New skills, new friends – real lives
Mrs Sinter cares for her three sons with severe learning difficulties. Their individual budgets have given them – and her – more normal lives.
“When my social worker told me about individual budgets, I said I didn’t want to change. But I’m glad I did – it’s done so much good”, she recalls.
Mrs Sinter has three sons with severe learning disabilities and has cared for them all their lives. Now they are 35, 26, and 20 years old. Her oldest – Seshy – is the most severely affected and shows autistic tendencies. She had used direct payments to help care for them, but found this method to be rigid and inflexible. Her boys used to remain in the house and get very bored and depressed. She found herself worrying about them and dedicating all her time to their care.
Since December they have had individual budgets. This has allowed her to spend money on more creative things, like music lessons, computers, and gym memberships. She has even employed her neighbours to teach them catering and shop keeping skills. “I can spend it on different things and it’s really changed their lives.”
“It’s much better for me to manage their budgets as I know exactly what their needs are.”
It all began when a social worker approached her about taking part in an individual budget pilot scheme. “My social worker asked me: What do you think would benefit the children? I told her about music, exercise and social activities. She helped me – she made it happen.”
Since December she has noticed a change in the way Seshy behaves, and she attributes this to the individual budget. “He is more sociable, he meets more people. It bought him a mobile phone that he likes very much. He feels more like a person; it’s going to give him lots of life.”
The individual budget has given Mrs Sinter more control and lessened the burden of her caring responsibilities. “It’s much better for me to manage their budgets as I know exactly what their needs are. I can decide what would be good for them. I make decisions and I’m in control”, she says. “I use it to pay for mini-cabs so I don’t have to accompany them as I know they are safe – in this way the budget gives me and them more freedom. They feel they are not dependent on me.”
Would she recommend individual budgets to other carers? “Definitely”, Mrs Sinter replies. “I’m very positive about it. It will only make their lives better.”
Page updated: 15 Jun 2010
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