The PB Team need your input

As members who attend the PB User Group meetings will probably know - funding for this Project runs out in October 2012.

The PB team will shortly be looking for new funding and we want your views of what services we should provide.

We are sending a questionnaire out to everyone on our books so please could you complete these, including your comments and suggestions, so we can say to the funders that YOU the users have decided how the project should be.

In case you don't recieve the questionnaire (or if you would prefer to complete it electronically) I have copied it below - feel free to cut and paste it onto a new document and email it to me at pbsupport@adkc.org.uk . (there are 8 questions).

Personal Budget Project – Questionnaire for current users of the service

1.      If you wanted to get advice or information about general / everyday issues, who do you turn to? Circle all options that apply.

Professionals / friends / family / peers (other people who have had similar experiences) / others (who)______________________________________

2. In what way do you use your Personal Budget? Circle all options that apply.

The council sends in care workers for me

I organise care workers from and agency that I chose

I employ private Personal Assistants / Care workers (that don’t come from an agency)

I buy equipment

I use my personal budget to pay for social activities

Other (if so, what)______________________________________________

3. If you have issues with your Personal Budget, who would you turn to for information and advice? Circle all options that apply.

Friends / family / other PB users / The ADKC Personal Budget Team / Social Worker / Self Directed Support team (RBKC) / others (who)___________

4. The PB project provides assistance with the following topics – have you needed assistance in the past with any of these topics?

General information about Personal Budgets                                           YES/NO

Details of local care agencies                                                                                 YES/NO

General information about Social Care                                                                  YES/NO

Sitting in at assessment / review / financial assessment                                     YES/NO

Help with forms (Self assessment questionnaire, financial assessment/ monitoring, PB agreement, client satisfaction)                                                               YES/NO

Support Planning / Support plan review                                                                 YES/NO

Help with recruiting                                                                                                   YES/NO

Help with payroll                                                                                                        YES/NO

Information about Employer’s Liability Insurance                                      YES/NO

Advice on Safeguarding                                                                                          YES/NO

Help with record keeping                                                                                         YES/NO

Employment law (responsibility of employer / rights of employee)                      YES/NO

Mediation (with agency/ council / private employee)                                            YES/NO

Appealing a decision                                                                                               YES/NO

Managed Accounts                                                                                                   YES/NO

Tax / National Insurance                                                                                           YES/NO

Help to make complaints                                                                                         YES/NO

Are there any other Personal Budget related topics that you have needed assistance with in the past?

If yes, what topics______________________________________

5. Do you attend the Personal Budget User Group meetings?               YES/NO

If YES, what do you think of the meetings? If NO, what is the reason you don’t come?

6. Do you read our quarterly “PB flash” newsletter?                                              YES/NO

What do you think of this? What would you like to see in it?

7. Do you currently feel confident to write your own support plan?                      YES/NO

If you were asked to write a support plan would you prefer to:

Write it yourself using a toolkit developed by Personal Budget Users   YES/NO

Write it yourself with face to face help from other PB users?                               YES/NO

Write the Support Plan in conjunction with someone from the PB Team           YES/NO

Write the support plan in conjunction with the Social Worker / SDS team         YES/NO

A combination of two or more of the above                                                           YES/NO

Other (if so, what) __________________________________________________

8. We are currently applying for funding to continue the PB project – please could you tell us what you think of the current service, what you would like to continue and what you would change? Is there anything we don’t currently do that you would like us to do?

Name (so we don’t contact you again with these questions)__________________

Thank you for taking the time to comment!