ACTIVITIES UNLIMITED (AU) An Easy Guide to Short Break Offers

Transcription

1 ACTIVITIES UNLIMITED (AU) An Easy Guide to Short Break Offers

2 Contents Section 1. What is a Short Break Service? 2. What is a Short Break Offer/Short Break Offer Plus for? 3. How can I receive my Short Break Offer/Short Break Offer Plus? 4. What is an instalment payment? 5. Who can have an AU Direct Payment/Personal Allowance? 6. How would you like to receive your funding? 7. What are Split Payments? 8. Can somebody look after my Direct Payment on my behalf? 9. What kind of activities can I use my Short Break Offer/Short Break Offer Plus on? 10. Direct Payment Terms & Conditions 11. Important Information please read as there are changes you need to be aware of 12. AU Website 13. Any Further Questions 14. Excess Funds Policy 15. AU Short Break Offer Agreement Form 2

3 AU Short Break Offers You have received this guidance as you have been offered a Short Break Offer or a Short Break Offer Plus. 1. What is a Short Break Service? Local Authorities have a statutory duty to provide a range of short breaks to meet the needs, wants and wishes of children and young people with disabilities and additional needs. This enables parents and carers to receive regular breaks from caring. Short breaks could take place after school, in the evenings, at weekends (including overnights), in the school holidays, and can offer any kind of activity. Short breaks are available to all children, young people and young adults with disabilities and / or additional needs. Activities Unlimited offer three levels of support to access short breaks which may include an element of funding: Membership Offer includes access to a range of short break opportunities available on the AU website, many of which are subsidised by grant funding from Suffolk County Council. Access to advice and signposting to other services. Short Break Offer includes the same as a Membership Offer, but in addition a yearly amount of funding up to 500. Short Break Offer Plus includes the same as a Membership Offer, but in addition a yearly amount of funding of up to 1, What is a Short Break Offer or Short Break Offer Plus for? This is a financial contribution (a personal budget) towards helping your child or young person access fun, meaningful and exciting activities that all children and young people should enjoy. This also allows you as a parent/carer of a disabled child, to have a break, knowing your child is well looked after and enjoying a range of activities. Your child may like: To take part in leisure activities or short breaks of their own choice To try out and enjoy new opportunities and challenges To make new friends and gain more confidence To learn new skills and expand horizons Whilst your child is having fun, enjoying lots of exciting activities and opportunities, we hope you ll be able to: Feel confident in encouraging your child to have new experiences and reach their full potential Have a break from caring for your child or children Enjoy some quality time with your other children, family and friends Take part in new hobbies and opportunities that you will enjoy 3. How can I receive my AU Short Break Offer or Short Break Offer Plus? Do take time to think about activities your child may enjoy and how you would like to use your offer. You can choose to receive your offer via the following payment methods: Direct Payment via a Prepaid Card please see Appendix 4 or click here Direct Payment paid into your personal bank account Personal Allowance Split Payment 3

4 4. What is an instalment payment? If you choose to receive your Direct Payment into a nominated bank account or as a Personal Allowance or Split Payment you will receive this in two instalments. However, if you choose a Pre- Paid card you will have the option to receive your full Direct Payment in one instalment. 5. Who can have an AU Direct Payment/Personal Allowance? A Parent/Carer (with parental responsibility) of a disabled child under 18 years of age A disabled young person aged 16 or 17 years (Up to their 18th birthday. Access to AU activities are available until the age of 25) 6. How would you like to receive your funding? The table below may assist you in making your decision. The following needs to be met: You live in Suffolk on a full-time basis Your AU enrolment has informed us that you and your child s needs qualify you for a funded Short Break Offer Your identity has been validated Statement Your Short Break Offer is made directly available to you. Pre- Paid Cards Direct Payment into bank Personal Allowance Split Payment DP PA You will receive your funding into your own bank account or an account nominated by you. Your funding will be loaded onto a pre-paid card which will be arranged by Activities Unlimited (AU) and sent directly to you. Your funding will be managed on your behalf. You will need to evidence your spending by sending your receipts to AU. The whole offer amount is available to you in one instalment. You will need to keep receipts and only send in to AU if required. You can make payments online or via a card machine, set up direct debits and view transactions online. There is an option of a Companion Card at no extra cost. * ** The providers can invoice us directly for any short break activities your child attends. You can pay for things in advance and send us a receipt and we will arrange to reimburse you. You will need to contact us within office hours for balance enquiries. You will have 24-hour access to your balance and transactions online No ATM cash withdrawals. (Unless this has been individually agreed by AU) * This is dependent on how you manage you nominated bank account ** As long as it is not restricted 4

