Care and support at University

Joeskinner99

. Hi guys I hope you are all well and staying safe during this time.My name is Joseph Skinner and I am 20 years old and I have a condition called cerebral palsy which affects the movement of all of my four limbs.  I also use an electric wheelchair and require 24 hour personal care and support with things such as toileting, eating, getting in and out of bed, and washing myself etc. I also require assistance with travelling everywhere I go for safety reasons.

 

I have been accepted onto a multimedia sports journalism course at UCFB University at their Etihad campus in Manchester. The qualification is a BA Hons 3 year degree, which once completed will enable me to pursue a job in the professional football industry as a journalist or radio presenter due to the skills I will have acquired. Over the past few months I have been liaising with the universities learning support team who have been helping me to ensure that I get the support that I need to undertake my studies to the best of my abilities.

 

Charlotte Adams is a learning support coordinator from UCFB University at the university’s Manchester campus and she signposted me to be assessed by Lancashire Pennine Access Centre. This service carry out DSA (disabled students allowance) assessments on behalf of student finance for university equipment and support. The result of which identified that I require a specialist laptop with adaptations such as voice recognition audio note taking and diagram software. I also require a support worker when at University to help me with going to the toilet, eating my lunch and getting things out of my bag etc.The DSA part of the student finance have supplied me with the technology I require for the course , however they don't give a budget for classroom and personal care support.

 

Subject to approval I will receive a student finance loan but this will not cover the expenditure required to pay for a Carer for the two days of study per week accumulating a total of 8 hours a week plus extra curricular activities  and the travel expenses to and from the University. 

 

Lancashire Pennine Access centre completed a robust and comprehensive assessment and report which I am happy to share with you which illustrates the day to day essentials of what I need in order to access this course. 

 

I currently have a Social Worker at Lancashire County Council called Rachel Pickard and I have recently had a care act assessment but she advises me that Adult Social Care do not support Service Users to access education. They also cannot increase my personal care budget which I use to pay my mum who is my paid carer under exceptional circumstances to enable me to remain living at home. My mum is unable to attend University with me as it would put an unsubstantiated amount of pressure on her with her already being my 24/7 carer.

 

As a 20 year old young man I want the opportunity to access the whole education experience of University and the opportunities and career that this will ultimately create for me and the contribution I wish to make in society.  I feel however that this avenue of opportunity which I am so close to getting is being impeded and prevented due to my disability and the lack of financial support and help I need. 

 

I have exhausted every area of support and research I can think of including organisations like Snowdon Grants, but I am being told repeatedly that there is not the financial support and help I need.

 

Can you please advise or signpost me to any organisations who may be able to help me to access additional funding opportunities in relation to University.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Joseph Skinner

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janer1967

Hi jospeh

I woujld have thought your contact at the university would be aware of any thing available.

Do you claim PIP as this is additional money for the added expense of care 

I don't know if anyone else will have more info for you

forgoodnesssake

The university should really provide this (academic support)  In the past DSA covered all this too but it was drastically overhauled a few years ago and universities were expected to take this aspect on.  As an example my son (CP, power chair, AAC user, full personal care support needed) is currently a student at Newcastle Uni.  He has a support package (for non academic) jointly from Adult Social Care and health.  However the uni disability service provides the support he needs to access lectures etc and to study and I think that comes to about 30 hours a week (weekdays only).  They also help him with the loo, snacks and drinks etc during those hours.  Hope this is helpful

Joeskinner99

Hi Jane PIP helps cover everything I need for home essentials such as food and bills etc with my mum being my paid carer it has posed difficult questions like what she would do as a mum and what she would do as a carer etc. The University themselves say they do not provide personal care support as this differs from institution to institution. Thanks for your help (:  

Joeskinner99

Hi forgoodnessake .The University themselves say they do not provide personal care support as this differs from institution to institution. Do you know of any organisations that could help me get the support I need.Thanks for your help (: 

Chloe_Alumni

Hi @Joeskinner99, thank you for sharing this. Have you heard of direct payment?

You might be entitled to funding which will mean you can employ carers to help you at university. I moved away when I went to uni and direct payments gave me the independence to do that. Here is an article that explains direct payments.

