Gateshead Guide to Direct Payments

Gateshead Council

Guide to Direct Payments www.gateshead.gov.uk

Care visits at home We care passionately

Bluebird Care Gateshead Care visits at home – We care passionately For many people the questions about care don’t arise until suddenly, there is a need.

Home care with Bluebird Care can be anything from a 30 minute care visit to 24 hours live in care, supporting you to remain as independent as possible, living the lifestyle you choose.

Call and talk to one of our friendly professionals about home care today: bluebirdcare.co.uk/gateshead

0191 432 4647

Guide to Direct Payments Welcome Gateshead Council wants to ensure that people who require care and support have the opportunity to have greater choice and control over how their needs are met by challenging traditional models of support; instead promoting person centred support focused on meaningful outcomes for the individual and their family.

This guide has been produced so individuals and families fully understand their rights and entitlements in relation to their Personal Budget, and what goods and services are available to help plan and deliver support, as well as making the best use of technology and community support to gain greater choice, control and independence.

Contents

Page

1. What does personalised support mean?.................................................... 4 2. What help can I get from Gateshead Council?............................................ 5 3. Your Care and Support Plan........................................................................ 6 4. Choosing to take a direct payment............................................................. 8 5. What support is available to help me manage my direct payment?....... 10 6. Additional support for direct payments................................................... 12 7. Frequently asked questions...................................................................... 13 8. Choosing Gateshead Council to continue to arrange your care.............. 14 9. Safeguarding and keeping you safe.......................................................... 18 10. Useful contacts........................................................................................... 20 11. Making a Complaint................................................................................... 21 12. Directory of Local Services / Advertisers................................................... 22

Gateshead Council

We hope you find this information useful. Whilst we have taken every care in compiling this booklet, the publishers and promoters cannot accept responsibility for any inaccuracies. The inclusion of any advertisement in no way endorses the services or products sold. Please do let us know if there is any information that you would like included, or anything we could do better.

Contact us on/at: Renrows Marketing Consultants Ltd (01253) 716400

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Guide to Direct Payments

1. What does personalised support mean?

Personalisation puts people and families at the centre of their care and support, ultimately providing them with greater choice and control as to how their needs are met.

Traditionally many people would have their support organised by a health or social care professional; delivery of that support tended to focus on what people can’t do rather than what they can. In addition, this approach has not always offered the flexibility some people need as well as get a good balance between what is important to and for the person.

Personalisation means that people can get their needs met in a variety of ways; through statutory services, the voluntary sector, mainstream services, personal relationships, peer support and community resources.

For those people who are eligible for support under the Care Act 2014, it is mandatory for the Council to offer individuals a personal budget; this is the amount of money the Council thinks is needed to meet a persons care and support needs. There are a number of ways people can use this budget to organise their care and support.

Gateshead Council

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2. What help can I get from Gateshead Council?

When you first contact Gateshead Council we will help you to look at all of the options that are available to you and may be able to provide information and advice about other organisations that can assist you. If you want support from the council, we will carry out an assessment to see if you are eligible for help from us. This is called a care assessment.

How we assess your needs – care assessment Your care assessment gives you (and the people who are important to you) the chance to tell us more about you and your life, your family and friends and what is Important to you. It is an opportunity to tell us about the type of support you already have and what additional help you might need to live independently.

If you need help to explain what the assessment means for you, the following can help: • an advocate or supporter; • a trustee or someone who holds a Power of Attorney.

You can write things down in your own words or we can write these things down for you.

When we understand your needs and the changes you want to make we can provide you with: • advice, information to meet your needs; • information about free services and other services that may have some costs attached; • information about which of your needs we can give money to support; • we will also explain what a personal budget is and how you access it.

You may have to pay or make a financial contribution to the care you receive.

Therefore, we will ask you to have a financial assessment to see how much you might have to pay.

What is a personal budget?

