PA net briefing 4

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TABLE OF CONTENTS • Welcome to the 4th PA Net Briefing • Skills for Care - support for people who employ their own PAs • "Passport" your funding - wherever you want to live • Updates to PIP policy • Have you discovered Disability Horizons yet? • Katy at the House of Commons PIP Timeline The Papworth Trust have put together this useful timeline on the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) which will be replacing the Disability Living Allowance (DLA).  (Click on the ‘play’ symbol, then if you click on each box it zooms in to give you a clearer view.) For more information visit the Papworth Trust’s website Citizens Advice buckling under volume of calls over new benefits 4 Jul 2012: Already overstretched service pushed to breaking point by requests for assistance with incapacity benefit, says CAB New figures show that ESA advice shot up by an unprecedented 71 per cent - to more than 97,000 problems - in the three months January to March 2012 compared with the same quarter last year. via Guardian Young disabled people failed by estate agents and property websites Charity report blames failure to understand needs of wheelchair-users and what makes an accessible property via Guardian More social care assessments done through call centres Quarter of social care professionals say initial assessments are carried out through call centres, while there has been an apparent fall in face-to-face assessments, finds Community Care's annual personalisation survey. via Community Care Updates to PIP policy In April 2013 the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will replace the Disability Living Allowance (DLA). The new PIP is ‘based on an assessment of individual need. The new assessment will focus on an individual’s ability to carry out a range of key activities necessary to everyday life. Information will be gathered from the individual, as well as healthcare and other professionals who work with and support them.’ Read the updated policy on the DWP website Welcome to the 4th PA Net Briefing Membership is exclusive to PAs and those who employ them and we have just welcomed our 600th member.  It does not seem that long ago when we were celebrating our 100th member.  The growth of our membership is really exciting.  The more members we have, the more we can support each other via the e-Forums and have influence with major policy makers.   Skills for Care have asked if we could nominate 2 members of PA Net who employ PAs and who would like to sit on Skill for Care's sector advisory group. The group will consult via telephone conference (all calls set up and paid for by Skills for Care).  The group will be asked to feedback on draft materials and will be involved with directing and advising how the work should go forward.  Please contact us if you are interested.  We still need members who employ PAs to complete a Skills for Care questionnaire (NMDS).  Please, if you can spare the time, would you contact us.  You can complete it online or we can send you paper copies or we can talk through it over the telephone.  Skills for Care - support for people who employ their own PAs Over 160,000 people across England are now employing Personal Assistants (PAs) to provide care and support for themselves or a loved one. With the benefits and flexibility of employing one’s own staff comes the responsibility of being an employer. This is often a new role for people and it can be a daunting prospect. Skills for Care have developed a range of products to help inform and guide through the responsibilities of an employer to help make the process easier to understand. These are all listed in the 'We help people who employ their own Personal Assistants' booklet and outlines the following guides and information. To help an employer get started, recruit and keep staff, the PA Toolkit offers guidance through the recruitment and interview process.  The Quick Guide to Manager Induction Standards identifies the knowledge and skills that an employer should aim to have in the role as a manager. Skills for Care has also produced a guide on Inducting a PA. Staff Induction is the first piece of learning a worker should undertake; it is the first step in developing staff to ensure that they provide the high quality care and support needed. The Personalisation and Partnership report explores relationship building. Further training needs for a PA may be funded by Skills for Care through it's partnership with PA Net. For details of the training for which funding is available and to see a case study which shows how qualifications can be tailored to a specific job role visit the Skills for Care website. "Passport" your funding - wherever you want to live Many disabled and older people cannot consider moving to another postcode because they cannot be sure that they will get equivalent levels of care and support in a new area. Last year, Baroness Campbell introduced the Social Care (Portability) Bill which makes it possible for people who get state-funded care to move from one area to another without fear of losing support or having to battle their way through bureaucracy. Unfortunately she was not able to take it through to Second reading because of parliamentary and health reasons. However The VODG is delighted to say that Baroness Jane Campbell is back in the House of Lords and last week the Bill received its First reading.  We need to show MPs and the Government that there’s a real need to support portability. If you have any stories to share (good or bad), please email Disability Rights See more information via the RADAR website NEWS FLASH Minimum standard to be introduced Further information about the forthcoming white paper has been leaking out. According to this article the white paper will ‘introduce a national eligibility threshold setting out the minimum care each elderly person is entitled to wherever they are in the UK.’ This should make the issues surrounding portability easier. Read more in The Guardian Updates to PIP policy In April 2013 the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will replace the Disability Living Allowance (DLA). The new PIP is ‘based on an assessment of individual need. The new assessment will focus on an individual’s ability to carry out a range of key activities necessary to everyday life. Information will be gathered from the individual, as well as healthcare and other professionals who work with and support them.’ Read the updated policy on the DWP websiteUpdates to PIP Policy Have you discovered Disability Horizons yet? Disability Horizons was founded by its co-editors, Srin Madipalli and Martyn Sibley who both have a physical impairment called Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Their aim is to create a positive, interesting and useful disability related magazine with articles and resources to help disabled people achieve whatever they wish. You can sign up to receive the magazine free of charge on their website. Disability Horizons Katy at the House of Commons Our last briefing congratulated one of PA Net’s members, Katy Etherington on winning the Association of colleges Gold Award. Katy was among eight former students whose careers have been positively influenced by their former Colleges.  Katy was presented with her award by Lord Willlis at the House of Commons. Previous Gold award winners include Stephen Fry, Baroness Betty Boothroyd and actor John Hurt.

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