The government have this week launched a brand new website called “Police.UK” where you can search for details of crime levels in any street within England & Wales including your own. You simply enter your postcode, town, village or street into the search box, and get instant access to street-level crime maps and data, as well as details of your local policing team and beat meetings.
Kentish Homecare – Staff Newsletter Issue 30
Once a month we will provide a Quiz to refresh your knowledge on a particular subject.
This month, the quiz is all about the safeguarding of our service users.
The quiz answers will appear in February’s carer newsletter and will also be published on the website.
We would encourage all staff to complete the quiz and return your answers to us by the 14th February either by hand or email. The entries with the correct answers will be entered in a prize draw. The winner will be randomly selected.
Name __________________________________________________________________
1. Can you describe in your own words the term vulnerable adult?
2. Can you identify 4 signs that would suggest to you abuse could be taking place
1
2
3
4
3. Who are the most likely to abuse?
A) Men
b) Women
c) No difference
4. People are more likely to suffer financial abuse if they:
a) Live with family
b) Live with partner/spouse
c) Live on their own
5. Which of the following are types of abuse?
a) physical
b) Sexual
c) Neglect
d) Financial
e) All of the above
6. Can you identify another type of abuse not mentioned in question 5?
7. Adult abuse can be a criminal offence?
a) True
b) False
C) Not sure
8. For something to be abuse it has to be deliberate?
a) True
b) False
c) Not sure
9. Circle True of false on the following statements
A carer maybe accused of abuse if they knowingly combine calls (am and lunch together) to a vulnerable client. True False
A carer maybe accused of abuse if they knowingly miss clients calls they have agreed to undertake to a vulnerable client True False
A carer maybe accused of abuse if they fail to provide adequate food and drink as part of a routine call to a vulnerable person True False
A carer maybe accused of abuse if they fail to inform their manager of changes in a vulnerable client’s condition. True False
If you have struggled to complete this quiz YOU need safe guarding training now.
Please contact the office urgently.
Attendance Allowance
Attendance Allowance is a tax-free benefit for people aged 65 or over who need someone to help look after them because they are physically or mentally disabled.
Who can get Attendance Allowance?
You may get Attendance Allowance if:
• you have a physical disability (including sensory disability, such as blindness), a mental disability (including learning difficulties), or both
• your disability is severe enough for you to need help caring for yourself or someone to supervise you, for your own or someone else’s safety
• you are aged 65 or over when you claim
Normally, you must have had these care or supervision needs for at least six months. However, if you are terminally ill, there are special rules for claiming the benefit.
If you are under age 65, you may be able to get Disability Living Allowance.
Attendance Allowance is not usually affected by any savings or income you may have.
Special Rules – if you are terminally ill:
There are special rules for people who are terminally ill. This means people who have a progressive illness and are not expected to live more than another six months. You can get the higher rate of Attendance Allowance straight away.
• Attendance Allowance – eligibility:
To get Attendance Allowance, your disability must be severe enough for you to need any of the following:
There are two rates of Attendance Allowance depending on how your disability affects you:
You can get Attendance Allowance even if no one is actually giving you the care you need – even if you live alone.
If you have a progressive disease and are not reasonably expected to live for more than another six months, there are special rules to help you get Attendance Allowance more quickly and easily. You can get the higher rate immediately, whatever your care needs are, without waiting until you have needed help for six months.
You can make a claim for someone under the special rules without them knowing or without their permission. If they satisfy the relevant conditions, they will get a letter saying that they have been awarded Attendance Allowance, but special rules will not be mentioned.
To claim under these special rules, complete an Attendance Allowance claim form and get a separate completed form DS1500 from your doctor, specialist or consultant to send with it.
Medical examinations
You will not usually need a medical examination when you claim for Attendance Allowance, but sometimes it is necessary in order to assess how your condition affects you.
• Attendance Allowance – medical examination
Some people who make a claim for Attendance Allowance may be asked to have a medical examination. This is usually because more information is needed about your disability or illness before a decision can be made on your claim.
