Southampton Centre for Independent Living

Ian Loynes and Robert Droy from SCIL recently attended the first session of the Hampshire Personalisation Commission. Throughout the day, we discussed with members of the audience how they felt about the Commission and their observations of the first session.

Firstly without wishing to be overly negative, the format and acoustics of the venue was not particularly accessible for many of the participants. There was no sign language interpreter at the session but we presume this would have been provided if an participant had requested it. We were also disappointed with the lack of diversity amongst both the commissioners, witnesses, and the audience in general. ‘White, middle aged, and middle class’ was one comment we heard.

Despite the session being entitled ‘People and Carers’, out of the 7 people who gave evidence, 3 people were actually ‘professionals’ who gave lengthy presentations which were followed up by questions. Their evidence, whilst useful, may have been better suited to a later session.

In contrast, the ‘people’ and ‘carers’ were asked to give very brief presentations with no opportunity for the commissioners to question them further. We feel this was a missed opportunity to really capture from the ‘users’ themselves why personalisation was so important. This part of the evidence was summed up by the Commission Chair as ‘moving’ and ‘uplifting’. Whilst these comments were well meaning, they were construed by many as slightly patronising and not viewing the evidence on an equal level as the evidence given by the other witnesses.

The round table discussions in the afternoon were found to be much more successful but unfortunately were only open to a ‘select’ group of invited guests. Some of the common themes have however been summarised in a document on the Hampshire Personalisation Commission website, along with much of the other evidence and presentations at each session.

The next session is on June 12 and you can apply for tickets for that session until May 20 by visiting the website or by calling 01962 833 040. Leave your name, telephone number and address and they will post an application form to you

NCIL are looking to recruit Mental Health Experts by Experience for  the next stage of this exciting project. This project is funded through the Commission for Social Care Inspection. The Commission is the body that inspects and regulates social care provision for England. The project is working with a range of Centres for Independent Living and user led organisations in order to develop a diverse pool of Experts.

We are particularly looking for people who use Mental Health Services, across the following regions in England which will support the Commission’s inspection processes.

·         South East

·         South West

·         London

·         Eastern

·         East Midlands

·         West Midlands

·         Yorkshire & Humberside

·         North West

·         North East

As a Mental Health Expert you will be linked to a Centre for Independent Living or user led organisation in one of the above regions, you will be provided with training and support to develop your skills for this role and you will be paid an hourly fee of £15.00.  The amount of hours will vary.  All other associated costs will be met, including travel, access costs and personal assistance costs.

Experts by Experience will be part of the Inspection process and will be required to undertake inspections in different regions.

You will need to be a person who uses services, or has used services or is likely to use services, you will need to be willing to travel across your particular region and occasionally into other regions, and you will need to be willing to attend training and briefing days in your region.

The closing date for this role is Friday 2 May 2008

If you would like to have an informal discussion please contact Sandy Marshall, Projects Manager at NCIL offices.

For an application pack please contact: Karen Earl at

The National Centre for Independent Living

Fourth Floor, Hampton House

20 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TJ

Telephone 020 7587 1663     Fax:  020 7582 2469

Minicom: 020 7587 1177

e-mail:  projectassistant@ncil.org.uk

Thanks to NCIL for passing on this information.

The Coalition on Charging is a group of organisations chaired by the National Centre for Independent Living (NCIL). The coalition was established to campaign against the current system of charging for community care services.

The Coalition members include: NCIL, Age Concern, Scope, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Disability Alliance, Alzheimer’s Society, People First, Mind, Radar, the Alliance for Inclusive Education, Counsel and Care, United Kingdom Disabled Peoples Council (UKDPC), Action for Blind People, Royal National Institute for the Deaf, Arthritis Care, British Polio Fellowship, Carers UK, Equalities, Help the Aged, the Parkinson’s Disease Society, Mencap.

The Coalition is writing an up to date report, highlighting the current situation with charging for care, to ensure that the issue is on the government’s agenda when looking at the future of social care.

