FAQ’s

What should I do if I want to receive Direct Payments?

Speak to your care manager or social worker and tell them that you would like to receive Direct Payments. Alternatively you can contact Community Access Group using the 'Contact Us' option at the top of this page

I have a question which is not listed above. What do I do?

Please contact Community Access Group using the 'Contact Us' option at the top of this page so that we can answer your query

What happens if I decide I no longer want to receive Direct Payments?

If Direct Payments are not something you want to continue receiving, a staff member from the Local Authority will discuss with how you'd like to receive or arrange your services in the future.

How do I let you know if I’m happy or unhappy with Community Access Group’s service?

Community Access Group welcomes feedback on its services so that know what we do well and/or how we can improve. More information about how to give feedback, including contact details, can be found on the 'Involvement' page within the 'Our Services' main menu.

What if my needs change?

If you receive Direct Payments, your care and support needs will be reviewed from time to time (at least once a year) in exactly the way as they would if Social Services were directly providing or arranging services for you.

If you receive Direct Payments, your care and support needs will be reviewed from time to time (at least once a year) in exactly the way as they would if Social Services were directly providing or arranging services for you.

Click here to go to the top of this page. What if I need help with my Direct Payments?

Some people find that they can manage Direct Payments on their own. However, others may find aspects of Direct Payments unfamiliar or harder to understand. Support Services, such as that provided by Community Access Group's Direct Payments and Payroll Teams, can provide as much or as little support as each

individual wants, for example whether you need help filling out the paperwork, setting up a bank account, sitting in at interviews or managing money, or help with being an employer or choosing staff.

Find out more about Community Access Group's Direct Payments services here.

The contact details for our Direct Payments Services are listed within the sections for the Dorset, Hampshire and Leicester Direct Payments Services which can be found on the menu on the left.

Community Access Group's Head Office details can be found via the 'Contact Us' option at the top of this page.

What do I do if staff I employ do not turn up to work?

It is recommended you make an emergency plan to cover this event as soon as you become an employer. You may list the phone number of a friend, or family member, who can assist you at very short notice, or a local care staff agency. It is also recommended for some people to have a Lifeline Pendant. If you still cannot find help, and urgently require assistance, you need to contact your Local Authority's Social Services (or similar) department.

If I use Direct Payments to employ staff, do I pay them for sick leave and holidays?

Yes. You will need to make sure you keep enough money in your Direct Payments bank account to cover the extra cost of paying for your support needs as well paying the wages of someone on holiday or on sick pay.

What if I don’t like the staff I have employed?

If you use a probationary period both you and the employee will have some time to find out if the job is working out.

You should put the employees terms and conditions of employment in writing within two months of them starting work for you. The information should be clear and must contain such items as:

  • Date employment commenced
  • Employment status e.g. Part time
  • The employee's job title
  • Rate of pay
  • How the person is to be paid
  • Hours of work
  • Holiday entitlement
  • Sick Pay entitlement
  • Notice periods

Community Access Group's Direct Payments Teams can help with writing this document and will be able to give you an example Contract of Employment that you can adapt.

How do I recruit staff?

Recruiting staff generally involves 5 processes:

  • i. Developing a job description and person specification - i.e. the main duties and responsibilities of the job and the skills, experience and knowledge required by someone to carry out the work needed.
  • ii. Advertising the job
  • iii. Interview the candidates
  • iv. Decide on the successful candidate. Community Access Group would advise you make a Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) check.
  • v. Appoint your staff and agree terms and conditions of employment.

Organisations, such as Community Access Group, who are registered with the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) can carry out a criminal records check (CRB check) on a person who are considering employing.

Community Access Group can then tell you if the person is someone who it is suitable to employ. You can see the result of the CRB check itself if the potential employee gives their permission

Community Access Group can then tell you if the person is someone who it is suitable to employ. You can see the result of the CRB check itself if the potential employee gives their permission

Community Access Group strongly advises you to have these checks carried out and not to employ any person who refuses to agree to the checks being made.

