Dosh Financial Advocacy
Dosh Financial Advocacy

Financial Advocacy for people with a learning disability

I was recently asked by a care and support provider what would be the benefits of Dosh supporting people they support. I must admit I had anticipated this question on my train journey down to our meeting.

It was not difficult to come up with 20 reasons (more would have been just showing off!)

  1. Everything we do revolves around supporting people to be more independent and have more control over their money (it is both our Mission and Vision Statement)
  2. Our Financial Advocates become a member of a person’s Circle of Support
  3. Our Financial Advocates know the people they support because they live locally to them
  4. Our Policies and Procedures have been checked and approved by people with learning disabilities
  5. People with learning disabilities have set the Financial Standards (‘Dosh Promise’) which Dosh work to and report on at peoples Annual Review
  6. Dosh policies, procedures, guidance books and tools are all in an easy read format
  7. Care and Support Providers will no longer carry financial liability if a person is not on the correct benefits after Dosh starts their support
  8. Care and Support Providers will be able to pass on the responsibility to Dosh for keeping up to date on changes in the Welfare Benefits such as transfer to PIP and Universal Credit
  9. Dosh shares free stuff: research papers, new guidance books, quarterly newsletter/pack
  10. Dosh operates and share their Best Interest Decision Process
  11. Dosh prioritises financial safeguarding working closely with Care and Support Providers
  12. Dosh will support providers with their tenders
  13. Dosh will support providers with their Personalisation Strategy and will share their experiences and knowledge in Individual Budgets, Individual Support Funds, Direct Payments
  14. Dosh maximise people’s benefits, recover back payments for peoples benefits, save money for people – Financial Advocate has recovered significant amounts of money for people.
  15. Dosh has challenging key performance indicators which we report on to the Dosh Board of Directors
  16. Dosh carries out an individual Research Project each year which they share within their network. Last year was about access to banking, next year will be about Individual Budgets
  17. Dosh does not have a conflict of interest
  18. Dosh can be the third party for account management for Individual Service Funds between the provider and the local authority
  19. Dosh works with the people they support on their accessible Financial Profiles (which include a capability assessment) and their Money Plan
  20. Dosh aims to introduce something new for our customers each month

Sounds good?  Would you like to hear more about what we do?  If you support people with a learning disability and you would like to some more information please email me steve.raw@dosh.org