Policy for Payments and Reimbursements To

Partnership Charter Parent Carer Engagement Policy

1. Foreword The Partnership Charter provides a constructive vehicle for ongoing improvement in the quality of partnership working between families of disabled children and service providers across all sectors in the City. The Partnership Charter has been developed with service managers in Brighton and Hove’s City Council’s (BHCC) Integrated Children’s Disability Service, and local voluntary sector partners (Amaze and Extratime) and parent carers.

Parent carer involvement and engagement is at the heart of the Partnership Charter. As such we want to showcase best practice in engaging parent carers by having a transparent and fair engagement policy which supports, values and remunerates their contribution to our work.

2. Policy Statement BHCC values the experience and expertise of parent carers and intends to strengthen the user/carer voice in the planning, delivery and evaluation of its services and the services of others especially the Integrated Children’s Disability Service. We believe services for disabled children can be improved if their parent carers are involved more in their design, development and delivery. It creates a framework for parent carers to work alongside us as colleagues and as recognised “experts by experience”.

It is our policy to offer:  adequate support and training  payment for their time and other expenses to parent carers for their expertise and time when contributing to meetings, training, workgroups, and recruitment panels etc.

3.0 Engaging Parent Carers Parent carers can contribute and engage with local services in many different ways. This may take the form of completing a general survey/questionnaire to something more complicated like being a parent carer representative on a decision making board or recruitment panel. Examples of engagement activity are detailed below. These are classified as levels 1 to 4.

Level Involvement Examples Payment Amount Activity Level 1: Established Volunteering at Amaze and helping Expenses Expenses volunteering support other parents with Disability only (with work Living Allowance claims receipts)

Simply A publicly advertised consultation informing event. Parent carers would only be people expected to contribute to general discussion and talk about their own Consulting on experience if they wanted to decisions Completing a questionnaire as part of a consultation process Level 2: Deciding Where an individual has been invited Payment at £10.00

Policy on payments to parent carers To Mgt Ctte for approval 17/09/09 together by Amaze to attend a particular event lower rate or meeting to give a service user or plus Acting together carer view expenses

Encouraging Where an individual is acting as the independent parent carer representative on a initiatives planning group or committee e.g. PaCC steering group and subgroups

Where parent carers have been invited to attend a focus group

Where parent carer is invited to sit on an interview panel as an observer

Where an individual is supporting the development of other parent carers or carers but within a structure managed and supervised directly by Amaze staff

Level 3: Contribute to Where an individual is working in Payment at £12.50 academic partnership with Amaze staff to plan medium activity and deliver specific elements of staff rate plus training expenses Undertaking work with a Where a parent carer is playing a full higher level of and equal role as a member of an responsibility interview panel, giving the parent perspective (with full voting rights)

Where an individual is leading a process that is aiding the development and empowerment of others, and where there is scope for autonomy of action. e.g. PaCC Co- chairs

Level 4: Delivering work Where an individual is co-facilitating Payment at Range on behalf of Insiders Guide training, taking the higher rate from Amaze lead on workshop administration and plus £15-20 co-ordination expenses Co-facilitating or leading training including co- ordination and administration of workshops

Policy on payments to parent carers To Mgt Ctte for approval 17/09/09 4. Recruitment, Support and Training Amaze encourages and supports parent carers to have a voice through the Parent Carers’ Council (PaCC) project. The Amaze Parent Participation Officer supports the PaCC to select, recruit, induct and train new parent carers wishing to engage more formally – (see levels 2-4 above).

Opportunities to be more formally engaged will be advertised openly to the whole PaCC membership (if time allows) and we will have election/voting processes where we have more parent carers interesting in becoming engaged than there are opportunities.

Where a parent carer is engaged to represent the views of parent carers (for levels 2-4 above) Amaze will provide an induction and training into how to do this successfully.

Amaze will also convene meetings for representatives in order for them to feel supported, feel able to ask questions and to ascertain the wider parent carer view.

