Fed up :(

[sarahdavid]

Originally Posted by LittleMissMe

we get direct payments, but can use anyone we want to look after imogen? I've had my neighbour, her nursery nurse, my mum even! Sent off all the paperwork and they don't ask any questions at all, do they check who youre using then? Also I had no idea about the lifting regulations, imogen is 20kgs and needs to be lifted and carried loads! Its bloody health and safety gone mad.

Yeah you can use direct payments in any way you like, family members etc can be used so long as they don't live within the same home. I worked with a young family where the mum used her daughter, the daughter would arrive on a fri teatime and stay until sunday in the home and the mum would go away for the weekend! x

[BenandBellasMummy]

We were hoping my sister could do some in the holidays but she's in Sheffield atm and needed to bring all her ID down so they could witness it and then she could be CRB checked, and now the insurance won't cover us No-one else in the family can help but when I asked even my parents or pil would need to be CRB checked which seems like a waste of money tbh.

Do you not have to have public liability insurance LMM?

[LittleMissMe]

No never been told i need insurance, think they must be much more laid back about all this in Somerset. I haven't had to have anyone CRB checked either, I signed a waiver for 2 of my carers as I know they already have them and they work with Imogen at her special nursery.

Here, they just give you the payments, I pay who I'm paying to help me with Imogen, send off the time sheets every few months and thats it. I couldn't do much at all without the help, my OH has been away since Oct last year (home for 2 wks at Christmas) so can only go swimming if I have help, attend my uni tutorials, go out for dinner or cinema with friends, dentist even! I wouldn't be able to do any of it if I didn't have the direct payments for my amazing babysitter. She even looks after Dylan for me too and both kids love her. Gosh I'm very lucky, should be more grateful really

[BenandBellasMummy]

Ben is at school, so I just have to take Bella with me everywhere. Haven't been out in the evening without Bella since January 2010! I've been out with OH twice since she was born and she will be 5 in May.

I'm shocked it's so different, my sister has 3 CRBs from working at different places and she would need another one and I have to pay £50(ish) a year for public liability insurance. And then pay the pay roll company £4.50 per month to sort PAYE, NI etc. I wish it was more straight forward.

[LittleMissMe]

I don't pay the payroll company either?! You should totally move up here

[rachaelmae]

Originally Posted by BenandBellasMummy

Ben is at school, so I just have to take Bella with me everywhere. Haven't been out in the evening without Bella since January 2010! I've been out with OH twice since she was born and she will be 5 in May.

I'm shocked it's so different, my sister has 3 CRBs from working at different places and she would need another one and I have to pay £50(ish) a year for public liability insurance. And then pay the pay roll company £4.50 per month to sort PAYE, NI etc. I wish it was more straight forward.

Thats just so stupid, how the hell do they expect you to do all of that whilst looking after 2 kids, one who needs you attention most of the time?? allow for people being stressed/worried/sleep deprived/in and out hospital/different hospital apts etc its asking people at breaking point to do such unnecessary red tape paperwork when all you need is a bit of help/respite

Things are only going to get worse aswell... x

[BenandBellasMummy]

If I hear David tossing Cameron blathering on about empowering parents of disabled children with direct payments I may explode with incandescent rage, it has only made things a lot more difficult. Bella now has midazolam and an extensive emergency protocol, so things are even more difficult. Hrmph, grump!