You will know you have chosen the right person if they are reliable and respectful, do the job you have employed them for properly and you feel comfortable with them.

You may wish to consider making the first 12 weeks of employment as a probationary period. During this time you will be able to decide if the employee can do the job. You may also be able to find out if they require any training. If at the end of the 12 weeks you don't feel they are right for the job, you can ask them to leave.

Can staff I employ be self-employed?

In theory, yes, but this is not recommended. If an individual is self-employed, you do not have the same employer rights. For instance, if a person is a paid employee, you can insist they attend certain types of training, such as how to use a hoist. As a self-employed person, you do not have the same level of control.

Do I need insurance?

It is recommended you purchase Employers Liability Insurance if you choose to use your Direct Payments to employ your own staff. This will mean if a member of your staff are injured or injure someone else whilst they are working for you, you should be covered for the costs.

What are my main responsibilities as an employer?

Thinking about all of this and becoming an employer can feel a bit overwhelming and there are bits of law and legislation that you will need to comply with.

As care plans can vary from individual to individual, you will have different responsibilities depending on how many hours assistance you require and the kind of support you need. You will also have different responsibilities depending on whether you employ your own staff, use self employed workers or use an agency.

In general, responsibilities of an employer are:

  • Payment of wages
  • Tax and National Insurance
  • Data protection - This means you must keep personal information about your employees safely and securely
  • Health & Safety - As an employer, you will have a common law duty of care for your staff. What this means is, you, as an employer, will be responsible for your staffs' health and safety while they are at work.
  • Treat your employees fairly

You may choose to use a Payroll Support Service, such as Community Access Group's to help you manage the administration of your payroll.

Please click here to find out more about Community Access Group's Payroll Support Service.

Are there any restrictions on who I can employ using Direct Payments?

However, Local Authorities may agree that you can employ such a person in exceptional circumstances - namely where they are satisfied that securing the service from such a person is necessary to meet satisfactorily the individual's need for that service

What records do I need to keep?

You will need to open a separate bank account for your Direct Payments and you will need to keep a record of any money you spend on Direct Payments. This will include:

  • Copies of pay slips
  • Bank statements
  • Receipts paid for other items related to Direct Payments
  • Tax returns

Local Authorities will require a 'financial return' from you during the year. This means you will need to tell your Local Authority how much money you have received, how much you have spent and therefore, how much you have in your Direct Payments bank account.

Will I need a bank account?

Yes. It is highly recommended you open a bank account just for Direct Payments. This will help you to know exactly how much money is available to you for paying your staff and other costs.

Who will be responsible for the money I receive?

You or a trustee will be responsible for the money you receive. This money can only be spent on the support needs agreed in your care plan and any associated costs, such as purchasing Employers Liability Insurance.

What about start up costs?

When starting on direct payments you will be given an initial payment to cover such things as the cost of advertising for personal assistants and payment of Employers Liability Insurance for the first year. The amount of this payment will depend on your particular circumstances and whether or not you decide to employ someone using you Direct Payment.

Are Direct Payments taxable and will they affect my benefits?

No. Direct Payments are provided specifically for the purpose of arranging social care services, which would otherwise be provided or arranged by Social Services. As such they are not treated as income for tax purposes and they do not affect your benefits.

Is Direct Payments means-tested?

Yes. If you choose to receive Direct Payments instead of services, you will be charged the same as you would be for equivalent services if provided or arranged by Social Services. The amount of this charge will be taken out of the Direct Payment you receive, so you will need to pay the amount of your charge into the Direct Payments account so that there will be enough there to pay for the services you need.

Social Services (or Local Authority-equivalent) will calculate whether you will be required to make a financial contribution towards your support service, and if so, how much.

How much money will I get?

The money people receive as Direct Payments can vary from individual to individual as it is dependent on the level and type of support a person needs.

The money people receive as Direct Payments can vary from individual to individual as it is dependent on the level and type of support a person needs.

