Directions

Issue 46

Autumn 2010

The Rowan Organisation
Supporting independence through choice

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• Corrections
• Safeguarding update
• HMRC's Tax and NI penalties
• Advertise your PA vacancies on our website
• Accessible weekends in London
• Funding for students
• Accessible travel and leisure
• From a Service User in Pembrokeshire
• From a Service User in Warwickshire

Note from the editorial team...

Dear Readers,
Welcome to this Autumns edition of our Directions newsletter. We hope you all had a relaxing and enjoyable Summer and made the most of the nice weather we had.
In this edition you will find out about the new coalition government's safeguarding plans and fines you might face for late payment of employer's tax and NI.
In our features section find out about advertising your PA vacancies on our website. We give you some ideas of things to do with our articles on accessible travel and an accessible weekend away to the big smoke. Also in features for all you soon to be students an article about funding you could be entitled to claim.
This edition we have two Readers Writes. Two articles from Service Users on how Direct Payments have made a difference to their life for the better.

Corrections

As far as we are aware there were no corrections to be made to the last issue of Directions. If any of our readers did spot an error, please do not hesitate to inform us. Contact details appear on page 1 and on the back cover.

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Safeguarding Update

The new coalition government has decided to review the Vetting and Barring Scheme. This means people who intend to work with children or vulnerable adults will not be required to register with the scheme until further notice.

No timescale for the review has been announced. However the regulations that were introduced in
October 2009 still apply.

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New HMRC Penalties

From April 6th 2010 HM Revenue & Customs are going to start issuing penalties to people who make late payments on their tax and National Insurance.

The amount of the penalties will depend on how late the payment is and how much is owed.

To avoid these penalties once you receive your paper work from your payroll clerk indicating how much you need to pay the Revenue you will need to send the payment as soon as possible so that it reaches HM Revenue & Customs before the 19th of each month.

It is advised that you call and advise your payroll worker the hours that your Personal Assistants work on a regular basis, according to the PA's pay frequency, unless we have an agreement to process your payroll with the same amount of hours each time.

If you call in with backdated hours then this could have an impact on the amount of National Insurance that both you and the Personal Assistant are liable to pay as these hours will need to be processed on the next available pay date.

It is possible to pay your tax and National Insurance to the HM Revenue & Customs quarterly instead of monthly. To arrange this all you would need to do is inform your payroll worker, who would arrange this for you.

There are several ways that a Direct Payments Recipient can pay their tax and National Insurance contributions and these include the following:

Internet/telephone banking, debit card over the phone, at the post office, bank giro, direct debit or by post.

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Advertise your PA vacancies on our website

During September 2010, we will be adding a facility on our website that will enable Direct Payments recipients to advertise vacancies for personal assistants.

If you have the support from a local Rowan Independent Living Adviser (ILA), they will be able to ensure that your vacancy is added to the website. If you don't need the support of a local ILA, you will still be able to access this facility by contacting the Recruitment Line on 0845 602 4614.

The website facility will initially only be available for people who live in the counties where the Rowan Organisation provides a service. These are Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Nottingham City, Nottinghamshire, Pembrokeshire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire.

The Recruitment Service and website advertising facility is currently free of charge for Direct Payments recipients, but people who have been awarded a Person (Individual) Budget may incur a small charge.

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Accessible weekends in London

London is working hard to become more accessible as the host city for the 2012 Games, including the Paralympics.
There is much to see and do in London that is accessible. Accessible attractions include world class venues such as Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London Eye, Tate Modern - Bankside and many more.

Getting there

However you arrive in London be it by car, bus or train you will need to navigate your way around the large city. Most of the black cabs are now very safe and accessible and all of them will have a ramp for wheelchairs. To get a taxi just look for the lit ‘TAXI' light. They can be hailed in the street or located on designated ranks which are situated at prominent places, including many mainline rail, underground and bus stations. The majority of buses in London are also now fully
accessible.

The London Underground is at this time not fully accessible but has now 36 step-free stations. You can obtain a copy of the accessible tube map at all stations or by calling 020 7941 4600. This guide is useful for detailed information of facilities for disabled people in each station.

