http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/index.php en Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:11:56 +0100 Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:11:56 +0100 Being the Boss Phorum 5.1.25 60 http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,116,116#msg-116 Prestige Insurance
Further to our discussions with the Administrators of this site, we are pleased to offer our specialist UK car insurance scheme for the disabled community and their families, for carers and their families, and for those with health issues and their families.

It is a bespoke policy and was set up with the needs of disabled people and/or carers in mind to give competitive premiums and excellent policy cover.

In fact, an organisation already linked to us commented, ‘few insurance policies have proactively sought to offer enhanced benefits to reflect the needs of the disabled driving community and carers. The Prestige Keep Moving policy seeks to rectify this’.

By doing this, it also enables us to support this forum financially, at no extra expense to yourself.

The scheme specialises for disabled people and/or carers in that it has options not normally offered with standard insurance companies.

A few examples of options on our Comprehensive car insurance policy are -

• new for old cover for adaptations to the vehicle,
• a ‘keep moving’ clause in the event of an accident or theft,
• cover for wheelchairs.

Cover is available for disabled drivers and/or carers, and for vehicles that have been adapted for disabled passengers.

For more details, please see our website www.prestigekeepmoving.com.

Please call freephone 0800 3308057 when your car insurance renewal is due and quote BEING THE BOSS to get a competitive quote.

Please feel free to ask any questions on here. I would be more than happy to help.

Prestige Insurance
Specialist UK car insurers for the disabled community and their families, for carers and their families, and for those with health issues and their families.
0800 3308057
www.prestigekeepmoving.com]]> Being the Boss http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,116,116#msg-116 Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:11:56 +0100 http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,62,63#msg-63 beingtheboss
BW

Anne]]> Being the Boss http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,62,63#msg-63 Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:03:13 +0200 http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,62,62#msg-62 Susie39
Can someone please advise?

Many Thanks

Susie]]> Being the Boss http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,62,62#msg-62 Sat, 16 Oct 2010 18:05:19 +0200 http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,40,60#msg-60 beingtheboss
good to see you on here. my experience of social workers is exactly the same as yours so I do empathise with you.

I also agree that brokerage would be best managed by disabled peoples organisations like Being the Boss.

May I be so bold as to ask you - Have you joined the association of PA Employers run by Being the Boss? This would entitle you to a Employers Handbook.



Anne]]> Being the Boss http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,40,60#msg-60 Tue, 28 Sep 2010 16:43:06 +0200 http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,59,59#msg-59 Susie39
Does anyone have Self Directed Support instead of DP, if so how does it differ?]]> Being the Boss http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,59,59#msg-59 Thu, 23 Sep 2010 20:35:46 +0200 http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,52,58#msg-58 Susie39
My first staff member tried to get here but her car was sliding in the snow, she didn't feel safe to continue trying.
I then contacted all staff and told them to stay at home and see how the situation developed, as i was concerned for their safety, as public transport also stopped.

I felt putting pressure on them to come to work could of endangered their safety, and i wasn't legally sure at the time how i stood on that.

It also depends on the working relationship with your staff. I am very lucky at the moment that the staff i have do not take time off with silly excuses.


I ensured that my staff were paid as the weather conditions were out of their control.]]> Being the Boss http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,52,58#msg-58 Thu, 23 Sep 2010 17:19:23 +0200 http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,40,57#msg-57 Susie39 I get alot more information via internet forums than i do from my social worker.
I do agree that the role of the social worker is changing, as i personally feel that i don't get very much support from my social worker or social services.

I have not seen my social worker for almost a year. On the odd occasion that i have emailed her, i have waited upto 2/3 days for a reply if not longer.