A personal budget is the amount of money that is available to be spent on your care following your care assessment. You can choose to have your personal budget as a payment so that you can arrange and buy the care and support you need yourself. This is called a direct payment.

Alternatively, you can let the council arrange your care and support for you or you can have a combination of both of these options. The outcome of your assessment is your Care and Support Plan.

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Guide to Direct Payments

3. Your Care and Support Plan We will help you put together a Care and Support Plan. This will outline the ways you will be able to meet your needs that are identified in your assessment and the outcomes that you want to achieve.

Your Care and Support Plan is personal to you and will help you to work out how you would like your personal budget to be spent to meet your needs.

You can make your own Care and Support Plan and you can call upon help from friends, relatives or an independent organisation. Your Care and Support Plan will need to be approved by the council.

Getting your Care and Support Plan approved Once your Care and Support Plan is completed we will: • check that your Care and Support Plan will meet your eligible needs, that it is affordable and within the law; • check that your Care and Support Plan makes best use of your personal budget and whether there might be more cost-effective ways of meeting your needs; • check that your Care and Support Plan helps you to remain healthy, safe and well.

After your Care and Support Plan is approved • We will write to you and send a copy of your approved Care and Support Plan for you to sign and return to your assessing worker; once received we can put in place any necessary support arrangements; • You will be contacted by members of our financial team who will visit you to complete a financial assessment; • If you choose to take a direct payment you will be asked to sign a contract with the council and may need to set up a separate bank account to hold your personal budget. When this is in place, regular payments will be made into the account by the council minus any contribution from yourself, which you have been assessed as able to pay.

Gateshead Council

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Reviewing your Care and Support Plan Your Care and Support Plan will be reviewed to make sure that it is working for you and your outcomes are being met. If your needs have changed, we will identify what is important to you as a result of those changes and what you want to change in your Care and Support Plan. We will ensure that your needs are still eligible for support.

Money from other sources You may be entitled to money from other sources as well as your direct payment. You can develop your Care and Support Plan against all of the money you are entitled to.

Other sources may include: • Disabled Facilities Grant – for adapting your home; • Integrated Community Equipment Services – for equipment you might need; • Access to Work – for adapting your workplace or helping disabled people find or remain in work; • Work Choice – to help you get into work; • Your own funds.

Advice if you fund your own support You may be identified as a selffunder if you are meeting the costs of your support without any help from the council. This can include support to live independently at home. If you can’t get financial help from us, there are other ways we can help you: •

We can provide you with a free assessment of your support needs, which will help you to decide what kind of support will best meet your needs. There are many other ways of meeting your needs that can help you to continue to live independently at home;

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Guide to Direct Payments

4. Choosing to take a direct payment If you decide to take a direct payment so that you can arrange and buy your own care and support, this will benefit you because: • direct payments are very flexible and adaptable which means that your needs can be met in a whole range of new and more effective ways which you are able to choose; • you are the expert on your needs and how to manage the support that will help you to live the way you want and improve the quality of your life; • it gives you more choice, control and independence through making the services you need more individual or personalised; • you will know how much money is available or being spent to support you.

What are direct payments?

A direct payment is social care money paid to you to help you to live in the way that you have identified in your agreed Care and Support Plan. Any money that we give you towards your direct payment is tax-free and does not affect your benefits or income.

What can I spend my direct payment on?

Your direct payment could be used to pay someone to support you, such as a support worker or personal assistant, or purchase support through a service provider of your choice. It can be used to facilitate other ways of meeting your needs such as joining a group in your local community or pooling money together in a group to fund activities that meet the needs outlined in your Care and Support Plan.

Gateshead Council

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What control does it give me?

You will have full control over how care is provided to meet your assessed needs.

There is a lot of flexibility built in, so you can choose which items to buy to suit your particular needs. But you must stick to the boundaries of your agreement and Care and Support Plan.

What will I be responsible for?

Direct payments give you control of the support you receive. However, you will also have the responsibilities that come with managing a budget and potentially becoming an employer.

