How Alan accessed specialist support through SDS
Alan lives independently in his own tenancy. He’s supported by his mum, his wider family, and a team of two Personal Assistants (PAs) that he employs through a Direct Payment.
Alan has been assessed by the local authority at the highest level of need, described as ‘Complex’, and receives a Direct Payment budget for 12 hours of support per week. He contributes £60 a week towards the cost of this support — an increase from £41.60 following a rise in residential charging rates in July 2024, which has created extra financial pressure.
Building the right support team
Recruiting the right PAs has been challenging. For a long time, Alan was only able to find one PA, due to widespread recruitment difficulties in social care. An added barrier was the requirement for safe recruitment processes, including PVG Scheme membership — a cost the local authority advised would need to be covered by candidates themselves.
Eventually, after a long search, Alan found a second PA. They worked on a trial basis for three months to ensure the fit was right — and it was. Alan’s team was finally complete.
Identifying training needs
Once the second PA was in place, Alan’s family identified a need for neurodiversity-specific training tailored to Alan’s needs. They found suitable training at a cost of around £100 per person and requested permission to use some of Alan’s Direct Payment budget — which had a small underspend due to earlier recruitment delays — to cover it.
However, the request was refused. The local authority advised that because Alan receives the highest rate of Direct Payment, his PAs were expected to already have this training before starting their role. If Alan wanted them to undertake it, he would need to fund it himself using his Personal Independence Payment or Adult Disability Payment. They were also told there may be restrictions on paying PAs for their time while attending training, even though it was specific to their role supporting Alan.
The impact of good support
Despite these barriers, the support Alan now receives from his PAs is working extremely well. They’ve built strong, trusting relationships, and the support is tailored to Alan’s needs, with him at the centre of everything they do.
At a recent review, social work practitioners noted how much Alan’s independence has improved — directly linked to the stability and consistency of the PA support.
However, the family is concerned. There have been suggestions that Alan’s Direct Payment could be reduced in future, based on the assumption that his improved independence means he may need less support.
This would be a serious setback. The very reason Alan is managing so well is because of the high-quality, consistent PA support in place. Reducing this would risk undoing the progress he has made and limiting his future independence.
GCIL will continue to support Alan and his family as they prepare for the next review, helping them to make the case for maintaining the level of support that has enabled Alan to thrive.
This is a real story, but names have been changed to protect the individual’s privacy.