Our Lifestyle Management service brings together everything we offer in one complete package, giving you the freedom to focus on what really matters. From recruiting and managing Personal Assistants, to organising care, budgeting, and day to day support, we’ll be by your side every step of the way. Whatever your goals, from thriving at university to enjoying a full social life - we’re here to make them possible, because the world truly is your oyster.
Lifestyle Management
By using our Lifestyle Management service, you will be able to run your life more independently than you ever dreamed was possible. Our services have been tried and tested by young disabled adults and students living independently at university.
Your needs
Clients tell us what they want and AskJules finds it. Understandably, the biggest ASK is always for quality care and support staff. We are direct in our approach. We bring a robust edge to our work that will help you move forward with greater confidence.
We enjoy what we do and our continued success is directly linked to your success.As well as, for the most part, recruiting more suitable Personal Assistants (PAs) more quickly, clients obtain superior levels of care and support at a price that could not be achieved using conventional methods.
Student Support
You can recruit and employ your own PAs who are qualified to provide both student support and personal care while you study!
Traditionally Student Support Workers who assist you while at university are supplied through the university and are not chosen by you. They are limited to only assisting you with academic support and would not include any personal and practical care that you may need, such as helping you at lunch time or between lectures.
AskJules Student Support helps you recruit and employ these study buddies and note takers, experienced graduates who are able to support you academically and personally along the way. It's your choice!
Practical Support Assistant
To assist the student with mobility e.g. around buildings and the campuses. To assist in carrying equipment, books or other items. To provide practical support using the library or other University services, e.g. getting books off shelves. To carry out some or all of a given task in a taught session (e.g. use of equipment in workshops) working specifically and only to the student’s direct instruction. It could also include general orientation and finding out where things are located. It could also include ‘social support’ in order to ensure access to the wider aspects of student life. To work effectively, at the direction of the student, in their own particular context.
Scribe
A scribe is used to write down or type what a student dictates.
Library Support Assistant
This support is provided to help the student search library catalogues, locate materials, collect materials, photocopying etc.
Examination Support Worker
Duties of an Examination Support Worker might include reading out the examination paper, writing down student answers using exactly the words used by the student and for some students, who might get very focussed on a particular question, giving a prompt as to when it is time to move on to another.
Sighted Guide
A sighted guide may be required to assist a student with visual impairment to navigate the campus and may be required for all or part of each day the student needs to attend the university. This role is about the physical attendance at lectures, tutorials, workshops etc. and not about accessing the information that is delivered.
Reader
Read through the student’s work and point out the types of errors that the student has made in grammar/punctuation/structure etc. and suggest ways of rectifying this in the future.
Manual Note-taker
Take notes on a student’s behalf and produce an accurate and legible handwritten record of the content of lectures, seminars, and discussions in the student’s preferred style and format.
Workshop/Laboratory Support Assistant
Supporting a student in gaining access to the practical aspects of their course, e.g. in the laboratory or in a workshop/studio situation.
Specialist Mentoring
Provide highly specialist, specifically tailored one-to-one support which helps students address the barriers to learning created by a particular impairment, e.g. mental-health conditions or Autistic Spectrum Disorders. This could include a range of issues. For example, coping with anxiety and stress situations, how to deal with concentration difficulties, time management, prioritising workload, and creating a suitable work-life balance.
Specialist 1:1 Study Skills Support
This support addresses the issues which some students might have in acquiring, recalling, and retaining information in written and spoken language, as well as the range of memory, organisational, attention, and numeracy difficulties that students with Specific Learning Difficulties often face when working at university.
A Personal Budget (PB) is the amount of money the local council allocates for your care, based on its assessment of your needs. You can be put in charge of this budget either by telling the council how you would like it spent, or by the council giving you the money so you can directly pay for your own care (a direct payment).
A Personal Health Budget (PHB) is an amount of money to support your health and well-being needs, which is planned and agreed between you and your local NHS team. A PHB allows you to manage your healthcare and support and personal care, in a way that suits you. It works in a similar way to personal budgets.
Most of our clients are funded via a PB or a PHB, but we also work with clients who are self funded or via a Trust Fund.
AskJules will set up a Client Bank Account for you where your direct payment can be paid into which we will manage on your behalf.
AskJules can help if your care is:
- NHS Funded
- Local Authority Funded
- Privately Funded
- Trust Funded
Register as a client today and take control of your care!
Personal Health Budget
A Personal Health Budget is an amount of money, planned and agreed between you and your local NHS team, which is allocated to support your health and wellbeing needs. The aim of a Personal Health Budget is to give you more choice and control over the money spent on meeting your care needs, allowing you to select treatments and services that are most appropriate for you. You can receive a Personal Health Budget as a Direct Payment for healthcare. Since October 2014 people receiving NHS Continuing Healthcare have had the right to receive a Personal Health budget. If you receive your Personal Health Budget as a Direct Payment the money is paid directly to you so that you can buy the care and support you and your local NHS team decide you need. You have to show what you have spent the money on, but you, or your representative, buy and manage services yourself.
Personal Budget
A Personal Budget is the amount of money the local authority allocates for your care, based on its assessment of your needs. You can be put in charge of this "budget" either by telling the local authority how you would like it spent, or by the council giving you the money so that you can directly pay for your own care (a direct payment).
