Skip to main content Flintshire County Council Logo

Alert Section

What are direct payments?

 What are direct payments 670

What are Direct Payments?

If you are eligible for help to meet your care needs and these cannot be met without additional support or services, Flintshire County Council can give you the money instead of a service. 

The following short film provides an overview of direct payments in Wales and how they can be used to support your independence and increase choice and control over the care you have been assessed as needing.

If you are assessed by Flintshire Social Services as having an eligible need for care & support and these cannot be met without additional paid support, you may be able to consider a Direct Payment to arrange care and support of your choice, rather than relying on the council to do this for you.

Having a Direct Payment means that you can have more control over the support you need, be able to make important choices about who provides your care, when and how they provide it and have greater flexibility over the support you need than services provided or arranged by the council.

 People in Flintshire are using Direct Payments to arrange:

  • Care at home
  • Help with personal care
  • Support that keeps you safe and well
  • Care & support that enables you to remain living as independently as possible
  • Equipment that supports you 
  • Support to help informal carers to continue to care for you

Having a Direct Payment is a personal decision that will hopefully enable you to achieve a better quality of life.

People who need care and support often choose to receive a direct payment to arrange:

  • Support from registered domiciliary care agencies
  • Support from employed Personal Assistants
  • Support from Self-Employed Micro-Carers
  • Aids, adaptations and equipment that make life easier and improve independence
  • Residential Care
  • Respite services

If you provide unpaid care for someone who needs support in the community you may be eligible for an assessment in your own right. If eligible and you are not able to recieve support without a funded service, a direct payment may be available to help you arrange support that helps you maintain your caring role.

Please note that you can only be eligible for a direct payment from Flintshire County Council if you have had an assessment and the council agrees that any assessed needs can only be achieved through the provision of a direct payment or equivelent service.

We are committed to providing people such as yourself with all of the information that you need to make a decision that is right for you.

We have an experienced Direct Payments team within the council who are there to support you with any queries or information that you need. We will endeavour to provide you with as much help and reassurance as you need, until you feel confident to manage arrangements yourself. But remember, if you need periodic support, or advice we are only a phone call away.

Direct Payment Team contact info:

Direct Payments Support Service  

01352 701100    

dp.support@flintshire.gov.uk

Team members:

Direct Payment Team Manager;  Mark Cooper.

Direct Payment Support Officers; Claire Tuft, Emily Kershaw, Harriet Weir, Sharon Stapley-Jones, Maria Williams, Toni Wolstenholme

To get further information about the support you can recieve to help you understand and manage a direct payment in Flintshire, please click on the link below.

Direct Payment Support in Flintshire

What should I do if I want to find more about Direct Payments?

In order for you to get a Direct Payment you need an assessment of your care needs. If you have a social worker or care manager then contact them. If not please call:

  • Adult Social Services on 03000 858858;
  • or Children’s Social Services on 01352 701000

Please read our welcome booklet by clicking on the link below.

Welcome Booklet 2024

Direct Payments & the Law

Please read this summary of direct payments within the Social Services & Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. This is where the legal responsibilities pertaining to direct payments can be found. Please click on the link below.

https://northwalestogether.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Direct-Payments-Code-of-Practice-KW.pdf

Direct Payment Stories 

Teresa’s story

Teresa was diagnosed with Early Onset Dementia at the age of 59. Eight years on this is her story and how Direct Payments have enabled her to arrange an alternative to traditional support which has helped her remain active, well and involved in her local community. 

Joanne’s story part 1

Joanne has required 24 hour support after she suffered a brain injury in 1996 when she was just 20 years old. This is Joanne and her mum telling her story and how direct payments help Joanne to live independently in her own home with the support that she chooses. 

Joanne’s story part 2

Joanne has accessed support after she suffered a brain injury 1996 when she was just 20 years old. This is Joanne and one of the Personal Assistants (PA’s) who she employs via Direct Payments, talking about what it is like to be a PA. 

Eira’s story

Eira was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease in 2012 and lives with her husband who manages the direct payment and receives support from 3 Personal Assistants (PAs) including her daughter. This is their story of how direct payments have helped their family, including support for Eira, support for her husband as a carer and how their daughter finds being a PA.

Imogen’s story

This is Imogen’s story. Imogen has difficulties with her mental health, but using direct payments she employs PAs to help support her with everyday tasks and would recommend direct payments for other people with mental health issues.