How does the service work?

Before a direct payment is arranged, a social worker or care manager will talk to you about how many hours support you will receive. Once this has been agreed, it will be set out in your Support Plan. You will be sent an offer letter based on this information. This letter will explain to you how much money you will get for each hour of support you need. You will be asked to sign an agreement with the Local Authority. The agreement will explain what you can expect of the Local Authority and what the Local Authority will expect of you.

You will need to open a separate bank account for your Direct Payments, into which the money will be paid on a monthly basis in advance.

How do I know if I’m eligible for Direct Payments?

Local Authorities will need to find out some information about you to assess whether you are eligible for Direct Payments. Local Authorities may have different ways of doing this. You will need to contact your Local Authority to find out how to be assessed and whether you're eligible for Direct Payments.

Is Direct Payments the same as other benefits?

No - Direct Payments are not a benefit. Direct payments are made by a Local Authority to an individual to purchase their own services. They are not a form of income and should not be regarded as such.

They are also different from the Department of Work and Pensions 'Direct Payment' which is a means of paying either benefits or a pension directly into an individual's bank account.

Can Direct Payments be used to buy services from the Council?

No. However, you may be able to receive some services you need directly from the Council, or provided by other organisations but arranged by the Council, and receive a Direct Payment for you to arrange other services yourself.

Who can receive Direct Payments?

They can be made to any adult* who is eligible for help from Social Services, young people aged 16-17 with a disability, parents of children with a disability and carers. Adults who are eligible for help from Social Services include people with physical or sensory disability, people with a learning disability, older people and people with mental health needs.

Anyone in the any above groups is entitled to receive Direct Payments, should they choose to do so, provided only that Social Services is satisfied that they are able to use the money to arrange for the care and support that they (or their child) need - either by themselves or with help.

*There are a small number of people (those subject to certain mental health or criminal justice legislative provisions) who are excluded from receiving Direct Payments

What are Direct Payments?

How you can use Direct Payments is dependent on the individual assessment made by a member of a Local Authority. However, in general, people use Direct Payments for:

  • finding and training a personal assistant
  • paying the salary for your personal assistant
  • holiday and sickness pay for your personal assistant and emergency support cover
  • paying an agency to provide support for you
  • paying extra money to your personal assistant for weekend work, bank holidays or live in fees
  • paying for equipment (you must contact your council to discuss your requirements and you may have to submit the receipt for the item of equipment).

Direct Payments must be used to buy the support or care that you have been assessed as needing (in your Social Care Assessment), and not for medicines, other health services or to pay household bills.

If you choose to employ staff, you should ensure that you comply with the duties and obligations as an employer, including those relating to income tax, national insurance, employer's liability insurance, public liability insurance, training and health and safety.

How do I let you know if I’m happy or unhappy with Community Access Group’s service?

Community Access Group welcomes feedback on its services so that know what we do well and/or how we can improve. More information about how to give feedback, including contact details, can be found on the 'Involvement' page within the 'Our Services' main menu.

What happens if I decide I no longer want to receive Direct Payments?

If Direct Payments are not something you want to continue receiving, a staff member from the Local Authority will discuss with how you'd like to receive or arrange your services in the future.

What are the benefits of Direct Payments?

Many disabled people who currently use Direct Payments have found it gives them more choice and control over the how their care need is met. By hiring your own staff this means you have much more of a say over who will provide this service to you. However, it also means, as an employer, you will have responsibilities.

What are Direct Payments?

Direct Payments are cash payments made to individuals who have been assessed as needing help from Social Services. The money is provided so that the individual can arrange services or support for themselves instead of having services provided or arranged by Social Services. The Government recognises that most people prefer to live independently in their own homes and Direct Payments are a good way to help support them to do so. The aim of a Direct Payment is to give more flexibility in how services are provided to many individuals who are assessed eligible for Social Services support. By giving individuals money in lieu of social care services people have greater choice and control over their lives, and are able to make their own decisions about how their care is delivered.