Are direct payments right for me?

Direct payments will appeal to you if you want to arrange care for yourself and are confident in managing money and employing your own staff (with support from family, friends or the council’s appointed support provider). You should also choose this option if you want to be in control of choosing your own organisation, personal assistant or service provider.

What can’t my direct payment be used for?

Proscribed expenditure would include: • Services that should be funded by other statutory organisations eg the NHS; • Anything harmful, fraudulent or illegal; • Anything that is not outlined in your Care and Support Plan, that does not meet your assessed eligible needs; • Day-to-day household expenses.

What happens if I misuse my direct payment?

• You may have to pay the money back; • We might refuse to give you a direct payment in the future; • We may ask the police to investigate anything we consider to be fraudulent.

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Guide to Direct Payments

5. What support is available to help me manage my direct payment?

If you are unable to manage the day to day financial responsibilities of your direct payment, or if you prefer someone else to do this for you, there are different direct payment options available which are: • Representative direct payment (when you don’t have capacity to manage the direct payment yourself); • Nominated direct payment (when you wish to nominate someone to manage your direct payment on your behalf).

Representative direct payments A representative direct payment means that a suitable person will take on the responsibility of managing your direct payment money and will arrange your care and support services.

This is usually a willing close family member or friend. You will need a representative direct payment if your care assessment finds that you do not have the capacity to do this yourself. Your direct payment will be transferred into your representatives’ bank account.

Nominee direct payments Nominee direct payments mean that your direct payment is paid to a nominated person, or ‘nominee’. Your nominee could be a willing close family member or friend or even an organisation.

You will still be responsible for deciding how your care and support is delivered but your nominee will manage your money and make the arrangements for your service provision for you. Your direct payment will be transferred into your representative’s bank account.

What choice does it give me?

Your representative will organise everything for you, as long as the services chosen meet your assessed eligible needs. Your representative will have full control over how care is provided to meet your needs. There is a lot of flexibility but they must stick to the boundaries of your agreement and Care and Support Plan.

Your nominee will organise everything for you, but, this must be your choice, and the services you receive must meet your assessed eligible needs. Your nominee will have full control over payment for your care. However, you have control of how your assessed needs are met and you should provide direction and guidance to your nominee. There is a lot of flexibility but you must stick to the boundaries of your agreement and Care and Support Plan.

Gateshead Council

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A suitable person can be: • a willing friend, carer or family member; • an independent support broker.

For representative direct payment it may also be: • a deputy appointed by the Court of Protection. This deputy may be a willing friend, carer or family member; • an attorney with health and welfare or finance decision-making powers created by a lasting power of attorney.

What will I be responsible for?

With a representative direct payment your representative will be responsible for your support and will need to manage your budget. If they choose to employ a personal assistant for you or arrange a contract with a service provider, they will also need to take on the responsibilities that come with employing staff.

With a nominee direct payment, your nominee will take on the day to day management of your direct payments and how it is spent, however you still have overall responsibility for making sure the direct payment is spent in the agreed way.

If you choose to employ a personal assistant (with a nominee direct payment) you will also have responsibility under employment law. You will also need to sign your contract and make sure you and your nominee stick to its terms.

Are representative or nominee payments right for me?

You should choose representative payments if you need care for yourself but do not have the capacity to manage that care. You will need a willing suitable person who you can trust to represent you.

You should choose nominee direct payments if you need care for yourself but would prefer someone else to manage that care. You will need a nominee who you can trust to represent you.

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Guide to Direct Payments

6. Additional support for direct payments Independent advocacy You may have particular views about your direct payment that you would like to talk about. An independent advocate can support you in speaking up for yourself, making decisions about your direct payments, and telling the people who matter about what you want from social care.

You can find out more by speaking to Adult Social Care Direct or through Our Gateshead website.

Peer mentors in Gateshead You can also get valuable advice from people in Gateshead who have experience of setting up direct payments.