Our survey:

As part of the report we want to include feedback from people who are affected by charging. We have developed a survey that will be used to help the Coalition on Charging produce good information.

The report is aimed at the Department of Health and Government. A Government consultation (‘green’) paper on reform is due out sometime in 2008.  The Government has said that it ‘believes that there are real opportunities for reform within a system that shares the cost between the individual and the state’.

However, in our view, it is very important that they look at the effects on people of the current charging system and hear the views of people who are currently being charged for their support.

In order that we can include your views please can you respond to this survey by May 1 2008.

Please fill in the question on personal details. It is important for us to know your age as adult services are often provided for ‘adults’ and ‘older people’. We will not pass on any personal information and will make all responses anonymous in the report.

The Coalition has one set of survey questions for individual people who need support and their carers. There is a separate set of survey questions for organisations representing people who need support and representing carers. Please fill in the right survey.

You can download them here:

charging-survey-for-individuals

charging-survey-for-organisations

If you are involved in a forum or network, if you were able to discuss this issue that would be very useful.

The survey is for all adults in England who use (or have used) local authority social services for support in their own home. This includes people who use (or have used) direct payments. It does not include people who use residential care services.

This survey is aimed at all disabled and older people who use community care services.

We apologise for the short amount of time given to return the survey but we hope you will be able to give us your views.

Please send your completed survey by May 1 2008 to NCIL,  Fourth Floor, Hampton House, 20 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TJ or to policy@ncil.org.uk or fax to 0207 587 1663

35 Hours/week Salary £30,000 + pension contributions, 25 days annual leave plus national bank holidays

2 year fixed term (extension subject to successful fund raising)

Hampshire Coalition of Disabled People is an organisation owned and controlled by Disabled People which subscribes to the Social Model of Disability and campaigns for Disability Equality: the full inclusion of Disabled People into the social, political and economic life of society.

We seek to recruit a Disabled Person who can apply Social Model thinking to action, is committed to Disability Equality, has a proven record in the wider Disabled People’s Movement and can provide the necessary skills to implement its ambitious Business Plan; provide leadership; manage projects, finances and personnel; secure resources; and build HCODP’s capacity.

Do you recognise yourself in this description?

If so, then you are the person we are looking for! We believe that the Disabled People’s Movement has achieved a lot, but our rights and liberties are under more threat than ever before.  We believe that it is only through collective action that Disabled People can secure their rights.  We want to make local Disabled People a force to be reckoned with and to link into nationwide campaigns that can challenge the institutional discrimination Disabled People face.

HCODP is committed to the principle of equality of opportunity and welcome applications from Disabled People who are also members of other minority groups.

For application packs, or an informal chat, please contact:

Hazel Peasley, Chair HCODP,19 Blighmont Crescent, Southampton, SO15 8RH

Tel: 07775 741696 Email: hazelvpeasley@btinternet.com

Closing date for applications – Friday 18^th April 2008

Southampton Centre for Independent Living, an organisation run and controlled by Disabled People, wish to recruit a Disabled Person.

Direct Payments Support Worker 16 hrs per week, £21,412  - £22,845 pro rata

An exciting opportunity to support, train, inform and advise disabled people to organise their own personal assistance arrangements through the use of Direct Payments. The geographic area you will cover is negotiable.  Posts require an ability to travel unaided or with assistance. A training and induction package will enable you to develop your skills.

You will have the opportunity to make a difference to other Disabled Peoples’ lives. This job will suit any Disabled Person committed to the principles of Independent Living and the Social Model of Disability.

Experience of providing advice and information to Disabled People would be an advantage.

SCIL is committed to the principle of equality of opportunity. We particularly welcome applications from Disabled People who are also members of minority groups. All posts are open to job share.