5 7. What are Split Payments? You can choose to have a mix of a Direct Payment and a Personal Allowance if this suits your needs. You will need to call us to discuss if you wish to choose split payments. Once you have decided your preferred method of payment: Read the Terms and Conditions Complete the Agreement Form, ensuring you indicate your consent for identity validation checks. Sign and Date the Agreement Form and ensure you return within 14 days to: Activities Unlimited 4 th Floor GOLD Endeavour House Russell Road Ipswich IP1 2BX 8. Can somebody look after the Direct Payment on my behalf? You may prefer to ask another person, a company or organisation to look after your direct payment for you. For Prepaid Card users a Companion Card may be issued at no additional cost. For Direct Payments paid into own bank account you may nominate a person to receive and manage the funds on your behalf. To arrange this, please contact us on and we will send you the appropriate form to complete and sign. Although you may ask somebody to help, you must keep the control over how you choose services and how they are delivered. The Nominated Person will be subject to the Know Your Customer identity validation checks carried out by the third party or by AU staff, to ensure they are an appropriate recipient to hold funds on behalf of the young person. We love hearing about what our members have been up to. Do send us photos, drawings, reviews and feedback so we can see how the Short Break Offer is working for your child and your family 5

6 AU Spending Guidelines See page 7 for examples of how AU families use their offers 9. What kind of activities can I use my Short Break Offer/Short Break Offer Plus on? Spending Guidelines What can I use my Short Break offer for? Your Activities Unlimited short break award is to support your child s short break activities in a way that makes sense to you and your family. We would ask that you take note of the Short Break outcomes listed below, and ensure that when you spend your funding that it supports the outcomes below. What can I hope to achieve from the Short Break Offer for my child/family? We hope that you will be able to use your funding to support your child/family to achieve one or more of the following outcomes Outcomes for the Parent/Carer Confidence in short-break activities/services happy for their children to attend short-break services. Breaks that support family stability and harmony. Time to yourself, or to do the things that are important to you and your family. Outcomes for the Child/young person To try out, / participate in fun, engaging activities. Personal skill development: for instance, increased confidence, ability to try/adapt to new settings and people, ability to follow instructions and routines, ability to work as part of a team, appropriate behaviours. Ability to build and maintain friendships/relationships. Activities which could enable the child to become less dependent on their parent/guardian/carer. What should the Short Break Offer not be used for? Anything that is illegal or is illegal to purchase, or that would endanger the child or young person or any other person; Gambling; debt repayment; alcohol; tobacco; To pay a family member living with the child or young person, except as agreed in exceptional circumstances; Emergency, acute, and most primary healthcare services which are already provided on the NHS; Treatments, such as medication, that the NHS would not normally fund because they are not shown to be most cost effective; Purchasing services directly from Suffolk County Council or their partner agencies; Permanent residential care; Equipment; As a substitute for Disabled Facilities Grants; Everyday living expenses, for example food, rent, utility bills, clothing, etc. 6

