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Help, Support & Advice

Cost of living information and support

Click here to find out want's available in Halton

Information about Personal Budgets, Direct Payments and Personal Assistants (PAs)

Personal Budgets and Direct Payments

Short Breaks Personal Budget

Wheelchair Personal Budget

Education Personal Budget

VIDEOS

 

What is a Personal Assistant (PA)?

A personal assistant works directly with one or more individuals, to support them with various aspects of their daily life so that they can live it in a way they choose. They’re usually employed directly by a person who needs care and support, and who manages and pays for this through a personal budget or with their own money. This person is their employer (and are often referred to as an ‘individual employer’). They can also be employed by a family member or representative, when the person they’re supporting doesn’t have the physical or mental capacity to be the employer. However, a personal assistant always works directly with the individual they’re supporting. It’s most likely that this should be through an employed arrangement, rather than being self-employed.

As a personal assistant you’re likely to be involved in many aspects of your employer’s life, and may be asked to provide support in the home, at leisure or at work. The opportunity to focus directly on the needs of an individual, and the diversity of the role, is what often attracts people to this type of work.

More information about Personal Budgets can be found on the Education, Health and Care Plan section 

Positive Future Consultancy (PFC)

 

 

Positive Future Consultancy (PFC) is an organisation with many years experience working with children and adults with learning difficulties, disabilities and barriers to life and learning.

How can we help you to recruit a PA?

PFC will endeavour to support families through the sometimes very difficult process of recruiting and appointing the right PA for each family. Together with Halton Borough Council, the Disabled Children’s Service and the Direct Payments Team we aim to make the process as seamless as possible.

PFC will recruit, pre-interview, acquire DBS checks and train PA’s to a standard of readiness to be introduced to families who are looking for the right PA for them.  We will have a bank of PA’s to choose from, enabling families to make a decision based on their needs and requirements.  PFC will strive to enable PA’s to reach a set standard providing them with the tools they need to carry out the role of a PA.

PFC will provide the PA’s with access to:

  • training and support including:
    • Health and Safety
    • Manual Handling
    • Equal Ops
    • First Aid
  • information, advice and guidance
  • help in matching them to the right family.

PFC will assist families to establish a chosen family member as a PA with all the checks, training and support as an independent PA.

Information and Advice

Halton Carers Centre

Halton Carers’ Centre help to support unpaid young and adult carers across the borough, see their website for details of services and support available

If you would like to register with the Carers’ Centre, complete the online form using the following links:

Halton Carers’ Centre Facebook page

Scope Navigate phone-based support service

Navigate is a phone-based support service for parents whose children have either been diagnosed with a disability within the past twelve months or who are on a pathway to a diagnosis. We offer up to six support sessions for parents with their own parent adviser who will provide a combination of practical advice and emotional support.

More details about what we offer, as well as our online referral form, can be found here Scope’s Navigate 

Family, caring and housing support
Disability support - families, children and young people with SEND
Money Matters

When you are 18, you will be responsible for paying your own bills, how much you pay depends on whether you are in education, employment or looking for work. These are some organisations that can help advice you:

 

Moving from Benefits to Work

Provides help and advice on moving from benefits to work, work experience/volunteering, starting your own business and support available when you start working.

Halton SENDIASS
Keeping safe
Hate Crime, Childline & Prejudiced Incidents

Hate Crime

Childline

  • Childline is a private and confidential service for children and young people up to the age of 19

Prejudiced Incidents

Got Your Back Halton

  • Self-Referral can be made by you or your friends aged 18 or under if you have been a victim of crime
  • Referral by a Professionals/Agency – parental or guardian permission is required to pass the young person’s details on to the service
  • Got Your Back Halton Tel: 0800 6406466, Text GYBMentor to 82228, Email halton@gyb.org.uk 
Using the internet safely
Dealing with scams and cold callers
Advocacy support
Help with debt and money worries

The cost of living crisis is affecting more and more people. If you need help or advice about money, debt and other issues, there are organisations in Halton who can help.

  • Citizens Advice Halton can help with a range of issues, not just around debt and finances but also housing, legal issues and much more Tel: 08082 787 956
  • Energy Projects Plus (EPP) provide a Save Energy Advice Line for free and impartial advice on reducing your energy bills and keeping warm at home Tel: 0800 043 0151
  • Mental Health Info Point can also provide more details of help and support for money worries
Halton Family Hubs

We’re working with partners in Halton to develop Family Hubs across the borough by March 2025.
This work is being funded by the Department for Education from the government’s Family Hubs Transformation Fund.

Click here find out more

Family Hubs 0-5 years Guide one page

AccessAble (the new name for DisabledGo)
AccessAble for Runcorn and Widnes –  provide access guides to raise awareness of venues/public spaces that are locally accessible e.g. shops, restaurants, leisure centres, parks

What is a Parent Carer Forum and what do they do? 

Why should I join my local Parent Carer Forum? 

Local support groups for children, young people, parents and carers

Children and Young People's Groups

Halton Youth Cabinet (HYC) for young people aged 11-18 years
HYC leaflet
Clubs on offer through Vibe in Halton

Halton Children in Care Council

 

 

Halton INC Club for young people with SEND aged 17-25 years

 

FDY Youth Club for young people aged 11-17 years

 

 

 

West Bank Youth Club for West Bank children and young people aged 8-18 years

 

 

Deafness Support Network

 

 

Deafness Resource Centre

 

If you would like to register with Halton Carers’ Centre, complete the online form using the following links:

Parent and Carer Groups

Halton SEND Parents Carer Forum logoHalton SEND Parent Carers Forum (HSPCF)

 

 

 

SEND R US

 

 

 

 

ADDvanced Solutions Community Network

 

 

 

Deafness Resource Centre

 

 

Deafness Support Network

 

 

If you would like to register with Halton Carers’ Centre, complete the online form using the following links:

Halton SEND Parent Carers Forum Annual Survey
Halton SEND Parent Carers Forum Membership Form
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