Journey to Independent Living: Achieving Equality through Direct Payments
Journey to independent living through direct payments for people with disabilities, focusing on equality, participation, and autonomy. The importance of diverse board members in promoting choice and independence. Managing own care packages for personalized support and empowerment.
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Journey to Independent Living: Achieving Equality through Direct Payments AT Board member s perspective M ir de Woods, writer, researcher, AT Board member Was a parent of a daughter with a disability Involved in parents organisations and with St Michael s House Ex Citizens Information Board Advocacy Section
Ideas about Equality How to treat people equally & fairly: same treatment in some situations similar opportunities in most situations support in other situations > equality of participation Equal compared to whom? Is equal opportunity enough? Principles of dignity, respect & as much autonomy as possible > managing your own care package
Equality and diversity on AT s Board ---------------------------- Who should be on a Board? People who think like us? Accountants? Solicitors? Other specialists? Just people with disabilities? Other minorities? AT s board has a variety of members who are committed to choice & independence for people with disabilities.
Boards: engine and/or brakes? Ordered Finances Oversight Keeping to commitments Corporate governance Encouragement Responsibility More meetings Reports More reports Grant applications Hard truths & priorities Meetings Reminder of life being the art of the possible
Getting new concepts to work Enthusiasm for greater independence Demonstrating benefits through enabling efficient management of direct payments Managing direct payments gives the person with disabilities an active role in decisions about priorities within his own company Individual choices can be catered for e.g. more PA time for pigeon-fancying, less for cleaning Person with disabilities becomes a sub-manager rather than a recipient Role model effect is considerable in changing perceptions Opportunity to learn in respectful dealings with funders.
Designing models of independent living is a learning experience & one where people need sensitive support. As a support organisation, AT is building greater competence & efficiency in people with disabilities who have started to run their own services, having formed their own small companies. AT demonstrates the power of peer support services that are respectful of the person s moves towards independent living & which use natural supports (family, friends). Services need to be simplified -complexity excludes!
Walking the walkrequires change of person with disabilities & of funding bodies Lots of policy documents wax lyrical about: ..competence, hard work & judgment on part of person managing own service. direct payments participation on an equal basis trust & professionalism from funder (HSE) personal support, advice & mentoring from Support body (AT) consultation with people with disabilities control & choice changing role of service provider variety of service provision high governance standards from Board
By going out & doing it, you are showing that it can be done! Those who do not learn from clich s are destined to repeat them
