Support and assistance

Support for you

If you need some extra support to take part in a group or activity you might want to consider using an assistant who can go with you or your child to give any extra help you need to participate.

You may be able to find an assistant on Glos Assistants (https://www.glosassistants.org.uk/ ), an online noticeboard where you can find people who are willing to offer help, care and support. You can also advertise for an assistant, describing the kind of support you are looking for. This service provides information about safe recruitment.

If you have care and support needs that have been assessed by the council you may be able to apply for a direct payment that can fully or partially cover the cost of an assistant on an ongoing basis. For more information visit https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/adults-and-older-people/direct-payments/ . Alternatively you can pay for an assistant yourself or use an assistant on a voluntary basis (see Glos Assistants for guidance).

If you do choose to employ an assistant yourself you will take on responsibilities as an employer. Information and guidance on this can be found on the Glos Assistants website.

Families and organisations have also explored applying for grants to help fund an extra person to support an individual to take part in an activity, so this may be another option to look into.

Support for your organisation

If you want to welcome a disabled person to your group or activity and you need another person as part of your team in order to meet their specific requirements, you may be able to bring someone else in, either on a paid or voluntary basis, to enable that person to take part. This extra person could support the individual on a one-to-one basis or be an extra pair of hands for the group, making it easier to include that disabled individual. For more guidance on providing assistance see

Active Impact’s Top Tips https://www.activeimpact.org.uk/see/uploads/Top-Tips-Series-Gathering-Information-and-Providing-Assistance.pdf

If you are looking for an assistant on a paid basis, people who can provide support are listed on the Glos Assistants Noticeboard https://www.glosassistants.org.uk/.

Families and organisations have also explored applying for grants to help fund an extra person to support an individual to take part in an activity, so this may be another option to look into.

To find volunteers who can be the extra pair of hands you need the following websites might be useful:

Volunteering Gloucestershire: http://volunteerglos.org.uk/

Do-it: https://do-it.org/organisations/volunteering-gloucestershire

Engage in Gloucester: https://engageingloucester.volunteermakers.org/