Our parent organisation DabB (Disability Action in the Borough of Barnet) started an Independent Living Advisory Scheme (ILAS) in 1993 to act as a broker for funds from the Local Authority to people living in their own homes (the forerunner of Direct Payments), and to assist and advise people wishing to move out of residential or family homes into their own accommodation and live independent lives.
ILAS ran a User Group where people thinking about living independently and those who already did could meet informally.
User Group members realised they had a common problem in that it was quite a task to employ staff directly, particularly if they had no experience with payroll, interviewing, staff rotas etc. Those who used agencies found they were sent different staff from week to week or month to month, it was expensive and they had no choice over who worked for them.
In 1996 the Group applied for funding to start its own agency. An agency run by disabled people for disabled people.
The London Borough of Barnet provided a start-up grant for three years, after which the Agency was so successful it became self financing.
At the end of its first year (1997-8) of trading there were four Clients and five Personal Assistants with one full time member of staff. By October 2006 there were roughly 55 Clients and over 50 Assistants. The office is staffed by four full-time and two part-time staff (some of whom have disabilities).
We have grown slowly in order to ensure we are able to serve our clients properly.