Information on DaB Holiday Project

Transcription

1 Contact information Disability Advice Bradford Address: 103 Dockfield Road, Shipley, BD17 7AR Tel.: Fax: Website: Follow us Funding information DaB Holiday Project is funded by: Bradford Disability Services BRADFORD DISABILITY SERVICES LTD t/a Disability Advice Bradford (DaB) and Disability Equipment Bradford (DeB) is a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England No Registered Charity No Information on DaB Holiday Project for Carers for Disabled People 12 BDS02 DaB Holiday Project April 2014

2 2 DaB HOLIDAY PROJECT This project consists of two separate elements: Holiday Project for Carers Commissioned by Bradford Council, this project pays up to 300 to enable a carer to have a holiday. The holiday must consist of at least one overnight stay. Holiday Project for Disabled People The aim of this project is to apply to appropriate charities on the disabled person s behalf to secure funding to enable them to take a holiday. This can take quite a while as many charities only sit to consider applications twice or three times per year. Should you have any questions about our holiday project, please contact us using the contact information on the back page of this booklet. There is a high demand for the holiday project and waiting lists operate. Activities and Training for Carers Carer activities, day trips and training are available free of charge through Bradford Disability Services Ltd. Please contact Ruth Gray, Carers Activity Officer, on or rgray@disabilityadvice.org.uk for further information. Other services available through DaB DaB also offers disabled people and carers the following services: benefits advice; general and specialist information on disability matters; RADAR toilet keys; wheelchair and commode hire; signposting service for cleaning, shopping and gardening. Disability Equipment Bradford This is a demonstration centre for disability equipment which also provides hire services. It is based at Parkview Court, Iver Way, Shipley, BD18 3DZ. Telephone for further information. Need to hire a wheelchair for your holiday? We hire out wheelchairs on a daily, weekend or weekly basis. The following types of wheelchair are available: lightweight,foldable, attendant controlled, self propelling, children s and heavy duty. If you wish to book a wheelchair, please ring us on , call in to the office at 103 Dockfield Road, Shipley, BD17 7AR or us at enquiry@disabilityadvice.org.uk. Collections and returns can be made on Monday to Friday, between 9.30am and 2.30pm. Cost of wheelchair hire: 5 per day, 10 per weekend (collect Friday and return Monday) or 15 per week. A 30 returnable deposit is payable upon collection of the wheelchair and proof of identity is required (such as a driving licence, recent utility bill or bank statement). Donations Please support Bradford Disability Services Ltd. so that we can continue to provide services free of charge to our clients. Donations can be made in cash, by cheque, or card payment or go to Virgin Moneygiving at and search for Bradford Disability Services Ltd. Thank you! 11

3 Guidelines [continued] Successful applicants cannot re-apply for another holiday until three years after the last holiday. If either the Holiday Project for Carers or Disabled People is accessed and a grant is awarded and paid, it will not be possible to access either project again for a period of three years after the holiday has been taken. The majority of charities that DaB approaches on your behalf apply means testing criteria and it is very important that you provide accurate income and expenditure details on the application form. How many charities and the period in which we apply to charities is at the discretion of the Information Officer. DaB sets no conditions on where a holiday should be taken, but the level of funding available from charities will inevitably limit the choice of venue. You should be realistic in considering the cost of a holiday and the time it can take us to raise funding from charities. Please also be aware that it is not normally possible for us to raise sufficient funding to cover holidays overseas (particularly to long haul destinations). In recent months it has become more evident that charities will normally only donate money for the disabled person to have a holiday within the UK. The economic recession has affected charities as well as the public and it has become more difficult for us to raise money for holiday purposes. Holiday Insurance Contact Joyce Anderson on for details of specialist insurance companies for disabled people. Holiday Project for Carers What is the Holiday Project for Carers? The Holiday Project for Carers can provide a grant of up to 300 to help a carer to have a holiday, with or without the person they care for. A carer is someone who regularly looks after another person with a long term illness or disability, for example a family member, friend or neighbour, and is not paid for providing that care, nor are they providing that care as part of a formal volunteering arrangement. The service is open to carers of any age, including young carers, and it is not means tested. Please read the Criteria and Conditions governing the project on pages 5-6 for further information about eligibility. How can the project help you? The project can offer the following services: Advice with planning and organising a holiday; Information about accessible accommodation, holidays with support, travel insurance and hiring disability equipment; A Carers Holiday Grant of up to 300; Help to find extra funding for a holiday; Signposting to other carers' and disability services. The Information Officer for the DaB Holiday Project for Carers is Jenny Butterworth. 10 3

