Children in Need

Tonight is BBC Children in Need ... and our dog Honey is joining in the fun ...:)

The money raised from this worthwhile charity funds lots of very special projects which help young people achieve in their lives :):)

British Red Cross

I went for a cuppa and a chat to my local carers drop in and the leader had organised for us to have an informative talk from a lady from our local Red Cross Centre.
Well I for one just saw the Red Cross as helping in emergencies abroad,things that are highlighted in the news,but we were all pleasantly surprised to hear about the help for families in Cris's in the UK.
It is usually for a six week period,a volunteer can come into the home and help with a weekly shop ,or visit someone who may have lost their confidence after a hospital stay,or stay with a relative for a couple of hours to give respite for the carer.
There can only be a weekly visit,not every day, and not for regular personal care, these are still the responsibility of social services.
Below is a link to the Red Cross website if you would like more information.

                                                          http://www.redcross.org.uk
                                                        

Dates for your Diary

I have some dates for your diaries !!
Disabled Living organise events across the country aimed at children with disabilities.
Exhibitors of equipment and disability aides gather to show their wares, it is great because you can see new ideas and technology for practical aides.
You can get more information for your particular needs by visiting the website www.kidzupnorth.co.uk
The event is free.

Kidzupnorth is at Reebok Stadium Bolton on Thusday 29th November 2012 9.30 - 4.30pm

Kidzinthemiddle is at Ricoh Arena in Coventry Thursday 21st March 2013

Kidzsouth is at Rivermead Leisure Complex in Reading Thursday 13th June 2013

Kidzscotland is at Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh on Thursday 11th September 2014

Hope you will be able to attend one of the venues and find the events useful.

Transport to school

Over the past couple of weeks I have been asked on a few occassions ,"My Transport for my disabled child to school has been stopped "!!!!
The first time I heard something was a friend whose son is 17 years of age had been told that from his 19th birthday untill he left school they would have to pay for transport ???
Then last week at my local carers drop in, the team leader asked me if I`d heard anything because she had a mum who was distraught about her daughter having to pay for transport to school and she was 17 years old ???
Well on talking to my friend it seems the goal posts have changed, and children in special education are having to pay for school transport from the age of 16 years .... she is so stressed and upset .They live 7 miles from the school and it will cost the family £40 per day for a taxi with an escort ... my friend doesn`t drive and her son is totally unable to make his own way on public transport.
Is this only happening in Cheshire ??? or is it country wide??
And the best bit is the parents have been notified during the summer hols ,and with effect from the September start of term ... how calous !!! But there has been no general meetings to consult families at all !!Surely that isn`t right ??

The Best Of Men

If you didn`t watch the drama last night "The Best Of Men " on BBC 2 , try and catch it on iplayer,It was absolutely fabulous.
It started in 1944 in a spinal unit within a hospital named "Stoke Manderville ".
It took you on a journey of how people were treated with mobility problems  or who were  paralysed from spinal injury and the transformation from one doctor and his contraversal methods to some of the physiotherapy we use today, and of course  the birth of the paralympics in 1948.
What a fitting start to the build up for the paralympics ,I`m sure we are in for some fantastic sport in the next few weeks :)

Carers meetings

I have for many years been a frequent visitor to our Carers support group where the main office is six miles away from where I live, not a problem as such but means it is an effort to go and maybe result in only going now and then as I did.But just by pure chance I happened to find out that there is a "Drop- in" session once a week in the village where I live,so now regularly on a Tuesday morning I am a familiar face and getting to know other regular faces and having a chat over coffee and as the saying goes "a problem shared is a problem halfed ".It is so important to have contact with other carers for support to each other and a means of finding out information about services available to you as a carer and for those you care for whether it be financial in the form of benefits or provision of equipment for mobility or around the home.
Below are links to websites that help carers :

http://www.wired.me.uk/

http://www.carers.org/

As one door closes another door opens

Well what a two weeks it has been.I`m not a big sports fan and wasn`t that bothered about the olympics when it started two weeks ago ... but was taken along with the flow and really enjoyed all that I watched on T.V .Our athletes did us proud with 65 medals and 3rd in the league table, well done to all who participated and I now look forward to the start of the Paraolympics :)