There are a number of peer mentors who can talk to you about how they arranged their own care and support.

Again, You can find out more by speaking to Adult Social Care Direct or through Our Gateshead website.

Help for carers Carers may be able to have a personal budget of their own, paid as a direct payment. The starting point is to get a carer’s assessment.

If you are caring for someone on a ‘regular and substantial’ basis, you have the right in law to ask social services to carry out this type of assessment. A carer’s assessment should result from a full discussion of your own needs as far as education, training and work are concerned as well as any health problems or other commitments that you have.

You should be told the outcome of the assessment and, if you are offered services, you should have the option of choosing between services arranged directly for you or receiving a direct payment to purchase your own services.

Gateshead Council

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7. Frequently asked questions If you want to take a personal budget as a direct payment and employ your own staff and other organisations to support you, we know you will have many questions about managing your budget to meet your eligible needs. To help you with this we have produced information about applicants frequently asked questions. Your assessing officer or reviewer will be happy to send this information to you as a simple document or you can view it online.

Q – If I start direct payments and I find I can’t manage to continue, can I stop?

A – Yes, it is possible to stop your direct payments. Gateshead Adult Social Care will then manage your personal budget and arrange services as required.

Q – How much money will I receive?

A – This depends upon the cost of the services required from your agreed Care and Support Plan and your own financial circumstances. We will assess what you are able to pay, so if your services, for example, cost £100 a week and you are assessed as being able to pay £30 a week then the amount of money the council will pay as your direct payment will be £70 a week. This does not apply to self-funders who will pay the full cost of their care themselves.

Q – How can I find out more?

A – Speak with your social care worker and see the care and health section of Gateshead Council’s website, www. gateshead.gov.uk.

Q – What if I have difficulty making decisions for myself?

A – Your assessment will look at whether you are able to make decisions yourself, or if someone else needs to make some decisions on your behalf. This person could be a family member, a friend or someone involved in your care. We work within the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to make sure that these decisions will be in your best interest and contribute towards your quality of life.

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Guide to Direct Payments

8. Choosing Gateshead Council to continue to arrange your care Commissioned services You can apply to Gateshead Council to arrange your care and support through a contract that they have with an independent care provider.

What choice does it give me?

You will still have choice about how your needs are met in the Care and Support Plan.

However, you will not be able to choose your service provider as this will be limited to a menu of providers held by the council. The council works to make these arrangements as flexible as possible.

What will I be responsible for?

You will be responsible for helping with your Care and Support Plan. You will not need to worry about managing money, contracting or employing people.

Who might choose this option?

This may be suitable for you if you want some choice about how your services are delivered, but do not want responsibility for contracting or employing agencies or staff. It could also be an option for you if you have fluctuating abilities and may not always have the capacity to manage on a day-to-day basis.

Gateshead Council

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Mixed package You can choose a mixed package of commissioned services and a direct payment for different parts of your care and support.

What choice does it give me?

You have choice about what parts of your care and support could be purchased through commissioned services but can take some of your personal budget as direct payment to buy other parts yourself.

What control does it give me?

It gives you a range of choice and control in the delivery of your services. For example, you might want the council to arrange for an organisation to provide your home care but you might want to take a direct payment to buy another part of your support yourself.

What will I be responsible for?

You will have more control but you’ll also have responsibilities for managing the budget for the parts which you choose as a direct payment.

Who might choose this option?

This may be suitable for you if you want some control but do not want all of your services to be arranged in this way.

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Guide to Direct Payments

R

osewood House is a beautiful, modern build, which opened in the spring of 2010 and we’re located in the heart of Gateshead.

Our 82 bedded care home provides a fantastic and uncompromising level of care for all our residents with an emphasis in community and comfort. Our 24 hour Residential, Dementia and General nursing care leaves you assured that we’re here to look after your loved one at all times, making sure their needs are met.

