Sarah-Jane, Fair Deal Support Worker

A project by Inspire Community Coaching and Social Care Ideas Factory, The Self-Directed Support Series looks at creative ways sharing peoples stories about their experience of Self-Directed Support/ Personalisation, in order to inspire others to take up the scheme and manage their own budgets.

The project is aimed at both people receiving support as well as those involved in their care and highlights some of the hurdles which have had to be overcome by both individuals and organisations involved, as well as the benefits that the new Self-Directed Support Bill brings to those who receive it. Fair Deal support worker Sarah-Jane says that since the implementation of Self-Directed Support, Laura has grown and blossomed as a person – becoming a lot more independent and confident in herself.

Sarah-Jane says that by taking charge of her own budget, Laura receives less home support – as she has learned to look after herself more – and instead has decided to spend the money on exercise classes such as Zumba.

And, whilst Sarah-Jane said that the changes to services users lives initially instilled a bit of panic when people realised that they wouldn’t be getting the same amount of support as before, but this soon disappeared with the implementation of Fair Deal’s Social and Leisure programme and when people realised that they were capable of being able to be more independent.

Additionally Sarah-Jane says that Self-Directed Support has had a positive impact on her job, as by attending more group activities, like Fair Deal’s Games Day, she has met more of her colleagues and feels less like she’s ‘working in a pod’.

On the whole, Sarah-Jane says that she would recommend Self-Directed Support to individuals, as long as the organisations they were looking to purchase services from had schemes such as Fair Deal’s Social and Leisure programme in place. This is because she has seen people try new activities, gain confidence and also greater independence from their service provider.

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