>I would be glad to hear from anyone with knowledge or experience of setting
>up a personal assistance scheme for a person with cognitive and/or other
>impairments resulting from a head injury, especially where Direct Payments
>are used a source of funding.
You could try talking to Catherine Artindale or Claire Pearson from the
Sheffield Direct Payment to Users Scheme. A recent review of the
service, by John Speyer, made the following points:
"Third party operation is similarly seen by professionals and carers as
an effective way of individualising care, putting together a package
which conventional Social Service Directorate systems do not seem capable
of providing. In addition, if the user seems unable to express clear
views on issues connected to their care, it may seem natural for someone
with close involvement, particularly a parent or family member, to make
decisions on that person's behalf, and this is at present the only way to
access Direct Payments in such circumstances. But
1. While the Direct Payment to Users Scheme workers may well have
justifiable confidence in the integrity of individual social workers and
carers, there is nevertheless scope for abuse, either of the user or of
funds.
2. This arrangement re-inforces the dependency of users on carers and
providers, losing them an important opportunity to develop their own
skills and maturity. If, as often seems to occur, the parents or family
of someone with learning difficulties feel that they should protect and
shelter the user, the fundamental aim of user self-direction cannot be
achieved.
3. An individual third party may seek to develop the user's involvement
in decision making; or they may feel that the user has not the capacity
for this and that "they know best". The direction depends entirely on
the views of individual carers, social workers, and personal assistants
rather than being built into the system from the start. (In addition, it
could be argued that even if the third party does involve the user, the
power is still with the third party, and the user still fundamentally
dependent.).
DPUS should therefore minimise the operation of third-party schemes,
providing instead support mechanisms which will give people with learning
difficulties access to Direct Payments while also promoting their
self-direction. Users who are not willing / able to be involved in
running their own care should have their needs met by conventional
Community Care, with Social Services finding other ways to individualise
care."
Please contact me for the DPUS telephone number.
Reagrds
Alden Chadwick
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