A medical examination involves an interview and sometimes a medical examination with a doctor who has completed specialised training in disability and benefit awareness.
The examination is likely to be different from what you would expect from your own doctor. The Medical Services doctor’s examination is not to diagnose or discuss treatment of your medical condition; it is to assess how your condition affects you and the doctor may not need to carry out a physical examination.
The people and organisations involved in the medical examination process are:
You may have been asked for a medical examination for several reasons. It doesn’t mean the information you’ve provided on your claim form is being treated as suspicious or that your claim will be turned down. One of the reasons for a medical examination may be to check you’re receiving the full amount of benefit you’re entitled to.
When you first apply for Attendance Allowance, you are sent a claim form to complete. Your completed claim form is assessed by the decision maker, who must decide whether to approve your claim and if so, whether you’re entitled to receive Attendance Allowance at the higher or lower rate.
Decision-makers may ask for a medical examination if they need more information before they can make a decision, or they’re unsure about any details.
If you have a terminal illness and are not expected to live longer than six months, there are special rules to help you get your benefit quickly and easily. It is very unlikely that you will have a medical examination.
If you’ve been awarded Attendance Allowance for a fixed period, you will have to make another claim to renew your benefit just before your entitlement ends. This is called a ‘renewal claim’. Renewal claims are treated exactly the same as new claims, so you may be asked to attend a medical examination.
The medical examination will usually take place in your own home (or where you live) at a time that suits you. It may also take place at a Medical Examination Centre near where you live. You should be given seven days’ notice of your examination but you can ask for an earlier appointment if that suits you better.
If you miss your first examination appointment, the doctor must make a second attempt to visit you. If you miss two appointments, or refuse to attend, your benefit claim may be turned down.
You have the right to:
You need to let Medical Services know ahead of time if you want an interpreter or same-gender doctor. They will try to find one for you, but this may not always be possible in some areas.
How much Attendance Allowance do you get?
The amount you get depends on how much your disability affects you. There are two rates of Attendance Allowance.
Attendance Allowance Weekly rate
Higher rate £71.40
Lower rate £47.80
How to claim:
Claim straight away – if you delay you may lose benefit.
You can get a claim pack by:
• phoning the Benefit Enquiry Line
• downloading the form from this website
You can also claim online.
• Attendance Allowance – rates and how to claim:
How it is paid:
Attendance Allowance is normally paid directly into any account of your choice which accepts Direct Payment of benefits. This might be a bank, building society or other account provider.
You may be able to get someone else to collect your Attendance Allowance if you wish. For help with this please contact your bank, building society or other account provider.
If you would like more information about how you can be paid by other means, please contact the office dealing with your claim.
Effect on other benefits and entitlements
If you start to get Attendance Allowance, it might increase the amount of other benefits or credits you are entitled to. You may get an extra amount for severe disability with Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit or Pension Credit.
Attendance Allowance is normally ignored as income for working out these income-related benefits and credit.
• Housing Benefit
• Council Tax Benefit
• Pension Credit – introduction
Your circumstances:
Changes to your circumstances can affect the amount of Attendance Allowance you get or whether you get it.
To get Attendance Allowance you must also meet certain conditions about your residence and presence:
Changes to your circumstances can affect whether you should get Attendance Allowance or the amount you get. This includes if your care needs change, if you go into a National Health Service hospital or a care home, or if you go abroad to live or visit.
It is important to contact the office that deals with your payments.
Changes in circumstances include you, or someone you claim for, needing less help with personal care or supervision, because your condition has improved or you have an aid to help you.
If your condition, or the condition of someone you care for, gets worse and you need more help, this could mean that you, or the disabled person, can get more money.
Changes in circumstances include you, or someone you claim for, going into or leaving a National Health Service hospital.
Care homes
A permanent or temporary stay in a care home can affect your Attendance Allowance.
If you are going to live abroad permanently you cannot usually get Attendance Allowance.
If you move to another country in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland and you already receive Attendance Allowance, you may continue to get it under certain circumstances.
