Penderels Trust provides support services for people who receive funding from their local authority for their care needs. Most of the people we support have a direct payment.

We are a not-for-profit organisation and have been supporting people with disabilities to live independently since 1988.  Our board of trustees is primarily made up of people with disabilities.

Our service is provided by teams of experienced and friendly independent living advisers (ILAs). The type of support we provide will depend on what you need to make the most of your direct payment.

Our aim is that you are as independent as you can be in managing your direct payment but we will always be there to help if you need it, giving you peace of mind and allowing you to focus on the important things in life.

Our head office is in Coventry but we have local offices across England and Wales.  We support over 12,000 direct payment recipients, many of whom employ their own personal assistant.

To speak to an independent living adviser, please call us on 0121 707 1817.

For more general information on Penderels Trust or direct payments, please visit our website.

Getting Started

Not sure about a direct payment or need further information?  Get in touch and we will explain how a direct payment works and possible options for you.  Once you've decided on a direct payment, we have different set up options so you only pay for the service you need.

We have three different Set Up Package Levels: 

Level 1: Basic Level
This is an initial visit to talk through your options and provide you with all the information you need to get started.

Level 2: Low Level
This level of support may be suitable if you already receive a direct payment and are transferring to Penderels Trust from another provider, if you already know the personal assistant (PA) you wish to recruit (e.g. they are a family member or friend) or if you are using an agency for your care.

Level 3: High Level
This level of support will be suitable if you are going to receive a direct payment for the first time and are going to employ a personal assistant.

Being an employer

Many people who receive a direct payment use their money to employ their own personal assistant (PA).  There are many benefits to employing your own PA - you choose who supports you, you get to build a close working relationship, you choose when and how they support you and this can usually be more flexible that if you used a care agency for your support.

There are a number of responsibilities that you need to be aware of which may sound daunting but Penderels Trust is able to provide support to ensure this process goes as smoothly as possible, not just in recruiting the right person but ensuring you are a good and legal employer.

From the start, we will discuss with you what is involved in employing a PA and how we can support you.

Recruiting a personal assistant (PA)

Finding the right person to support you is really important.  We offer different levels of recruitment support depending on whether you already know the person you wish to employ or not (some people choose to employ a friend or family member, although they can't live at the same address as you).  We will support you with all aspects of recruitment, from creating a job advertisement to attract the right person through to interviewing and checking job references.  

Ongoing Support

Once your direct payment is set up and running, you may not need further support or only occasionally or in certain circumstances e.g. if you need to recruit another personal assistant.  We can also support you to with certain tasks e.g. completing your financial return to your local authority.  Ongoing support is paid for on an as and when required basis, so you pay for support only when you need it.  

Payroll Service

If you employ your own personal assistant, you need to make sure you pay them accurately and on time and provide HM Revenue & Customs the correct information when they need it.  Our specialist payroll bureau provides payroll services for 10,000 direct payment employers.  We will help you get set up and give you all the information you need to pay your staff and meet your responsibilities as an employer.

We offer two different services: our standard payroll and our direct debit (BACS) service.  With our direct debit service, we will pay your staff directly into their bank accounts and make your quarterly returns to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) directly.

We will also support you to register with the Pensions Regulator and set up auto enrolment into a workplace pension for any eligible staff.

Managed Account

A managed account is where we hold your direct payment money on your behalf. This service is for those people who wish to receive a direct payment but where circumstances mean it would be more appropriate for someone else to manage the money. This may be because you find it difficult to manage your money and it would give you peace of mind if someone else worried about the bills.

Penderels Trust will hold the money on your behalf and make sure your care bills, including agency invoices and staff wages, are paid correctly and on time. We will monitor the account to make sure it does not go overdrawn and to highlight any unexpected income or outgoings. We will ensure tax and national insurance contributions are made correctly and on time. 

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Checks

The DBS check (formerly CRB check) will let you find out if the person you are thinking of employing as a personal assistant has any past or current criminal convictions or is on a barred list that might make them unsuitable.

A DBS check is required if the person employed is going to provide care and support for a child. It is not legally required if the person is going to care for an adult but we recommend you request a DBS whenever you employ someone.

A DBS check must be requested by you as an employer.  You will need to request the DBS check via a 'checking organisation'.  Penderels Trust can do this for you.

Support Planning

Our support planning service can help you work out how best to use your direct payment to meet your care needs and outcomes.  The support plan can be produced in a format you prefer and will show how your care needs will be met with the budget you have available. We can support people who have a personal budget for social care or a personal health budget for long term health conditions.