4 How the Holiday Project for Carers works The carer s name is put on the Waiting List There are a limited number of spaces on the waiting list. The project is very popular and you are advised to ring or regularly to see if space is available. When your name reaches the top of the waiting list, an Application Form is sent to you. This form should be completed and returned to DaB as soon as possible. The Criteria and Conditions of the Project will also be sent to you. When the application form is received by DaB, a reference is requested from the professional named on your form. If you have been referred to us by another organisation, your application form will not contain the reference request. We will approach the referring organisation directly. If the application is approved, you will be informed by letter. Please see under Frequently Asked Questions on page 7 of this booklet for further details about payment. Guidelines A disabled person is defined as someone who has a physical disability, a learning disability, a sensory need or a mental health illness. Disability Advice Bradford (DaB) will approach other charities to secure funding for the disabled person to take a holiday break. The charities will only donate money for the benefit of the disabled person. In order to make the most of your application for holiday funding, it is important to complete the application form fully and please allow at least six months between application and the intended holiday. Charities will only give grants for holidays BEFORE they are booked. To be eligible for this service, a holiday must not have been taken within the last two years. Applications will be considered on an individual basis and in exceptional circumstances DaB reserves the right to waive this requirement. Neither DaB nor Bradford Council can be held responsible for holidays which do not take place for any reason and we strongly recommend that you take out appropriate insurance. 5 HOLIDAY! The Information Officer for the DaB Holiday Project for Disabled People is Joyce Anderson. 4 9

5 DaB Holiday Project for Disabled People Holiday Project for Carers: Criteria and Conditions (both criteria and conditions may be subject to change) Purpose of the Project The purpose of the this project is to find funding for disabled people to enjoy a holiday and to provide trips and activities for disabled people. The Information Officer will approach relevant organisations and charities on behalf of the disabled person to acquire funding. It is not unusual for funding to come from different sources and this means that the process can be lengthy. There is a high demand for the holiday project and a waiting list operates. On some occasions, it may not be possible to procure funding as donations are made at the charity s discretion. The service is funded by the Government s Carers Grant on an annual basis. It is open to carers of all ages and to carers providing care to individuals of all ages. The applicant must be the main carer of someone who lives in the Bradford Metropolitan District area. Carers are eligible to apply when they are the main carer and provide substantial and regular care. The carer may wish to go on holiday with or without the person they care for. A carer is a person who looks after a friend or relative who needs support because of a physical or learning disability, mental illness, a sensory need or someone whose health is impaired by sickness, old age or substance misuse. This includes parent carers of a disabled child and young carers under the age of 18. A carer does not mean a paid care worker or volunteer who provides care as part of a contract of employment, or for a voluntary organisation. 8 Services available The project offers the following services: Advice with planning and organising holidays for carers and disabled people; Information on accessible accommodation, holidays with support, transport, travel insurance and hiring disability equipment for holidays; Trips and activities for disabled people; Grants for Carers; A holiday grant search service; Information on recreation activities for disabled people; signposting to other disability and carer services. Terminal Illness: Special consideration will be given to carers of those with a terminal illness. Please contact us for further information. The DaB Holiday Project for Carers will normally award a grant up to a maximum of 300. A variety of holidays will be considered if they benefit the main carer. It is normal practice that part of all carers holidays will be paid for directly by the project. In addition to a completed application form, a reference from a professional worker will be required (requested by Bradford Disability Services Ltd.). Bradford Disability Services Limited will decide which applications will receive a carer s holiday grant. The decision is final: there is no right of appeal. The project does not fund day trips. 5

6 Criteria and Conditions [continued] Frequently Asked Questions Successful applicants cannot re-apply until three years after the last holiday funded by the Project has been taken. Insurance: the applicant is responsible for ensuring that adequate holiday insurance is taken out both for holidays in the UK and abroad. For holidays outside the UK, travellers must have private insurance in addition to the European Health Insurance Card. When can I book my holiday? The grant can be paid for holidays already booked but not taken. Please note that you should not presume that the grant will be awarded to you each case is assessed individually. Where can I go on holiday and who can I go with? The decision about where you go, when and who with, is yours. Please be aware, though, that the grant is a maximum of 300 regardless of your destination. The project reserves the right to request that any grant be returned if there is no evidence that it has been spent in the way specified in the award letter. Successful applicants cannot reapply until three years after the last holiday was funded by the service. If either the Holiday Project for Carers or Disabled People is accessed and a grant is awarded and paid, it will not be possible to access either project again for a period of three years after the holiday has been taken. When do I have to spend my holiday grant? You have three months from the date of the award letter for this organisation to pay your holiday grant to you or to a holiday provider. This does not mean that you have to go on holiday within three months, only that your booking has to be made and the 300 grant paid before the end of the three month period. What if my holiday booking is more or less than 300? If your booking amounts to more than 300, it is your responsibility to pay the balance. If your booking is less than 300, we will pay the balance to you. For further information or advice, contact the DaB Holiday Project, Bradford Disability Services Limited, 103 Dockfield Road, Shipley, West Yorkshire, BD17 7AR Tel: There is a waiting list for the Holiday Project for Carers. When can I go again? At present, the Project provides funding every three years for a carer s holiday. This is calculated from the last day of the previous holiday taken with the help of either grant. Did You Know? If you the parent or carer of a severely disabled child or young person aged 17 or under, you may be entitled to apply to the Family Fund for additional funding to pay for items such as holidays, driving lessons, computers or washing machines. What happens if I don t use the holiday grant? If you cannot use the holiday grant for any reason, then the grant offer will lapse after three months from the date of award. The carer is free to apply again to the project at any time, provided there is space on the waiting list. 6 Contact the Family Fund for further information and eligibility criteria, info@familyfund.org.uk, Tel , Textphone , Fax Important Change to Conditions of the Project Please note that the grant is now valid for three months from the date of award, not nine months as in previous years. 7