Leavers Ceremony - so special

Well here we are in July, typically the month we think about the end of the school year.Well I think about the "Leavers Ceremony " where Cheshire Council holds a very special ceremony for school leavers in special education within Cheshire.
It takes me back to 2004 when our daughter left school aged 19 years.The ceremony is held at Chester Cathederal which is a fantastic place set in the heart of Chester city centre.
It is a grand affair and posh frocks and hats are the order of the day,excitement from pupils ,staff and family fill the air.
The pupils are presented with a "National Record Of Achievement " which is a beautiful bound book with all sorts of photos and information of school years which will follow the young person into adult life.It is a lovely diary of school years to keep and look back on.
It is a very proud day for all involved, in many ways it replaces the Graduation Day that most pupils going through main stream school will experience,there are so many "special " occasions that families of children with disabilities miss out on and something like this is so "special " just as they are.
I do hope that councils where you live do something "special" as well :)

News Spotlight

It is a hard decission to make .. to give up your career to care for a family member who is elderly,sick,or disabled.

For me it was the only decission and one I never regretted.

Today I came across this article and thought I would like to share it. 

Unpaid carers cost economy £5.3bn

Carers who give up work to look after others cost England's economy about £5.3bn a year, the charity Age UK says.

With the present care system  people often have to give up work to help the elderly or adult disabled.

The figure was calculated on the lost earnings and forgone taxes of more than 300,000 unpaid carers.

The government says its white paper on social care is "imminent" and will include changes to "transform care".

For many people, caring for a loved one is second nature and they wouldn't have it any other way.

"But carers should never be forced to sacrifice their own financial security and wellbeing due to the lack of service provision and support from public services.

A Department of Health spokesman said: "We agree that helping people to stay in work alongside caring not only helps carers' careers and family finances but is crucial for our workforce and economy.

"The government has committed to working together with the business community to help carers manage work and care.

The Age UK analysis in April, adding in loss of wages to previously calculated loss from tax revenues and claimed carers' allowance.

Loss of earnings was estimated using three surveys: the carers survey - to examine the proportion of male to female, part-time to full-time carers, the labour-force survey - to calculate average earnings, and the population estimate.

On Tuesday the Local Government Association warned the rising cost of adult social care could "soak up" almost all of council spending by 2020.

Currently, £14.6bn is spent on adult social care services in England.

Last year the economist Andrew Dilnot was asked by ministers to look at how funding could be changed. The Dilnot Commission recommended the means-testing threshold for those needing residential care be increased to £100,000. It also called for a partnership whereby individuals pay the first chunk of their care. It recommended a cap of between £25,000 and £50,000.

Wales and Northern Ireland both have means-tested systems similar to that in England.

Scotland provides free personal care, but in recent years has started tightening the eligibility criteria for the same reasons councils in England have.

Related Internet links

• Age UK
• London School of Economics blog
• Department of Health
• Dilnot Commission

*taken from todays BBC news web pages*

 

 

Carers Conference 2012

As part of National Carers Week our local authority held the annual Carers Conference which I attended yesterday.
It was very informative and well attended.
Some of the top directors from our services from the borough council were there and open for question time within the conference and also whilst having a coffee break, it was a great opportunity for bringing up issues that maybe affect just you or things which you feel could help everyone in the community.
The thing that was disscussed that I felt was of particular interest was the Clinical Commissioning Group.I pressume all local authoritys will have set one up ready for when the GP`s run thier own budgets, that is a question that I didn`t think to ask yesterday !! please correct me if this is wrong ...It must be a good thing that all the NHS ,Council and voluntary groups meet and all work together for the good of the people of thier borough.
Another very interesting talk was given by the Care Quality Commission about the work that they do to make sure that authorities and companies who provide services in the clients own home meet standards made by the government.

http://www.warringtonccg.nhs.uk/

http://www.cqc.org.uk/

There were work shops on offer and the one I decided to attend was "mind over matter ".The emphasis was on taking five minutes out of caring and feelgood factors to do in those five minutes .On the list which took my eye :

1. putting makeup on
2. having a shower
3. being with animals
4. doing your hair
5. sitting in the sun
6. listening to music
7. watching people
8. smiling

there were over 150 things on the list but these were easy to do in five minutes and will lift your mood.

Link to story

I`m pleased to see at the beginning of National Carers Week a great insight from the BBC about the careing role by one family which is typical of all families who care for a loved one at home , hope there will be more to come throughout the week ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18456546

this is so typical of families careing for a loved one at home ...

