Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2011 15:44:41 GMT
Hi,
Well, as I've set the whole thing up, I should make a start and introduce myself....
My name is Calum, have Cerebral Palsy and live by myself in Cramlington, Northumberland. I have my own flat, garden and car. I do have my dog Hamish McDoogle who is a complete nut-case, but so much fun. He will put his paws around your neck to get hug ;D
I attended the Percy Headley School for about 12 years before going onto Hereward College aged 16 for 4 years. I will admit I didn't enjoy it for the first 2 years as I was really homesick, but after that I really enjoyed it. While I was there I studied English, Maths, CLAIT, Book keeping, Office Studies and CAD. I am still hopeless at English as you will see:)
In October 1993 I moved into my first flat, which a housing association adapted for me and it was done to suit my needs. Social Services helped to get ILF funding and arranged for a care agency to provide me with the carers (known today as care workers). But unfortunately things didn't go well as things progressed. The care agency provided me with 2 males & 1 female care workers to start with, but by April 1994 I got a visit from the care agency shift manager and she told me that she was going to put in place a rota for when jobs get done. I told her that she cannot do this, that it was going against my independence and that her staff were here to do what I asked from them. She said no, it was up to her what her staff did, put the rota up and left. She thought I would sit back and accept it. How wrong of her to think that. I got onto the phone to mum, who in turn came over to my place with dad so I could explain what had just happened. We got my social worker out, who got the boss and the women from the care agency out within an hour and we all ripped through them. They didn't know what hit them! We terminated their contract giving them 2 weeks notice at a cost of £21,000 pa that they had just lost. For those 2 weeks, they made my life hell by sending in anybody, at all times of day and I didn't know them & they didn't know me. Mum had to take me back to their home after a few days, as my life was at risk.
In those 2 weeks, I talked to another care agency who had a different concept on care workers. As I requested for male care workers, they set up interviews with new male care workers and I was involved in the interviewing. I picked 3 new care workers and one that was working for me since 1993. They became my care team and provided me with the care I required.
But things didn't stay settled. October 1994 in the middle of the night, I heard a lot of noise outside which was frightening. I press the panic button that was link to a care service, who didn't respond. I ended up phoning one of my care worker who came out. It turned out that the police had raided a flat across the road from me for drugs. I was then informed the flat complex I was living in was well know for drug users. After that I couldn't settle.
Dad found an advert in a newspaper about shared ownership with another housing association. To cut a long short, its where you get a mortgage for 50% of a property and the housing association would put up the other 50%. In February 1995 I found a flat for sale and we started the process of buying it jointly with the housing association. On 18th July 1995 I moved in and where I still live.
However, as this was happening, some care workers left to go onto better things. This started the care agency to put anybody in to do the job, which was just no good. In the end my father spoke to my social and it was decided that dad could set up a limited company simply to employ care workers directly so we had full control of my care team.
This started on the same day that I moved into my flat. Dad sees to the payroll & employee contracts and we both do the interviews whenever I require a new care worker. Our system has worked for the past 16 years with the approval of the ILF and Direct Payments.
So, it is very important to me that my care package doesn't change in any way and for the ILF to continue as it is.
Calum;)
Well, as I've set the whole thing up, I should make a start and introduce myself....
My name is Calum, have Cerebral Palsy and live by myself in Cramlington, Northumberland. I have my own flat, garden and car. I do have my dog Hamish McDoogle who is a complete nut-case, but so much fun. He will put his paws around your neck to get hug ;D
I attended the Percy Headley School for about 12 years before going onto Hereward College aged 16 for 4 years. I will admit I didn't enjoy it for the first 2 years as I was really homesick, but after that I really enjoyed it. While I was there I studied English, Maths, CLAIT, Book keeping, Office Studies and CAD. I am still hopeless at English as you will see:)
In October 1993 I moved into my first flat, which a housing association adapted for me and it was done to suit my needs. Social Services helped to get ILF funding and arranged for a care agency to provide me with the carers (known today as care workers). But unfortunately things didn't go well as things progressed. The care agency provided me with 2 males & 1 female care workers to start with, but by April 1994 I got a visit from the care agency shift manager and she told me that she was going to put in place a rota for when jobs get done. I told her that she cannot do this, that it was going against my independence and that her staff were here to do what I asked from them. She said no, it was up to her what her staff did, put the rota up and left. She thought I would sit back and accept it. How wrong of her to think that. I got onto the phone to mum, who in turn came over to my place with dad so I could explain what had just happened. We got my social worker out, who got the boss and the women from the care agency out within an hour and we all ripped through them. They didn't know what hit them! We terminated their contract giving them 2 weeks notice at a cost of £21,000 pa that they had just lost. For those 2 weeks, they made my life hell by sending in anybody, at all times of day and I didn't know them & they didn't know me. Mum had to take me back to their home after a few days, as my life was at risk.
In those 2 weeks, I talked to another care agency who had a different concept on care workers. As I requested for male care workers, they set up interviews with new male care workers and I was involved in the interviewing. I picked 3 new care workers and one that was working for me since 1993. They became my care team and provided me with the care I required.
But things didn't stay settled. October 1994 in the middle of the night, I heard a lot of noise outside which was frightening. I press the panic button that was link to a care service, who didn't respond. I ended up phoning one of my care worker who came out. It turned out that the police had raided a flat across the road from me for drugs. I was then informed the flat complex I was living in was well know for drug users. After that I couldn't settle.
Dad found an advert in a newspaper about shared ownership with another housing association. To cut a long short, its where you get a mortgage for 50% of a property and the housing association would put up the other 50%. In February 1995 I found a flat for sale and we started the process of buying it jointly with the housing association. On 18th July 1995 I moved in and where I still live.
However, as this was happening, some care workers left to go onto better things. This started the care agency to put anybody in to do the job, which was just no good. In the end my father spoke to my social and it was decided that dad could set up a limited company simply to employ care workers directly so we had full control of my care team.
This started on the same day that I moved into my flat. Dad sees to the payroll & employee contracts and we both do the interviews whenever I require a new care worker. Our system has worked for the past 16 years with the approval of the ILF and Direct Payments.
So, it is very important to me that my care package doesn't change in any way and for the ILF to continue as it is.
Calum;)