CARERS...
Look after family, partners or friends in need of help.
Because they are ill, frail or have a disability.
The care they provide is unpaid.

THE CHEPSTOW AND CALDICOT CARERS' SUPPORT GROUP
Chairman: Hermione Ford (01291-689233)
Secretary: Patsy Lewis (01291-420602)
Office: 'Cobblers Pitch', Highmoor Hill,
Caerwent, Monmouthshire NP26 5PF

Dear Carer,

At our March meeting we welcomed Angharad Lewis who is theco-ordinator for direct payments. This is a system of buying in care whereby Social Services assess your needs and instead of offering you serv- ices, they give you the money and you buy the services from anyone you like, as long as it is not an immediate member of your family who lives with you. This gives people choice and flexibility in how their care is provided.

However, this scheme is not for everyone, as the user/carer becomes an employer and has to deal with National Insurance and tax deductions (unless the care they are purchasing is from an agency or the personal atten- dant is self employed). A bank account has to be opened for the direct payments purpose but help can be given to do the paper work from an accountant. The cost of this would be covered by the direct payment. Insurance is often a question that is asked. Most household insurance policies cover this situation, but you can buy separate insurance from a nominated firm and this is also covered by the direct payment scheme.

Help from the scheme can be given to advertise for assistants to interview and close supervision of the situation is offered for the first three months. Police checks are made on all the Personal Assistants through the Local Authority. Interestingly, Personal Assistants who are self employed are not covered by the Care Standards Act. They are deemed to be domestic support!

Direct payment situations vary from just a few hours of domestic help, to laige packages of care Including respite care. It offers great flexibility from where respite care can be bought. It may even be In a hotel in a holiday resort. But remember, payment is only made as a result of a Community Care Assessment. This will assess the needs of the person you care for; and in the case of the Carers Assessment, the needs of the carer. It is a very Interesting system and still in its infancy. We must watch this space, as they say. For many carers this is too much to take on, on top of the normal daily stress of caring for someone. It must be thought through carefully, but if you would like to talk to Angharad Lewis about this scheme, ring her on 01291 672352 at the GAVO office in Usk and have a chat with her.

CHARGING POLICY REVIEW
Few carers can be happy with the proposed increase of Community Care Service charges. When we spoke with Maggie Titterton from Carers Wales, regarding the charging policy review, she suggested that as well as writing as a group to make our feelings clear about this, carers, as individuals, should write to County Councillor Brian Hood who is the Chair of the Review Group. Maggie said that a letter from carers direct makes a far greater impact on the person reading It, than a letter from a group. We have written a group letter and it has been acknowledged, however, I feel that now we must write as individuals and tell the review board exactly what it means to be a carer and how it affects our lives and how the increase in charges is going to change things. If you feel that you can spare the time to do this, as it really is important and may make a difference to the outcome of the review, here are a few ideas that you may be able to include in your letter.

1. The restrictions and isolation that caring enforces.
2. What your daily routine is.
3. The poverty that you can sink into, because earning a salary is so out of the question. The only benefit allowed to carers is the Carers Allowance of £41.75 per week which is hardly a living wage! Not being able to contribute to a pension plan.
4. Higher household bills for heating, laundry, telephone etc.
5. The thought of increased costs of services in return for the poor quality services for Home Care. The unreliability and the variety of Care Attendants that come.
6. Will this discourage you from taking up services if the charges are In the region of £8 per hour? (This could be more.) If you try to 'manage' without the support of services what is this going to do to your health?
7. Saving the country bilBons of pounds because you do the caring. Charging on top of providing free care is rather adding 'insult to injury'
8. Not being considered as a 'partner in care' - doing an important job in partnership with Social Services and being recognised as needing support.
9. Needing to take care of your own health and taking time out to have a necessary break on a regular basis without it costing you or the person you care for a fortune. After all if you become ill, there are two people to care for.

I am sure that there are other things that you can think of that are relevant to your own situation that you would like to mention.
Write to Councillor Hood at Monmouthshire Social Services, County Hall, Cwmbran NP44 2XH, or click here to email him.

We are still waiting to hear what the proposals are that they will consult on, but we need to continue to let them know that in principle we are not happy about this.

ANOTHER IMPORTANT MEETING
At our next monthly meeting on Thursday 3rd April. In the morning, we have invited some of our local County Councillors along at 11 am to listen to our views on the Charging Policy Review. We need those who receive services on behalf of the people they care for to come along and tell them how being charged £8+ per hour will Impact on your lives. Being charged at all is an insult when you are already saving the government billions by caring at home for nothing, (or if you do get the Carers Allowance, for far less than the minimum wage). Do try and make this meeting. It is a good opportunity to speak to the people who will be voting on this matter.

So, Thursday 3rd April is our next meeting and we are also having a talk from Monmouthshire Care and Repair in the afternoon - the agency who advises elderly and disabled people on building repair, adaptations or improvements.

If you want a chat I am at Gray Hill Surgery on Monday and Wednesday mornings from 10:00am-12:00 mid-day. Anyone, subscribers or not, can come and see me there.
Ring 01291-420282 for an appointment or take a chance and pop in!

For transport to meetings contact Nan Smith on 01291-421665 or Fran Green on 01633 881142.

Best wishes,

Patsy Lewis.