7 Who can I contact if I am unsure what to do? If you re unsure of how to spend your short break award, or you would like to find out more about Suffolk s funded short-break services, then please contact the Activities Unlimited team on or cypbusinesssupport@suffolk.gov.uk to discuss further. Below are some examples of how you can use your Short Break Offer to help you when deciding on what activities to do with your child. David chose a Prepaid Card and finds it much easier to manage his daughter Rosie s Short Break Offer Plus money It is all in one place and he can go online and view all the transactions with ease rather than view his own bank account where the money was previously paid to and try to identify the relevant items. He has even set up a Direct Debit to cover Rosie s monthly membership fees for the local leisure centre where she loves to go on weekends. Jenny has a Prepaid Card and uses it to pay the termly swimming lesson fees for her son Benji. She also uses it occasionally to purchase new toys for the garden as he loves to be outside, rather than use her own debit card Sally is still having a Direct Payment into her own bank account as she likes the flexibility it gives her. Most of her daughter s Short Break Offer is used on family days out as they would not be able to go out much as a family without it. Mandy used the Prepaid Card to pay for her son Kai to get a new tablet. The remaining was used to pay providers online for activities in the school holidays - a residential outdoors break and 3 activity days at HOPS. Ian chose to have a Personal Allowance as he is a busy single parent and carer for his elderly father who lives with him and his two children. Aaron s short break offer is used on a Saturday club and activity days in the school holidays and the payments are all taken care of, all he has to do is make the bookings online or in person when he takes Aaron along. 7

8 10. Direct Payment Terms and Conditions The Direct Payment must be spent within the guidelines outlined in the Terms and Conditions of the Short Break Offer. All Direct Payment recipients will be subject to a Know Your Customer identity validation check. The check will now be completed by a third-party organisation. This is NOT a credit check. Direct Payment recipients can have the identity validation check completed in house by the County Council upon request. If the cared for person is aged 16 or above, and can manage their own Direct Payment, their own bank account or Prepaid Card may be used. A Direct Payment cannot be paid into a post office account. The Direct Payment recipient agrees to repay the Direct Payment or any part of it if the County Council is satisfied that it has not been used appropriately in accordance with this agreement and current Direct Payment legislation. It is the responsibility of the Direct Payment recipient to make arrangements to secure appropriate services, such as the procurement of services or the employment of staff, and to comply with all legal requirements that may arise in making such arrangements. The County Council accept no responsibility for any matters that arise because of these arrangements. Where a Direct Payment is being used to employ staff, the Direct Payment recipient agrees to take out Employers and Public Liability Insurance and supply policy documentation if requested to do so by the County Council. If, in the opinion of the County Council, the service provider or potential employee selected by the Direct Payment Recipient is either not able to or is un-fit to provide a safe and adequate service the County Council has the right to require that the Direct Payment recipient finds an alternative person or organisation to provide the service(s). If this requirement is not met, the County Council has the right to suspend the Direct Payment or withdraw funds from the prepaid card until they are satisfied that suitable arrangements have been made. The Direct Payment recipient agrees not to use the Direct Payment to purchase a service from the spouse/partner of the assessed person, or from a close relative (or their spouse or partner) who are living in their household without the permission of the County Council under the 'exceptional conditions' arrangements. Where the Direct Payment recipient employ s staff or uses self-employed staff the County Council strongly recommends that appropriate checks be made through the (Disclosure Barring Service (DBS). The Direct Payment recipient understands that they cannot use their Direct Payment to purchase any service that is provided by the County Council. For Direct Payments paid into own personal bank account, the recipient must provide proof of expenditure, which reflects how the money was spent, within 12 weeks of use or as soon as is practicable. This will usually take the form of a receipt or invoice and completion of the Spending Record provided by Activities Unlimited. If a Direct Payment has been made via a Prepaid Card, the recipient must retain evidence of how the Short Break Offer has been spent but will not need to complete a Spending record. Receipts will need to be sent to the County Council as and when requested to do so. The Direct Payment Recipient must return all unspent monies within the same period eg: financial year, as outlined in the Excess Funds policy (Link page 10, or Appendix 1) The Direct Payment recipient agrees that monies paid by the County Council under the terms of this agreement and held in the account, or the Prepaid Card account, remain the property of the County Council. In the event of the death of the Direct Payment recipient or the ceasing of the Direct Payment, the County Council have the right to request the return of any unused monies. Refer to Excess Funds policy on page 10 or Appendix 1. The County Council will 8