Carers week 2012

Just a reminder that this week - 18th till 24th June - is National Warers week.
Check out the carers uk website for more information or the social services website in your area to find out what is happening in your local area.
I have put a couple of links to websites to get you started :

www.carersweek.org

www.carers.org


hope you find things happening in your area of help to you and the people you care for :)

Ladies Who Lunch

A friend of mine organised a "Ladies Lunch " today .. she usually does this to raise money for charity and this time chose Hope House Children`s Hospice and as it is a place dear to my heart asked if I would say a few words, as talking is my second nature how could I refuse.We all had a fab time , great food ,great company and made £300 for our chosen charity so a good afternoon all round.

To Crown a Rose Queen

Every year the village where I live holds a May Day festival with a procession of floats and a May Queen who is usually around the age of 11 years and a Rose Queen who is usually younger around 9 years of age.
I was very honoured to be asked to crown this years Rose Queen at our village May Day celebrations .. I know it is now June ,we used to have it at the end of may but it is now held 2nd week in June.
My name had been put forward to the May Queen committee because of the fundraising I have done over the years for Hope House Children`s Hospice in Oswestry in Shropshire ,it was a privilage to be asked.
Sometimes I wonder who looks at my blog site ,and if it helps them in any way , but like the work I do for the hospice and what happened this weekend ,you really never know but you hope someone is taking the time to notice in some small way :):)

Blind Cricket

I was honoured at the weekend to attend a very special cricket match .. the Australian Blind Cricket Team against the England Blind Cricket Team, The Australlian team took the Ashes ,but I was routing for both sides ;England because it is my home country and Australia because my 2nd cousin coaches the team.Any way it was a fabulous afternoon and  very informative and with the Olympics and Paraolympics just around the corner it got us in a sporting mood.
I think it just goes to show that disability should hold no barriers with the right support achievements are possible.

                                                          Above the boys in action

Diamond Jubilee

Well ,it isn`t the best of british weather today for the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, but it is typical british weather.
But what ever you have planned today and over the bank holiday weekend I wish you all a lovely time :):)

Personal Budget

The head lines in todays BBC news 

Special needs budgets to be controlled by parents ... 

Parents are to be given more financial control over support for children with special educational needs, in a major shake-up of the system in England.

The government says it wants to push ahead with proposals announced last year that parents should have a "personal budget" for their children.
The changes could also see fewer children in the special needs category.
Children's minister Sarah Teather said the current system was "outdated and not fit for purpose".
But head teachers' leader Brian Lightman warned: "Tightening the criteria for being identified as having a special need must not be a cost cutting exercise."

I know what my thoughts are ... that it may be "too good too be true" .. I hope I`m wrong ,and it will be beneficial to families of children with needs ... what are your thoughts ??
There is more information on the BBC website :-
               http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-18061348

Marathon

well it`s Sunday ,a day of relaxation for some ,and here I am watching the London Marathon from the comfort of my arm chair.No way could I run 26 miles ,I love walking and often enjoy a 10 mile stroll.
But in some ways we all run a marathon ,but of a different kind.For me it started with the birth of my daughter ,I`m on the start line and told she will be severely disabled after suffering oxygen starvation at birth, but I`m fired up and ready for the longest race of my life.You get your pace going and then the first hurdle ..school .. you very often don`t have a "special needs school " on your doorstep so the search begins.So then you settle down again and having a steady pace and then adult hood hurdle is in sight and "Transition " begins.You are in mid race now ,the stress kicks in and you are flagging again,but eventually you sort things out and the adrenaline gives you a boost to carry on with the rest of your journey.My journey came to an premature finish ... but it was the toughest race of my life and my daughters.
So as much as I admire the people who can physically run 26 miles we are all running our own marathons.

Carer`s Assessment

 something not all carers are aware of is that they them selves can be assessed for thier needs as well as the person they care for.I`ve taken this information and hope it maybe of use to you.

Getting a carer's assessment

Most carers will benefit if the person they look after gets some help and support. In some cases though it is the carer themselves who can benefit from a support service. The way to access this sort of help is through a carer's assessment.
Even if the person you care for refuses help and will not be assessed by a social worker, you can still have a carer's assessment in your own right.
What does the law say?
The law says that anyone who provides or intends to provide a substantial amount of care on a regular basis can have a carer’s assessment. No definition of ‘substantial’ is given. Most people contemplating seeking support are likely to eligible for an assessment.
It's not just the amount of time you spend caring. Caring for someone with mental ill health, for example, may require a lot of supervision without much hands on caring. What's important to consider is the impact it has on your life - such as your health, your work, your relationships with family and friends - and what caring prevents you from doing.
If you share caring responsibilities with another person, or more than one person, you can each have a carer’s assessment so long as you are each providing a substantial amount of care on a regular basis.
The assessment is not linked in anyway to Carer’s Allowance.
Who can get an assessment?
You can have a carer’s assessment if you:

• live with the person you are looking after
• live away from the person you are looking after
• care for someone full time
• care for someone as well as working full or part time.