If you are not able to use the Underground to access National Rail terminals and Victoria Coach Station, Stationlink provides cross-London transport links between the mainline train terminals. Two bus services run on a circular route in both directions every day.

Bus 205 links Paddington, Marylebone, Euston, St Pancras, King's Cross, Liverpool Street and Whitechapel.

Bus 905 links Paddington, Victoria Coach Station, Victoria, Waterloo, London Bridge, Fenchurch Street and Liverpool Street. All the buses are low-floor and equipped with ramps operated by the driver to provide easy access for wheelchair users. The kneeling suspension can drop the floor level down to the kerb for the less mobile and those with buggies or luggage. The wide gangways and space for luggage mean that this is a useful service for all travellers.

For further information call London Travel
Information on 020 7222 1234

Daytime activities:
Buckingham Palace

Inside the palace there are 19 rooms you are able to view. The rooms are lavishly furnished with some beautiful treasures from the Royal collection such as: paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Poussin and Canaletto; sculpture by Canova; The best examples of Sèvres porcelain; and some of the finest English and French furniture.

The Palace's garden is home to thirty different species of bird and more than 350 different wild flowers, some extremely rare. Visitors end their tour with a walk along the south side of the garden, with splendid views of the west front of the Palace and the famous lake.

Wheelchair-users are asked to book through the Ticket Sales and Information Office by telephoning 020 7766 7324.

A website that provides lots more ideas for accessible things to do in London is www.visitlondon.com/maps/accessibility/

Accessible Nightlife

Ronnie Scott's Why not go along and enjoy some live music at the world famous jazz club Ronnie Scott's? The club has an amazing atmosphere and nightly shows. It's one of the most popular places to hang out in Soho.

Contact number: 020 7439 0747
Website: http://www.ronniescotts.co.uk/

The Theatre

Currently showing at the Soho Theatre is a show called Abnormally Funny People. It is a stand-up and sit-down comedy show put on by a team of multi-talented and multi-disabled stand up comedians, full of fun and silliness.

The Soho Theatre tries its best to be fully accessible to all. It has a good detailed website which explains all about its accessibility.

Box Office: 020 7478 0100
Website: http://www.sohotheatre.com/

Performance Details
Opening night: 11 Jun 2010 closing: 10 Dec 2010

Show times: 10 Sep, 8 Oct, 5 Nov & 10 Dec 20:00

Ticket prices: £10

We recommend calling in advance or notifying the venue of your access needs when making a booking.

Where to stay

Visit the www.directenquiries.com/hotelsearch.aspx website to find an accessible hotel in the area of London you wish to stay. You can also call 118 500 and ask for numbers of accessible hotels.

It is always recommended to contact the hotel in advance regarding your specific needs.

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Funding for students

If you are disabled, you could be entitled to claim Disabled Student's Allowance (DSA). DSA are grants awarded to disabled students to help them meet the extra cost of studying which they may face as a result of their disability.

The amount which you are awarded depends on what help you require. Examples of what the grant can be awarded for are:

• Specialist equipment you need for studying - for example, computer software.
• Non-medical helpers, such as a note-taker or reader.
• Any additional agreed travel costs.
• Other costs - for example, tapes or Braille paper.

To be eligible for the grant you must be doing a course full time which lasts at least one year or a part time course that lasts at least one year and does not take more than twice as long to complete as the equivalent full time course. There are also other criteria you must meet to be eligible but this all depends on personal circumstances.

To apply for this grant you must fill in a DSA1 form which can be downloaded from the direct.gov.uk website.

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Accessible travel and leisure

http://www.accessibletravel.co.uk/ is a very thorough and comprehensive website. It is a well designed website and is easy to navigate and find what you are looking for. You can search for holiday TYPE i.e. cruise or hotel, REQUIRMENTS i.e. nursing care, swimming pool hoist, interconnecting rooms etc. You can even search by flight time duration.

Their aim is to take care of ALL arrangements and special requirements for your accessible and disabled holidays - from door to door.

Their contact details are:
Telephone: 01452 729 739
Fax: 01452 729853
Email: info@accessibletravel.co.uk

Tourism for all in Spain

The website http://tourismforallinspain.blogspot.com allows you to search for accessible accommodation in many areas of Spain. It allows you to find accommodation that fully meets your requirements and also offers a lot of choice.

