Legal questions on self directed support

Being a family member does not in itself give you the legal authority to act on their behalf. To do this you must have either Power of Attorney or Guardianship for them.

Someone who holds a power of attorney or financial and welfare guardianship to make decisions on behalf of someone cannot become the individual's Personal Assistant because of the potential risk of there being conflicts of interest. The local authority cannot provide the funds for the legal representative to employ themselves to provide the required care and support to the individual.