The Rowan Organisation provides information and support in all aspects relating to Direct Payments.

Most of our support services are available only in the counties where we have been contracted by the local authority to provide a Direct Payments support service. These are currently:

England

Dorset, Nottinghamshire County, Nottingham City, Solihull, Staffordshire, Warwickshire.

Wales

Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Pembrokeshire.

Please select from the following list of services that we can provide:

1. Local Direct Payments Support Service

2. Payroll Service

3. Information Service

4. Recruitment Line

5. Criminal Records Checking Service

6. Managed Account Service 

Local Direct Payments Support Service

In each of the above counties where we are contracted to provide this service, we have a team of Independent Living Advisers (ILAs) who are locally based and who are able to offer a range of information and support. In some counties, an ILA can visit you before you have an assessment for Direct Payments from your local council. In other areas, we may not be able to begin to provide local support until we have received a ‘referral' from your social worker.

The range of support our ILAs can provide includes;

1. A full explanation of Direct Payments, options and the process of getting started
2. Providing safeguarding advice
3. Assistance with recruiting a personal assistant or carer by, for example: 
   • Help with writing person specifications and job descriptions
   • Wording and placing adverts
   • Support with the interview process and techniques for interviewing
   • Support with drawing up contracts of employment
4. Employment legislation guidance and the responsibilities of being an employer
5. Assistance with the Direct Payments account, monitoring forms and returns
6. Supporting you if things change or you need help
7. Liaising with other Rowan staff who provide services e.g. Payroll Service, Information Service.

In some of the areas where we provide support, we have Account Support Workers (ASWs), who work alongside ILAs to help you manage your Direct Payment account. ASWs can support you with accounts, monitoring forms and returns. They can help you work out how much to pay your staff and calculate any changes relating to, for example, holiday entitlement, rates of pay etc. In those areas where Account Support Workers do not operate, our ILAs can support you in this way instead.

Once your Direct Payments are set up, the ILA's goal is to enable you to manage them without you needing ongoing support if possible. However, if you feel that you need support at any time while you are receiving Direct Payments, this can be provided, either by an ILA or through the Information Service.

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The Payroll Service

We have a fully trained, highly committed team of payroll support workers to help you pay your personal assistants. You will be allocated a dedicated, named worker who is based at our head office. You can contact the payroll service by phone, email, fax or minicom.

You can choose to pay your staff either weekly, fortnightly, four weekly or monthly.

We can:

• Provide you with timesheets to record the hours your PA works
• Register you as an employer with HM Revenue and Customs and deal with all correspondence from them if you require
• Calculate payments to your staff, including statutory payments when required
• Help you work out annual leave entitlement
• Complete all relevant paperwork
• Complete online end of year tax returns

The service is provided on a pay per payslip basis and the cost to you will depend upon what has been agreed in your local authority area.

We will discuss your specific requirements and draw up an individual agreement with you.

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The Information Service

The Rowan Organisation has a central Information Service, which is available to service users, members of the public, social workers, Rowan advisers, voluntary groups and other organisations. It has three main functions:

Support for queries and requests for information

We provide telephone and email support to people seeking information or advice on Direct Payments and associated issues, employing personal assistants and other disability-related queries.

We can provide information about Direct Payments to those who are thinking about receiving them or who are just starting out. We can advise you on the requirements of becoming an employer and managing your personal assistants.

We can provide you with support on a range of issue if you are already receiving Direct Payments, including matters relating to employment legislation. If we find that we are unable to help resolve the issue, we can arrange for a local adviser to visit you if required.

We have access to a wealth of information and will also research queries that we can't immediately answer. If we are unable to assist, we will signpost callers to the relevant person or organisation.

Provision of Accessible Information

We have a range of resources available on Direct Payments, including leaflets, factsheets, this website and our newsletter, "Directions". We strive to make our information accessible to all, and can provide much of our standard information in large print, plain text, pictures and words, braille, audio CD or cassette and in some different languages. We also have a DVD on Direct Payments which uses British Sign Language, subtitles and a voice over commentary. Please click here for a full list of information we currently provide.

