When Jennifer’s usual holiday care agency couldn’t provide the support she needed, direct payments gave her choice and control to find flexible, local support. With reliable personal assistants who took the time to get to know her, she was able to enjoy a special family holiday.
I had booked an accessible cottage for my husband’s birthday for all the family to stay in. This was our third stay. On previous occasions, I had used a care agency for my personal care. The first time it worked well, with just two carers supporting me. They were both good and did what was needed for me each day so I could enjoy my time with the family. However, on the second stay, the agency sent eight different carers. It was exhausting each time to explain what I needed. Just three weeks before we were due to go away, the care agency said that they could no longer provide my care as they did not have enough staff.
I spent half a day ringing all the care agencies that were on the Care Quality Commission’s website within a 10-mile radius of the property – roughly 40 agencies. Unfortunately, very few wanted to take on a short-term contract. Only one was able to help me, but they had not yet been inspected by the Care Quality Commission. I felt that might have been risky.
The owner of the cottage asked around in the area and used Facebook to see if there were any local carers. I was lucky. Chailey’s Angels, a group of about 30 PAs, working together and helping each other out, were available to support me. I had two carers from Chailey’s Angels for my week’s stay, and they were really fabulous. They quickly picked up my care routine, did what they promised, and supported me with my personal care, setting me up for the day. I wish there was a group of Barnet Angels where I live, to provide personalised care and support.
This experience shows how direct payments give me more flexibility, choice and control over my care, especially in cases like this where the care agency couldn’t meet my needs. It also brought to life the Making It Real statement ‘I am in control of planning my care and support. If I need help with this, people who know and care about me are involved.’
I chatted with the two ladies who supported me. One had previously worked for a care agency and explained how she paid for her own training and made sure she was up-to-date with what she needed. They had up-to-date DBS checks, which they were happy to share with me, and provided proof of their identities and previous work. North Chailey is the area we were staying in. They both lived very locally and had no issue in finding our remote accommodation.
It is hard to find accommodation that is suitable for me, as I need a fully accessible wet room and profiling bed. The bed in the accommodation was not quite what I needed. The owner, when I explained what I needed, very kindly adapted the bed for me and made a bed end. It is rare to find beautiful accommodation that also meets my care needs.
We were able to have a wonderful holiday with the family and enjoyed seeing my granddaughter who is now three months old. With the right support, I can live the life I want to live and do things that matter most to me, surrounded by the people I love.