For application packs, or an informal chat, please contact Robert at:SCIL, Unity 12, 9-19 Rose Road, Southampton, SO14 6TE Tel: 023 8033 0982, Textphone: 023 8020 2649, Fax: 023 8020 2648 E-mail: robert@southamptoncil.co.uk

Returned application forms to be received by Fri 18^th January 2008  

We would like to wish all our blog readers a very Merry Christmas. Most of our hard working staff are taking a well earned break over Christmas, so SCIL will be closed between 25th December and 1st January.

An answerphone will be available during this time but if you need assistance urgently, you can call Hampshire Social Services Direct on 0845 600 45 55 or if you live in Southampton, please call 023 8023 3344.

The last few months has seen an influx of new faces at SCIL and a few familiar faces changing their role within the organisation. Here’s a quick round up of some of the new people you may come across in 2008:

Jenny Harris – Receptionist / Administrator  - Hi, my name is Jenny, and I will be the first person you meet or speak to when you visit or ring us here at SCIL.  I started at SCIL back in August and have taken on the role of receptionist / administrator.  Before I began my role here I lived in Newcastle and worked as a customer service advisor for Halifax PLC.  I’m originally from Southampton but left in 2004 to go to university in Newcastle where I studied Architecture.   

Michael Grimmett – Independent Living Support Worker(Recruitment) - I’m Michael Grimmett and I applied for the role, because I have the benefit of meeting people and hiring PAs from various backgrounds and cultures. I am very much enjoying this role, due to the wide range of people that I come in contact with everyday. Michael’s direct dial number is 023 8020 2636 or email Michael@southamptoncil.co.uk 

Frances Caws – Direct Payments Support Worker (Havant / Petersfield) - I wanted the job as a Direct Payment Support Worker because I saw the job as a challenge, I enjoy meeting people and if I can help others in anyway I find it very rewarding. Having previously worked for SCIL as a receptionist I enjoyed working for the organisation and thoroughly believes what it stands for. Frances’ direct dial number is 023 8020 2633.or email Frances@southamptoncil.co.uk 

Ami McIntosh – Direct Payments Support Worker (Southampton) -Hi, my name is Ami. I am a new Direct Payments Support Worker and will be covering the Southampton area. I wanted this job as I have been a service user now for approx three years. Receiving direct payments drastically improved the quality of mine and my daughter’s lives. This is something I feel so many more people should benefit from and would love to play a part in making it possible. I have only been here a couple of weeks and am so far enjoying every minute. I can’t wait to get out there start meeting people and hopefully become a valuable part of the direct payments team at SCIL. Ami’s direct dial number is 023 8020 2643 or email Ami@southamptoncil.co.uk 

Amanda Hames who many of you know through Hampshire Coalition of Disabled People (HCODP), is a new Management Committee member. As a disabled person she is fully committed to furthering the rights and widening the opportunities of Disabled People to be fully included and participate equally in our Society.  Amanda is currently the Campaigns & Development Officer for HCODP and has been in post for the last six years. During this time she has acquired a great deal of experience in disability issues. She is also HCODP’s Company Secretary and a Director of Unity 12 Limited which has equipped her with knowledge and understanding of company matters.

Jeremy Long Price has also changed role and is now the Support Broker in Southampton supporting People with Physical Impairments and Older People to use Self Directed Support.

We would also like to welcome Nigel and Julie to SCIL who are Work Support Assistants for Frances and Michael respectively.    

In a much anticipated move, it has finally been announced that Self Directed Support via an Individual Budget will be offered across the UK to every Disabled adult and Older person who is eligible for social care services.

Currently just over 100 local authorities are piloting self directed support, however from April 2008, all local authorities will have to offer this. The individual budget could either be paid directly to the individual via a direct payment or the council may still hold on to the money but  an individual would have more control over when and how the council spend that money.

The media over the weekend very much focussed on the fact that older people could now be given cash to purchase their own support. The fact that Older People have been able to get Direct Payments since April 2000 seems to have passed journalists by.

Southampton will be rolling out their self directed support scheme  from January 2008 and SCIL have now taken on a support broker who will work with people with physical impairments and older people who want to switch to an individual budget.

