Direct Payments
Direct payments give parents of a disabled
child, the opportunity to receive cash payments to buy and manage
their child’s care, instead of receiving children’s services.
With direct payments you can receive money
from the council instead of receiving care services such as
personal care, short breaks and so on. This allows you to arrange
and pay for your disabled child’s care package on your own, if you
choose to.
This scheme offers parents and carers of
disabled children greater flexibility and independence as services
can be tailored to suit the specific needs of the child and the
family.
Who receives direct payments
You can get direct payments if you are:
- A parent of a disabled child being assessed
for community care services through a social work assessment of
your child’s needs.
- A 16 or 17 year old young person with
disabilities being assessed for community care services through a
social work assessment of your needs.
- Are able to consent and be able to manage the
direct payments with or without support. Being able to manage
doesn’t mean doing everything on your own. You will have help from
the council if you want it and from the independent Direct Payments
Support Service. This is an independent non-governmental service
that has been set up especially for direct payment users.
How to request direct payments
If you are interested in trying direct
payments, contact your child’s social worker or the children with
disabilities team and tell them you are interested in a direct
payment. They can arrange for an assessment of your child’s needs.
You will go through more or less the same processes as you would if
you were applying for services.
This assessment will be done to see whether
your child is eligible for assistance from children’s services and
what your child’s needs are.
If you are already receiving care services but
might be interested in changing to direct payments, get in touch
with your child’s social worker or the children with disabilities
team.
They will discuss it with you and if you are
interested to pursue it further, they will put you in touch with
the Direct Payments Support Service, which is a specialist service
that can offer you independent help and advice about the process,
what you will need to do and how to get started.
How to contact us
Children with Disabilities Team
Mulberry Place
5 Clove Crescent
London E14 2BG
Tel: 020 7364 2724
Fax: 020 7364 27314
Email: CWD.screening@towerhamlets.gov.uk