Adult social care for yourself

Hello, I currently receive direct payments for my care. So I've had a couple of personal assistants over the last few years. I've found this good in some ways, negative in others. 

My question is, does anyone else who receives adult social care, for autism or other disabilities, use direct payments for their care? If so how have you found this? If you have used a care provider or a social care agency, or council social care, how have you found this?

I'm considering getting an agency to do my care instead of a PA. I'm weighing up the pros and cons.

My direct payment pros are:

Can choose your pa yourself

Build up relationship with pa

Self directed not agency directed

You can ask them to go to autism or other training you've chosen 

My direct payment cons are:

Its been very hard to find someone, rural area, but agencies are plentiful here.

Holidays and illness of pa leaves with without care sometimes

Some of my PAs have been dishonest and bad at their jobs and there's been no one to replace them quickly if I decide to give them the sack.

  • How do you get your care? What are pros and cons for you of the different options? If you've used agency or council care, how was it? If you've used direct payments AND council care, or agency care, what were the differences for you? Which did you prefer? Why?

Thank you

Parents
  • I'm on direct payments and I'm struggling to find someone to work for me. Almost everyone who applies never turns up to an interview or won't go ahead with a phone call after emailing an initial interest. I've had people with attitudes that were presumptious, thinking they knew what was best for me, and speaking over me or being too controlling. I'm going to try to keep finding someone though. I fear with an agency that I won't like some of the staff as I can't choose who comes. I might try an agency in the future though if I struggle to find someone suitable over a longer period.

  • I relate exactly to what you said. 

    I might try to get a pa for support work stuff, and agency for personal care. Hard to know what to do especially in rural area, not much people to choose from. 

Reply Children
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