You also might want to look at Disabled Students Allowance which can give you access to equipment and software which will help you during your studies.

Please do let us know how you get on.

Joeskinner99

Hi @Chloe_ScopeThe DSA part of the student finance have supplied me with the technology I require for the course , however I have been informed they don't give a budget for physical classroom and personal care support. I currently have a Social Worker at Lancashire County Council called [removed by moderator] and I have recently had a care act assessment but she advises me that Adult Social Care do not support Service Users to access education. They also cannot increase my personal care budget ( direct payments) which I use to pay my mum who is my paid carer under exceptional circumstances as the decision went to panel to enable me to remain living at home. My mum is unable to attend University with me as it would put an unsubstantiated amount of pressure on her with her already being my 24/7 carer. Do you know of any organisations that could help me get the support I need.Thanks for your help (: 

 

Richard_Scope

Hi @Joeskinner99
Good to meet you. I think that Rachel Pickard is incorrect. As has been mentioned you care package (for anything non-academic) is the responsibility of the local authority where you are ordinarily resident. This is confirmed by this Guidance on Personal Care Support from Cambridge University. Have you had a conversation with the Disability Service team at your university?

Joeskinner99

HI @Richard_Scope good to meet you to! Yes I thought so to I have asked the question multiple times though and got the same answer. The problem is because my Mum is my paid carer under exceptional circumstances to enable me to continue to live at home so we can keep our mortgaged house and all the adaptations in it, it is extremely difficult to differentiate what she would do as a carer and what she would do as a Mum. She looks after me 24/7 and all throughout the night etc so we feel this would put an unsubstantiated amount of pressure for her to come and support me at University to. Student finance are also querying paid travel as well as I have a mobility car but that is an issue we are trying to also resolve currently as we were told travel would be paid for. We have been told by Lancashire county council after a social and personal care assesment that there is no scope for increasing the budget to enable me to also employ somebody else to take me to University and access the community etc which I think is totally wrong as we are actually saving the local council money by me living at home as if I were to live on my own it would cost way more on a weekly basis than it actually does on a monthly basis now due to the amount of staff that I would need because of the complexity of my needs. I just feel like Lancashire County Council are only doing the bare minimum requirement and that when you get to adult services your needs are slightly abandoned. Before the Covid-19 Pandemic started I was supposed to be potentially getting another budget to go alongside the one that I already have but because of the current climate that is now no longer being given to me. Have you any other suggestions? Thanks for your help

Richard_Scope

Hi @Joeskinner99
I really do feel that you are being short-changed here. What advice has your university offered? Here is a link to Challenging your social care needs assessment

serenk

Hi Joe, I’m so sorry this is happening to you. It’s despicable that you can’t get support for accessing education! We should all be able to access the same opportunities, regardless of disabilities (or anything else for that matter).

This may not be of help, but I was wondering if any charities that help raise money for your condition could help advise you or even help with funding? 

I really hope you can get some help with this. 

Seren

Chloe_Alumni

Hi @Joeskinner99, just wanted to see how you were getting on.

Joeskinner99

Hi guys @Richard_Scope @Chloe_Scope @serenk I'm so sorry I completely forgot about this discussion I am not the best with technology hahaha. In answer to your questions, the University said they do not provide personal care support and when I spoke to a charity about potential funding the woman on the form from Snowden grants was incredibly rude to me suggesting that I was breaking the law because I already have a care and support package and should be using that even when I explained the situation and said that social care services asked me to do that she was really insensitive in my opinion. I am on the waiting list for a CHC Assessment which is where the NHS cover half of your funding and social care covers the other half as I have met the criteria apparently so I’m hoping the CHC budget may be able to provide extra money for a carer at university I will continue to update you on this have you got any more advice? Take care all

Chloe_Alumni

Hi @Joeskinner99, I'm sorry you have experienced rudeness.

Is your current package direct payments? And was the lack of support challenged?

I really hope CHC budget can help! 

Joeskinner99

Hi @Chloe_Scope thanks yes it is direct payments thank you so much for your kind words! I will keep you updated.

Chloe_Alumni

You're welcome @Joeskinner99.