Support Brokerage
Over the last few months we have been giving you updates about our new project ‘Support Brokerage Plus’. This is a special issue of our newsletter to tell you more about it, and happily, to introduce our new Support Brokers.
EDG received Lottery funding at the end of 2023, to set up a network of Support Brokers, people who can provide a range of practical and emotional support to parent carers and siblings of a family member with learning disability.
We recently completed our training programme for the people we recruited into the role. They are a great group, with a wide range of skills and knowledge including several with lived experience as parent carers.
The training programme was the first step in setting up the project, and we looked at values and motivations as well as some of the more practical aspects of the role. The second stage began last month with our first network meeting.
Lindsay Graham is the Support Brokerage Co-ordinator and she will be working with the brokers to create the kind of network they want, a place where they can access peer support and guidance as well as share their knowledge with each other.
How might a Support Broker work with you?
Much of what a Support Broker offers will be familiar to you if you have worked with EDG before, providing information, guidance, advocacy – supporting you to speak for yourself or speaking on your behalf, carrying out organisational and administrative tasks with you – the range of things that are part of being the parent carer of a child, young person or adult with learning disability. With the project we are trying to offer families a clearer pathway of support and this includes the Support Broker agreeing with you what are the areas you want support with and a timeframe that can help with planning and juggling the day to day life of family and parenting.
How is the work funded?
Support Brokers can be paid from the supported person’s self-directed support budget and this is discussed at the initial meeting so you know what the total amount will be.
Most people have a Direct Payment and there is an 18% element within the budget to cover this kind of support. It is recognised that using a budget offers both freedoms but also responsibilities and that most of us will need guidance and assistance with this.
If you don’t yet have a budget then the fees can be paid from the supported person’s benefits, although we do recognise that these often form an important part of the household income. There are also other routes such as ILF (Independent Living Fund) Planning Grant and the Support Broker will explore these with you.
If you are interested, or would like more information about the Support Brokerage + project, please get in touch with Lindsay Graham by email Lindsay@edg-sco.org or by phone at the EDG office on 476 0522.
Meet the Brokers...
My name is Rachel Wood and I am a member of the support brokerage network. I have learned a lot so far from my time with EDG and everyone that has contributed to the workshop sessions. I particularly enjoyed the ‘Empathy in Support Work’ workshop. The values at EDG are important and I hope I can go on and support individuals to live the lives they want, whilst helping families to have stronger voices.
Hello, I am Siobhan Clark. I am a Creative Producer based in East Edinburgh. I organise and deliver arts projects and festivals in the city and further afield. I most enjoy the community and schools projects that I run, and alongside my creative work I am training to be a counsellor. I am looking forward to meeting families and working with them to provide support and advocacy, as well as supplying a steady stream of biscuits!
I’m Emma Parker, and I’m one of EDG’s first group of Support Brokers. I joined the project because I have a child with a learning disability, and so I know how difficult and exhausting it can be to simultaneously parent, search for information, and support and advocate for our children. I have worked together with other parents to protect and improve the services available to our families, and I have tried to share the resources and information which I have discovered as widely as possible. I hope to support and empower more young people with learning disabilities and their families in this role.
We moved back to Edinburgh from Japan in 2023, and my son loves being outdoors, so we spend our weekends exploring the city’s footpaths and the surrounding countryside.
I’m Andrew Burnett. I was diagnosed Aspergers’ at 38 years old, I am also ADHD. I joined EDG’s Support Broker Network as I feel I have something to offer other people who would benefit from support. Outside of EDG I run my own company where I offer brand consultancy, and I recently founded a network for neurodivergent people too.
I am very lucky to be the father of one, and stepfather of two, wonderful teenagers – I have a tonne of dad-jokes, and also enjoy doing standup comedy.
My name is Susan Brogan and when I was introduced to the Support Brokerage Project with EDG I knew it was something I wanted to be part of. My interest in this Project is driven by my personal perspective as a parent of an adult who has complex needs and my professional background, which has included working for Charities that support families with disabled children. I can empathise with the difficulties and struggles families and disabled people experience daily in accessing the support they need to live full meaningful lives and have a choice in how this looks. As a parent I have navigated the journey through Health, Education and Social care and I recognise the importance of having the right information and support to ensure the best possible outcomes. I am looking forward to using my personal and professional experience to work with families and disabled individuals to assist them to feel empowered to make informed choices, build connections in their communities, and explore activities and opportunities.