We try to be an Eco friendly company and have implemented carbon footprint reducing solutions such as rainwater harvesting, recycling and solar powered heating.

Rosewood House prides itself on maintaining a high standard in all aspects of care.

Rosewood People Here at Rosewood House we have a genuine love of delivering a consistently wonderful service level and aim to keep this. Our friendly staff are fully trained on the premises in our in house training suite, to ensure your loved ones receive the utmost excellent care they need.

We want our staff and residents to have a good, strong relationship so we encourage nurses and carers to communicate with the residents from the get go.

We offer skilled care to enable people who live here to achieve their optimum state of health and wellbeing. We recognise the need for rights, respect, dignity and choice of each individual.

We have a very experienced local team of nurses who are able to provide more complex nursing care needs. These nurses are never too far away and you can rest assured that they will do everything they can to help your loved one.

Rosewood House aims to uphold and respect an individual’s privacy and dignity at all times, if this is not maintained we would like to know about it, we have systems in place to rectify any concerns or issues you may come across.

The home has visiting podiatrist, dentist, opticians and a weekly ward round by our local G.P. surgery. We believe this adds a much needed level of care that isn’t easily found.

Types of Care at Rosewood House General Nursing Care Our general nursing staff is here you help your loved one. They perform tasks such as assisting residents with bathing and dressing, providing doctor-ordered medicine and treatments, collecting fluid samples, and overseeing the general well-being of your loved one.

Residential Care Our residential carers provide a safe, warm and friendly environment with support for daily tasks such as washing, cleaning and laundry.

In our home, we work to create a welcoming atmosphere in which residents enjoy activities, go on outings and make friends with other residents. However, we recognise that residents have very individual requirements and our care home provides a range of care services to help meet these needs.

Dementia Care We provide specialist dementia care at Rosewood House. We have a great understanding of dementia patients and with this knowledge we’re capable of effectively caring for sufferers. We know specific challenges that people with dementia face and train our staff so that they can provide professional and compassionate care and support to both residents and their families.

We know that not all dementia patients are the same so we work to understand how they’re affected and build our care upon that.

For more information please contact us:

7 Kyle Road, Bensham, Gateshead NE8 2YE Telephone 0191 460 6000 www.rosewoodcare.co.uk

info@rosewoodcare.co.uk

9. Safeguarding and keeping you safe Gateshead’s Safeguarding Adults team provides support and advice to any adult at risk to enable them to live their lives free from abuse and neglect, and to receive the appropriate care and protection to live safely and without fear. Keeping you safe is very important to us, therefore your Care and Support Plan needs to show how you will keep yourself safe from abuse, harm or exploitation. Abuse could be: • physical • verbal • emotional • financial • sexual • neglect Abuse or neglect can happen anywhere, including within a person’s own home.

Anyone can neglect or abuse.

What is an adult at risk?

An adult at risk is someone who is aged 18 years or over and who is or may be unable to take care of themselves without support from other people or services.

What will we do to help?

We will take steps to ensure the immediate safety of the person and anyone else who may be affected. We will talk to the person or a suitable representative on their behalf, to find out what is happening and work together to plan what we can do to help keep them safe and as independent as possible.

Where necessary we will investigate allegations of abuse with our partner agencies, and take appropriate actions.

We will always do what we can to prevent abuse happening again. We will keep everyone involved informed of the outcome and provide support where needed.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) If you are planning to recruit a personal assistant to provide your care and support, you are strongly advised to carry out a check with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

The DBS provides criminal records checking and barring functions to help employers make safe recruitment decisions.

These checks are carried out on your behalf by the organisations who are commissioned by the council to help you manage your direct payment.

Your assessor or reviewer will be happy to talk to you about this. If you are worried about abuse you can contact Adult Social Care Direct on 0191 433 7033. You can also ask an advocacy services to support you in this.

