Prepaid Cards

Free support is available to local authorities planning to introduce prepaid cards for service users.

The West Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership (IEP) have hired Ticon UK to help authorities build a business case, free of charge, for using prepaid cards to provide service users with individual budgets.

Individual budgets are an alternative way of paying for social care. Instead of local authorities buying services on behalf of individuals, they are given control of their own budget and can direct how it is spent, tailoring the care package to suit their needs.

The cards work by preloading them with a sum of money which can be used to make payments up to the total value of money on the card, and can be topped up when required

Ticon UK will provide support by:

· Collecting and analysing information on processes currently in place for disbursing social care funds
· Giving authorities prices provided anonymously by banks issuing prepaid cards to corroborate estimates of how much a prepaid card scheme will cost to operate
· Producing a completed business case for the introduction of prepaid cards for individual budgets.
Worcester County Council is in the process of testing the feasibility of prepayment cards with the help of Ticon UK consultant Paul Mander, who says: “The cards offer an innovative, cost effective way to help citizens manage their payments and meet the outcomes identified in their care plan. With the support from Ticon, Worcester County Council is hopeful of developing a successful business case.”

Ticon UK have a fixed budget to provide consultancy support to interested local authorities and the number of days available will be discussed directly with each authority.

Depending on the amount of funds available West Midlands IEP may be able to help authorities implement prepayment cards after completion of the business case.

Paul Mander can be contacted on 07899 954458,
e-mail paul.mander@ticon.uk.com

Care Services guidance to support councils to determine eligibility for social care services

This paper follows consultation carried out by the Department of Health on the revision of statutory guidance providing local authorities with a framework to determine individual eligibility for social care – the “Fair Access to Care Services” guidance.

Click here for the rest of the story

New Horizons: towards a shared vision for mental health – consultation

DH is looking for feedback on a draft document containing initial ideas on how Government, services and communities can work together to improve mental health well-being.
Closing date for responses is 15 October 2009.

Click here for details

National Telecare and Telehealth Conference

Places are still available for the conference which takes place in London from Monday 16 to Wednesday 18 November 2009.


Key note speakers are writer and broadcaster, Dame Joan Bakewell, and Professor of Medicine and Neurology, Janice E Knoefel.



Click here for details.

Voice of Care Conference

The Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership for Care annual conference will be held on Thursday 17 September at the Royal Court Hotel, Coventry. The focus will be on issues relating to personalisation of care.



Click here for the registration form.

Telecare Solutions and Assessment of Service User training

Organised by the Telecare Services Association, the course aims to increase knowledge and understanding of telecare technology and its applications across a range of client groups.



Click here for details

Big Care debate online

Carers, service users and providers from the public, private and third sectors can give their views on line as part of the Big Care Debate on the government proposals to reform adult care and support in England.

The green paper Shaping the Future of Care Together, highlights the challenges faced by the current care system and sets out suggestions for developing an National Care Service that is fair, simple and affordable for everyone.

People can contribute to the debate in a variety of ways:
-through the website www.careandsupport.direct.gov.uk and facebook
-via leaflets with specific consultation questions, that will be distributed via GP surgeries pharmacies and other outlets. These can be sent back to the DH freepost

-through a series of Department of Health events which will be held throughout the summer. The West Midlands event took place earlier this month, visit www.careandsupport.direct.gov.uk for other dates and locations

-by holding their own consultation events.

A toolkit to help set up an event is available at www.careandsupport.direct.gov.uk. Department of Health West Midlands can send a speaker to your event to explain the proposed options; contact Karen Murphy, telephone: email: karen.murphy@dh.gsi.gov.uk




Closing date for the consultation is 13 November 2009

Funding for health and social care enterprise

Social enterprises that improve the quality of health and social care for local communities can now apply for loans and grants from the Department of Health’s £100 million Social Enterprise Investment Fund (SEIF).
The fund has already helped more than 150 enterprises since it was first launched in 2007. But there is still more than £70 million available for start-up and existing businesses over the next three years.

Social enterprises eligible for SEIF loans and grants include:

• Multi-agency partnerships, particularly voluntary and community groups wishing to use their expertise to provide services across health and social care



• Existing social enterprises looking to expand into health and social care



• Groups of professionals, such as nurses or therapists, seeking to form a social enterprise to deliver their services using the right to request.

Click here for details or call 0191 269 2276.

Supporting transformation in the West Midlands

The Department of Health (DH) West Midlands has introduced a number of measures to support the government’s transformation programme - Putting People First.

It was set up in April 2009 to enhance the work of the Department of Social Care West Midlands.

The DH is looking at how its work and the JIP business plan can be merged into one. The aim is to improve transparency in planning and to use resources more efficiently. (this needs more explanation)

Regional Transformation Policy Implementation Officer, Marcia Richards and her colleagues, will be visiting local authorities to find out how far their transformation and personalisation plans have progressed, what policy support is required and how the DH can help. They are also on the look out for good practice that can be celebrated and shared across the region. Marcia can be contacted on telephone: 0121 352 546, email: marcia.richards@dh.gsi.gov.uk

Adult Social Care Manager, Karen Murphy, leads on Performance and improvement. Working closely with middle and senior management, Karen identifies good practice in social care that can be used to help other authorities in the region improve and deliver government priorities.

