a separate room. However, under the board's plans, a nurse would sleep in her room every night.

She said: "I'm not ill. It's a waste of resources."

http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Artic...ct-payment.htm

[xbecky07x]

Arghh! Its stupid my dad needs specialist care and isnt getting it provided tbh the carers are okay but outta all 3 that one 1 can just about cover his health needs =[ i wouldnt be bothered if he had a nurse but no he gets run of the mill carers! ITS RIDILOUS !

[xbecky07x]

I'd just like to say thank you very much for that info and im sorry about my rant just p*sses me off! x =] x

[sarahezekiel]

I've been receiving direct payments for years and am happy with them because I can choose my own carers. I was ill last year and admitted to my hospice for 3 weeks. When I came home, my social worker kept insisting on a continuing care assessment. I didn't know what it was or the consequences. No one would tell me either. I was only told that my care would be organised for me, so I realised that I would lose control. I refused to have the assessment and I'm really pleased that I didn't let my social worker pressurise me into it. I have a regular team of good carers and my children know them. With continuing care I presume that I would have random carers at random times coming here, which would be hell. So be warned everyone!!!

Sarah

[computatec]

Hi Sarah

You were very brave to refuse an assessment. Were you not worried that your social worker could stop your direct payments? We have just started and have been told we will be re assessd in three months time, which I am not looking forward to.

Clive

[sarahezekiel]

Hi Clive

I was quite worried but couldn't agree to something that I felt was wrong for me. Because I'd been very ill, my hospice thought that I was dying and suggested continuing care. I knew that I wasn't dying and could still manage my direct payments, so had to tell them. If you can manage your direct payments then you should be able to keep them. Do you think that you can cope with them?

Sarah

[Bluewkd22]

hi can i just say you can get direct payments with chc. we had it with chris, he had 24 hours care two to one plus 2 P.A's the social worker said chris had basicly changed history and will help other sufferers because we fought so hard and got the rules changed so fight for it everyone x