'Direct payments helped me to become an artist'

Artist Sally Hirst was able to hone her skills during a placement

An award-winning autistic artist said she was able to follow her dreams after being given the freedom to manage her own social care funding.

Sally Hirst, who also has learning disabilities, is currently an artist in residence at the Everyday Art School at the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester.

After withdrawing from college due to health problems, the 24-year-old from Old Trafford decided to use her funding to sign up for a placement for artists with learning disabilities.

"It just feels really amazing to be able to do something that I love and enjoy and I'm passionate about all the time," she said.

Sally loved painting her foster brother, a refugee from Afghanistan

Ms Hirst, who also has hypermobile Ehlers Danlos syndrome, was able to hone her skills during her time at Venture Arts in Hulme.

The placement was funded through direct payments provided by Trafford Council.

Receiving direct payments is an alternative to accepting care organised by the local authority.

It is designed to give service users more autonomy about the services they need and receive.

'Confidence and purpose'

"Everybody is different," said Jenny Gibson, who works forTrafford Council.

"Everybody has different needs and wants and we just want people to be able to get the care that they want in the way that they want it to suit their own lifestyle."

Ms Hirst's work has been exhibited at Manchester's Jewish Museum, the People's History Museum and Portico Library.

She has also co-curated an art exhibition in Bali.

She was named Young Creative of the Year at the 2024 Manchester Culture Awards.

Her mother Emma Hirst said it was amazing to see what her daughter had achieved.

"It's allowed her to follow her dreams," she said.

"She is an artist working at a studio and that's what's so amazing.

"It gives her such confidence and purpose."