Direct Payments
Direct payments give you the most control over your care, and mean that if you are unhappy with the services you’re getting, you can decide to change who gives you the care services without the process of going through the local authority. However, with this freedom comes the responsibility of accounting for how the budget is spent to ensure it is meeting your needs, and additional responsibilities if you decide to become an employer and hire a personal assistant with your direct payment.
How does personalised care and support work?
You and your social worker / care manager will work together to create a care and support plan. This plan details your care and support needs, and will be used to work out the value of your "personal budget". Your support plan should consider:
● What's important to you, including your interests, lifestyle, personal tastes and the people in your life.
● Your hopes for the future, such as whether you'd like to study or take on more hobbies outside the home.
● What limitations you currently have and how you want to change.
● What you want to achieve by managing your own support You will need to clarify how you will manage your money. If you choose to receive your personal budget as a direct payment, the local authority may pay the money straight into a bank account that you control (you must set up a new bank account to do this) or they may give you a pre-paid card.
Alternatively, you may prefer your personal budget to be managed by the local authority or by someone else, such as:
● A friend or family member (the local authority must agree to this).
● A broker, like AskJules Ltd.
At AskJules, we understand that as loved ones, you have a vested interest in their academic success and personal well being. We want to assure you that we are here to support and assist you throughout their journey with us. We are more than happy to answer any questions or address any concerns you may have, ensuring that you feel informed and involved.
However, it is essential to keep in mind that our clients are the employers of their support workers. They have the final say in decisions regarding their care and support and the tasks assigned to their personal assistants. Our role is to facilitate and provide guidance within the framework set by our clients. We believe in empowering our clients to take ownership of their support and make decisions that align with their goals and aspirations.
Rest assured, we are dedicated to maintaining open lines of communication with you while respecting the autonomy of our clients. Together, we can create an environment that nurtures their growth and success.
If you have any queries or need assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to our team. We are here to help.
I’m a young disabled adult needing 24/7 care, can AskJules help me?
Yes! AskJules can help run your life more independently than you ever dreamed was possible. Our existing clients are young adults with progressive and neurological conditions such as Motor Neurone Disease, Muscular Dystrophy, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, people with a spinal cord injury, and cerebral palsy. If you require 24/7 care, NHS Funded, Local Authority Funded, Privately Funded, Trust Funded, or a combination. We can manage the most complex multi-funded budget for you, whilst still offering you complete choice and control over your care. AskJules provides a personal, efficient and comprehensive service to our clients; from recruiting PAs, to HR, Payroll, Bank and Budget Management and everything in-between.
I want to go to University, can AskJules help?
Of course! Through the AskJules University Program, we will help you with everything from the very first stage of choosing a University, attending open days with you, helping you recruit your PAs, manage your budget and payroll, until the day you graduate! We can provide Student Support that better suits your needs, through AskJules Student Support. Traditionally assistance at University is supplied through the University and is not chosen by you. They are limited to only assisting you with academic support and would not include any personal care that you may need, such as helping you at lunch time. With the assistance of AskJules, you can recruit and employ your own PA to provide both student support and personal care whilst you study.
Who are Client Managers?
AskJules Client Managers coordinate a comprehensive package of care and lifestyle support for young disabled adults based on their instructions/requests. Our Client Managers are graduates with personal or professional experience of disability and independent living. Client Managers provide a Personnel (HR) service and supervise PAs in line with each client's specific policies & procedures. Although it must be recognised that AskJules are not employers of client's care and support staff, we handle all the practical aspects of managing committed, reliable Personal Assistants and other support workers for you!
What's a PA?
A Personal Assistant (PA) is employed by the client to help in all, or most, aspects of their life including:
•Personal Care
•Health Care
•Daily Living
•Housekeeping
•Student Support
•Socialising
The role will be very specific to each client and their individual care plan. Generally, duties might include; personal care - getting up, assisting the client to wash, and dress. Assistance with daily living tasks and health care; medication, preparing and eating meals. Student support; attendance at University lectures, note-taking, practical support in the library or studio, etc.
Can I choose and recruit my own PAs?
You have complete choice and control over your care, so yes. AskJules employ recruitment consultants who are experts in matching PAs with like-minded young disabled adults. AskJules will help you fill your vacancies and look after your interests and the interests of the staff who work for you. From writing your job description and advertising, to pre-selecting applicants and holding interviews with you or on your behalf, we will be with you every step of the way.
Will my PAs have any training?
Yes, AskJules will find and organise comprehensive training for your PAs, specific to your needs.
What is a DSA?
Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) are paid on top of your other student finance once you start University. They help you pay the extra costs you may have because of your disability. They don’t have to be repaid. How much you get depends on your individual needs and this will be assessed. You can get help with the costs of: specialist equipment, non-medical helpers, and other disability-related costs of studying. AskJules can provide guidance and support, attending assessments with you, managing your DSA, recruiting specialist PAs as non-medical helpers, and everything else!
What's a DBS check?
A DBS check is to check for a criminal record. The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) helps employers make safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups, including children. All of your PAs will be checked and will only work for you if they are suitable to do so. Applicants will be asked to complete a form when they apply for the PA role.