Direct Payments

[ZDA1]

How do direct payments work? I am a paediatric nurse looking for a job caring for children with special needs. I currently work at a children's hospice, so have lots of experience, but would like to work with one family/ child on a regular basis. Do I go through the council and advertise myself there?

you would need to be crb checked - could be worth phoning the LA disability social worker and making yourself known - good carers are hard to find and im sure the social worker would have lots of families on her case load who could use you. ive found my carers usually via playschemes - I pay them directly using a pay company so that sorts out the tax and NI side of things - I also pay holiday pay as well

I'd also contact the local special school.. there will probably be a school nurse ..and offer! I work in Special school and also have a son with SN and use direct payments, and our nurse is ALWAYS trawling for TAs who would be willing to do DP care!

My favourite carer happened to be a friend of my eldest DD who was 18 when she started working with DS2 but sadly she's finished uni and is a full time job now that doesn't give her time.

Also..where are you based? I'm part of a large Sn community and we are always looking for keen carers!!!

Th

Thank you! That's great. I wish I had posted on here ages ago. I live in Bury St Edmund's, so will contact Riverwalk school once they're back off summer hols. I will also contact the local LA disability social worker. How exciting! I'm crb checked, updated last year. I currently work Mon-Wed's but can always change my days/hrs to suit. Let me know if you know anyone close by who may be looking for some help. Thank you!

My local council, which isn't near you, will insist on a more recent CRB check than that. Worth checking with the DP team.

Contact local sn support groups too or carers charity eg ours runs it's own sitter service.

Thank you for all the advice!