Response to an invitation

I received an invitation to an Equality Opportunity Meeting for

Equality B&NES

c/o Bath People First

Dear Will,

Happy New Year! Having a major Personal Assistant (PA) crisis: one sick (major family issues, stress and now gall bladder trouble) another sick and having a minor operation that will keep her inactive for 2 weeks, and the others set in their other jobs with family commitments...and I nearly forgot one new one with itchy feet as there are not enough hours...That means it truly can get better!

How did I get into this?

Once upon a time Social services of Bath and North East  Somerset (BaNES) started my personal budget  early because it was convenient to some head of department to have less cases opened that appeared to be stagnant with the Shaw Trust that did not do as much as what it said on the box. My staff was amassed in a hurry and composed of people working somewhere else. I was not given enough money to do anything and having recruited someone that I could not pay.

Social services took note of the problem but did nothing about it. Shaw Trust did nothing about social services doing nothing. The Vanguard team put it right and I got my personal budget recalculated. I changed to Enable payroll and care support agency to Phoenix SW. I employed more assistants but one has moved because she bought a house in North Devon and I found jobs to apply for her there.
Another one started nearly a year ago; she had been depressed but got more confident and accompanied me for my first week long holiday. Unfortunately, she has a major family problem and a health one that means that she will not return for long.

I just got better and established a very good routine that means the care when it is regular has the result of making me progress and be mobile. When I am mobile I become healthier and more active and cheerful...I need regular exercise for the physiotherapy following botulinum toxin injections to help control spasms in my legs (bad wheelchair, poor foot care and bad posture). I re advertised from19th January and got Phoenix SW to come tomorrow. My husband is in full time employment and we find that having me out of bed at 7am is good for him to go to work. The body is regular and does not stop during the weekend.

Care agencies are far too limiting and expensive...that is nothing...they are also very poorly trained with constant staffing problems. Social services close cases and there is no way to advertise centrally and organise local pool of carers. It is down to the individual to manage on their own. I do not want to lose my mobility and independence. I need regular assisted exercises only available on personal budget.

So Will I have a major problem that will keep me busy for a long time!