Using Personal Assistants - Everything you need to know

•  Monday 4^th March
• Monday 10^th June
• Monday 16^th September
• Monday 2^nd December

The one day training will run from 10:00am -2:30pm (lunch included) and will take place at Disability North, The Dene Centre, Castle Farm Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE3 1PH

Personal Independence Payment Update

We have been getting a number of telephone calls from people who have received a leaflet through the letter box about the new Personal Independence Payment (PIP) which is being introduced to replace Disabled Living Allowance.

You do not need to respond to the leaflet.

Personal Independence Payments will replace new Disability Living Allowance (DLA) claims in the pilot areas (see over leaf) from 8 April 2013 and then to all other new claimants from June 2013. The main transfer of existing DLA claimants (who are aged 16 to 64 on 8 April 2013) will take place from 2015. People over 65 who are already receiving DLA will not be moved on to PIP.

If you get DLA at the moment and you are between 16 and 64 you will eventually be reassessed for PIP. You will be sent the papers by the DWP. You do not need to send for them.

The DWP has produced a document containing the most frequently asked questions. It can be downloaded from the DWP website.

If, or when, you receive the forms and you need help or advice about the application please get in touch with us as soon as possible. Do not leave it till the last minute as we may not have the resources to help you.

Disability North is delighted to announce that we now have the Autoslide™ system fitted to one of our toilet doors. This enables us to demonstrate how an existing sliding door can be automated.

The campaign was launched jointly during TSI's National Consumer Week (12-19 November 2012) and aims to make older people aware of the risks of inappropriate selling techniques, to educate them about their cancellation rights and to ensure they are aware that they have the same rights even if they ask a salesperson to come to their home, for example where a trader initially makes contact by phone and the consumer arranges a follow up with a meeting in their home.

We are delighted to announce that Angus Long from embryonyx has provided us with a new piece of equipment for our demonstration area.

HappyLegs is a passive exercise device which functions using the same principles as walking, it alternatively moves the legs and gently massages the feet while remaining seated, stimulating the muscles and sole sponge to help improve blood circulation. 3 hours on the Happylegs is equivalent of 1 hour of normal walking.

Our demonstration areas enable us to offer free impartial advice to disabled and older people. An appointment with a therapist could help you identify equipment that will enable you to remain active and independent.

Latest additions

Oral statement on Personal Independence Payment

13 December 2012

Esther McVey MP, Minister for Disabled People, has announced:

"Today we are publishing the Government’s consultation responses –, on the draft assessment criteria... and on the detailed design of PIP.

Alongside this, I will be laying in draft in Parliament the main PIP regulations, setting out the PIP entitlement conditions, assessment criteria and payment rates. And we will also publish in draft what the transitional arrangements might look like."

BBC News

13 September 2012

Hate crime against disabled people rises

There has been a rise in hate crimes against disabled people, police figures for England, Wales and Northern Ireland show.

More than 2,000 such offences were recorded in 2011, up a third on 2010. Police said this was partly due to an increased willingness to report crimes. 

BBC News survey

13 December 2012

UK 'more positive about disability' following Paralympics

Three-quarters of Britons feel more positive about the role of people with disabilities in the UK following the Paralympics, a BBC survey three months on from the Games suggests.

Some 79% of 2,400 non-disabled people questioned by ComRes for the BBC also said they thought wider perceptions of disability had improved.

But the figure fell to 65% among the 600 people with disabilities surveyed.A leading charity has welcomed the news but says there is "some way to go".

Up to half a million disabled people and their families - including children and disabled adults living on their own - will be worse off under Universal Credit if current plans go ahead, finds an inquiry led by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and supported by The Children’s Society, Citizens Advice and Disability Rights UK. This includes up to 230,000 severely disabled people who do not have another adult to assist them getting between £28 and £58 less in support every week. Read the inquiry report here ‘Holes in the safety net: The impact of Universal Credit on disabled people and their families’

[Health & Social Care RoundUp 15:  November 2012 Health & Social Care
RoundUp 15:  November 2012 (VONNE)]

A research report into what local authorities across England are doing to support people who employ personal assistants has been launched.

Skills for Care, the Association of Directors of Adult Services (ADASS) and Learn to Care came together to produce Better understanding of levels of support for individual employers and their personal assistants (PAs). 

The roll out of personal health budgets has been announced by Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb.  A personal health budget is an amount of money given to someone, to help them design a package of care support from clinicians and others, giving them more control over the nature of the treatment provided.  Personal health budgets have been piloted at 20 in-depth sites for the last three years, and an independent evaluation of the pilot programme has also been published.  To find out more, go to: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/11/phb/

[Health & Social Care RoundUp 15:  November 2012 Health & Social Care
RoundUp 15:  November 2012 (VONNE)]

The Government has invited ideas on how to remove excessive burdens and reduce bureaucracy across the health and social care sector, in the latest round of the Government's Red Tape Challenge.  Healthcare providers and members of the public can comment on more than 500 Department of Health regulations, covering a range of areas across quality of care, mental health, the NHS, professional standards and public health.  

Link: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/11/red-tape-challenge/

[Health & Social Care RoundUp 15:  November 2012 Health & Social Care
RoundUp 15:  November 2012 (VONNE)]

The government has set out proposals to strengthen the NHS Constitution. 

The Ageing Well Programme provided sector-led support for local authorities in England to assist them in meeting the challenges of an ageing population.

Carers Centre Newcastle as part of the Carers Ageing Well project have developed a Carers Health Information Pack and made the resource available online. Please visit their website for more information. http://newcastlecarers.org.uk/info/health-information-pack-for-carers/

For more information on looking after someone please visit Information Now http://www.informationnow.org.uk/resources/articles/115

The majority of people do not what care and support options are available, and 2 out of 3 do not know how much it costs. It can be a confusing and distressing experience. 2 million people start their search for care and support every year. It can be a confusing experience, often made at a very distressing time.

Care experts, the Social Care Institute for Excellence, have developed a new online service to help people on their journey through the care system in England.

Social Care Institute for Excellence have launched an interactive guide to their Personalisation Rough Guide – please follow the link for more information: SCIE launches new interactive format - you can personalise your guide to personalisation!

For more information on Self Directed Support please visit Information Now http://www.informationnow.org.uk/resources/articles/532