If your visit abroad is temporary, you may continue to get Attendance Allowance if:
Living in Great Britain
To get Attendance Allowance you must generally:
Immigration control does not stop you from getting Attendance Allowance if you are:
You may be treated as being present in Great Britain if you are:
If you are already living in another European Economic Area country or Switzerland, find out more on the link below about whether you can get Attendance Allowance in the country where you are living.
For more information about Attendance Allowance or to request an Attendance Allowance claim pack, call the Dept For Work & Pensions (DWP) benefits enquiry line on 0800 88 22 00 and ask for the form AA1. You can also claim for Attendance Allowance online: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/eservice/
Kentish Homecare – Staff Newsletter Issue 30
Due to increased client demand, Kentish Homecare are currently recruiting for additional homecarers.
Call Donna on Beckenham 0208 658 44 55
Kentish Homecare – Staff Newsletter Issue 30
Congratulations to all the following carers who have recently passed their NVQ2 Qualification:
Kentish Homecare now has 100% of it carer staff either fully NVQ qualified or in active studies for their NVQ qualification.
You can find all the latest news and information regarding Kentish Homecare and its services via our Twitter account http://twitter.com/kentishhomecare
Account name: @kentishhomecare
What is Self Directed Support?
Self-Directed Support (SDS) is a new way of delivering social care services. Instead of a care manager deciding what a person’s support needs are and then arranging it, people with disabilities and carers complete a supported self-assessment questionnaire, from which a support plan is then drawn up. They are then given a personal budget to spend on goods, services and support that meet their assessed needs and agreed outcomes in a way that they choose. This is sometimes referred to as a “Direct Payment” scheme.
Who is eligible for Self-Directed Support?
Anyone who is eligible for services from Social Services (please see our post covering eligibility) is entitled to have them provided by SDS, including existing service users. Financial assessments apply to determine how much, if anything, people will be expected to contribute to their care and support. It is hoped that by April 2011 some 30% of all service users receiving local authority funded support will be receiving personal budgets.
Why is this better than the existing system?
SDS should make services far more personal, flexible and creative as people will be writing and controlloing their own support plans. SDS also means that people can choose to have their personal budget in the form of a Direct Payment (DP). A DP is when the personal budget is paid directly into the bank account of the disabled person/carer and they can spend it as they wish provided they are meeting the needs they identified in their self-assessment. DPs give people the opportunity to arrange services themselves in a way that suits their lifestyle, employing support workers of their choice rather than relying on agency workers arranged by social services – giving them more control and better value for money. There are some restrictions on DPs such as not employing close family members (unless in exceptional circumstances) or using DPs to pay for long-term residential care.
What if I do not want the responsibility of handling my personal budget myself?
SDS clients do not have to be in charge of their personal budgets if they do not want to be. People can choose to have Social Services retain control of their personal budget, or they can share the responsibility with them. Or they could decide that they want a family member or carer to receive their personal budget in the form of a Direct Payment on their behalf.
Who decides how much money I am given in my personal budget and how that money is used?
Once a person with social care needs has completed the supported self-assessment questionnaire the Resource Allocation System (RAS) will convert the level of need into points. These points are then translated into money – the individual’s personal budget. The RAS should make the allocation of funding fairer as it is an independent system and does not rely on care managers awarding money and services according to their own judgement. Once the personal budget has been agreed the person then draws up a support plan which details how the personal budget will be used to meet their assessed needs. A care manager will need to ‘sign off’ on the support plan to ensure that the plan is affordable, legal and will meet the needs identified in the supported self-assessment.
How will I know how to manage my personal budget?
Local Authorities all now employ support brokers who offer advice and guidance on how to manage personal budgets.
What about people who are funding their care and support privately?
People who are meeting the cost of their care needs privately (self-funders) can still access support from local Social Services to help them identify their care needs and how best to meet them. Self-funders can also access the brokerage services available from private and community organisations.
Will anyone be checking up on how I use my personal budget?
Even though people may be receiving their personal budget in the form of a DP, the local authority Social Services retains a responsibility to ensure that the client is not putting themselves at risk and that the personal budget is being used appropriately. This means that SDS clients are expected to provide quarterly monitoring information, and their support plans be reviewed annually, to ensure that assessed needs are being met and that the needs have not changed.
