Social Services, PAs and Direct Payments

I was having agencies through Social Services for about three years but in October i had my Social Services Assessment, Originally i lost my Care Package as Social Services descided that i didnt need it any more but i fought for four months to get it back proving that i did with letters from doctors, hospitals, assessments with Occupational Therapists, i did everything that the Social Services threw at me, it was really difficult.

I lost my going out time but i retained my personal care and they also gave me "respite" basically carers for when my fiance is at home as he works full time. I was given a personal Budget which i could use either for agencies or for a Personal Assistant, either with myself in control or with Social Services in Control.

I decided at this time it would be a good time to switch from Social Services Agencies which gave me no freedom to Direct payments and hiring a Personal Assistant.

Social Services refered me to the Independant Living Association and i was given an advisor, she ran through some stuff with me and they gave me access to their online database of Personal Assistants which i ran through and called lots of them, this was rather fruitless to be honest and after a week my advisor wrote up a job advert of what i wanted in a PA and put it on several job sites and then people emailed them to the ILA and the ILA contacted me with them which was much easier.

I had several interviews with people, my advisor was there on the first one which didnt go that well but the second one me and my fiance went ahead and did it without the advisor as she was unable to make it. The Person was brilliant and we hired her on the spot. She had been working for me for almost three weeks now and i wonder how i coped without her. Its so much better being in control i can add or take away hours as long as its within my budget. Admittedly there is some paperwork but you can get the ILA to help you and they can also do the payroll for a small fee which comes out of your budget i really wish i had done all of this along time ago!