Many won't be familiar with the term appointeeship. In simple terms it is someone to manage your finances for you, but for DSP it is something more.
We believe that an appointeeship can be used as a tool to build a better life for those struggling with mental health issues, learning difficulties, addictions or other factors that can cause financial instability.
This is a service we offer to anyone and not just those with a disability or disorder.
Debts can mount up quickly when we are low, depressed or have an addiction that needs feeding. When you can't trust yourself not to spend money that you do not have, appointeeships could be the right step for you. As an appointee, we will ensure that your money goes towards your bills, food, rent, clothes and development. We can work out an allowance from your remaining funds for you each week so that you still have spending money as well.
Improving Mental Health
We don't just manage your money, we are also mentors and a friend to turn to. If you need someone to speak to our trained councilors can help. By ensuring you have a roof over your head, heating, food and entertainment we aim to help improve your mental health.
When you are deprived of the basic amenities in life, find yourself homeless or seeing more money go out than in, it can have a huge impact on our mental health. This can lead to our mental health and life spiraling out of control. Having some comfort around us can help keep this in check and allow us to gain some ground.
Our team can take some of this weight off your shoulder and help you focus on you for a bit.
Fighting Addictions:
Addictions can be hard to manage when you have money to put into them. Although fighting and addiction is a personal decision, having the tools to do so can have a huge impact on how quickly and the chances that you can achieve it.
We can provide debit / credit cards that only allow payments in certain shops, for specific items for example to help keep you on track. We will also check in on you to make sure you are keeping yourself healthy, you are happy and have what you need.
There are also projects such as the Sanctuary Gaming Cafe that we can get you involved with. This can give you a different focus, help form friends that can encourage you, and help grow your support network.
Sometimes we need help to beat addictions.
Lack of Education or Learning Disabilities
Appointeeships can be particularly useful for those with limited education or learning difficulties. Managing a budget when you struggle with basic maths for example can be more than just challenging. The knowledge of where to start or the need to can be absent.
We can help to grow that understanding / knowledge or simply take over your finances completely when a learning disability prevents it. In the end we all have different strengths and weaknesses. We can help cover areas of financial weakness so you can lets your strengths blossom.
Critical Care
If you are in permanent care and do not have the ability to manage your finances, it is often a choice between your relatives taking over your finances, or an appointeeship.
Having to deal with a family member in care can be worrying, stressful and requires a support network. As an appointee we can ensure where possible you have all the benefits that you are entitled to, your utility bills are with a good (and reasonably priced) provider, and that if you get better there is not a financial headache to wake up to.
A Bespoke / Custom Package
All of our appointeeships are completely bespoke and built around you. Each appointee has different reasons for needing us and we aim to respond to those individual needs. Some may just require advice as opposed to an appointeeship when they first come to us, some might short term debt management, while other require a fully hands on service.
How we help is up to you.
Need Help?
If you think an appointeeship would be helpful for you or perhaps someone you care, you can call us on 01527 351021 or email info@dspuk.org.uk. We can have a quick chat over the phone or you can book a free consultation.
We also take referrals from the NHS services.