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What are direct payments and how do they work.?
W have respite care for our son, we're supposed to get 5 hrs a week but only get 2, they are meant to be flexible which is ok as long as it's wednesday 12.30 - 2.30 !! TBH it's not working for us and I dread her coming, we had appointments with psych and paed yesterday and both mentioned direct payments, I hadn't said anything about the respite btw. What are they and would they apply to us. Thanks.
3 Answers
- Anonymous1 decade agoFavorite Answer
its a system where the social worker does a carers assessment then decides if you need direct payments and how many hours you can have. then you set up a bank account into which the payments are made. you then find a PA (personal assistant) make sure they have an uptodate CRB check then you are basically their employer, at the initial appt you and the social worker would have agreed what the hours are to be used for, (a spare pair of hands on a family day out and "short breaks" which is a pc way of saying take your child out for a swim or down the park sp you can chill". .every month you have to pay their wages, sort out their tax etc, but its very flexible, you choose who you have. at first its a pain in the bum to get set up but well worth it!
matthews PA is one of the teaching assistants at his special school and she has now been promoted to" auntie" sonia, she is so much part of our family, matthew adores her and she adores him.
hope you get a good nights sleep x
- Aut-EchoLv 51 decade ago
what disability/ies has he got?
direct payments can use up funding more than going to a organisations respite service in some cases,eg
mencap,NAS,scope etc.
if he has autism,and are in the NW area,can recommend seeing about getting him respite funding for the regional only service am in residential care for [they do respite,shared care,outreach and residential placement here for adults and children on the severe or profound spectrums],SS see them as cheaper than NAS,please email if this matches his needs as will give their details, rda.rider@gmail.com