Hi Christine,
I work in a supported home for adults with learning disabilities. The way we were told Direct Payments work is that you need to be assessed by a social worker, then this goes before a panel the same way as if they were arranging care for you. When they have worked out what your needs are they come up with figure of the cost per year. If you then decide you want Direct payments. You can then spend the money on your care yourself. But you will need to keep accounts as they need proof of where the money is going. I think this you can do yourself or I think you can still get help from your social worker.
We were shown a DVD about a man with a young family who needed help getting up and down the stairs. He had a carer coming in to help him get up and dressed then into his car. But by the time he waited for this, the rest of the family were up and left for work or school. With Direct Payments he was able to buy a stair lift and get a ramp made from his front door, so not needing carers in the morning, and he was down stairs with the rest of the family when he wanted to be. That is just an example.
Dont know if this is any help
Doreen W
