Withdrawing money

[redsails]

Is it right for staff in a supported living environment to withdraw two or three hundred pounds for the person they support to spend on Christmas without discussing it with close family members? The person being supported has a learning disability and a low funding package and relatives think it would have been courteous to discuss it first before such a large amount was withdrawn. The gentleman in question is in his 50’s and often agrees with things he has little or no control over in case he upsets people or gets them into trouble.

[Hidden]

They have to discuss it with appointee, usually family member but if they control I'm not sure - always write because you can say you did question and your side is legal question

[redsails in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for your comments. The gentleman has an appointee who works for the care provider (not a family member) who wasn’t happy about the amount requested but I’m more concerned that staff took it upon themselves to decide how much it should be without discussing it with close family or the fact that there doesn’t appear to be any proper procedure regarding withdrawing large amounts of money for someone who is on a very limited budget.

[49Twister in reply to redsails]

As a family member isn't appointee I don't think family would have to be involved., they have handed that responsibility over to the care provider. The person who is appointee could have refused that withdrawal and should have if they weren't happy about it. The care provider will have to keep records of what that money is being spent on. Not sure if a family member will be able to access those records unless they have power of attorney or deputy ship. My son is in supported living he is 46, and I am his appointee. I transfer a set amount of money each week via direct debit into a separate bank account which allows his support staff access to buy essentials.

[Blue4rose]

I agree that it would have been courteous to check with family and if only to make sure they knew about the withdrawal. Where there is no formal appointee it would appear to be good policy to work together with family and communicate as required. Did the support staff make sure there was enough left in the bank account for other payments/requirements?

We have tried for many years to get providers to deal with this aspect of support effectively, but have found the standard to be apalling. It also varies with different staff/managers. They seem to prefer family to take most of it on board to relieve them of the responsibility, or alternatively they will do it all themselves but to a low standard. Staff do not seem keen on co working with family. We know many others who have had the same experience, and assume that this must be a widespread issue. It would be good if Mencap could use their influence to improve things as current practice leaves people in a vulnerable position, especially if they have no family.

If anyone has had positive experiences of how this can be made to work well perhaps they could share them?

[49Twister in reply to Blue4rose]

This is why I won’t hand over appointee status to care providers. I’ve found the lack of respect for the service users money very frustrating. I know eventually I will have to hand this over when I can no longer do it but it needs to be a lot better than it is at present.

[Dolton]

This is not right. If you are his appointee you need to find another way for this to be managed.

[redsails]

Thanks to everyone who responded to my query. It turned out that there was a complete breakdown in communication due to new support staff being unaware of the finer details of the gentleman's care plan.

[BenjiB]

If a family member is not the appointee then no they dont have to discuss it with you, in fact they shouldn’t discuss it with anyone who isn’t the appointee, The appointee is responsible for the money and should control it. The staff shouldn’t have access to the money. I am my sons appointee I transfer money To his residential college when they ask for it and they let me know what it’s for. The appointee Isn’t doing their job properly.

[redsails in reply to BenjiB]

Thank you for your comments BenjiB. The person in question lives in a single person flat, part of a small supported living community of 10 people who have varying degrees of learning disabilities. They all have a registered appointee who is responsible for dealing with benefits and other forms of statutory funding and is responsible for paying utility bills etc. Each person receives a set amount each week that covers groceries, leisure activities etc and this amount is different for each person based on their assessed needs and is reviewed regularly. If the person needs new clothes or other items people are free to spend their own personal money and anything over a certain amount such as new furniture or interior decorating etc then they require 3 quotes, similar to what most people would ask for. Support staff have no access to bank accounts but each person has a key worker who contacts relatives regarding purchasing items over a set amount and a best interest decision is made for those who need it. Families have always been part of the decision making process, however, the problem arose when the person in question had a change of staff who was unaware of what the money had been designated for due to a breakdown in communication within his team.