1. What is the standard hourly rate paid by your local authority for a direct payment for disabled child assessed as requiring personal care support under the Children Act 1989 Part 3?
£11.86 Weekday and £14.98 Weekend Rate for PA’s employed by the family. Self-employed PA’s and Agency apply their own rate.

2. Is the figure stated in answer to question 1 a net figure or a gross figure? A net figure means that the council will make additional payments to cover the costs of employing the personal care worker (ie Employers National Insurance liability, employers’ liability insurance costs, holiday and sickness pay etc). A gross figure means that the recipient of the direct payment must pay all the costs of employing the personal care worker from the figure stated in answer to question 1.
This is a gross hourly rate – additional payment of £26.25 per month is paid for Payroll Service & Employers Liability Insurance.

3. What is the number of disabled children currently receiving direct payments as a result of being assessed as requiring support under the Children Act 1989 Part 3?
The current number of children receiving Direct Payments is 178.

4. Does your council have a policy for increasing the sum specified in answer 1 above in cases where the cost of meeting the disabled child’s assessed needs cannot reasonably be met by a payment at the hourly rate specified in answer to question 1?
There is no formal policy for this. (More commonly children with higher needs are supported by having 2:1 staffing rather than paying an enhanced rate in line with an appropriate risk assessment or specialist agency who apply their own rate).

5. If the answer to question 4 is yes, please provide a copy of that policy or explain why providing a copy of the policy is not possible.
Not applicable.

6. How many of the disabled children referenced in question 3 currently receive an increased hourly rate of direct payment as per question 4, ie how often is an increased rate felt to be required?
Not applicable.