Direct payments from SS...anyone ant experience??

[curlywurlycremeegg]

My DS1 is autistic and recieves middle care and lower mobility DLA. I am aware that I can apply for dirct payments from SS for other "care" needs that aren't provided by them (i.e. everything!). He has a lot of support from a local group and we pay for all the activities which hasn't been a problem up to now, howver I am splitting from DH and money will be tight from now on. Have been put of from applying prior to this as a social worker would be involved, not sure exactlly why I am bothered about that, just would prefer to not have them involved unless I really had to Anyone any experience of what is involved in it all?

Ooooo kaaaay...

It will vary a bit area to area. Basically DPs are supposed to replace SS doing things for you, and specifically to replace them employing staff to do things for you. Because the overheads of employing a large number of people costs the govt more money than it is worth.

So, if previously SS did an assessment saying "this child needs 10 hours' outside care a week" or "this family needs 16 hours' respite a month" it used to be that the care/respite would be provided by SS employed staff. Now by law SS first have to offer you the option of giving you the money and letting you find and employ your own staff at more convenient hours etc. I believe you can get DPs for other things than staff but that's my experience.

In practice, some authorities are better than others at this. Because staff are a fixed budget, SS still find it easier to manage employing people than handing over cash (which usually comes out of a separate budget, so if they give you cash someone else doesn't eg get a new cooker, whereas if they employ the staff anyway you get the leftover hours iyswim) so many areas ignore this law or treat it as impactical. We have a mix - we have I think 8 hours' a week DPs for DD1's care, plus 16 hours' a month respite from SS's own "domiciliary care" team. Because that was the way of our Social Worker maximising the amount of time we could get from them. It's not strictly legal - we should get DPs for all of it - but that's how it goes in our area which is apparently a bit notorious.

Anyway - process is:

• get a social worker. Some more chocolate teapottish than others, you may have contacts who can arrange you get allocated one of the better ones; has made a big difference to us.
• get an assessment done. SS produces a piece of paper saying "this family needs X"
• SW goes to "panel" (a meeting that allocates money) to see what they can get you off the back of the assessment. This may be an iterative process because they have to make sure they have exhausted all ways of getting you help (eg local charities) before handing over money.
• when you get DPs you have to set up a separate bank account and give them auditable reports quarterly to show you really spent the money on what you were supposed to.
• recruit someone to help you (if that is what the money is for) often via local colleges, hospitals, carers' associations etc. Agencies are expensive.
• payments are late, lost etc. etc. and the finance team don't understand their own forms. But what were you expecting? If you keep a track of what they owe you, it turns up in the end.

Someone with wider experience may be able to add to that!

When you contact SS ask for the children with disabilities team and tell them you want your child's needs assessed. You are also entitled to an assessment of your needs as a carer.

Don't be worried about a social worker being involved. In many cases all they will do is assess you and then disappear (in my experience anyway) unless you need them again. it's not the same as having your child put on an 'at risk' register when they would be monitoring you.

I've written about it here The links on there are useful.

Thanks for all that everone, I guess it was just my anxiety at being involved with SS (a over reaction, but when you have children with SN I gues you are prone to over reactions sometimes ). I will look into it more now