Care & Support

Here at CDA we treat everyone as an individual and believe that all have a right to privacy, dignity, confidentiality and choice. Our support workers are trained to meet day to day needs through regular home visits or companionship and socialisation calls. As individual’s needs and aspirations change over time we offer a highly flexible and personalised service.

We Offer Three Types of Support

1. One-to-One Community Support

Assisting Deaf individuals to participate in social activities or accessing practical help and community based opportunities. This would include :

  • Hospital appointments
  • Dentist appointments
  • Attending college
  • Coffee mornings

2. One-to-One Home Support

Assisting Deaf individuals to live independently in their own homes, supporting them with communication or participating in social activities. This includes:

  • Cleaning
  • Shopping
  • Well-being checks

3. One-to-One Dual Sensory Loss Communicator Guides

Offering a wide variety of support and communication specifically designed to meet the needs of people who experience dual sensory loss / people who are Deaf-Blind. This includes:

  • Help with shopping
  • Help accessing other services
  • Help with guide dog training

Why Choose Our Care & Support Services?

Trained & Experienced Staff

With over 100 years of experience supporting deaf people in Cumbria we understand the need to be listened to and to make your own decisions, whether big or small. Some of our staff are Deaf, but all of our support staff are Deaf Aware and have communication skills including British Sign Language, Sign Supported English and the Deaf Blind Manual Alphabet.

Meet our staff

You Are In Control

We can help and advise you along the way but, ultimately we will just be there for you, because it’s your life and your care. You will be able to decide which of our services you require and manage your care and support according to your needs and wishes. We accept Direct Payments and Individual Service Funds and have a lot of experience with these methods for individuals who are managing their own care and support requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

To find the answers to some frequently asked questions regarding care & support click the question that you would like to find the answer to.

  • We cover all of Cumbria including Carlisle, Penrith, Whitehaven, Workington, Barrow in Furness, Cockermouth, Keswick, Aspatria, Wigton, Silloth and the surrounding districts.

  • Costs will very much depend on the level of care that we have been asked to provide. Before we agree our service levels, an individual assessment will be made so that we can better understand what is required from us. We have extensive experience working with multi-source funding and give discounts when possible.

  • If you have had an assessment of need which shows you are eligible for care and support funded by Cumbria County Council, there are different ways in which this can be arranged:

    • Direct Payment – Cumbria County Council can pay you money, usually through a prepaid card account, which you can then use to arrange your own care and support services, using CDA for example
    • Individual Service Fund – Cumbria County Council can pay money, through a prepaid card account, to a service provider of your choice, such as CDA – we will then manage the money on your behalf arranging the care and support services you choose
    • Care managed services – Cumbria County Council can arrange your care and support services for you
    • Or a combination of these options.

  • You can use the Direct Payment to:

    • Pay Cumbria-Deaf to provide you directly with services;
    • Employ your own staff;
    • Design your own service that fits your choices and needs;
    • Buy equipment that better fits your lifestyle;
    • Arrange your own respite care to offer you or your carer a break; or
    • A combination of any of these.

    You must spend your Direct Payment on things that your assessment shows that you need. You can never use your Direct Payment to buy:

    • Services from the local authority
    • Long term residential care; or
    • Anything that does not meet your agreed needs.

  • If you already receive social services, Cumbria County Council is obliged to offer you the option of direct payments in place of the services you currently receive. (There are some limited circumstances where you are not given this choice and the council will be able to tell you about these.)

    If you’re not receiving social services, to get direct payments you’ll need to contact your local council to ask them to assess your needs.

    Social services (and therefore direct payments) are normally available if you are:

    • An older person
    • Disabled and aged 16 or over
    • A parent or carer aged 16 or over (including people with parental responsibility for a disabled child)
    • Effect on other benefits

    Direct payments are not a replacement of income and therefore do not affect any other benefits you may be getting.

If your question is not answered or you would like further information then please contact us.