You Have a Choice: Choosing Your Home Care Provider with Direct Payments

Introduction
If you are receiving home care that is funded wholly or partially through social services you have a right to choose your home care provider. There is nothing wrong with allowing social services to set up everything for you. However, you may feel that you want the independence and autonomy that comes with choosing your own provider.

Direct Payments
If you want to choose your own provider the first thing to do is ask for a direct payment. If you have qualified for social services funding, you will have been allocated a personal budget. Having a direct payment means that your personal budget is paid directly to you. This allows you to deal directly with the home care provider of your choice. For more information about direct payments, go to this article.

With a small number of exceptions, you have a right to a direct payment. 

The law is very clear about this. With a small number of exceptions, you have a right to a direct payment. Section 31 of the Care Act 2014 says that if you request a direct payment, the Local Authority to which the request is made “must” make the payment to you. In an Act of Parliament, the word “must” used in this context means that a duty is imposed on a body or bodies, in this case Local Authorities. Where there is a duty imposed on a body there is usually a right granted to another allowing enforcement of that duty. In this case you have the right to a direct payment that is enforceable against the Local Authority.

Choosing Your Home Care Provider
Once you have a direct payment, you can go about choosing your home care provider. You cannot use you direct payment for just anything. It must be used to pay for goods and services that meet your care needs. You can, however, choose your home care provider. The people who carry out your care needs assessment and financial assessment  may wish to advise you about providers ans they may suggest that you go with one of the Local Authority providers: but the choice is yours. 

There is plenty of information available about home care providers in your area. A very useful website is www.homecare.co.uk. This site has a search facility that allows you to type in your postcode and it will return home care providers within a chosen distance of that post code.

The people who carry out your care needs assessment and financial assessment  may wish to advise you about providers, they may suggest that you go with one of the Local Authority providers: but the choice is yours. 

I have written quite extensively about choosing home care providers. You will find this article very helpful.  If you are looking for live-in care, take a look at this article.

To Summarise...
...very simply: you have a choice.

Garry Costain is the Managing Director of Caremark Thanet, a domiciliary care provider with offices in Margate, Kent. Caremark Thanet provides home care services throughout the Isle of Thanet. Garry can be contacted on 01843 235910 or email garry.costain@caremark.co.uk. You can also visit Caremark Thanet's website at www.caremark.co.uk/thanet.

Do you want to work in Domiciliary Care?

Do you want to work in domiciliary Care?

We are looking to recruit a number of people to join our team of care and support workers in Thanet. We currently provide help to around 120 people and employ close on 90 carers. We are particularly keen to recruit car drivers in the areas of Ramsgate and Broadstairs. However, we have work throughout Thanet.

We are looking for people with talent and ambition; who are flexible and reliable; and who share our ambition to transform domiciliary care. When you work for us you are never just a carer; you are one of the most important people in our business. 

Our ethos: "We believe that our customers are the most important people for our business; that our care and support workers are the most important people in our business; that a socially responsible business is most important for everyone. We are part of the service sector."

We have some fantastic opportunities for the right people. These are not just jobs; they are careers. We can offer very competitive rates of pay; petrol payments; bonus payments; promotion opportunities; pensions; free uniforms, and last, but by no means least, some of the most exciting training opportunities in Thanet. 

Do you want to work for a company that has an ambitious vision? Do you want to work for a company that is uncompromisingly and unrelentingly customer focused? Do you want to work for a company that recognises and rewards your reliability, hard work and commitment? Do you want to work for a company that is engaged with the local community?

Our Vision: "To be Thanet’s first choice private domiciliary care provider for customers and carers."

If we sound like a company that you would like to work for, contact us today on: 01843 235910 or email: thanet@caremark.co.uk.

Garry Costain is the Managing Director of Caremark Thanet, a domiciliary care provider with offices in Margate, Kent. Caremark Thanet provides home care services throughout the Isle of Thanet. Garry can be contacted on 01843 235910 or email garry.costain@caremark.co.uk. You can also visit Caremark Thanet's website at www.caremark.co.uk/thanet.

Caremark Thanet Are Holding a Care Advice Afternoon

Who Are We?
Caremark Thanet is a domiciliary care company serving the Isle of Thanet. We have been providing care in this area for about five years. We now deliver close on 1800 hours of care every week. We provide care to around 120 customers and employ almost 90 people.

The World of Domiciliary Care
There is little doubt that the world of health and social care is a complicated one. For those of you who might be considering domiciliary care for yourself or someone you know, one of the most challenging things is finding information. Sometimes you cannot find information; sometimes you find too much.

Our Advice Afternoon
On Saturday 10 February 2018, between 2.00 - 4.00 pm we will be holding an advice afternoon. This event will be held at Smith's Court Hotel, Eastern Esplanade, Margate, CT9 2HL. The principal aim of the afternoon is to answer any questions that you might have, or at least point you in the right direction.

Some of the issues that we can advise you about are:

1. The main types of funding available.
2. The assessment processes that are involved to qualify for funding.
3. Obtaining direct payments from social services.
4. Your right to choose your home care provider.
5. how to find a home care provider.
6. What are some of the questions you should consider when looking for home care.

If you would like to book a place at our advice afternoon, call us now on 01843 235910 and ask for Jemma Clayton or Garry Costain. We look forward to seeing you.

Garry Costain is the Managing Director of Caremark Thanet, a domiciliary care provider with offices in Margate, Kent. Caremark Thanet provides home care services throughout the Isle of Thanet. Garry can be contacted on 01843 235910 or email garry.costain@caremark.co.uk. You can also visit Caremark Thanet's website at www.caremark.co.uk/thanet.

Caremark Thanet Attend the Old Ramsgate Event on Sunday 4 February 2018

Caremark Thanet were very happy to attend the old Ramsgate event at St Ethelbert's Parish Hall on Sunday 4 February 2018. The event was organised by the Thanet Volunteer Bureau and was extremely well attended by the public.

The focus of the event was a fascinating talk by Ralph Hoult, also known as Mr Ramsgate. Ralph's talk demonstrated his wide knowledge of Ramsgate. Many of his photographs and comments clearly brought back memories for members of the audience.

This was a wonderful afternoon of nostalgia and friendship. At Caremark Thanet we'd like to offer a big thank you to the Thanet Volunteer Bureau for giving us the opportunity to be part of this fantastic community event.

Garry Costain is the Managing Director of Caremark Thanet, a domiciliary care provider with offices in Margate, Kent. Caremark Thanet provides home care services throughout the Isle of Thanet. Garry can be contacted on 01843 235910 or email garry.costain@caremark.co.uk. You can also visit Caremark Thanet's website at www.caremark.co.uk/thanet.