Supporting Choice and Control

The role of support organisations

Jess Wade and Ann Allcoat

Self Directed Support Scotland

A national membership organisation which actively promotes Independent Living by supporting, working with, and championing the aims of self-directed support Disabled People’s Organisations.

Funded by, but separate from, the Scottish Government

The role of Self Directed Support Scotland

• Raising awareness of self-directed support• Offer training and resources• User-led organisation• Working with Local Authorities • Supporting members• Supporting and developing new/emerging

Disabled People’s Organisations

Disabled People’s Organisations

DPOs are user-led organisations, i.e. the people who the organisation represents or provide services to, have a majority on the Management Committee and there is clear accountability to the people who use the service

Standards of Disabled People’s SDS Organisations

• Work within the Social Model of Disability and under the philosophy of the Independent Living Movement

• Peer support based• Recognise that carers have

their own needs and requirements as carers

Who can Disabled People’s SDS Organisations work with?

Disabled People’s SDS organisations can support anyone who is eligible for self-directed support.

Including:• Disabled people• D/deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing people• People with mental health problems• People with learning difficulties• Older people• Parents of disabled children • People acting on behalf of those without capacity

What Disabled People’s SDS Organisations typically do

• Provide independent, impartial information• Peer support• Support to prepare for assessment• Independent information on SDS, including SDS

options, implications, individual budget• Help develop, agree, and review support plan

What Disabled People’s SDS Organisations typically do

• Help with organising and managing support, e.g. choosing a service provider/agency, purchasing equipment, recruiting and employing Personal Assistants

• Payroll support• Managing Individual Service Funds (when

offered!)• Learning and training opportunities

Why User-Led?

• Develop appropriate and effective support• Genuine understanding• Real experience• Peer support is an effective way to build

confidence and provide practical advice• Impartial and independent of providers and

local authorities

Why User-Led?

Experience of direct payments indicates that support “is more likely to be successful if it is provided by organisations controlled by disabled people or people who use social care services” (Glasby and Littlechild, Direct Payments and personal budgets, putting personalisation into practice p187, The Policy Press 2009).

So What?!

• Facilitate genuine choice through knowledge and understanding

• Facilitate genuine choice through peer support• Facilitate genuine choice through practical

support and assistance• Facilitate genuine choice through training and

confidence building

www.carers.org

www.youngcarers.net© Carers Trust

The Princess Royal Trust for Carers in Scotland

27 carer-led Carers Centres across Scotland providing unpaid carers with:• Information and advice• Emotional support• Opportunities to be involved in shaping services• Other carer-identified services appropriate to the local

community

www.carers.org

www.youngcarers.net© Carers Trust

The Princess Royal Trust for Carers in Scotland

Supporting around 53,000 adult carers in Scotland • Information • Welfare benefits • Training• Opportunities for respite• Opportunities to meet with other carers in support groups

and consultations• 121 support• Awareness raising of carers’ issues

www.carers.org

www.youngcarers.net© Carers Trust

The Princess Royal Trust for Carers in Scotland

PRTC Carers Centres have a commitment to being quality organisations, demonstrated through external accreditation.

PQASSO

Quality Mark for carers’ services

www.carers.org

www.youngcarers.net© Carers Trust

Advice / Support Organisations Capacity & Readiness Subgroup

• A subgroup of the National Implementation Group• SDSS and The Princess Royal Trust for Carers in

Scotland are co-sponsors of the subgroup• Produced a ‘Support Pathway’ to identify services offered

by support organisations at every stage of the SDS journey

• Have some questions for you …

www.carers.org

www.youngcarers.net© Carers Trust

In small groups, discuss:• What support and advice services are available in your area?• Are you in contact with local support services? How do you

keep up to date? Are the services offered enough?• Is there a need to develop standards for support and advice

services?• How could this be approached? What would you want to know

about the quality and standards of services in your area?• What guidance could be developed for commissioning?

Advice / Support Organisations Capacity & Readiness Subgroup

www.carers.org

www.youngcarers.net© Carers Trust

Feedback

• Key points• All will be written up and fed back to the subgroup

Thank You

Ann Allcoat

Development Manager (Scotland)

aallcoat@carers.org

0141 221 5066

Jess Wade

Manager

jess@sdsscotland.org.uk

0131 516 4194