I do feel that i would be better supported by Disabled Organisations than by social workers.]]> Being the Boss http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,40,57#msg-57 Thu, 23 Sep 2010 16:54:07 +0200 http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,52,54#msg-54 Denise For example the recent bad weather has caused a number of situation were a disabled person has not know whether they should make a payment or not.
As I understand it employees are obliged to attend work in terms of their contracts of employment. This applies even in extreme weather conditions. Therefore, employers would be within their rights to refuse to pay an employee who cannot make it into work because they are 'snowed in' or because public transport has been cancelled due to the weather.
Employees should know that they are expected to make reasonable efforts to get into work (for example, using alternative travel arrangements). However, employees should not feel pressured to risk their safety to get into work. There is a matter of balance here. Perhaps we should look at a number of options .. for example,
• If the employer cancels the ‘shift’ at very short notice and the employee has made themselves ready for work, the employer should still pay.
• If the employee chooses not to come into work (eg because their child’s school is closed) the time should be taken off as unpaid or annual leave.
• If the employee makes every effort to get into work but is prevented from doing so for example because of the weather the employer can consider a payment.
In the situation you describe I think that you should be making a payment, however there are situations where I think employers can legitimately say: ‘I am not funded to make payments for hours that are not worked .. and it is not my policy to make payments where hours have not been worked. I recognise that in some circumstances employees may need to take unpaid leave or unscheduled annual leave .. and I am happy to discuss with pa’s some flexibility, where possible, in the hours they work, during periods of bad weather, for example. There may be very exceptional conditions where a p.a. has made every attempt to come into work but, because of cancellation of public transport or because of a significant risk to their safety they have had to abandon that attempt. In such circumstances I will consider a payment to compensate them for their efforts.’
So it’s a question of the employer exercising their discretion in each individual case. Where the employer does not have funding for the payment (because they have paid someone else to cover the hours) they think is warranted I think it is reasonable for them to say ‘I would like to make a payment in the circumstances but I cannot make such a payment until I have agreement from the local authority for this additional spending.’

I know this does not address all possibilities but as a general rule, if you have to cancel a shift, you should make a payment, if your employee cancels a shift they should take unpaid leave or annual leave, and if there are circumstances where they make every attempt to attend but are prevented from doing so, then you should consider making a payment taking into account all the aspects of the situation.]]> Being the Boss http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,52,54#msg-54 Sun, 17 Jan 2010 15:18:25 +0100 http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,52,53#msg-53 beingtheboss Being the Boss http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,52,53#msg-53 Sun, 17 Jan 2010 11:54:56 +0100 http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,52,52#msg-52 beingtheboss
'What do other PA employers do about pay when PAs are off work?
>Sometimes if
>a PA has a bad cold, they may say they can still work. My mum and I are
>chronically ill and it varies whether or not we feel able to cope with
>an extra thing, so sometimes I choose to cancel a shift rather than
>expose myself to a bug. But I am unsure what my policy should be. It
>seems unfair for me to choose to cancel their shift when they are
>willing to work, and then not to pay them. But I'm not sure it's right
>to pay them when they take time off either... I shouldn't pay them if
>it's my decision to cancel and not if it's theirs. Has anybody managed
>to come up with fair guidelines which they follow?']]> Being the Boss http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,52,52#msg-52 Sun, 17 Jan 2010 11:51:27 +0100 http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,48,50#msg-50 Denise
You can contact them on 0845 345 4 345 or 0845 345 4 345

They are open from 9am to 8pm Monday to Friday and between 9am and 12.30pm on Saturday.

The following information is taken from their website.

How can the Community Legal Advice helpline help me?
Community Legal Advice can help you deal with everyday problems by giving you high quality, confidential advice over the phone.
We are funded by legal aid, so if you live on a low income or benefits, you can get free independent advice about debt, education, family, welfare benefits and tax credits, employment and housing problems.
Even if you are not eligible for legal aid, we can still find ways to help by putting you in touch with the right agency or advice organisation.
The service covers English and Welsh law.

What will happen when I call?
The first person you will speak to is an operator. They are not legally trained but will ask you questions about your problem to find out what kind of information and advice you need.
• If you have a problem we can help with, the operator will ask you some more questions about your finances to see if you are eligible for free specialist advice.
• If you are eligible and want advice over the phone you will be connected to a specialist legal adviser immediately. The specialist legal adviser will then take on your case. They will write letters on your behalf and speak to people like landlords and creditors for you. They can even prepare bundles of documents for you to take to an employment tribunal.
• You can speak to your adviser, in confidence, as many times as you need to, until your problem is solved.
• Even if we can't help, we can put you in touch with other services that can.
• We never charge for our services. All our advice and help is funded by legal aid.

