Assessment

About Sam

Sam resides in North Wales and lives with a disability called Limb Girdle 2e Muscular Dystrophy which is a progressive condition, meaning her needs have increased/grown more complex over time. Sam is now forty and has been employing her own PA’s since she was twenty.

To begin with, she did this with the help of The Independent Living Fund, a benefit that unfortunately no longer exists. When the Independent Living Fund was scraped her local authority funded her entire care package, continuing to provide funds through her Direct Payment.

Agency workers

This worked well until Sam’s Social Worker persuaded her to use an agency to carry out her care rather than employ PA’s herself. At this point, her Social Worker applied for her to have half of her 24-hour care package funded by CHC. Sam agreed due to pressure, lack of support and her continued struggle to have a working contingency plan in place should any of her PA’s be unable to work. However, as soon as this decision was made Sam lost all autonomy and had very little or no say in how she lived her life.

Back with the Direct Payments Scheme

After a lot of battling with her local authority, Sam now employs PA’s once again through a Direct Payment, enabling her to live her life the way she wants to. She has this option as she is jointly funded by BOTH the local authority and CHC. This option is not available to those like Rhys who’s care isn’t jointly funded.

Sam campaigns with Rhys to try and ensure that all citizens in Wales, not least Rhys himself has the same freedom that she enjoys regardless of how they are funded. Below are the questions I sent to Sam after I saw their campaign on the BBC website and later on Facebook, Welsh PHB Hunters (Every human being has the right to be free.) The questions were sent before I knew she had won the right to have her Direct Payment again, which just goes to show you should always fight for your rights.

1. How long have you had your current care package?

I’d say from March, as I’ve been able to hire my own PAs since then, through a jointly funded package. However, I now believe I had a jointly funded package for almost 3 years, but I was falsely told by social services that it was CHC funded and therefore I was unable to use direct payments to employ my own staff. I now distrust my social worker and the people who are supposedly there to help us.

2. Are the agencies that are assisting you currently person-centred in your opinion? I.e. do they listen to you?

I no longer use a care agency, but can say that when I did they all said they were person-centred, but that only went so far, my views and opinions weren’t listened to when it really mattered, and they were just a business trying to fill their contract requirements any way they could.

3. Do you have any say in how your care calls are structured?

Yes, I have complete control now. I do the rotas, ok holiday, and I am in charge of all employment matters. Although I am checked in on a lot by nurses and social worker, (pre covid.)

4. What reason have you been given for the discrepancy between the assessment carried out by Social Services and the one by NHS? Needs are needs surely?

This is a Rhys question but from my perspective. My social care team really wanted the monies to come from health to save them money, they did not support me at all, and it was the health side that agreed my needs weren’t nursing as the social care team were trying to suggest.

5. How did you meet Rhys?

I was talking with Rhys and we can’t remember exactly how we found each other! It was through our fight for care and somehow we started chatting over Facebook. Since then we have spoken every day and started a long-distance romance!

6. In August, you wrote a letter to the Welsh government. Why now?

I think we both wrote letters prior to this, mine began in February, but at that time I was unaware of Rhys’ campaign. Once I connected with Rhys, I upped the ante and began to fight for PHBs as well as for the framework on legislature changes for joint funding to be made clearer. We have since written to charities, disabled organisations, magazines, MP’s and AM’s. Basically, anyone who will listen and support us.

7. Why do you think the push to use agencies is so high, are they more cost-effective? In England, agencies are more expensive than hiring your own PA’s/carers.

They generally are not cost-effective, but I believe that the social care team see them as an easy solution to them, less paperwork and less face to face work. They leave any issues to be dealt with by the agency involved, which leads to more problems for us. CHC funded care must currently use agencies in wales, hence the fight for PHBs, I believe this is to pass over any accountability to the agency instead of the NHS, and due to the work needed to change the current framework. It isn’t about what is best for us.

