Training materials: My Money Matters: Guidance on Best Practice in Handling the Money of People with a Learning Disability

My Money Matters: Guidance on Best Practice in Handling the Money of People with a Learning Disability
Jane Livingstone, ARC
ISBN 1901105164,
£25
Order from: contact.us@arcuk.org.uk

STAR RATING: 4/5

Banks and other financial services should be disgraced by the real stories used in this useful guide to illustrate the problems people with learning difficulties face when trying to manage their money, writes Mandy Johnson.

Based on a survey of Association for Real Change’s member organisations, which all support people with learning difficulties, the issues faced are broken into sections, including practical problems, the legal situation and auditors’ requirements.

The pack is founded on clear values and promotes people’s rights to have control over their money.

Equally, risk is thoroughly addressed and there are useful tools for assessing levels of required support alongside risk and capacity. An important section has lots of resources to help people (and their staff) develop better skills with money.

One of the guide’s strengths is the ARC’s members’ contributions; their own pilot projects offer ideas on best practice and some solutions. The Financial Passport is a simple idea that will help people explain how they should be supported.

The accompanying CD-Rom contains procedures that can be adapted; plus a simple budget planning programme which some may find useful.

Although the guide is aimed at support staff and auditors, much of the information could be shared with family carers. To help navigate, dividers between sections would have been more helpful than colour coding.

Mandy Johnson is a social worker with disabled people