The
Independent Personal Budgets Newsletter from
Issue 30 – Aug/Sept/Oct Peer Support Group Derby’s Peer Support Group will be meeting again on Thursday 13th October at 10.30am. This month Shirley Peacock will be talking about Support Planning and David Clayton from Derby City Councils Adults Health and Housing Department will be back to get the groups opinion on the new assessment form and a support planning workbook. So far we have 6 permanent members of the group and have room for 6 more, so If you want the chance to be heard and learn more about Support Planning and Personalisation, please contact Sally or Shirley on 01332 299449 and book a place. This months meeting starts at 10.30am and finishes at 2pm with a break for lunch which is provided. If you require transport, please let us know.
Pensions Many of you have been contacting DD with questions about the pensions reform. The new pension reforms will impact all UK employees who earn more than the minimum earnings threshold, currently £7,475, and are aged between 22 and the current state pension age of 65. This is starting next year for many large businesses (I don’t think that will effect any of you ). Although the government are constantly changing their minds, it looks like this will effect DP users from April 2014. At the moment, any employer with 5 or more empoyees, has to offer stake holder pensions and join the employee up if they request it. The employee will then sacrifice a percentage of their income into the pension, the employer is not required to contribute. With the changes, from April 2014 you will be required to set up pension plans(or join the gorvernment scheme) for all eligible employees, unless they opt out, both employee and employer will contribute to the scheme. DD will be here to help with finding the right pensions for your employees and DD Payroll will make the deductions from the wages on a monthly basis making the process a simple one. This is 2 years away at the moment and I’m sure the government will make some tweeks before then, so I will keep you updated of any changes and will work on a comprehensive guide for all DP users nearer the time.
DD Membership Become a member of Disability Direct If you or anyone you know would like to get more involved with Disability Direct or would like to stay more in touch with what we do and how we’re developing our services, then why don’t you join us as a member. It’s completely free to join and in addition to being invited to special events organised by DD, members are entitled to vote on the running of DD and can also nominate someone - or even themselves onto the management board! As a thank you to all our members, we are now offering a special membership card which will entitle the holder to a range of discounts at local businesses.
To request a membership form, call Raichel at DD or email raichel.collis@disabilitydirectderby.co.uk. Alternatively a form can be found on the downloads page of the DD website www.disabilitydirect.com which can be posted or emailed back to us.
CRB Disability Direct are now registered to complete CRB checks on your behalf. We would always recommend that anyone employing a PA to work in their own home, have their respective employee checked. A check will take an average of 4 weeks to come through. There are 2 types of check that can be completed, they are: Standard CRB Check - £29 per check A Standard level disclosure is a criminal record certificate as defined under Section 13(3) of the Police Act 1997). It will give: Details of every conviction (including spent convictions), caution, warning and reprimand which is recorded in central records. Enhanced CRB check - £49 per check Enhanced Disclosure (as defined under Section 115(6) of the Police Act 1997). It will give: The prescribed details of every conviction (including a spent conviction), caution, warning and reprimand which is recorded in central records, and... any information which, in the opinion of a chief officer, might be relevant for the purpose and ought to be included in the certificate, or it will... state that there is no such matter or information, and where appropriate... details of whether the applicant is banned from working with children or vulnerable adults. If you are interested in having a check completed, please contact Tina Lacey by calling the office or emailing www.Tina.Lacey@disabilitydirectderby.co.uk
Did you know……..Disability Direct has 29 regular volunteers?
Personal Health Budgets People who receive continuing NHS healthcare support will be offered the option of a personal health budget starting from next October, the health secretary has announced. Andrew Lansley said the Government plans that, by April 2014, all of the tens of thousands of patients with complex health and care needs, who receive NHS Continuing Healthcare, will have the right to ask for a personal health budget so that they can have more choice and control over their care. Mr Lansley said: “Personal health budgets clearly fit with the future direction of a modern NHS – an NHS which focuses on quality and gives patients more control and choice. “They allow people to work with the NHS so that they can receive more personal, more tailored care which fit with an individual’s life and uses resources most effectively. “This is a solution which must come as part of a cultural shift for doctors, healthcare professionals, providers and patients which sees the patient as an equal partner in decisions about their care. It will personalise the NHS and provide more integrated high quality care across health and social care.” There are currently over 1,300 people receiving personal health budgets within the pilot programme for a range of conditions; long-term conditions; mental health; end of life care and NHS Continuing Healthcare. Those eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare will be the first group to receive personal health budgets, building on early evidence from the pilots as well as existing demand from this group - many of whom want to keep the control they have for managing their care within social care.
Do What You Want - Live
Are you looking for something, but don’t know where to find it? The Do What You Want directory is the place to start. DD have been working tirelessly contacting organisations in Derby and Derbyshire getting the information you want - how much do they charge, what are their opening times, is the building accessible? Now all of it is available to you on the Do What You Want website. If you are looking for an agency, activity, social group, cleaner and much more, the DWYW has it. Also, coming soon to DWYW – Vacancies – there will soon be a page just for PA vacancies in Derby. This should be up and running within the next 2 weeks, so log on and check it out. If you don’t have access to the internet, give us a call and arrange a time to drop into DD to use our computers. Do What You Want – Live – Event Watch this space! Spring next year will bring you the Do What you Want – Live – Event . This will be a chance to meet the providers of the services on the directory and try out some new and exciting activities as well as mobility aids, hand bikes and much more. More information will be provided in the next newsletter. www.dowhatyouwant.org/derby
Roadshows Come and visit us at one of our Roadshows Friday 7th October at Alvaston Library 10am -12pm Monday 10th October at The Human Library Day at Derby Uni 11am onwards Tuesday 11th October at Blagreaves Library 10am - 12pm Friday 14th October at Chaddesden Library 10am -12pm Friday 21st October at Sinfin Library 10am - 12pm Thursday 1st December at Derby Uni 10am onwards Friday 2nd December at Derbyshire Carers Centre 10am – 1pm Every last Friday of the month we will be at Derby Royal Hospital between 10am and 2pm
For further information Tel: 01332 299449
Fax: 01332 404041
www.disabilitydirect.com/derby
Address: DD Enterprise Centre, 20 Royal Scot Rd, Pride Park, Derby, DE24 8AJ Personalisation Manager Payroll Manager
Sally.Austin@disabilitydirectderby.co.uk Gill.Marshall@ddpayroll.co.uk
Deputy Manager/ Contact for Do What You Want Raichel.Collis@disabilitydirectderby.co.uk Independent Living Team Shirley.Peacock@disabilitydirectderby.co.uk Raj.Johal@disabilitydirectderby.derby.co.uk
The information given in this newsletter is accurate at the time of going to print Š Disability Direct 2011 Registered Charity No:1079831
Registered Company: 3891119