An Amaze member of staff will ensure that the parent carer is sufficiently briefed before each meeting or engagement event so that the parent carer feels they can input positively and they will provide an opportunity to debrief afterwards.

5. Payment rates The level of payment offered will be in line with the involvement levels outlined above. Payment rates will be reviewed on an annual basis on April 1st.

BHCC will subcontract Amaze to remunerate parent carers on production of an expenses form. Amaze will aim to make payments quarterly in a way, which is acceptable to individual carers and we will make efforts to maximise payments and reimbursements to parent carers within the rules governing state benefits and earnings and national minimum wage legislation.

Payment will be made for preparation time which ensures the parent can participate fully in the engagement activity e.g. 2 hours for reading through papers for a board meeting, preparing questions and canvassing other parent carers for their opinion. Payment will also be made for any debrief time after the meeting with an Amaze or Council member of staff. This time needs to be ‘reasonable’ and must be reviewed as part of the engagement activity.

The parent carer can decline the offer of payment if they wish to be involved on a voluntary unpaid basis.

6. Out of Pocket Expenses Parent carers receiving payments should not lose out or be financially disadvantaged as a result of their involvement in the activities covered by this policy.

6.1 Travel The following travel costs may be reimbursed: • Return trip from home (or place of work) to the activity venue on public transport e.g. bus, train where supported by receipts • Return trip from home (or place of work) to the activity venue in private car at 43p per mile • Parking costs for the duration of the activity where parking is not provided free of charge These rates are aligned to Amaze travel expenses for staff and will be subject to any review of those rates.

Policy on payments to parent carers To Mgt Ctte for approval 17/09/09 Taxis will only be reimbursed in exceptional circumstances and with prior agreement from the meeting organiser that a taxi is required due to medical reasons or because it is impractical to use an alternative form of transport. The involvement organiser should also consider whether a lift could be provided by a member of Trust staff attending an event or activity. If a taxi is required then the involvement lead may make arrangements for the taxi fare to be billed directly to Amaze.

6.2 Cost of Meals Involvement organisers should normally arrange for refreshments to be provided, free of charge to parent carers and carers attending meetings. This includes lunch where activities take place over lunchtime.

Parent carers will be able to claim for the cost of meals where they meet all of the following criteria: • necessarily absent from home and more than five miles from their home • away from their home for more than five hours, • period of absence covers the whole of the normal lunchtime period of 12 noon to 2.00pm • lunch was not provided free of charge at the activity/event/meeting

Where all of the criteria in 4.2.2 are met then the cost of lunch can be claimed up to a maximum of £5.00 if receipts are provided.

6.3 Child Care Costs Payment of up to £5 per hour per child will be reimbursed where supported by receipts. The amount paid cannot exceed the amount receipted.

We will allow payments to a service user or carer’s friends or family but they must provide a receipt (hand written is fine, showing date, times and name)

Payments for child care costs may be regarded as taxable income by the Inland Revenue.

6.4 Other Expenses On occasion parent carers may be invited to attend a conference or other event that involves an overnight stay. In such cases they may be eligible for reimbursement of additional expenses. These will be reimbursed in line with the guidelines below – subject to advance agreement with the relevant Amaze manager. • Reimbursement for overnight accommodation where this has not been arranged by Amaze • Evening meal reimbursement, where meals are not provided and/or paid for by Amaze • Additional receipted expenses incurred wholly and necessarily as a result of the overnight meeting.

Other minor expenses, supported by receipts, may also be reimbursed if agreed in advance e.g. photocopying.

7. Procedure for Claiming Payments and Reimbursement of Expenses If after benefits advice the parent carer chooses to accept payment Amaze will authorise the payment rate and determine what level will be paid.

Individuals will be asked to sign a Contract for Parent Carers (Appendix 3). It is essential that all parent carers sign the contract, whether undertaking work on a paid or unpaid basis. This document ensures clarity of their worker status.

