Direct Payments

Accommodation

Having a good place to live is important to everyone. It can sometimes be difficult for people with learning disabilities to find the right place to live. For example, we know that across the UK;

• Very few adults with learning disabilities own their own home.
• Adults with learning disabilities often stay living at home with their parents and other family members until they are older than other people might do.
• There are still many people with learning disabilities living in residential care accommodation as their long term home.

This can mean they have less money to spend and less choice about where they live and who they live with.
Press the buttons below for more information

Children & Young People

In 2022, an exercise was done to prioritise what's important for children and young people with learning disabilities in North Wales, making sure their voices and their families' voices were heard. As a result, a new workstream focused on children and young people was created.

The key areas identified for North Wales Together to work on include Life After School, Transition, Activities, Information, Accommodation, and Respite.

Health

Staying healthy is important for all of us. People with learning disabilities can face additional barriers to staying fit and healthy. They can also sometimes have difficulty in getting the health care they need.

The programme works with colleagues in the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to improve health services and reduce health inequalities for people with Learning Disabilities in North Wales. Read about some of the work we have done here.

The Right Support

People with learning disabilities say their staff need better training to provide the right support for a good life. Good support happens when staff share positive values, have the right skills to meet each person's needs, and when support is person-centred and focuses on the things which matter most to them.

In this section, you'll find information and resources to help everyone provide the right support.

Supported Employment

The goal is to help people with learning disabilities gain equal access to paid employment, feel valued, and contribute to society.

The North Wales Supported Employment Strategy for People with Learning Disabilities (2024-2029), created in collaboration with people with learning disabilities and the North Wales Learning Disability Partnership, will be implemented through the North Wales Supported Employment Service.

This aims to provide a clear pathway for anyone aged 14+ with a learning disability to access support to find paid work

A Direct Payment is money from the council to help individuals and their carers to arrange and pay for support to meet their assessed needs and agreed well-being outcomes.

Nearly everyone who is eligible for care and support from Social Services can get a Direct Payment.

North Wales Together worked with All Wales Parent and Carer Forum to develop leaflets that explain who might be eligible for Direct Payments and how they work.

Eligibility for managed care and support Download

Direct Payments Code of Practice

Direct Payments – A summary of the Code of Practice Download

Direct Payments A summary of the Part 4 Code of Practice Download

This tool could help you to think about how you will use your Direct Payment.

Direct Payments Support Tool Download

Direct Payment Films

Here are some films that show how people are using their Direct Payments.

Help with managing your Direct Payment

There is support available to help you to use them in the best way for you. The support looks different in each of the North Wales counties so you will need to speak to a social worker or support service about what help could be available to you.

Lots of people use their Direct Payments to pay for a Personal Assistant (PA).

Flintshire County council have a helpful website offering advice on direct payments for people in Flintshire and further afield. Take a look at the website here

Visit Website

Direct payments can be used for lots more than just PAs. Follow this link to see Disability Wales’ useful guide. It has examples of people “pooling” their direct payments so they can do things together.

Visit Website

Flintshire have also made this handy guide on how people can pool their direct payments.

Visit Website

The Wales Co-operative has produced this easy read guide and a fact sheet.

Making Direct Payments work for you Download

Direct Payments – make them work for you Download

Some people are able to manage their own Direct Payments. North Wales Together have developed this Easy read agreement for people who have a direct payment.

Easy Read Direct Payment Agreement Download

Some people might have difficulty managing a direct payment. Flintshire county Council have developed guidance that explains show a suitable person can be appointed to help a person who does not have the capacity to manage their own direct payment.

Direct Payments ‘Suitable Person’ Guidance Download

Accommodation

Children & Young People

Communities

Health

The Right Support

The Right Support

Supported Employment

Technology

Accommodation

Children & Young People

Communities

Health

The Right Support

The Right Support

Supported Employment

Technology

Direct Payments

Direct Payments Code of Practice

Direct Payment Films

Help with managing your Direct Payment