Unlock the Spirit of Direct Payments

A brand new, interactive and engaging online course eploring where Direct Payments came from and why they matter. Grounded in the lived experiences of disabled people, family members, personal assistants, and professionals, the course looks beyond process to focus on the values at the heart of Direct Payments: independence, choice and control.

Why this course?

Person-centred
The course is led by lived experience, with disabled people sharing their own stories and insights throughout. Their voices bring the learning to life, clearly showing the real and lasting impact that direct payments can have on independence, wellbeing, choice and control in everyday life.
Interactive
Our course blends engaging video content with interactive quizzes and reflective activities. You’ll hear directly from disabled people and professionals, pause to test your understanding, and reflect on how learning applies to your own practice - turning insight into confident, real‑world action.
Certified
At the end of the course, you'll have the opportunity to receive a certificate of completion. This recognises not only your learning and understanding of the spirit of direct payments, but - more importantly - the pledge you make to uphold the values of independence, choice and control in their work.

About the course creators

This course has been co-created by Disability North and AGL Skills.

Disability North

Disability North is a Disabled People’s Organisation (DPO) working across the North East of England, led by disabled people and rooted in lived experience. The organisation provides clear, practical advice and support to help disabled people achieve choice, control, and independence, while also challenging the systemic barriers that limit inclusion and rights.

AGL Skills

AGL Skills Ltd is an organisation dedicated to helping DPOs transform their knowledge, training, and lived-experience expertise into high-quality online learning. With a strong understanding of the values that drive DPOs, independence, accessibility, co-production, and authentic voice. AGL bridges the gap between traditional, in-person workshops and modern digital delivery.
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Meet Angie

Angie Stewart is the Inclusion and Training Lead at Disability North. She has been using direct payments for over 25 years. Angie is just one of the experts that you'll hear from throughout the course.

Who is this course for?

  • Social Workers
  • Personal Assistants
  • Social Work Students
  • Direct Payment Support Services
  • Disabled People interested in direct payments

Experts 

Per learner

Hours of learning

How does it work?

If this course sounds like it's for you and your organisation, we'd love to hear from you.
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Step 1 - Understanding your needs

We’ll discuss your organisation, your learners, timescales, and what success looks like. As part of this, we’ll share access to the course so you can review the content and approach before you commit. If you want to move forward, we'll send you a link to order the number of seats that you want for your organisation. You'll then just need to provide us with the names and email addresses of everyone who will be completing the course.

Step 2 - Start the learning journey

As soon as we have the details of everyone completing the course, we can enrol them onto the course as soon as you're ready. They'll then receive an email to access the course and begin their learning journey. 

Step 3 - Check the progress

We will provide you with updates of how your learners are progressing through the course and a final report which includes their reflections and key takeaways.