What will be covered by an assessment?
A carer's assessment will look at your role as a carer: how being a carer affects you, how much caring you can realistically do while still allowing you to be involved in other activities outside caring, and any help you may need.
How do I get an assessment?
Carers’ assessments are the responsibility of the social services or social work department of the disabled person’s local council/trust.  So, for example, if you do not live in the same local council/trust area as the disabled person, you will need to contact the disabled person's local council/trust to request your carer's assessment.
You can have a carer’s assessment even if the disabled person does not want to have a community care assessment to look at the help that they need.
You can ask for an assessment before you take up caring or at any point when you are already caring for someone. It is up to you to ask for a carer’s assessment, but all local councils/trusts must inform carers of their right to an assessment.
The best way to request a carer’s assessment is to write to or email the social services department responsible for the disabled person . You can also request a carer’s assessment by phone, but it is a good idea to follow up this request in writing.

Back to Transition Matters

The joys and perils of adolescence, in traditional societies, the passage from childhood to adult life is marked in a variety of ways but all of them recognise that the young person has now to take on new duties and responsibilities, that process of transition is often more complicated, because of the vast range of opportunities and choices now available to young people.
There are, however, increasing numbers of young people who face much greater challenges when making this transition - those who have long-term health problems which they will take with them as they grow up and become adults. There has been some spectacular advances in medical progress which has allowed many children to survive and become adults. These young people frequently have to negotiate many more hurdles and obstacles than their peers when making plans and decisions about further education, employment opportunities, mobility, independence and relationships.
Their task is frequently made more difficult than it needs to be, because health professionals do not adequately plan and manage the one aspect of transition which is within their control, the process of handover from childrens services to adult systems. All too often, there is an abrupt transfer from one service to another . Some young people have difficulty in finding an interested and competent service which is able and willing to provide continuity of medical care.
 I think the importance of a wider perspective that takes into account the many other aspects of transition planning, which may be as important - and often as important as  health care, and in particular highlight current thinking on the concept of 'person-centred planning'.
A few years before our daughter left school I listened to options that other families were taking up and (with the help of the internet ) searched on the web to see what was available out there ,and through this did find a placement for her.It is very difficult because you have to commit to your choice but you never know if it is fully going to work untill you start and sometimes it is hard to then start again.

Charity Tax Relief

After reading reports about the proposed changes for charity tax relief I do hope that the government will do a "u" turn if this proves to harm charitable funds.Charities are finding it hard enough in today's financial climate and my fear is this will make their situation worse.With all the council cuts of late more and more people in crisis will be turning to charities for help.In our own experience we had and still have support from a children's hospice which is almost fully funded by public donations and fund raising, I have always thought it short sighted of social services and councils to underestimate how much money these organisations do save them.It may turn out to be a good thing .. but my gut instinct thinks not for the charities ... I hope I`m wrong.

Entitled Too ...

As you may or maynot know this weekend saw big changes to the benefit system.I have found a good website that is helpful and informative so thought I would share it with you.I do hope that you find the information available of help to you.

Turn2us helps people in financial need gain access to welfare benefits, charitable grants and other financial help – online, by phone and face to face through our partner organisations.
Our free, accessible website – www.turn2us.org.uk – has been designed to help people find appropriate sources of financial support, quickly and easily, based on their particular needs and circumstances. It brings together an easy to use Benefits Checker and a Grants Search database giving access to over 3,000 charitable funds.
Features of our service include:

• A Benefits Calculator that helps people ensure that they are receiving all the welfare benefits they are entitled to
• A Grants Search section containing the details of hundreds of grant-giving charities (national, regional and local) that may be able to provide financial support and other services 
• A confidential ‘My Turn2us’ account that can be used to make online enquiries and applications to grant-giving charities
• Information and interactive tools covering a wide range of subjects on welfare benefits, grants and managing money.

