How to Fund a Personal Assistant in Cornwall, UK

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1 Reference Number: IAR Response provided under: Freedom of Information Act 2000 Request and Response: Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I am writing to request the following information on funding and support for individual employers and personal assistants: A personal assistant (sometimes called a PA or a support worker) is employed by people who need social care, either because of their age or disability, to enable them to live as independently as possible. 1. What was your hourly rate for direct payments on the date this freedom of information request was sent (24 April 2015)? Adult Services - There is no set rate for hourly rate, this is determined by the person during support planning but must meet National Minimum Wage. Children s Services - Within children s services there are varied hourly rates of direct payments, relating to the assessed needs of the child or young person: Agency: Personal Assistant (employed): 9.50 Personal Assistant (self-employed): 7.50 Ofsted registered childminder: 7.50 (higher rate) Ofsted registered childminder: 5.50 (standard rate) 2. What was your contracted hourly rate for home care services on the date this freedom of information request was sent (24 April 2015)? Adult Services - Individual providers are contracted and apply individual rates for the person as agreed at the time the work is commissioned. 3. Did you commission user led organisations to provide information and support to individual employers and personal assistants in a) b) ?

2 Adult Services - Cornwall Council does not commission services from any user led organisations. 4. If yes, how much money was allocated to user led organisations for provision of these services in a) and b) ? Adult Services - N/A 5. Please provide names of the user led organisations commissioned to provide information and support to individual employers and personal assistants. Adult Services - N/A 6. What practical support do you provide to individuals employing personal assistants on e.g. disclosure and barring checks and payroll services? Adult Services - The Direct Payments Team within Cornwall Council visits all customers who are considering employing personal assistants to meet their eligible social care needs. This includes providing comprehensive advice on the responsibilities of becoming an employer. All customers are given the option of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks being undertaken, the use of a payroll services, assistance with the recruitment of personal assistants, the purchase of Liability Insurance, training courses all of which are funded by Cornwall Council. Children s Services - Within children s services, the administration and cost of all disclosure & barring service (DBS) checks for each personal assistant, employed by a young person / parent or carer, via a direct payment, is undertaken and met by Cornwall Council. Where there is direct payment provision in place, and young people or parents / carers are employing a personal assistant to provide support, comprehensive information is supplied to them in the form of a direct payment sign up folder.

3 This folder contains information relating to employer responsibilities, for example: health and safety information; templates of contracts of employment; statement of change to contract; annual leave entitlement calculations; dealing with grievances; working time regulations; the need for employers public liability insurance; HMRC threshold rates; statutory rights for employees; contact details of payroll providers, engaged by employers (young people / parents /carers); national minimum wage rates; DBS information; assistance with recruitment; training courses; personal assistant timesheets; etc. Once direct payments are set up, a Personalisation Support Advisor will visit the young person or parent / carer within the first six to eight weeks, to provide support, ensuring that payments are being made; EPL insurance is in place, a contract of employment has been issued to personal assistants, etc. Thereafter, the Personalisation Support Advisor will visit the young person or parent / carer every four to six months, (depending upon family s preference), or sooner, if additional support is needed for a direct payment review. Young people and parents / carers are provided with the contact details of their Personalisation Support Advisor and the Personalisation Team office, if they need assistance or further information in the meantime. There is a full-time, Personalisation Support Admin, who supports the countywide team and is available to assist young people, parents and carers with any queries relating to their direct payment. Regular updates are sent to young people, parents / carers relating to changes in employment law, changes to HMRC thresholds, etc. 7. What information and advice do you provide to individual employers on the safeguarding risks associated with employing a personal assistant? Adult Services - Information is provided regarding the importance of undertaking a DBS check prior to commencement of employment of a personal assistant. Customers are also advised to undertake reference checks prior to employing a personal assistant. Customers are also advised to undertake regular supervision with employees. Children s Services - Within children s services, for all personal assistants, employed by young people or parent / carers, via direct payment funds, DBS checks are undertaken (admin and costs met by the Council), and discussions held with young person or parent /

4 carer that until the Council have been notified of the DBS check, the potential PA, cannot be paid from direct payment funds. Keeping children and young people safe is discussed with parents and carers at each of the direct payment visits. The direct payment sign up folder contains information on safe recruitment, DBS checks, risk assessments and health and safety. Parents / carers often engage a personal assistant to provide them with additional support, in the role of providing an extra pair of hands, and often personal assistants do not spend time alone with the child or young person. At each direct payment visit, the Personalisation Support Advisor will discuss the way in which support is to be / is being delivered, by the personal assistant, and discuss safeguarding matters. In addition, each child or young person has an allocated worker (Social Worker, Early Support, Disabled Children s Support Worker), who undertakes regular reviews, during which time, there will be discussions on the direct payment provision in place and the need for the child / young person to be kept safe. Where a family engages with a childminder for support, paid from direct payment funds, it is mandatory that childminders have Ofsted registration and current public liability insurance. 8. What information do you offer to people with specific conditions and/or ethnic, cultural or linguistic needs? Adult Services - All people are offered the same information regardless of specific conditions and/or ethnical, cultural or linguistic needs. We also provide the information in different formats as required and can use interpreters etc. Children s Services - For those parents where English is not their first language, Cornwall Council has paid for a translator to attend the direct payment visits, so that parents fully understand their role as an employer and their associated responsibilities. In children s services we have specific policies and training that relate to epilepsy; diabetes & anaphylactic shock. We fund employers liability insure for these cases to protect both the employer (parents) and the employees. 9. What information and advice do you currently offer to selffunders? How is this being developed under section 4.1 of the Care Act 2014?

5 Adult Services - Self-funders are offered the same level of information and advice as non-self-funding customers. A series of fact sheets have been developed to signpost people for appropriate support and information and advice. Children s Services - Not applicable for children and young people. Information provided by: Education, Health and Social Care Date of response: 21 May 2015