Meet the A4e Team in Stockton
Here we are, the Stockton A4e Direct Payments Support Service Team. A4e have held the contract with Stockton Borough Council since April 2007, supporting clients to manage all aspects of their Direct Payments and to date have supported over 400 individuals to access Direct Payments.
The Stockton team consists of four Independent Living Advisors; Sally Irvine, who is also the Team Leader, Marc Harrison, Carrie Metcalfe and Melanie Edwards. The team Administrator is Jude Atkinson and Kelly Bainbridge is the Business Manager. Each member of the team brings something different to their role, but work closely together to ensure that they are delivering the highest quality service.
The office is part of Education and Advice Centre in Thornaby, attached to Thornaby Community School. Being based in this prime location allows us to not only be aware of some of the other contracts which A4e’s Advice and Learning section are currently running, but also to be an integral part of the local community.
We regularly hold Service User groups which are extremely well attended, which creates an opportunity for both Service Users and carers to come together and discuss their own Direct Payments, share experience or raise any concerns they may have and identify solutions as a group.
Recently Stockton Borough Council were selected by the Department of Health to participate in a pilot looking at the Co-production/support plan training around the Personalisation Agenda, and asked A4e to support on this exciting opportunity. Not only has this allowed us the unique chance to work closely with our Service Users giving them the tools to deliver training to their peers around support planning, helping them to identify the benefits of support planning, how to access the available services, etc…but also encouraged us to work across the Advice and Learning division bringing in the support from our Education section.
Here is what a few of our Service Users have had to say regarding our Support Service in Stockton:
“For your information I would like to take this opportunity to say that since A4e took over the ‘Direct Payment’ contract, my life has been very much more simple, in fact as it ought to have been since we decided on Direct Payments some years ago.”
“I would like to take this opportunity to comment on the high level of the customer service that my aunt and I have received from Jude Atkinson and the team at A4e, Stockton”
“I have always been very pleased with the efficient way everything I have asked of the staff of A4e has been handled”.
“I am grateful to Sally Irvine for her help, support and encouragement. Thanks to Sally I was able to pluck up enough courage to spend what turned out to be a very enjoyable weeks holiday in Benidorm”.
Contact us
Thornaby Community School
Direct Payment Support
Baysdale Road
Thornaby
TS17 9DB
Telephone No: 01642 754798
Fax: 01642 754751