Policy on payments to parent carers To Mgt Ctte for approval 17/09/09 To claim a payment for attending an activity or event, the individual needs to complete the parent carer engagement expenses form or submit an invoice detailing out the hours they have worked for Amaze, what the work was, the agreed level of payment, the date, their name and address.

8. Funding Payments made to parent carers under the terms of this policy will be separately coded and identified in the finance system. This will allow uptake of this policy to be monitored.

9. CRB Checks CRB checks will only be required in situations where the role involves unsupervised contact with vulnerable people. The exception to this is volunteers with Amaze – who are all required to have standard or enhanced CRB checks, dependent on their role.

Policy on payments to parent carers To Mgt Ctte for approval 17/09/09 Appendix 1 Amaze Contract for Parent Carer Engagement work

We will ensure such opportunities are made known to our community of parent carers (via our website) and that the work is supported by having in place a simple, yet transparent and fair, employment contract.

PART A) General Engagement Duties

Parent carers commitments to Amaze

1) You are not obliged to undertake any work offered to you, nor is Amaze obliged to offer you any work. Each task is a self contained offer of work and once the task is over, you are not obliged to undertake any further tasks, nor is Amaze obliged to offer you any. During periods of engagement, your relationship with Amaze shall be that of a worker or an independent contractor, and not of an employee. No deductions will be made for Inland Revenue or Social Security purposes. Parent carers engaged should keep written records of all work. Parent carers engaged must have permission to work in the UK. Evidence to support this right, usually by producing a passport will be requested. Amaze will provide details of payments made, if requested by Inland Revenue or other similar bodies. 2) Parent carers engaged are required to submit expense forms or invoices detailing out the hours they have worked for Amaze, what the work was, the agreed level of payment, the date, their name and address. 3) Parent carers engaged will abide by the policies of the organisation and particular attention is drawn to the Equal Opportunities Policy, the Confidentiality Policy, the Grievance Procedure, and the Child Protection Procedures. Copies of these policies and procedures are available in the office. In particular; a. Health & Safety It is the responsibility of all workers to work with managers to achieve a healthy and safe environment. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 you have a duty to take reasonable care to avoid injury to yourself and others in any work activity. You must comply with Amazes Health & Safety Policy, including any instructions given to you. You must report any accident or injury to your Manager. b. Confidentiality and Conduct During the periods of work you may have access to, see or hear information of a confidential nature and you are required not to disclose such information, particularly that relating to other parent carers and staff. 4) Parent carers engaged shall work to promote the aims and objectives of Amaze. 5) Parent carers engaged shall not act to the detriment of Amaze or bring Amaze into disrepute. 6) Amaze requires written notification of any change of address, telephone number or of any period of absence that might affect availability for sessional work.

Amaze Commitments to parent carers engaged

1) Amaze will support and supervise the work of parent carers engaged, provide advice, guidance and training as necessary. 2) Amaze will operate a full commitment to the Equal Opportunities Statement Of Intent. Amaze will attempt to strengthen its work and welcomes suggestions and feedback from parent carers engaged. 3) Amaze will pay parent carers engaged the rates outlined in the payments to parents policy. 4) Amaze will pay travel costs incurred, within reason, mileage being paid at the currently agreed rate for paid staff. 5) Amaze will review this Contract for parent carers annually.

PART B) Parent Carer contract form

Policy on payments to parent carers To Mgt Ctte for approval 17/09/09 Complete this section with brief details of the work you will be undertaking

Parent carer name

Task description

Start date

End date

Contract value or rate per hour

Contact Amaze staff name

Signing this part confirms you have read, understood and agree to abide by all of the clauses. Breaches of this Contract may result in Amaze discontinuing your engagement work. Thank you for your co-operation and support.

Parent Carer Amaze Director

Print Name Print Name Rachel Travers

Signature Signature

Date Date

Policy on payments to parent carers To Mgt Ctte for approval 17/09/09