Where can I go for more information?
More information on SDS S can be found at www.in-control.org.uk. A useful booklet called A guide to receiving direct payments from your local council – a route to independent living is available from the Department of Health (www.dh.gov.uk, 0300 123 1002). Your local branch of Age Concern (now called Age UK) www.ageuk.org.uk ) can also advise older people and their carers on DPs.
Reform of the Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
As part of their programme of welfare benefit reform the Coalition Government is proposing to replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) with a new benefit called Personal Independence Payment (PIP). The Government plans to introduce PIP in 2013/14 when it will begin reassessing people of working age (16-64) who currently receive DLA to see if they qualify for the new benefit. No decision has been taken as yet on whether to also reassess children and people aged 65 and over.
PIP will be similar to DLA in that it will remain a non-means tested, non-taxable cash benefit to help people with disabilities meet the extra costs of living with a disability (to spend as they see fit). PIP will continue to be available to people regardless of their employment status and will not be dependent on National Insurance contributions. PIP will also be comparable to DLA in that it is made up of two components: Mobility (based on the individual’s ability to get around) and Daily Living (based on the individual’s ability to carry out other key activities necessary to participate in every day life). However, there will only be two rates for each of these components, unlike the three rates for the DLA care component.
There are, however, some significant differences between DLA and its proposed replacement, PIP:
• Applicants will have to qualify for PIP for six months, and be expected to qualify for a further six months, before an award can be made.
• Automatic entitlements for those with certain conditions will cease (but the special rules for people diagnosed with terminal illness will remain).
• The assessment process will focus more on the impact the disability has on the day to day life of the applicant rather than the disability itself; with a greater emphasis on what people can do rather than what they can’t
• Greater account will be taken of aids and adaptations people use.
• Most applicants for PIP will have a face-to-face meeting with an independent health professional, allowing a more objective, in depth analysis of an individual’s circumstances.
The Government is currently holding a public consultation on these proposed changes to DLA, and is asking people with disabilities, disability organisations and other interested parties to share their views. To take part in the consultation visit www.dwp.gov.uk/dla-reform where you can also read the reform proposals in full. If you do not have internet access you can call the DLA Reform Team on 020 7449 7688 and leave a message with your name, address and phone number asking them to send you a consultation document. The closing date for comments is Monday 14 February 2011.
More DLA News
From 11 April 2011 people under 65 ‘with the most severe visual impairment’ will qualify for the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA). From November 2010 to March 2011 the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) will phone people currently receiving the lower rate mobility component of DLA whose main disabling condition is recorded as sight loss to see if they qualify for the higher rate. If the DWP is satisfied the person meets the criteria their award will be changed so that payment of the higher rate will start in April 2011. For more information about these changes to DLA call the Royal National Institute of Blind People on 0303 123 9999.
Keeping Warm in Winter
Ensuring that you and your home are warm enough is an important part of staying well during the winter months – there is a range of financial help available to help you do this.
• Winter fuel payments are made by the government to people who are aged 60 or over before 20 September that year. Over 60s receive £250, over 80s receive £400. For more information call the Winter Fuel Payment helpline on 08459 151515 or visit www.dwp.gov.uk.
• Cold Weather Payments are automatically paid to people receiving certain income related benefits during periods of very cold weather.
• Coldbusters offers grants towards improving the heating/insulation in the homes of people who live in privately rented or owned properties who also receive certain benefits. Call 0800 358 6668 for more information.
• The Houseproud Scheme allows people to take out a loan against their house to carry out improvements, including insulation measures. Call 0800 783 7569 for more information.
• Warm Front (0800 316 2805, www.warmfront.co.uk) gives grants to people who are living in privately rented/owned accommodation who need help improving the heating and insulation in their home who are also receiving certain income or disability related benefits.
• Home Heat Helpline (0800 33 66 99, www.homeheathelpline.org.uk) offers information and advice on grants, benefits and energy efficiency measures to people struggling to pay their fuel bills and stay warm