Researching information and Development

Some of the issues that arise around Direct Payments and the associated legislation can be quite complex. One aim of the Information Service is to provide high quality, accessible information about such issues. In order to achieve this, we continually undertake research and develop information on Direct Payments and the relevant legislation. Part of our work also involves, for example, the development and maintenance of the sample contract of employment, various Guidelines and FAQs. We regularly provide information to our own ILAs and constantly strive to ensure that the advice we provide is accurate and of a high quality.

The Information Service is coordinated through an Information Service Manager, who is based at Head Office.

If you feel that we can help you with your query, please do get in touch by phone, E-Mail or via the Feedback Form on this site.

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Recruitment Line

The Rowan Organisation provides a free Recruitment Line to our service users. Once you have drawn up adverts and job descriptions and placed the adverts (with or without support from an ILA), you can access this service. If you are not currently or don't wish to receive support from an ILA you can still access the Recruitment Line. However, if you are unsure of certain wording or the legal content of you advert, you can contact the Rowans' Information Service on 0800 783 1755, who will try to assist.

The Recruitment Line will handle calls from interested parties and send out application packs to those who request them. The completed forms will then be sent back to the Recruitment Line to then forward on to you so that you can then decide who you would like to interview. This helps to save you time and to safeguard your privacy.

We have some standard forms that you can use, but much of the content of the Application Packs can be tailored to your specific requirements and you will always remain in charge of deciding who you want to employ.

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Criminal Records Checking Service

When you employ someone, it is important to check their suitability, especially if they are going to work with children. However, an individual who employs people using Direct Payments isn't legally entitled to ask applicants about any past or "spent" convictions. In order to find out whether the candidate is suitable, a Criminal Records Check can be done. This check looks at all criminal convictions and checks to make sure that the applicant isn't banned from working with anyone.

Most local authorities provide a CRB check for Direct Payments users who will be employing someone to work with children or vulnerable adults.

In those areas where your local Social Services is unable to provide this service, the Rowan Organisation can act as a vetting agency as it is registered as such with the Criminal Records Bureau. This means that we are able to carry out a CRB check on your behalf. In providing this service we are not legally empowered to discuss the details of any convictions with you, but we can provide a ‘yes or no answer' regarding the suitability of your candidate. There is a charge for this service, which can normally be paid for out of your Direct Payments.

Please contact your local authority for details on how to apply for a check or to find out whether you can use the Rowan Organisation to perform a CRB check on your behalf.

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Managed Account Service

In line with our philosophy, the Rowan Organisation provides support to enable service users to manage their direct payment packages independently. However, we recognise that this may be difficult for some people for a variety of reasons. The Rowan Organisation can offer a managed account to service users if they need this service.

Some people may choose to have managed account, not because of any difficulty but because this is how they wish to operate their Direct Payment. The Rowan Organisation can also offer a managed account in this circumstance.

The Rowan Organisation manages the finances whilst the service user remains in charge of the services they receive and the way in which their services are delivered.

Following discussion with the service user or the Local Authority, all agreed outgoings will be paid by the Rowan Organisation on behalf of the service user.

We have a separate bank account in the name of the Rowan Organisation for processing Direct Payments/ILF money. Although funds for all the service users on managed accounts are deposited into the same bank account, we maintain an accounting system that enables us to produce a statement of Receipts and Payments for each service user. A statement of account is provided to service users and/or the Local Authority as required.

Service Users who are in receipt of services from an Agency or Day Service can use a managed account to pay for their agency/day care. Managed Accounts can also be used by service users for making payments to their Personal Assistants, insurance company, the Inland Revenue etc.

Currently, some Local Authorities prefer to pay for the managed account separately on behalf of the service user whereas others have included the payment within the Direct Payment itself.

The cost for the service is available on request.

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