Our service is:

• Free
• Comprehensive and reliable
• All in one place
• Based on highly credible sources
• Confidential
• Secure

                                                              http://www.turn2us.org.uk

Happy Easter

wishing you all a lovely Easter and thankyou for visiting my Blog :):)

A Taste of Honey

I have just been reading an article from a gentleman who was a carer for his wife.He writes about after the loss of his wife that his beloved four legged friend brings him much joy.
We have had two dogs during our married life, and after the loss of Shandy was just contemplating getting another when we had the devastating blow of the untimely loss of our daughter.It has taken me severn years to actually be able to say "yes " to another pet ,I couldn`t bear the thought of loving and losing something special again,but I`m glad to say Honey has entered our lives and helped to fill the enormous gap that was there.

Even though my husband and I have and love each other we are both besoted with Honey and she has brought much joy into our lives :)

"Every Little Helps" as the slogan goes...

Whilst shopping this week I picked up the store free magazine.In it was the "Mum of The Year Winners " and one in particular caught my eye.Her name is Helen Wynne ,she is a mum from Wrexham.
As a childminder when Helen had her own son born with disabilities she quickly realised that facilities in her area were very limited ,so Helen and her husband set up a special childcare service called Blythswood http://www.blythswoodchildminding.co.uk.
It is very touching to here such stories and I feel so pleased for Helen that she has achieved this ,but it always goes back to parents who travel along this uncertain road with thier families have the drive and the passion to be able to help other parents and families ,as I hope my blog will help families looking for support to find information that will help them:) 
I have added the link to the BBC site  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-15979993
I hope you find the information and links on my blog site useful.

Online Support

My mum gets the Yours Magazine every fortnight and once read then passes it on to me.
Whilst having a little bit of "me time" and enjoying having a read ,I thought I would like to mention about the section called "sharing the caring " and in February`s edition which I was reading writes about online support and how valuable it is.For the majority of carers it is very isolating as sometimes the caring role means you are unable to easily get out of the home ,even to carers support meetings or for coffee with friends,where you would find support from others in the same predicament as yourself,and it just made me think for a moment that this is just the reason why I decided to set up this blog ,so people can have a means of support knowing that other families also are going through stressful times where Transition is involved.
Have a look at www.chill4us.com or the yours website www.yours.co.uk and see what support is out there :)

Mothering Sunday

Well today like a lot of families I will be celebrating parent hood by having my mum and mother-in-law for a lovely home cooked lunch for Mothering Sunday.
But it is always tinged with sadness, least for the years of being a mum to a child with severe disabilities and the heartache of wishing that this hadn`t happened to us ,that we should have been celebrating a "normal" family life doing "normal" family activities.
But with the loss of our beautiful daughter comes different feelings of happiness ... happiness for the wonderful years that we were given to share in a most unbelievable love and devotion.
So in an individual way we will be enjoying our celebration with love and affection for years gone by, and my thoughts and prayers go out to all mothers today .. what ever the situation xxxxx

Letting Go

I have to admit that although I recorded the BBC programme " Letting Go " I haven`t yet watched it ,but have read with interest comments that people have posted on facebook site transitionchild2adult@groups.facebook.com.The only thing I can say without having seen the programme is that in my experience from all the heartache and hard times our daughters disabilities caused us over the years ,the time from 14 - 19 years of age was by far the most stressful any family will have to face.The best advice I could pass on to any family is do as much ground work as you possibly can through social service means and the internet which has a vast information data.If the relavant agencies involved with your childs transition don`t meet up at given transition meetings make sure you are the go between and personally make sure that all information is passed on.It has been for these exact reasons I have set up this blog site which I hope as time goes on to help families through this maze with support of knowing that you are not alone and some useful information.

connexions

I read with horror in our local newspaper that "connexions" in our area is to close at the end of this month.
Connexions is run by the local council to help youngsters access work or college.
What on earth is going on !!! is there to be nothing left for help ,support and information.
When my daughter was leaving school we had some input from our connexions branch ,although her complex needs did mean there was little help that could be channelled in our direction I am only too aware that young adults who could with P.A support were helped to access college courses and other work placements.
Lets hope soon there will be good news to write and talk about.

