Hub Epsom opening on Saturday 23rd June (From Your Local Guardian)

Hub Epsom opening on Saturday 23rd June

5:19pm Monday 18th June 2012 in Epsom

If you are disabled and you are coming into Epsom this weekend to watch the Town Parade, why not pop in to Hub Epsom where volunteers will be on hand to answer your disability-related enquiries, and offer information about your Right to Control.

Hub Epsom, 131 High Street, Epsom, KT19 8EF, will be open from 10am to 12.30pm on Saturday, and volunteers will be able to help you with enquiries on a wide range of disability issues – like equipment and adaptations, benefits, help at home to stay independent, holidays, employment and education, volunteering at the Hub and much much more.

If you are disabled, over 18 and live in the Epsom & Ewell Borough Council area, the volunteers will also be able to give you information about the Right to Control – a new right for disabled people, allowing you to make your own decisions about some of the social care, housing and employment support you receive.

The volunteers will be able to complete a quick Right to Control funding check for you – and you’ll only have to give your personal details once to see if you might be able to get support from several different organisations. Just pop in and ask for more details and a free copy of the Right to Control DVD.

ENDS Notes for Editors: The Hub Epsom is one of 3 Citizens Hubs in Surrey, along with Hub Redhill and Hub Woking. The Hubs are first-stop shops run by disabled people for disabled people and carers. The Hubs are a convenient way to access information, advice, advocacy and other services, enabling disabled people to find the information they need to live more independently.

Hub Epsom opened in September 2010 and in 2011 helped over 1900 customers with enquiries.

Volunteers, who are themselves disabled people or carers of disabled people are there to answer customer enquiries. They have their own experiences to draw upon and are specially trained to advise on a range of issues such as transport, leisure, housing and access to mobility equipment.

Hub Epsom, 131 High Street, Epsom. KT19 8EF Tel: 01372 744479 Text (SMS): 07704 288772 Email: enquiries@thehubepsom.org.uk www.thehubepsom.org.uk The Right to Control is a new right for disabled people that is being piloted (tested) in 7 different areas of the country. Surrey is part of the pilot, with the Right to Control being tested in the areas of Epsom & Ewell, Reigate & Banstead.

For the first time the Right to Control gives many disabled people real control, real choices about the services they need, about their lives and their independence.

The Hubs are unique to the Surrey pilot and are playing an important role in helping disabled people find out about Right to Control and see if they might be eligible by completing “Funding Stream Checkers”. The Hubs have, so far, completed a third of all the Funding Stream Checkers in the Right to Control pilot in Surrey.

So – what is the Right to Control?

The Right to Control lets you make your own decisions about housing-related support and employment support services you need, as you already can do with Social Care services. This is instead of other people making decisions for you.

It will mean you can take a direct (cash) payment if you want to, to buy these services. You do not necessarily have to manage the direct payment yourself – there is lots of support available.

Who is it for?

If you are a disabled adult (aged 18 and over) and you live in either of the boroughs of Epsom & Ewell and Reigate & Banstead and are offered support from the services listed below you will be offered the Right to Control.

Or you can pop into Hub Epsom or Hub Redhill and ask the volunteers for more information about Right to Control and, if you live in one of the two Boroughs in the pilot, you can ask the volunteers to complete a Funding Stream Checker for you to test your eligibility.

If you have learning difficulties, physical or sensory impairments or long-term health conditions, or have mental health needs you will be eligible for the Right to Control.

What support services does it cover?

There are 6 services taking part in the Right to Control. We call those services “Funding Streams”, and when we test your eligibility we use a “Funding Stream Checker”.

The Funding Streams are: • Access to Work (from Jobcentre Plus) • Adult Social Care (from Surrey County Council) • Disabled Facilities Grant (provided by the local borough or district council) • Independent Living Fund (existing applicants only) • Supporting People (funded by central government, provided through Surrey County Council • Work Choice (from Jobcentre Plus) How do you get it?

The Right to Control can be accessed via any of the support services (or Funding Streams) above – or through the Hubs.

It will take about 10 minutes for a volunteer at the Hubs to complete a Funding Stream Checker with you. But the good news is that you only have to give your details once.

It may be necessary to share your information with other people but you will be asked for your permission – this could be where you can get support from more than one organisation and it will mean that you will not need to keep telling people the same things.

Your details will be processed in to the Right to Control and then you will be contacted by the support services or Funding Streams that were identified for you.

When someone is offered the Right to Control they will be told about: • the Right to Control; • other support they can access through the Right to Control and how they can apply for this support; • how much money they have to spend; • organisations that can support them to take control.

BUT the Right to Control does not change the rules that are used to decide whether people are eligible for the support they have asked for.

For more information about Hub Epsom please contact Sarah Lynch, Hub Co-ordinator on 01372 744479 For more information about Right to Control, please contact Sally Brooks, Development & Communications Manager, Right to Control on 01372 730030 Based on information supplied by Sarah Lynch.