Direct Payments

What is a Direct Payment?

Money you can get to pay for your support
Money you control
It can be used on it’s own
It can be used as part of an Individual Budget

A Direct Payment means it is your choice:

Who supports you
With what
Where and
When

There are currently 4 people working on the Direct Payments Team, 3 of the people have a learning difficulty. People are paid for the workshop and presentation work with funding from the Dover Council and Comic Relief.

The team meets every week for 3hrs.

The Direct Payment Team has been working together for about 3 years now, to provide support and information about Direct Payments for people with learning difficulties

The Skillnet Group Direct Payment Team


Click Here For My Direct Payment Story	Click Here For My Direct Payment Story	Click Here For My Direct Payment Story	Lis Clayson

to access. So far the team has supported more than 350 people to find out about Direct Payments.
We have shown our interactive presentation and film at many places including:

Click here to download our flyer.

Faversham DOS
Dover and Deal Carers Association
Sheppey College
Connexions
Walmer Centre
Speaking Up Groups
Multi sensory workshops
Case Kent
Schools
Brokers meetings

The Team has also supported many people to access Direct Payments, including over 40 people who currently receive direct payments to pay for their own support from the Skillnet Group.

2010

The team worked on:

Supporting people with their direct payment paperwork and accounts
Giving our interactive presentation to as many people as possible
Supporting people to access the respite that they want
Updating our presentation and film
Making our presentation more interactive
Creating new role-plays
Starting a bid for more funding
Attending meetings on Self directed Support
Attending community forums
Meeting and networking with Social Services
Answering the “Direct Payments in Health” government questionnaire

What next?
Personalisation in 2011

With our new funding we can reach a lot more people. We want to let people know about Personalisation, Self Directed Support and the choice and control it can give them over their own lives. We have received funding from Councillor Steve Manion. He is the Councillor for Dover North.