Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of tables and boxes
- Foreword
- Acknowledgements
- List of abbreviations
- one Introduction
- two History
- three From indirect to direct payments I: legislation
- four From indirect to direct payments II: guidance and extension
- five The progress of direct payments
- six The experiences of different user groups
- seven The advantages of direct payments
- eight Possible difficulties
- nine Practical issues
- ten Conclusion: implications for community care
- Bibliography
- Appendix Useful resources
- Index
- Related reports from The Policy Press
nine - Practical issues
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 April 2022
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of tables and boxes
- Foreword
- Acknowledgements
- List of abbreviations
- one Introduction
- two History
- three From indirect to direct payments I: legislation
- four From indirect to direct payments II: guidance and extension
- five The progress of direct payments
- six The experiences of different user groups
- seven The advantages of direct payments
- eight Possible difficulties
- nine Practical issues
- ten Conclusion: implications for community care
- Bibliography
- Appendix Useful resources
- Index
- Related reports from The Policy Press
Summary
Chapter Eight concluded by outlining some of the key practical challengesfacing disabled people who are contemplating receiving direct payments andthe importance of careful planning to ensure that these challenges can besatisfactorily overcome. Significant issues include:
• employment legislation;
• tax and National Insurance;
• accounting;
• recruitment;
• a range of miscellaneous issues.
While this chapter focuses in more detail on some of the practicalities ofmanaging a direct payment, it is important to avoid the trap of assumingthat disabled people are unable to rise to these challenges and overcome theobstacles in the way of independent living. As we have already seen, thevery implementation of direct payments was in large part the result oflongstanding pressure from groups of disabled people committed to removingthe barriers to independent living enshrined in the 1948 National AssistanceAct. After the 1996 Community Care (Direct Payments) Act came into force in1997, more and more schemes have developed, often supported by Centres forIndependent Living, and disabled people have proved extremely capable ofrising to the practical issues that direct payments raise. Although managingdirect payments may be difficult at times, this should not stop disabledpeople from attempting to do so. Above all, this is the resounding messagethat emerges from NCIL's The rough guide to managing personalassistants:
Direct Payments really represent a golden opportunity for disabledpeople. They are the means by which we close the chapter of disabilityhistory called ‘Institutions’ and move on to the part ofthe story where we get a crack at living just like everybody else. Withthe right facilitation any disabled person, whatever their impairment,can take control and be free to get on with life. It all seems sosimple, but of course like so many things it is just a bit morecomplicated than it first appears…. We are all wrestling with thesame issues. Everybody finds it an effort, at least some of the time,because it is basically management work that we are involved in here andmanagement is rarely easy. In business, managers are paid large sums andthen often do it badly. We get paid nothing and cannot afford to fail,not only because our living arrangements will instantly be in tatters,but because there is a view widely held by the powers that be that weare not up to the job.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Social Work and Direct Payments , pp. 125 - 136Publisher: Bristol University PressPrint publication year: 2002