I'm worried about how much the call will cost?
Calls cost no more than 4p per minute from a BT landline. Calls from mobiles are usually more. If you are worried about the cost, you can ask an adviser to call you back, or get us to call you by:
• using our simple webform - we'll call you at a time that suits you
• Texting 'legalaid' then your name to 80010 and we'll call you back within 24 hours. The cost of your text will be at the standard rate for your operator.
The service is the same but you will save yourself the cost of a call.]]> Being the Boss http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,48,50#msg-50 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 03:00:28 +0100 http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,48,49#msg-49 beingtheboss Secondly get rid of the payroll service and subscribe to another one. your Local Authority is bound by law to ensure you are a legal employer and should at least be funding employers liability cover. if possible put some money of your own to it and buy into the full policy for Independent Living policy with FISH. I have found them very helpful.

sorry i cannot be any more help.]]> Being the Boss http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,48,49#msg-49 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:34:17 +0100 http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,48,48#msg-48 gizitch Its been a while since I have posted on the forum because I have been going through hell for the last 10 months with my direct payments. The cause of the hell is the lack of support from social worker and CPN, my payroll agent (who is also the local direct payment support service), and also a private carer, who I had to give "sumaray dismissal" on the grounds of gross misconduct. She was violently agressive and I had to use my emergency alarm as I was affraid for my safety.
But rather than assisting me with any of this I find I am totaly alone, vunerable and if I'm honest a little scared. I received a letter this morning that the ex-carer is taking me to employment tribunal for unfair dismissal.
My payroll agent were instructed immediatley to pay her entitlement and send p45 so I could pay her, but they refused to do so unlesss I agreed to give 4 weeks notice pay (to which she isnt entitled) and told her that I was refusing payment.
My social worker, CPN have told me it is nothing to do with them. I have phoned solicitors and been told that the fee is £150 an hour. I am on benefits and cannot afford this. I am quite scared and alone and was wondering what other people might suggest as I have run out of answers or places to look for help.
People keep forgetting that I am on direct payments because I am dissabled and I need assistance with my day to day living...I am not supposed to have to protect myself at employment tribunals am I? To respond to legal documents that I don't understand. Who is there to help us when things go wrong?
I would really appreciate any thoughts or advice. Please.
Thanks for reading.]]> Being the Boss http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,48,48#msg-48 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:21:15 +0100 http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,44,44#msg-44 beingtheboss Being the Boss http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,44,44#msg-44 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:53:29 +0100 http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,40,40#msg-40 beingtheboss
I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO HEAR YOUR COMMENTS]]> Being the Boss http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,40,40#msg-40 Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:36:07 +0100 http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,38,39#msg-39 Denise
http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/latest-news/1110-dla-is-not-under-threat-be-very-happy-says-government-minister

new comments by Lord McKenzie of Luton, parliamentary under-secretary of state for the DWP suggest that Phil Hope’s comments clearly do not reflect Government Policy.

Apparently Lord McKenzie of Luton, parliamentary under-secretary of state for the DWP, when responding to a question from Lord Ashley of Stoke, who had asked which disability benefits the government are ‘considering integrating into the wider social care budget in England’. Lord McKenzie replied: “At this stage, we do not want to rule out any options and so are considering all disability benefits.”

Later in the same debate, Lord Low of Dalston specifically referred to the “reported statement by the Minister for Care Services that disability living allowance is not under threat” and asked for confirmation that neither component of disability living allowance “is being considered as a possible source of funding for social care”.

Lord McKenzie’s response was in direct contradiction of Phil Hope’s reported statements: “My Lords, as I said in answer to the first Question, currently no particular benefit is ruled out of consideration.”

http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/latest-news/1115-senior-minister-confirms-dla-is-under-threat

It is clear that it is still a real possibility that the Government may axe DLA, and it is important that people make their feelings known, by signing the petition or writing to their PM.]]> Being the Boss http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,38,39#msg-39 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:42:03 +0200 http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,38,38#msg-38 beingtheboss
The Care component was meant to pay for the extra costs of being disabled not to suppliment the social care budget. lets share our thoughts on this forum.

