Direct payments

[StiffyByng]

Hi. We're about to start getting direct payments for a carer to be with DSD, 12, after school every day. She spends all day with a bunch of TAs who are all grandmotherly types and are indulging her many whims, and we want the carer to be a young sparky type who connects her a bit more with how to be a teenager. Does anyone have any experience with recruiting a carer and any tips? We're a bit flummoxed by it all.

I'm very lucky having an older DD who has friends who wanted to work with DH. Do you know anyone else who has a carer who'd like more hours? Is there an organisation that deals with Direct Payments payrolls who could advertise for you? Students are great too - we've had student nurses/teachers. A lot of agencies will also take into account the type of carer that would be suitable for your DSD.

I know a young man who's a goth and his agency always manages to find goth-type PA's for him! Good luck.

My daughter's carer is a TA at a different special school so maybe try putting up some adverts or having a chat at other schools. She is youngish but very trendy and 'sparky' . Like your choice of word.

This is the sort of thing we could do with for my DD 13. Someone to take her swimming or go to the pics so it's not always with Mum and Dad! Haven't applied for direct payments as just assumed we wouldn't qualify.

Thanks for the ideas. Our social worker suggested A4E as the local place to recruit carers through payroll! I've heard some dodgy stuff about them before the recent publicity so am a but wary.

I'm on my phone so can't scroll back and my memory for user names is appalling, but direct payments are agreed by social services and there's no harm in approaching them to see if you might qualify. We have no other way of looking after her after school so that's our primary route in to direct payments, but we are hopefully also getting a few hours to use at the weekend too.

sazale, it can depend on where you live as well as your child's needs. SS would come round and assess you and it goes from there.

Thanks or the info. I've been pondering contacting social services but they not have a good reputation in our area although I keep reminding myself that they are a different dept to the child protection ones. We do access the aiming high for disabled children for a couple of hours on a Wednesday which she really enjoys but will finish soon. Can social services help with getting to and from school? This is causing us major problems at the moment.

Does your daughter have a statement because transport often comes from the council and is in the education policy?

I put in the request for a SA a week ago. Just about to write my parental contribution. I contacted the lea about transport and they told me categorically no as only live 0.5 miles from school and doesn't have a statement. I managed to get the form from them to apply by stating that she has a disability which makes getting her to school extremely difficult (refuses to walk, dyspraxia type difficulties, no sense of danger, road safety, vulnerability, waiting on assessment for hypermobility/low muscle tone, SPD) and that just because she doesn't have a statement doesn't mean she doesn't have a SEN (on school action plus and been out of mainstream classes for 5 months). We can only get her to school by driving her which is ok ATM as partner works from home (I don't drive) but that is due to change shortly. We still have battles to get her there as she has extreme anxiety which manifests in demand avoidance.

All the transport policies seem to vary and will depend on your LEA. Ours has rules about distances but then has exemptions for cases like your daughter's. Having said that, they are about to review all young people in this LEA getting transport this year which must be an attempt to reduce costs. They want to bring in meeting points and transport training so we're gearing up for a battle.

It is worth applying and then appealing if need be. Good luck.

Thanks and same to you!

Can I ask (roughly) whereabouts you are?
I have a young (19 yr old) carer for my 14 yr old son and it is brill.. we too wanted a 'friend' type person rather than a parental person; she goes out with him and does age appropriate stuff..cinema, trips out etc and he feels grown up:)

My own daughter (20) and son (19) also do DP caring .. we belong to the internet group www.specialkidsintheuk.org/ and a LOT of the older siblings have become carers, some as p/t jobs around their university lives and others pretty much full time! It is worth joining the forum and asking there.. or PM me with your area and I can ask! There are plenty of willing and able young carers around!

Oh thanks, Medusa. I'll look into that! We're in South London.

All our troubles stem from school transport. At the moment I'm on maternity leave so can do all the school runs but am going back next month. (Sob.) SD's walking has gone from bad but could use bus, to wheelchair in a month. School transport wouldn't look at her without a statement, which is being 'rushed' through, but won't deliver to an empty house. It seems they are trying to stop parents of disabled children working. Anyway our blessed social worker has applied for the direct payments so we can fund an after school carer.