Gateshead Council

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Hate crime is wrong – help us stop it Hate crime happens because someone dislikes another person simply on the grounds that they are different. People may get targeted because of their: • Disability; • Gender identity (transphobic); • Race or ethnicity (racist); • Religion or belief; • Sexual orientation (homophobic); • Another group they are part of; Or because of more than one of these.

If hate crime happens to you, tell someone.

You can make a report: • Without giving your name; • When something has happened to you; • About something you have witnessed.

We can help by: • Referring you to an agency that can support you; • Taking action against the perpetrator; • Believing you and taking you seriously.

Report Hate Crime 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 0191 433 2648 Or contact the Police

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Guide to Direct Payments

10. Useful contacts Adult Social Care Direct Call 0191 433 7033 Arbitration, Conciliation and Advice Service (ACAS) Call 08457 474 747 Web www.acas.org.uk Minicom 08456 061600 British Insurance Brokers’ Association Call 0870 950 1790 Web www.biba.org.uk Business Link Call 0845 600 9006 Textphone 0845 6006 2666

Web

www.businesslink.gov.uk

Care Quality Commission (CQC) The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care services in England.They make sure that the care provided by hospitals, dentists, ambulances, care homes and home-care agencies meets government standards of quality and safety.They also protect the interests of vulnerable people, including those whose rights are restricted under the Mental Health Act. How to contact the CQC Call 03000 616161 Web www.cqc.org.uk Email enquiries@cqc.org.uk Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Call 0870 909 0811 Web www.gov.uk (general enquiry line) Minicom 0870 909 0344 Government information site Web www.directgov.uk Health and Safety Executive Call 0845 345 0055 HMRC/Inland Revenue Call 0845 607 0143 (new employers’ helpline) Textphone 0845 602 1380 Web www.hmrc.gov.uk National Centre for Independent Living Web www.ncil.org.uk Picking your Pathways Call 01246 541 673 Web www.pickingyourpathways.org.uk Skills for Care Call 0113 245 1716 Web www.skillsforcare.org.uk

Gateshead Council

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11. Making a Complaint If you have a complaint about: • the care provided for you through a private home care agency – you should take the matter up with the agency; • the carers you employ yourself – you should speak to them and try to resolve the issue; • the amount of money you are given to arrange your care – you should speak to the person who carried out your assessment if you think this does not reflect your needs.

If you wish to make a complaint about any issues you have with Gateshead Council you should write to us at: Have Your Say Gateshead Council Civic Centre Regent Street Gateshead NE81HH Email: haveyoursay@gateshead.gov.uk Phone: 0191 433 3000

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Guide to Direct Payments

Directory of Local Services These pages contain details of companies and organisations whose services you may find relevant and helpful.

Gateshead Council would like to thank all the various advertisers for their participation in this guide.

However, these companies should not be seen as being either recommended or endorsed by Gateshead Council.

Page

Care Home/Nursing Home........................................................................ 16 & 17 Charities..................................................................................................21, 29, 31 Home Care, Home Support & Respite Care................................ 2, 23, 24, 26, 30 Learning Disabilities.......................................................................................... 29 Live In Care ....................................................................................................... 25 Physiotherapy................................................................................................... 28 Taxi/Transport Service...................................................................................... 32

Directory of Advertisers

Page

2 Way Tenancy Solutions.................................................................................. 30 Age UK................................................................................................................ 27 Alzheimers Society............................................................................................ 31 Aventurine Cleaning.......................................................................................... 30 Bluebird Care Gateshead.................................................................................... 2 Care & Protect UK Ltd........................................................................................ 24 Carers Trust Tyne & Wear Crossroads Carer Services...................................... 26 Dean Taxis.......................................................................................................... 32 Northeast Disabilities Resource Centre........................................................... 29 Official Care Ltd................................................................................................. 23 Physio for All...................................................................................................... 28 Rosewood House......................................................................................... 16-17 Sight Service...................................................................................................... 29 Signature Care Group........................................................................................ 25

Gateshead Council

We hope you have found this information useful. Whilst we have taken every care in compiling this booklet, the publishers and promoters cannot accept responsibility for any inaccuracies. The inclusion of any advertisement in no way endorses the services or products sold. Please do let us know if there is any information that you would like included, or anything we could do better.

