Looking after someone

You can receive your Direct Payment funds in different ways.

Direct Payment Online Account (DPOA)

This is a simple way for the Council to pay you the Direct Payment you receive to meet your care needs. The online account provides a safe way to handle funds, and in an emergency, funds can be added almost instantly. Oxfordshire County Council will set up the account for you and you will be issued with a payments card that you can use to purchase your care.

Self-Managed Account

Your Direct Payment will be paid into a dedicated bank account which must only be used to pay bills relating to your care and support. This account can be a standard current account with online banking facilities and a debit card. You or your representative can access this account. If a nominated person manages your funds, they can open a bank account in their name. You, or the person representing you, will need to account for every payment made and send bank statements to show how you have spent the money.

Managed Account Service

An organisation can hold your Direct Payment for you and pay care bills on your behalf.

Considering a Direct Payment?

If you would like to find out more about Direct Payments or to discuss which option might be best for you, please contact our Direct Payments Team on 01865 898989 and speak to one of our Advisors, or email the team at Directpaymentadvice@

oxfordshire.gov.uk

Oxfordshire County Council’s Approved Provider List

The Approved Provider List includes Providers offering support specific to Managed Accounts, Payroll and Recruitment Support for you to purchase to help you to meet your support needs; the cost of which will be included in your agreed personal budget amount.

You can access the Approved Provider List at www. oxfordshire.gov.uk/direct-payments-approved-list

Caring will touch us all at some point in our lives. At any one time in Oxfordshire, over 60,000 people are providing unpaid care for a family member, friend or neighbour. As a carer, you can face new challenges, so it is very important that you take time to look after yourself while you are caring for someone else.

You may not see yourself as a ‘carer’ – you see yourself as a son, daughter, partner, friend or neighbour. But if you regularly support and care for someone who could not manage without you then you are a carer and there is help available to support you to carry on with this vital work and consider your own wellbeing.

If you provide unpaid support to someone who could not manage without your help, the law says you have the right to have your own needs assessed, even if the person you care for has refused support services or an assessment of their own needs. you the chance to say what you need as a carer, and to find out what support might be available to help you to continue in your caring role while still being able to pursue your own interests or lifestyle. Your physical and emotional wellbeing and quality of life are at the heart of the assessment.

Your Carers’ Assessment will result in a personalised support plan that considers your own needs and will give you information about services available, and other ideas for supporting you in your caring role. You can also talk to a specialist carer support worker. See page 16.

Respite is alternative care or support for a ‘cared-for’ person so the carer can have a break from caring.

It can range from a break of a few hours during the day so that the carer can go out, to a longer break of a week or more. A respite service may be provided in the home, for example a care worker comes in to look after the cared-for person, or in another place Respite is considered to be a service for the person being cared for. If they have a Personal Budget for their own needs (see page 14), they could use that money to pay for it. A financial assessment of the person being cared for will confirm whether they need to pay towards the cost of this service.

Carers Oxfordshire

Carers Oxfordshire is a free service providing information, advice and support to unpaid carers of adults in Oxfordshire.

How Carers Oxfordshire can help:

• they provide a Carers Line for telephone support, and a website to access information and advice;

• they have expert staff to support carers in the community; • they support groups for carers who would like to be with others that have similar life experiences; • they work in partnership to provide carers with bespoke courses around practical skills and creative wellbeing; and • they actively strive to give carers a voice to influence health and social care policy.

Call 01235 424715, email carersinfo@carersoxfordshire.org.uk or visit www.carersoxfordshire.org.uk

Young carers

A young carer is someone under the age of 18 who may be physically or emotionally caring for someone in their family because of an illness or disability, including mental health issues like depression and addiction.

Being a young carer can have a positive impact on some children, for example, they may acquire new skills, or be safely independent. However, being a young carer may also have a negative impact on a child and for some children, providing care to another person can cause them to have support needs, or put their health, development, or education at risk.

If you have concerns about a young carer, contact the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 0345 050 7666.

Carers’ benefits

Carer’s Allowance

If you care for someone for at least 35 hours a week and you are over 16, you may be entitled to Carer’s Allowance. However, you cannot claim it if you are in full-time education or employment and it can affect other benefits or pension you receive.

Carer Premium

If you are over 65 and you claim Carer’s Allowance, you may be able to get extra money added to your existing benefits or credits. This is called Carer Premium.

Carer’s Credit

Carer’s Credit is a National Insurance credit which will let carers build up qualifying years for the basic State Pension and additional State Pension.

This means that there will be no gaps in your National Insurance record if you have to take on caring responsibilities.

See www.gov.uk for more information about benefits.