One confusion is the number of names this particular scheme seems to have. Individual budgets, self directed support, In Control, and personal budgets are all being used to describe the same thing. SCIL has decided to adopt the term self directed support until a consensus is agreed nationally.

We will be putting a lot more information on the blog over the coming months but if you want to know more, particularly about plans in Southampton, then please contact Jeremy Long Price, our new Self Directed Support Broker on 023 8020 2642 or email Jeremy@southamptoncil.co.uk

P.S. We added a poll, just for fun, on our message board where you can name this latest government policy. Go on, Vote Now!

This post was written by Ian Loynes, SCIL’s Chief Executive.

At its joint AGM in September, SCIL and the Hampshire Coalition of Disabled People (HCODP) agreed the proposal that both organisations should work more closely together in the future. This article explains why we want to do this and what we hope to achieve.

SCIL & HCODP were formed separately, in 1984 & 1990 with different but linked aims. However (like many organisations) SCIL & HCODP have both found it difficult to attract resources, MC members and other volunteers.  As a result, both organisations increasingly share people (for example, staff with one organisation are commonly MC members on the other). In addition, both organisations share many other things like: members, premises, personnel, funding sources, similar projects etc.  We worried that this might lead to confusion, duplication, tension, burn-out or conflict which we wanted to avoid.

An initial joint meeting agreed the need to work more closely together, but felt a full merger would be inappropriate. Since then DAIN and DOVE have all agreed that the issues apply equally to them as well. Jointly we submitted a funding proposal to enable the appointment of a joint worker to take these ideas forward and to enable all the organisations to survive and thrive in the future.

What should we achieve by working closely together:

• Streamline our structures and core costs
• Reduce number of hats we all wear
• Investigate joint memberships and joint MCs
• Work together on joint funding
• Develop a common strategy
• Eliminate duplication to free up resources
• Be more effective as a result

However, there are a number of things we also want to avoid:

• Losing our individual identities
• Compromise funding opportunities
• Weaken governance of organisations
• Confuse personnel or line management
• Do anything that is not in the interests of our aims or the rights of Disabled People
• Weaken our democratic accountability to Disabled People 

So, what do you think?…If you have any views or ideas, please email me on ian@southamptoncil.co.uk or phone or post your views to the usual address.

As previously reported, Hampshire Adult Services with the support of Children’s Services is undertaking a review of Direct Payments. Hampshire state the the purpose of the review is to ‘make it easier for people to obtain and use Direct Payments, while at the same time making sure that Hampshire County Council meets its duty of care for individuals and its legal obligation to account for the way in which public money (Direct Payments) is used.’

Hampshire believe that the proposed changes presented in the consultation document are the best way of improving Direct Payments.These proposed changes relate to Self Assessment, Direct Payments Risk Assessment, Support Agency Role and Outcome based care planning. 

The full consultation document and questionnaire can be found here. 

Following a number of concerns raised by SCIL, HCIL and Carers Together regarding the accessibility of the document and questionnaire, Hampshire have organised 3 workshops around Hampshire for users to give their views.

According to the website, ‘The workshops will provide people with information about the proposals and an opportunity to discuss them in small working groups. The information will be explained and people will be able to ask questions so that that can get a clear understanding of the proposals. People will also have time to talk about their personal views during small group sessions and be able to put these forward via the group or by completing the questionnaire.’

The workshops are from 10am to 1pm on the following days:

Tuesday 16 October at Horndean Centre (Horndean Technology College)

Wednesday 17 October at The Maltings Centre – Centennial Room in Alton

Friday 18 October at Wells Place Centre in Eastleigh

Places are limited to 60 people per venue so you must book in advance by emailing the Adult Services Department or contacting the Direct Payments telephone helpline 01962 833039 

HCIL and HCODP are also hoping to host a joint meeting regarding the consultation in early November – details to be confirmed.

The consultation runs until Friday 14 December.