All the adapted hotels and establishments credited by Equalitas Vitae have bath adapted equipped with all technical assistance necessary for all kind of users (Grab rails, toilet bars, toilet rise and chair in the shower)

Holidays for all in the UK and abroad

http://holidaysforall.org/ is a website designed for people with sensory and physical impairments, their friends and families.

This website provides a list of reputable holiday companies. You can read about what they have to offer and match them to your care requirements.

If you would like more information on Holidays for All, or to receive there brochure in other formats, please call 08451 249973.

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Readers writes

From a service user in Pembrokshire

Direct Payments enable sporting success

Ben Hopkin is a directs payments recipient in Pembrokeshire. He says that he could not imagine what life would be like without direct payments because of what they have enabled him to do.

For sometime now Ben has been playing County Bowls and has been enjoying much success.

His Mother, Rita Hopkin says "He has found something for the first time is his life that he is on a level with his Peers, all be it from a wheelchair. He is enjoying his life and I as his Mom am so proud of him.

Direct Payments are enabling him to go on tours with this club, something I couldn't have done for him and the people adore him. It warms my heart to see him so happy and fulfilled and I hope it lasts for him. He does have a few problems at the moment and he is waiting to see someone at the hospital but we will face this together as we do. I just want him to enjoy it all and most of all to be happy".

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Reader Writes from a Service User in Warwickshire

I have been getting Direct Payments for three months.This has been a very positive experience for me so far, as I think it has also been for my ‘Personal Assistants'. I have not had any complaints from them to date, and they are perfectly happy with the arrangements we have.

Although I am now 76 years of age, it is only the past 8 years that I have known about D.P. when the Social Services Department called a few Service Users together to inform us and to ask their opinion about it. The Social Services then decided they were not having it in our County. So we did not hear any more about it for a few years.

Since that time, I have become much more active and involved in 'Disability Issues', where I learned all about DP, but I happily continued with my Homecare Package from the Social Services. I had two lovely ladies who helped me with personal care every morning for the past 10 years, and I did not want to lose them.

Social Services agreed to build a room and bedroom to my daughter's house for me, funded by a ‘Disabled Facilities Grant'. This was finished at the beginning of May, which is when I moved in and when I started my DP. The Rowan Organisation were willing to help me to find my PA's but I then had a lucky break. My Grandson had to go to a house to work and found a young lady that was looking for 16hrs work per week. At this time she was working for the Social Services Care Service. My Grandson informed her that I was looking for a carer who could work 16 hours for me. She rang me to check if this was correct. I invited her for an interview and we immediately jelled. She had worked for SS for 10 years. She was fully trained in First Aid, and Manual handling. She had a clean driving licence, was not fazed by the prospect of driving my van, and an extra bonus, She doesn't smoke.

Whilst I was receiving Homecare, my physical condition was getting worse. As I had to leave my two lovely carers and needed much more care than my morning Personal Care, I decided to try for DP. Not at all sure that I would get it, but I did with no trouble at all. I requested my half hour Personal Care every morning. Working out at three and a half hours, also sixteen hours a week for driving me to the various places I have to go to, including thirty minutes a week at hydrotherapy also to help me dress and undress for that. Help me to do my shopping. Walk my ‘Assistance Dog' which is a ‘Support Dog' Help me do my computing when my arms are particularly painful, which stops me doing it. And anything I need her to do.

Social Services informed ‘The Rowan Organisation' that I had been granted DP. Consequently a gentleman rang me the next day to request an appointment. When he arrived, we discovered that we had met before. This put me more at ease and relaxed and I didn't feel a fool about not understanding everything he told me. There is a lot to take in, but if you take it slowly step by step it becomes easier to remember how to do it, rather than trying to remember it all on the first day.

The Rowan agent gave me various papers to read. He gave me a list of the order that things would happen which helped me to cope with the next item on the list. I probably found the Income Tax returns the hardest part to understand.

The final person to join my team was the Payroll Clerk. She first wrote to introduce herself and to explain that she would be operating my salary service. That is to pay my PA's, to arrange that the Revenue & Customs are informed that I am now an employer. I must say an employer who gets a lot of assistance from a very professional, and helpful, and willing organisation.

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