Control of their lives, control of their independence and control over the care they receive…and it’s all thanks to Personal Budgets.
It’s a simple idea that aims to give people who need support from Wigan Council, whatever their age or disability, the power to make decisions about the care they need, when they need it and what form it should take.
There are certain rules about what the budget can be spent on and the individual needs to draw up a care plan with help from their social worker that details how it will be spent.
It’s all about increasing the choice about what people need to improve their quality of life and to live as independently as possible.
To find out how successful Personal Budgets can be, Borough Life went to meet some of the remarkable people who have been using the scheme.
WHEN motorbike-mad Debra Baxter takes to the open road she feels truly free. The roar of an engine, two-wheels on tarmac and the highway stretching out into the distance is her idea of heaven.
The fact that the 44 year-old mother of one has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair to get around isn’t an obstacle when it comes to indulging her passion.
“I may use a wheelchair to get around,” says Debra. “But it doesn’t define who I am and it certainly doesn’t stop me.”
So when it comes to going to motorbike rallies all over the North-west and beyond and camping out with her motorbike club friends, Debra is literally raring to go.
Debra’s condition has worsened over the years and she admits that her mobility has become more restricted. As a result she gets support from the council at certain times of the day.
“In the past I used to have care workers coming to help me at set times of the day,” she says. “I didn’t have a say in when they came or who it was and it was rarely the same person twice. I found it very limiting and impersonal. It made me feel helpless and dependet on others.”
Hardly ideal for an independently-minded easy rider like Debra, but Personal Budgets changed all that.
Taking Control
By taking control of her care package Debra was able to employ her own personal assistant. In fact she has two. And now Debra decides what help she needs and when.
“I was involved in the whole process, from deciding what I wanted through to interviewing prospective candidates and then arranging their hours and duties,” says Debra. “So I moved from someone who got care when they were told they would have it through to being an employer with my own staff.
“It may seem a little daunting at first but you get all the help you need with the organisation and paperwork and now I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
So when it comes to packing up the tent and heading for the countryside on a motorcycle rally, Debra’s personal assistant Carly Atkinson is only too happy to tag along.
Carly, 20, lives close to Debra’s Winstanley home and works with her throughout the week.
“Debra goes on the rallies a couple of times a year so she needs me to come with her, which I am happy to do,” says Carly.
“It’s not what you might expect when you think about the job of a care worker which is what makes it so good.”
- Even if you don’t want to arrange your own support, social workers will help you design a tailor–made support package. If you don’t think you qualify for financial help or don’t want a financial assessment, the council’s adult services can provide information and point you in the right direction for help that suits your own circumstances.
Inspiring story of a life cut short
ON one level Andrea Teasdale’s story is a tragedy.
A young life cut short after succumbing to the illness she had bravely lived with for years.
But anyone who knew Andrea or her family will know that it’s also a story of hope and inspiration.
The Leigh girl and former St Mary’s Catholic High School pupil had a form of complex epilepsy which divided her young life into two very different parts.
When she was well, Andrea was a typical confident young lady, vying for her independence. When the attacks came they left her virtually comatose, requiring constant care and often hospital treatment.
For most of her life Andrea’s main carers were mum and dad Lesley and Peter but at 21, just like any young person, she wanted to fly the nest and make a life for herself.
Lesley Teasdale with a photo of her late daughter Andrea.
Mum Lesley says: “Andrea knew what she wanted and she was very determined. We were happy to support her but we did have some worries about her living on her own.”
The link between Andrea and her illness was her medication. To stave off the debilitating attacks Andrea had a strict 40-minute slot to take her anti-epileptic drugs each day.
But Andrea also had a learning difficulty which could lead to problems for her regular medication routine.
“Andrea would simply forget to take it,” says Lesley. “She needed someone not just to remind her but to stand with her and watch her take it.
“We had fantastic support from Andrea’s social worker Alison Perry, who helped us to find her a place of her own in Leigh, but we needed a solution to the medication issue.”
Which is where cutting edge technology came in…
“We thought about it and the best solution was to set up a web-cam in Andrea’s new home. A computer was linked to it from our house and through it we could see and speak to Andrea.
“This would make it easy for us to remind her that it was time to take her medication and to actually watch her take it.
“We requested some of the Personal Budget money to pay for the computer and the other equipment to make it work and it was agreed. The beauty of it was that it meant we could speak to and see Andrea throughout her day and give her help and advice when she needed it.
“Thanks to her social worker, the assistants and the computer system Andrea was able to enjoy a degree of freedom and independence we never thought possible.”
Sadly, Andrea died two years ago after a sudden epileptic seizure.
Her legacy is that now mum Lesley is a real advocate for the type of technology that helped her daughter and does charity work on a part-time basis helping young people such as Andrea to live on their own.
“We couldn’t have asked for more than the help we were given and the way we and Andrea were able to make the decisions about her future,” says Lesley. “Because of that I’d recommend this scheme to anyone.”
"We couldn’t have asked for more than the help we were given and the way we and Andrea were able to make the decisions about her future... Because of that I’d recommend this scheme to anyone."
For more information visit Wigan Council’s website: Personal Budgets (external link) or tel: 01942 404507