8. I read on your Facebook page that Direct Payments are unlawful when using CHC do you know why? Has anybody explained this?

It’s just not allowed because of the current CHC legislation. If you are jointly funded it is lawful, but it is not well known, as I found out during my fight. It needs to be clearer for users and the organisations involved.

9. How is a second lockdown affecting you?

The lockdown is hard, I miss seeing my family and my niece who’s grown so much since this all began. It obviously makes a long-distance relationship harder as we can’t travel as much. I had plans to travel this year! 😂 I worry about covid obviously but my PAs are all taking precautions to safeguard me and I appreciate that immensely. 2020 has been a hard year for everyone.

10. What does a typical day look like to you?

This is probably more Rhys, as I have a PA 24/7. I can get up at a time of my choosing; toilet, eat etc when I want. My only constraint is being in bed by midnight, as I have a sleeping night and PAs have to have 8 hrs sleep. Breaks for PAs are quite flexible depending on our plans for the day.

11. What do you do to relax?

Photoshop, and artwork. I can spend hours doing this on my computer, as it clears my mind. I love a bit of Netflix, music and days out with family or friends (pre covid). I try to study something new as often as I can, but Rhys’ campaign has kept me busy since August, so I’m only doing short courses at the moment.

12. Have you been given a reason why individual cases can’t be heard but group cases can?

I think this is just policy for the heads of departments, such as Vaughan Gething and Julie Morgan. We are encouraged to contact our local ministers.

13. Can you explain a bit more about Independent User Trusts? Why are they not suitable for your needs?

We have had difficulties with this ourselves so I’m just going to use what we currently have.

The Welsh government are proposing Independent Users Trusts (IUTs). An Independent User Trust is described ‘as a commitment on the part of trustees to manage an agreed sum of NHS money (or other resources) in a way that puts the individual at the heart of decision-making and gives them choice and control in their life’. Confused? I know I am? I ask is this clear? Because we have struggled to get a clearer definition so bear with us a little.

IUTs are in fact one of the ‘methods’ that an individual can now use to manage a personal health budget when a direct payment is not possible, AS IN WALES Right? But we are not being given the option of utilising the other methods, just an IUT.

So it’s our understanding:

• You have a team of 6 trustees almost like a syndicate.

• You get to choose who those 6 people are “how generous”.

• You speak to them, and they then speak to the NHS.

• They make a decision for you over how your care is provided, “bearing in mind it’s your care”.

• And they control the purse. “So we never, in fact, see the money ourselves.”

So, they are making us answer to a group of individuals, which granted, we can choose, but they decide and then purchase that care for us!

Is this not completely obscuring the idea of independence?

We are accountable adults, who have self-control over our own life’s, and finances! So why are they suggesting we are incapable of taking care of our care finances? The notion is completely condescending! The only thing that makes us different from everyone else, is a physical disability?

In our eyes, this means that IUTs fail to put individuals at the heart of the decision-making process, and instead take away our choice and our control over our care. Which surely we deserve? It merely mimics the same system currently in place, just given a new name… In line with the Social Model of Disability, the Welsh Government says it is committed to disabled people fulfilling their potential and achieving their ambitions and dreams, by removing barriers that get in the way of such ambitions. The Welsh governments current IUT plans are building these barriers up, rather than demolishing them, are they not?

We truly can’t understand how our own Welsh government thought it was okay, to put people who needed 24-hour care in a situation, where they don’t have any choice in who provides their care for them.

My thanks to Sam for answering my questions.

Having had several written conversations over social media with her, I have to say I completely agree that the proposed solution, Independent Users Trust’s, (IUT’s) does not give disabled people the freedom and autonomy that they are requesting. I can’t understand why a Direct Payment is available in one instance and not another! Judging from the campaign, I’m not the only one.

If you want to find out more visit the Welsh PHB Hunters Facebook page. They welcome any support, wherever you live and are currently looking for people who have experienced agency care to participate in an article they are writing. If you’re interested send them a message here.