Remploy

My heart sank when I heard the news yesterday about Remploy factories closing.
In the present climate it is really hard for anyone to get into the work place never mind if you have additional disabilities.
I felt quite emotional to hear some of those who will be affected talk about prospects of going into the mainstream work place and the threat of bullying that they may receive there.
I really don`t know what this government is thinking ,and if there is to be alternative back ups well lets hear about them!!
Transition from children`s services into adult services is and always has been an extremely complicated procedure but with closures such as Remploy and other care cut backs it is really difficult for families to keep positive about the future of their youngsters ,but positive you must be :)

I`m Back

Hi all,
Sorry for the lack of posts but I`ve been on my "jollies " so now it`s back to business :)
Firstly I must mention that a relative of mine who lives in Australia runs the Australian Blind Cricket Team and they have an international game with the Great Britain team in May in the midlands, for anyone who may be interested in this event I will post more details of dates and time nearer the event.
Also just a mention that the Disabled Living have an exhibition on Thursday 29th March 2012 - 9.15am till 4.30pm at the Jaguar Exhibition Hall in Coventry called Kidz In The Middle , you can find out more information on  their website  www.kidzexhibitions.co.uk

Team Around the Child

 Hi there,
A friend of mine has shared a link with me to a news E.bulletin.It is really informative and I have added the link below for you to take a look.

 http://www.teamaroundthechild.com

It is aimed at professionals and families alike and shares a wealth of information.Hope you find it as useful as I have :)

Back to Transition Matters

I`m sorry I do get rather distracted by current news items related to disabilities and there have been quite a lot in these first few weeks of 2012 ,but on the other hand do feel items are relevant to the bigger picture ,but lets get back to Transition Matters :)
So we have established that Transition starts at the age of 14 years."Person Centred Planning" with the young adult being centre stage is present with teachers and school staff , parents and carers and with social services and they all have regular meetings together to discuss options available for the young person.
When we started proceedings our local council didn`t have a Transition Officer in post ,I would like to think councils are more in touch now a days .It is very important that someone from the council is present at meetings because this will be vital to financial support in the future.
It`s also imperative to make this experience of transition a very" positive experience "even though sometimes it may seem otherwise.
Always remember "one size dosn`t fit all " and you may feel that council run day care centres aren`t suitable for your needs ,sometimes organisations like Scope can provide day care but this may mean that there might be only enough money in your financial pot for say 3 days care not 5 ,this is what happened in our case but I was able to work around this.
So we have now established that there are 3 options open to us
1) Council run daycare centres
2) Organisation run daycare centres
3) Direct Payments to employ your own P.A

I hope you feel less daunted now and are feeling more positive about options.

Soap Box

This morning on TV programme "Saints & Sinners " my heart went out to a family who not only have one child with severe disabilities but two.The thing that caught my attention was about wheelchair provision ; or lack of it.I think it is appalling how the wheelchair service thinks that a set amount of money will cover everyone`s needs for a wheelchair.From my own personal experience I know that with extreme disabilities comes elaborate and specially designed wheelchairs and these come with an extreme price tag.The strain of looking after anyone with special needs is high, but to have the added stress of approaching charities to put your case forward to have help to finance purpose designed forms of mobility which will give the disabled person a lease of independence is extremely tough.
The wheelchair service will give vouchers to the value of a basic wheelchair but you must find a source to get the difference yourself, thank goodness for the Internet which is a great help with this task of searching for such organisations.
Then on this evenings local news came the plight of parents who have raised £50,000 for their child to go abroad to have a life changing operation.Families of disabled children have enough stress and trauma in their lives just with every day living never mind having to raise money to make their children's lives better.I hope this trend will be reversed in my life time.
I am now getting of my "soap box " !!

Over charging in the news !!

Once again services for adults with learning difficulties is in the news , getting to be quite a habit lately !!
This time one of our neighbouring councils has been on local television news for over charging for services such as" help with dressing " for adults with learning difficulties.
It was first raised with the council concerned in 2001 by a " whisleblower " employee.
The council said everything was being done to improve services and the council accept serious failings.The council made a £244000.00 payout after admitting the findings for overcharging since 2000.
Recommendations have since been put into place such as weekly monitoring,new social work supervision policy and new safe guarding policy.
But to me this highlights that with carers being in charge of their own budgets such as direct payments ,you need to do your homework and know what you are being charged for and how much.There isn`t an across the board example as every council will be different on what they provide so you do need to check with your authority.

Care in the Community

 I think the issue of care for the elderly and disabled in our community is going to be a "hot potato " topic in 2012.
There needs to be a big reform of how families can be helped and with issues being in the news again today hopefully this is on the horizon.
I have today looked on the BBC news web page and was struck by this comment left by a reader :-

 "We need a radical re-think of how we, as a state, we meet our duty of care to those citizens in need of support. We have many experts who know how to deliver quality social care & support to those unable (through age or disability) to look after themselves. Politicians should take a back seat in the decision about how it's done, their job is to administer our money to pay for it."

I think this comment will strike a cord with many readers,I for one will be watching the news with interest !!