Direct Payments

There have been some recent changes to direct payments which will give families a lot more flexibility and choice. Direct payments are an alternative way to get support and services if you are a parent-carer of a disabled child. Although direct payments first started in 1996, they were only for adults, and social services were not under any obligation to provide a scheme in their area. The Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000 changed all this as the Act extended the power to people with parental responsibility for disabled children, disabled people aged 16 or over and to carers aged 16 or over. Since April social services must now offer direct payments, and the monies can now be used by families to pay a close relative, as long as they are not living in the same household.

How does it work - first of all, get in touch with your local Social Services to ask for an assessment of need for your daughter or son. You can also ask for an assessment of your own needs as a carer. An assessment should in any case take account of the needs of the family as a whole. Based on this assessment Social Services will agree the number of hours of support needed. You can ask to receive this support as a direct payment, (instead of social services providing the service). This means you will be paid the cash equivalent of the services you would have received from the Council. The money you are given is for you to buy in the services/care to meet the needs identified. You can then use the money to meet that need in any way you choose; the money is there to meet the need, not buy in a particular service! For example, you can choose to meet the need for a short break either by employing an individual, an agency worker, or an organisation. You can also choose a combination of support from a mix of social services and direct payments. If you choose to employ an individual (and they are not self-employed) you will effectively become an employer and will have to manage the responsibilities that come with this – including finding a suitable person (making sure they have an uptodate enhanced Criminal Record Bureau check (informally known as a `police check’). This can sound scary, but help is usually available.

After the Assessment – Once direct payments have been agreed, Social Services, or one of their special support schemes (called different things in different areas!), will explain the responsibilities of being an employer, go through the pros and cons of using an agency worker versus employing someone privately, and tips on how to manage the paperwork.