Contact us on/at: Renrows Marketing Consultants Ltd (01253) 716400

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LIVE IN CARE MADE EASY

Be happier by continuing to live in the comfort of your own home with a live-in carer.

This is a genuine affordable alternative to living in a residential care home.

Call us for a no-obligation consultation. A member of our team will come to see you and your loved one.

Official Care Ltd Hypoint - Office 108 Gear House, Saltmeadows Road, Gateshead, NE8 3AH

Phone: 01604600759 Email: contact@officialcare.co.uk www.officialcare.co.uk

www.careandprotect.co.uk 0191 375 5715

Care & Protect UK Ltd., The Hurley Suite, 7-8 Delta Bank Road, Riverside, Gateshead NE11 9DJ Telephone: 0191 375 5715 www.careandprotect.org.uk Email: info@careandprotect.org.uk We are an independent care provider with highly qualified staff with many years of experience.

We aim to provide a caring, effective and bespoke service which first and foremost is safe. We put our clients at the heart of what we do to ensure their dignity is maintained, while enabling them to remain as independent as possible.

Domiciliary Care We provide care to people who still live in their own homes but who require additional support with household tasks, personal care or any other activity that allows them to maintain their independence and quality of life.

Anyone, at any stage of life, could require domiciliary care, including people with learning disabilities, mental health problems, sensory impairment or physical disabilities.

All people are different, just as peoples needs vary according to their situation. We will help people to maintain their quality of life and independence regardless of the potential barriers they face.

Live in Care This is when staff stay with you in your own home and allows you, or your loved one, to stay at home in familiar and relaxed surroundings with a bespoke level of one to one support.

Whether its helping with personal care, keeping on top of chores or moving around the house, many of our carers become a rock to their clients, enabling them to live the way they want to, every day.

Befriending Service This will provide friendly conversation and companionship on a regular basis.

This provides you with a link to the outside world and often acts as a gateway for other services and valuable support. Befriending provides companionship for isolated people, the chance to develop a new relationship and opportunities to participate in social activities.

How We Work We aim to be the provider of choice for home care and strive to deliver excellent care at every contact.

At the centre of our business stands a core element: trust. Building trust takes time but as health advocates with years of experience, we have developed strong links with local GPs and nurses. This will only improve our ability to provide seamless care to our clients.

Care & Protect UK Ltd. will provide a service through a trained team of staff. You may not have the same staff visiting your home at all times but we will ensure you are happy and comfortable at all times.

Hospital to Home Personal Care Emotional Support and Companionship Household Duties/Cleaning/Shopping etc.

Community Access Medication Elderly Dementia Neurological Conditions Physical Disability Personal Healthcare Budgets Private Clients Clinical Care Spinal Injury Nurse Led Packages for more complex Service Users

Care with Confidence

www.signaturecaregroup.co.uk Regus House, 4 Admiral Way, Sunderland SR3 3XW

TELEPHONE 0191 501 8662

We believe that carers need time for themselves but they need to know that their loved one is still being looked after with kindness and dignity.

We’re a trusted local charity that has supported carers in Gateshead for over 25 years. Our staff are highly trained, passionate and understand the vital role that family carers play. Get in touch to discuss your needs, no matter how big or small.

Carers Trust Tyne & Wear Crossroads Carer Services How we help: • Replacement care • Take out services

( 01207 549780 * info@carerstrusttw.org.uk : www.carerstrusttw.org.uk

• Domestic Support • Laundry

• Meal Preparation • Overnight Care

Carers Trust Tyne and Wear Carers Trust TW

Gateshead Crossroads Caring for Carers Charity No. 1059917 (England and Wales) working as Carers Trust Tyne & Wear Crossroads Carer Services.

