I can't afford to go abroad with my support staff? 27 June 2019 at 1:16AM edited 27 June 2019 at 2:36AM in Disability money matters 5 replies 2.5K views

nicetomeetyou

I live in supported living and have a social service care package. I get 21 hours a week one to one support and access to 55 shared hours a week between 3 other people with LD's/ASD.

I have been on holiday to Germany in 2015 for 5 days with my support staff, back then the support company charged service users for 8 hours a day for their support which made it affordable to go on holiday. Now the care company charges for the full day (15 hours) at £15.00 a hour and a sleep at £75.00 = £300 a day staff support costs basically - (staff only get paid minimum wage though)

I would like to travel to India or Sri Lanka for 3 weeks to visit tourists sites - but am unable to travel on my own without company as I have anaxity with travelling alone. In support costs alone would be over £6.000 for 3 weeks - 2 weeks is £4.000 and 1 week is £2.000 and their is not point going just for one week!

This isn't counting expenditure for flights and accommodation, domestic flight within India..etc Which would be double as I'll be paying for two people.. Flights to Mumbai for 2 people in November are £1.300 alone..

About a 2 years ago we had a staff member leave the support company, he retired, lives on his own, likes to travel to Thailand frequently, we often talked about different countries and his holidays. He was a good support worker. He had to be DBS checked to work at the support company. If I offered him say £1.000 salary for the 3 weeks to travel to India/Sri Lanka with me and paid for accommodation and flights, all expenditure... Maybe him working 30 hours a week with me, I would be flexible with the hours, also doing tourist things he would like to do - He would have time to do things himself - he might say yes?

I haven't asked him, I would have to put it to social services first... They wouldn't have a problem, they have no problems with me going alone to India/Sri Lanka, but again anxiety!. I think its the best possible way for me to go on holiday

I am easy going, no support needs really, just need the company to to ease my anxieties with travelling. Have backed out of two paid holidays abroad through anxiety recently.

Do you think that sounds like a good idea, if this fails do you think if I advertised on support sites for a support worker to accompany me would be a good idea? They have to be DBS checked.. Is this a good idea?

How would I do this?

unrecordings

I think the worst you can get is 'no' at this stage
It seems to me the best way you can make this happen is with a trusted 'friend'. I'd approach this cautiously, consider your 'friend' might not want to undertake this alone, and make sure your travel insurance is absolutely watertight

Good luck !

nicetomeetyou

After writing my first post, I had a idea..

We used to have a staff member who worked at my property, we got on very well...Since she left I become friends with her on facebook... I wrote to her on FB about 3am if we could come to an arrangement so I can go on holiday with her, I can pay her for 37 hours for the week at £14 an hour which will be £518 for the week, and outside the 37 hours support she can be at leisure, but she'll still be around if I need her. We will have separate rooms, we will go all-inclusive. The reassurance of her accompanying me will be a big boost. She also has a very recent DBS.

She has agreed to come with me...

I'm asking my community LD nurse about it as I don't have a social worker anymore... I think we would have to go through social services? I am very independent, I have been on holiday abroad alone in my early 20s but as I'm older my anxieties around going on holidays alone as worsened. The CLDT has had no objections about me booking holidays before but I've chickened out going on them.

[Deleted User]

If you don't have an allocated social worker I assume they closed your case? If so why would this go through social services. None of their business.

nicetomeetyou

My care coordinator is still from the learning disability team but he's a LD community nurse, The CLDT team work under the same roof. I have no need for a social worker, a social worker sits in my CPA pathway meetings but I'm not allocated one, I wouldn't need to be referred to the CLDT as I'm under them. I'm on a community treatment order.

[Deleted User]

If you have booked holidays before but not gone on them what would be different this time apart from paying somebody a lot of money to have a free holiday?
I'm not being negative just concerned that you might spend a lot of £ then not go, might it be better to go somewhere a lot nearer and cheaper than India and see how to goes with someone else going with you?