‘It’s your life, it’s your support, it’s your choice’
Buying your own support gives you the freedom to live the life you want. It allows you to choose when and how your support is provided and most importantly, it allows you to decide what you use it for. Of course, how you use your support is entirely up to you...
Providing personal support
Personal care
Support in the home with domestic chores, cooking and shopping
Emotional support and befriending
Translating and interpreting services
Support with planning and organising
Support with paperwork and filling in forms
Risk analysis and needs assessments
Financial planning and managing your money
Life planning and scheduling your activities
Planning and going on holiday
Support with getting out and about
Doing what you like to do from socialising to pursuing your hobbies
Getting active through sports or exercise
Attending doctor, hospital or other scheduled appointments
Travel - getting from A to B or finding your way around London
Organising the things you want to do
Joining our hobby and interest groups such as art, drama, gardening or music
Support with achieving your potential
Finding and enrolling on training courses
Helping you to get a job
Helping you to get into college
Helping you volunteer
Who can buy support?
You can buy your own support if you receive a Direct Payment from the local authority. To be eligible for a Direct Payment you must be receiving a care and support package from the local authority.
You can also buy support if you are a self funder. A self funder is someone who would like care and support but does not need the local authority to provide the money.
What is a Direct Payment?
Direct payments are local authority payments which are made to people who have been assessed as needing a care and support package. Direct Payments enable people to arrange their own care and support instead of relying on the local authority to provide it for them. Direct Payments give people much greater control over their lives
How can I get a Direct Payment?
If you already receive a support package from the local authority then get in touch with your Care Manager at your Local Authority and ask them about receiving a Direct Payment. They should be able to arrange an assessment for you which will identify how much money you could receive.
If you require support but are not currently receiving a support package, get in touch with your social worker or the local authority and ask for your care and support needs to be assessed. Once this has been done, you can then apply for a Direct Payment. Have a look at your local authority website for more details about getting assessed and applying for a Direct Payment.
How much money will I get?
The amount of money you receive will depend upon the outcome of your needs assessment.
What is a Personal Assistant?
A Personal Assistant is someone that provides care and support.
Who employs the Personal Assistant?
We do. We find out what type of support you want, how long you would like it for, and then we arrange it for you.
If you prefer to employ your own Personal Assistant then we can support you with that too! Just have a look at our ‘Employ Support’ page - it will tell you all you need to know.
How much does it cost?
We are a charity so our prices are very competitive. We have developed a clear pricing structure based upon an hourly rate for three different types of support. The total cost of your support depends upon what type you need and how many hours you want. You can ‘mix and match’ support too, which ensures that you only pay for what you need.
Just tell us about the support you need and we will calculate the cost for you. To save you money we will try to offer discounts for ongoing packages of support.
