” Stories Make a Difference.” – Dan’s Experience of Self-directed Support

Dan is a single parent who works full time and supports his teenage child who has physical disabilities and additional support needs.

In the recent past the family were being supported by a care provider, but they were unable to provide the complex care required or the flexibility that was needed for the young person.  Dan decided to pursue Self-directed Support in the hope that it would offer more choice and control to meet their care needs.

Dan required several Personal Assistants to support his child and was able to recruit some PA’s who knew his child well, as well as two new PA’s.  The recruitment, management, and organisation of the number of staff needed has been a challenge.

Personal care is provided at home twice a day and on alternate weekends to allow Dan to have a short break away from home and his caring role.  The break provides much needed support but impacts on Dan’s time for routine home maintenance or decoration which he finds frustrating.

Significant problems arose at the outset of moving over to Self-directed Support and Dan becoming an employer; very tight timescales moving care provision, setting up a bank account and paying Personal Assistants wages were all challenging and stressful. Without the support of the SDS Advisor and the local authority the families SDS journey would have ended before it begun.

Despite it all Dan’s advice to anyone wishing to pursue SDS would be to “give it a shot”. Dan was very apprehensive initially, but things are now in a routine and working well. Dundee Carers Centre have been very helpful in keeping in touch.