Even though council funding is available, disabled individuals in Wiltshire are facing an unprecedented lack of personal assistants, leaving families struggling to find support. Personal assistants (PAs) provide carers with much-needed relief and enable disabled individuals to live independently.
Since September 2021, Michelle Lloyd, 37, of Swindon, has been caring for her adolescent son Billy, who has Dandy Walker Syndrome, without an assistant. She stated, “We need a personal assistant to come into the house and look after him for an hour or two while we take a shower, wash our hair, and drink hot tea. I’ve been unable to do that for the past 18 months.”
Mrs. Lloyd believes that low pay is primarily to blame for the lack of administrative assistants. She said: “Billy in particular has such complex needs. It is comparable to being a nurse for £11 per hour.”
Multiple degenerative eye conditions have left Becky Harrison, 37, from Wiltshire blind. She stated, “If I did not have a support worker, I would not be able to go out on my own, so it essentially expands my world. I could no longer exist without her.” Mrs. Harrison remarked that it is particularly challenging for her to find an administrative assistant who meets her requirements. It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack, she said.
Hannah Dias, who has Down syndrome, is another disabled individual in Wiltshire who has been unable to find a PA despite Swindon Borough Council funding being available. Mrs. Dias’s mother, Maria, stated, “All these years I’ve been doing it on my own because I didn’t know I could receive funding for a support worker until Hannah started college.”
Abbie-Jo Lawrence, who has cerebral palsy and works as a personal assistant development officer at the Wiltshire Centre of Independent Living, stated, “We are at a point nationally – not just in Wiltshire – where people are unable to recruit PAs and are left without care or support.” She added that it is crucial for disabled individuals and their families to have the proper support at home and at work.
Both Swindon Borough Council and Wiltshire Council have stated that they are reviewing the hourly rate of £11 for personal assistants in order to address the issue of low pay and make it easier for disabled individuals to find suitable personal assistants. Wiltshire Council also collaborates with Mrs. Lawrence to dispel stereotypes and promote the personal assistant profession as a rewarding career path.
Mrs. Lloyd believes that if the appropriate steps are taken, disabled individuals will have better access to the necessary medical care. “As I mature into an adult, living independently is important to me,” she said.
In Wiltshire, disabled individuals face an unprecedented lack of personal assistants, leaving them without essential support and care. Families struggle to find assistance despite the availability of council funding, and Michelle Lloyd, 37, from Swindon has been without a PA to care for her Dandy Walker Syndrome-afflicted teenage son Billy since September 2021. Mrs. Lloyd believes that the shortage of personal assistants is largely attributable to low pay, and that many disabled people are unable to find an appropriate PA.
Both Swindon Borough Council and Wiltshire Council have responded that they are reviewing the hourly rate of £11 for personal assistants in order to address the issue of low pay and make it easier for those with disabilities to find suitable personal assistants. Wiltshire Council also collaborates with Abbie-Jo Lawrence, a personal assistant development officer with cerebral palsy, to dispel stereotypes and promote the rewarding career path of personal assistant.
Mrs. Lloyd stated, “I do not want my husband to be my carer because I believe it would put pressure on and negatively impact our marriage, and it is vital that this does not occur.” With the proper measures in place, disabled individuals in Wiltshire will have improved access to the care they require, allowing them to live independently and achieve their goals.