9 carefully consider what contractual responsibilities exist when determining the balance to be re-paid. The Direct Payment Recipient agrees that Suffolk County Council may use the information provided for the prevention and detection of fraud. Suffolk County Council may also share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds for these purposes. 11. Important Information i. Identity Validation - Know Your Customer checks From 2018 Activities Unlimited will use a third party to carry out an identity validation check on their behalf. The nature of the AU service means we are do not have the opportunity to meet with our customers face to face. Please be clear this is NOT A CREDIT CHECK and we will not do anything without your consent. We will simply provide your name, address, date of birth and National Insurance (NI) Number to the third party to verify your identity. This is to safeguard the Local Authority and prevent potential fraudulent use of taxpayer s monies. You will be asked for your consent to this check on the Agreement Form. However, if you are not happy to give your consent please contact us so we can make an alternative arrangement. Unspent monies Suffolk County Council must account for how the money is being used. When signing this agreement form you will be agreeing to the terms and conditions set out and will be expected to spend and evidence appropriately how you have spent the whole amount you have received within the current financial year. We will claim the money back or reduce future payments if: You haven t spent it. You have spent it inappropriately. You haven t provided us with enough evidence of spend. If you receive your Direct Payment into your personal bank account, the receipts that you issue will be logged but then disposed of, only send us a copy of the receipt if you need the receipt as a proof of purchase / warranty. Your spending record will be retained as evidence of expenditure for audit purposes. 12. The Activities Unlimited website provides all the information you may need to make most of your Short Break Offer or Short Break Offer Plus. Click here: Whilst there you can: Update your enrolment information at any time if things change Find out information about the Short Break providers and book their activities online or directly with providers Check out our fully accessible Holiday Lodges and how to book them Share information and feedback with the team and other families via Facebook, Twitter and the AU feedback form 9

10 Download additional Short Break Offer forms and documents i.e. spending records and school holiday programmes 13. Any Further Questions? Help is available by calling between 9am and 5pm Monday Thursday (9am- 4.30pm on a Friday). You can also us at cypbusinesssupporthillview@suffolk.gov.uk. If you are unable to use the website the team are on hand to help you. 14. Excess Funds Policy In the event of unspent direct payments, monies will be recovered by Suffolk County Council at the end of the financial year. The Funds can be returned to Suffolk County Council, either by sending a cheque or by on-line transfer into Suffolk County Council s bank account. For more information please see below: Excess Funds Policy Link Click link or see Appendix 1 Know your customer policy Click link or see Appendix 2 SCC Debt recovery policy - Click link or see Appendix 3 What is a Pre-Paid Card Click link or Appendix 4 10

11 Activities Unlimited Short Break Offer Agreement Form Please read the Terms and Conditions on Page 8 before completing the below Agreement Form. This Agreement is made between Suffolk County Council and: SECTION ONE MUST BE COMPLETED Title: (Mrs/Miss/Ms/Mr/Dr/Prof.) Parent / Carer Name: (please print) Address: (including postcode) Telephone Number: Parent / Carer address: Parent / Carer Date of Birth: Parent / Carer National Ins. Number: Child s Full Name: Child s Date of Birth: Child s Address (if different from Direct Payment Recipient) SECTION TWO PLEASE CHOOSE PAYMENT METHOD A, B, C or D A - I would like to receive my Direct Payment via a Pre-Paid Card (if selected please move on to SECTION 3) I would like to receive my Direct Payment in one payment Please tick I would like to receive my Direct Payment in two instalments B - I would like to have my Direct Payment paid into my Nominated Bank Account (please enter bank details below if you choose this option then move on to SECTION 3) Nominated Bank Account Details of Direct Payment Recipient (Parent/Carer): Bank Name: Account Name/s: Account No: Sort Code: Building Society Roll No: C - I would like to receive my Direct Payment via a Personal Allowance (if selected please move on to SECTION 3) D - I would like to receive my Direct Payment via a Split Payment (please indicate values for each) (if selected please move on to SECTION 3) Direct Payment Value: Personal Allowance Value: SECTION THREE MUST BE COMPLETED I consent to AU having my identity check carried out by a 3 rd party (if you do not want your ID checked by a 3 rd party please contact AU to make alternative arrangements) SECTION FOUR MUST BE SIGNED AND DATED Please sign and date below indicating that you agree to the terms and conditions: Signed: Date: 11