Personal budgets continued >> Tel: 01323 414674 Email: ilseastsussex@peopleplus.co.uk Web: www.peopleplus.co.uk Possability People Montague House, Somerset Street, Brighton BN2 1JE Web: www.possabilitypeople.org.uk If you don’t yet have a Direct Payment or would like some general information: Tel: 01273 894040 Email: hello@possabilitypeople.org.uk If you already have a Direct Payment, contact the Direct Payments Support Service: Tel: 01273 894050 Email: dp@possabilitypeople.org.uk Brighton & Hove Brighton & Hove City Council has a contract with Possability People, which supports people using Direct Payments. For further information, contact Brighton & Hove City Council’s Adult Social Care Access Point on 01273 295555 or Possability People on the contact details above. Employing a personal assistant Increasingly, people are choosing to employ their own care workers – personal assistants (PAs) – to give them the support they need. This can give you the most choice, control, and flexibility, about the support you get, who provides it and when. If you qualify for financial support from Adult Social Care, and you receive a Direct Payment (see page 31),
you could use it to employ a PA. PAs offer support with various everyday activities such as shopping, leisure activities, washing and personal care. They will fit around your needs and your schedule and can support you when it suits you. Employing staff might sound difficult, but there is plenty of help available. In East Sussex, PeoplePlus or Possability People can help you with everything from finding the right person, to understanding your responsibilities as an employer. Possability People also does this in Brighton & Hove. This support to be a good employer is free. PeoplePlus, Possability People and some other companies may also offer a payroll service for paying your PA, or they can simply manage your personal budget on your behalf and do all the paperwork for you. There is a charge for this kind of service which you would have to meet out of your personal budget. If you are paying for your own support, you can, of course, still employ a PA and get help to do that. The Support with Confidence schemes (see page 12) can help you find people you can trust, whatever kind of support you need, to help you live independently. You can also look online for a PA, for example on East Sussex’s online directory, East Sussex 1Space at www. eastsussex1space.co.uk/ For Brighton & Hove, visit www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/personal-assistant There are lots of PAs registered and looking for work in the county on PeoplePlus and Possability People’s PA Noticeboards. You can use these to recruit a PA yourself, or, if you would like support with this, PeoplePlus or Possability People’s Direct Payments Support Service advisers can help. If you have any questions about the PA Noticeboard, contact PeoplePlus or Possability People, see above. Peopleplus does not operate in Brighton & Hove. East Sussex Tel: 01323 466120 Brighton & Hove Email: Bhccg.nhsfundedcareteam@nhs.net
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This Directory’s helpline 0800 389 2077 – assistance with finding care and support