Anne Pridmore]]> Being the Boss http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,38,38#msg-38 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:10:13 +0200 http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,34,34#msg-34 beingtheboss
Come on lets hear from you all.]]> Being the Boss http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,34,34#msg-34 Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:52:19 +0200 http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,13,30#msg-30 gizitch In my area there is a support system for helping people set up direct payments but they were universally unhelpful. It was 5 months before I found out that they weren't the "direct payment people" as I had been told but an independant group for supporting those in receipt of dp.
Their attitude is "its ok if you dont know whats going on cos we do!" Not helpful. They dont seem to like me asking questions and dont inform me of any of my finances with the dp. I have been asking to see my account since feb...
I didnt actually know that I didnt need to use them for support (which i pay for out of my dp).
Nor did I know that I could choose how I manage my pa's, the support group pulled of my support workers when I was ill even though i had asked them to work. They also told one of my pa's that she could take holidays without my knowledge. The pa believed she was employed by the support agency

I guess my biggest advice for you is to try and get your information on the leaflets that you get when you start dp....in the futher information and support section.
Everything I am reading now says the best advice is from those who already employ pa's. But no where tell's you how to get in touch with them.
I have been through 6mths on dp and it has been hell...even though it has shown if correct it would benefit me greatly.
If I hadnt stumbled accross you in an internet search I would still be "blind" so to speak. I would have really benefitted from speaking to people like yourselves.

I have set up a charity before and know there are many organisations that fund inovative groups that are specifially user led and support those with physical and mental health sufferers, either directly or indirectly.
Some will even fund set up costs. I will be happy to tell you the organisations our charity used if it helps.]]> Being the Boss http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,13,30#msg-30 Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:10:58 +0200 http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,13,21#msg-21 beingtheboss
"There has been a big debate about NVQs nationally and many sectors including our own think that the new qualifications framework is an opportunity to develop more specialist sectoral qualifications. However, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills have now announced that they are supporting NVQs now and in the future as a brand and want SSCs to consider them in their new frameworks. So NVQs will continue for now but we hope the new awards will gradually replace them. Skills for Care has to ensure that there isn't a gap in people undertaking qualifications so there will be arrangements whereby two sets of qualifications are recognised simultaneously and those who chooose to do NVQs now will get their learning accredited against the new awards. In this context it would not be sensible to create a new NVQ but to look at what is the best form of training for PAs design a qualification round that and put that in the new Qualifications framework. SSCs will work with awarding bodies and groups of employers, carers and people who use services to design qualifications".

In light of the above I feel your suggestion is extremely good.

Anne]]> Being the Boss http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,13,21#msg-21 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 21:34:53 +0100 http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,13,19#msg-19 frazzled Being the Boss http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,13,19#msg-19 Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:32:34 +0100 http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,13,13#msg-13 beingtheboss
I am looking to set up An Association of - PA employers so that we can have a stronger voice. I am currently in the middle of setting up a Company called Being the Boss and am looking for funding. this will form the starting point for our association.

Any ideas would be gratefully received.

Anne Pridmore]]> Being the Boss http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,13,13#msg-13 Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:00:56 +0100 http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,6,6#msg-6 happygolucky
We are looking for Disabled People who employ their own Personal Assistants/Carers/Support Workers to meet their self defined needs, which may include personal care, support at work, domestic work etc to take part in research which will look at what makes a good working relationship between a PA and the disabled employer and how you define this.
The first stage will be carried out through taking part in regional focus groups in different areas of England (Birmingham 27 February 2009, Peterborough 11 March 2009 and Greenwich 16 March 2009). Further data will be collected through email questionnaires; telephone interviews and face to face interviews.
If you are interested in any areas of this research then contact Reshma Patel either by email:paresearch@hotmail.co.uk or call 07787547466
Reasonable expenses will be paid with prior approval.
This research is supported by Skills for Care to inform future workforce development and to ensure small employers are included in future planning.
Should we be oversubscribed we will have to select a sample of people for the first stage based on gender; ethnicity; sexual orientation; cultural and religious differences impairment; and experience to ensure we have diverse perspectives.]]> Being the Boss http://www.beingtheboss.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,6,6#msg-6 Sun, 01 Feb 2009 17:44:52 +0100