Adult Social Care Direct

Helping you . . .

Gateshead Council

Advice and support about care services in Gateshead Information about other organisations and services that can help Advice on personal budgets and direct payments Reporting abuse, neglect or adults at risk For all your adult social care needs

Call: 0191 433 7033

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Call / Text: 07901 617 624 E-mail: info@physioforall.co.uk Visit: physioforall.co.uk

DISCOUNT: £5 off your first appointment when quoting “Physio For All”.

When you first develop problems with your sight, or if your remaining sight deteriorates, you may feel like you won’t be able to do the things you used to take for granted. Getting the right help at the right time is essential for you to get on with your life.

Sight Service is a local charity based in the North East of England, who support people with a visual impairment in Gateshead and South Tyneside. We aim to enable people with sight loss to enjoy the independence and quality of life others may take for granted.

Our services are available to anyone living with sight loss, we provide; • • • • • •

Rehabilitation to support independence A bespoke client-led assessment and an individual support plan detailing services that may help Peer support and mentoring Information and support to friends and families of people with sight loss Advice to fellow health and social care professionals Welfare advice

To promote greater public awareness of sight loss and achieve more accessible public services for people with a visual impairment we provide Sighted Guide and Visual Impairment Awareness Training.

Tel: 0191 478 5959 Email: contactus@sightservice.co.uk www.sight-service.co.uk Sight Service, The Bradbury Centre for Sight, Unit 2B, Stonehills Business Centre, Gateshead NE10 0HW

At Aventurine our ethos is to help you reach your full potential, it is our belief that everybody has the ability to live a happy fulfilled life. Through supported structured work experience placements we enable you to gain new skills and a sense of pride in yourself.

There are additional training sessions and workshops tailored to you personally which aim to help you explore your needs and develop your personal skills and attributes.

Coming to us for this unique person centred program will give you the chance to learn new skills, engage in your local community, gain a new-found independence, increase your confidence and improve your interpersonal skills.

Each program is bespoke and begins with an initial consultation where your personal job coach will take details of your hopes and aspirations, this document will eventually become your vocational profile and help us to place you in the right work environment.

There is the potential for your program to include: • • • • • •

Travel Training Managing your finances Social Media Enterprise Supported Internships Mental and Physical Wellbeing

• • • • • •

Independent Living Workshops Healthy Eating • Horticulture Staying Active • Performing Arts Social Events • Qualifications CV Writing Volunteering Roles/ Paid Employment

The program is run by a team including a qualified teacher and experienced job coaches, all staff are DBS cleared.

Please speak to Corrina Mulholland for further information.

511 Durham Road, Gateshead, NE9 5EY

Telephone 0191 4400075 / 07912 377228

2 Way Tenancy Solutions CIC is a community interest company based in the North East.

We work with residents or individuals who are struggling to engage with services, be it housing, health or other support providers.

We provide support for issues such as rent and bills payments, tenancy maintenance, managing your home, benefits problems, health, budgeting and money management.

Our service is provided on a one to one basis in your own home. You decide which support you would like and how its delivered.

To find out more, please contact us on: Sihle Mapanda Telephone: 0755 751 4078 0191 490 9407 Email Address: advice@2waytenancy.co.uk Address: 2 Way Tenancy Solutions, CIC, Greenesfield Business Centre, Mulgrave Terrace, Gateshead NE8 1PQ www.2waytenancy.co.uk @2waytenancy

Help someone with dementia to keep on doing the things they love Side by Side is our fun, friendly, super-flexible volunteering opportunity for someone like you to empower someone with dementia.

Sign up for Side by Side today: alzheimers.org.uk/sidebysidevolunteer volunteers@alzheimers.org.uk 0330 333 0804

Alzheimer’s Society operates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Registered charity number 296645.

‘Side by Side has made a huge difference to his attitude; it’s helping to increase his confidence and he has regained some of his independence.’

Side by Side volunteer