Special support and advice
Supporting Disabled people to have choice and control over their care
About our support
Find out about the different types of support and advice that our team offer, and fill out the form at the bottom of this page or contact us to get started. Our specialist support can be delivered face to face, via telephone or digitally.
Set up as an employer (of a Personal Assistant)
If you’d like to employ a Personal Assistant to support your care needs, we can register you as an employer with HMRC. Employing your own Personal Assistant instead of having the council commission care for you means that you will have choice and control over who provides your care and who comes into your household.
We support with contracts, employers insurance and statutory leave entitlement to make sure you’re employing legally, and can communicate any culturally specific house rules to staff.
Set up with an agency
If you’d rather not employ a Personal Assistant yourself, we can support you to find and register with an agency that can supply staff to provide your care. We understand that some people don’t want the responsibility of being an employer, and agencies can provide convenience and security.
Some Disabled people choose to set up both as an employer and with an agency – so when your Personal Assistant is away, you can use an agency instead. WECIL can help you find the right agency for you and your needs.
Our Direct Payments and Payroll department helps you make the most out of your payment and get the support you really want and need.
Direct Payment Support
We offer Direct Payment support so that you can receive help and advice when you need it. You will have a dedicated Independent Living Payment Advisor to help you meet your employer responsibilities, remain within employment law and get the most out of your Direct Payment.
Access the WECIL Direct Payment helpline by phone or email 9am-4pm Monday-Friday. Helpline: 0117 947 9933 Email: [email protected]
Nino’s Journey with Direct Payments
Meet Nino, a Direct Payment user from Bristol. Nino shares how Direct Payments have impacted on his and his families life, both the highlights and the challenges.
Basic Support
Telephone and email support from our Direct Payment Advisors to help you manage your Direct Payment. This could include advice on dismissals, disciplinaries, disputes changes to contracts, finances and tax demands or liaising with social workers, agencies and personal assistants. We can also help you access training for you as an employer.
Responsive Support
Responsive Support entitles you to all the telephone, email and training support services in Basic Support, and if you need extra help you can request up to three 1-2-1 meetings per year up to 1 hour each.
Planned Support
Our highest level of support for those that need that extra help. Planned Support includes all our telephone, email and training support services with the addition of up to 12 1-2-1 meetings per year as requested by the client of up to 1 hour each.
WECIL is an award winning, user led organisation supporting Disabled people to live the life they choose.
On Behalf Of (supported bank account)
This service is for Direct Payment recipients that have difficulty accessing bank accounts or need extra support with financial administration. We will receive your funding from your local authority or NHS and ensure payments are made on your behalf to your employees, agencies, HMRC and insurers. We audit your finances regularly to make sure you’re spending in line with your income.
Delegating this responsibility to WECIL gives Disabled people more time and energy to do what you’d like to be doing. Whether you are a Disabled person with lack of access or capability, or just would rather not worry about budgeting and administration, our On Behalf Of service can support you.
Recruitment
WECIL’s full recruitment service supports Direct Payment recipients through the whole recruitment process to ensure you can find and recruit Personal Assistants that are right for you. You have choice and control over the person you recruit, when they work and the tasks they undertake within your care plan. If you don’t need the whole recruitment package, you can just receive support for some parts of the recruitment process. We can also help with just the advertising and interviewing process.
Our approach is fully user centred. Our staff have lived experience of disability and this informs the support we offer.
I’m a Personal Assistant, what jobs are available?
Being a Personal Assistant is a fun, rewarding and challenging role. You will be supporting Disabled people with daily living, such as helping around the house, going on day trips, leisure activities, or attending appointments.
Roles can be flexible and part-time. Please note that the Disabled person will be your employer, and WECIL supports them in doing this. If you are a Personal Assistant and would like to support a Disabled person to live the life they choose, then check on our PA jobs page for current opportunities.