One priority is to ensure social care needs are fully reflected in local area agreements. Wide variations exist between agencies with some giving social care a high profile in their agreements, while others hardly mention it at all.

Karen is available to help local authorities identify objectives that reflect social care needs in their area. Contact Karen at email: karen.murphy@dh.gsi.gov.uk

Programme lead for Carers and LINKS, Simon Foster is helping to forge links between officers leading on personalisation and officers leading on carers. The aim is to involve carers in planning, creating and running personalised social care services.
Contact Simon on telephone: 07917 041 314, email simon.foster@dh.gsi.gov.uk .

Programme Director of Social Care and Older People, Sandra Hudson, is responsible for Safeguarding, the Mental Capacity Act, and Deprivation and Liberty. Sandra recently worked with transformation leads in the region on ‘risks’ and personalisation. A report on their findings and recommendations will be discussed at a forthcoming Personalisation Leads meeting and subsequently at the JIP. Contact Sandra on telephone: 01213525040
email: sandra.hudson@dh.gsi.gov.uk

Chris Sholl leads on Valuing People Now, the three year strategy to ensure people with learning disabilities receive services that allow them to live their lives like other people.
Local Learning Disability Partnership Boards have a key role in ensuring implementation of the strategy in their area. The regional programme board monitors progress and promotes good practice.

Giving people choice and control over the services they receive is integral to the strategy. DH has produced a booklet called ‘How I can use my personal budget’, and is offering training to board members on how to make choice and control a reality.

Notes of all programme board meetings are available on the West Midlands page of the Valuing people website: www.valuingpeople.gov.uk. A quarterly news letter will also be available from October 2009. Contact Chris Sholl on telephone: 07770 278962, email: christine.sholl@dh.gsi.gov.uk

Philippa Shreeve is responsible for overseeing delivery of the National Dementia Strategy. This includes supporting the two successful Dementia Advisor Demonstrator sites. Her brief also includes promoting the Dignity in Care campaign, rasing the profile of dignity champions, disseminating good practice and success stories, promoting the early intervention and prevention agendas, and intermediate care and reablement. Contact Philippa Shreeve on telephone: 07917 041279, email: Philippa.Shreeve@dh.gsi.gov.uk .

Call 0800 for healthy living

Sandwell’s Health and Wellbeing Unit has launched a new number as a single point of contact for its healthy lifestyle services.

The 0800 number is staffed by officers trained to provide information and refer callers to specialist programmes such as cycling, walking, healthy eating and weight management.

The service will also give information on related services such as the Stop Smoking Service and welfare rights.

Head of the Unit, Alan Dean said: “By using one number we aim to make our lifestyle services more accessible to both local people and health and social care professionals. The new service will be of benefit to many people by providing even more direct and personal support.”


The Health and Wellbeing Unit brings together health and social care. It can be contacted on 0800 011 4656. Calls are free from landlines; costs to 0800 numbers from mobiles vary.

Modernising services in Wolverhampton

Six major health and social care centres being built in Wolverhampton will transform the way services are delivered.

Developed by Wolverhampton City Council and Wolverhampton City Primary Care Trust, three of the buildings will house primary health and social care services, including GP surgeries, the other three will be combined community health and mental health resource centres.

The first of the centres is due to open in 2010, with the rest following over the next three years.
The buildings are part of a wider £90million programme of investment across the city to provide community and primary care services for residents, including older people and people with mental health needs.

Plans include improving access and providing a one stop service where people can see their GP and receive a range of additional services such as diabetes care, physiotherapy, social care and general advice on health and well being.

The focus will be on delivering a range of services away from a hospital site and helping people remain independent for as long as possible.
Updates on progress of the developments are provided in the Care Closer to Home newsletter.

Alzheimers Cafés in Staffordshire

Alzheimers Cafés are proving popular in Staffordshire with 14 now set up across the county.

Based in a number of locations, the monthly cafés offer a safe place for people with dementia, their families, carers and friends to meet, share information and experiences, and get support.

Volunteers and professionals are on hand to provide advice, information, fill in forms and identify where help can be found.

Guest speakers such as psychiatrists, lawyers, and trading standards officers are invited to talk on a range of subjects, such as the legal aspects of being a carer, and how to find a reputable trader.
The cafés are used to introduce assistive technology devices to service users. For example, an automatic pill dispenser (see Staffordshire’s pill dispenser preparations story ) will be left in each of the cafés this month. People will be able to try it out and discuss whether or not it is relevant for them.

Six cafés are run by the Carers Association Southern Staffordshire in the south of the county. A further seven operate under the name of Approach Cafés in North Staffordshire, and the MASE café runs independently.

They are funded jointly by health and social care.

Assistive Technology Project Lead, Jim Elam said: “By supporting the cafés we have succeeded in building a virtual community for people who can often be sidelined and isolated. They have really taken off and we are attracting over 70 people at some sessions.”

The cafés won a special commendation in the 2008 West Midlands Regeneration Awards for improving the quality of life.

Contacts:
Alzheimers Cafés – Debbie Hill, Co-ordinator, telephone 01785 606675 or 07843 367 145, email: debbie.hill@carersinformation.org.uk

Approach Cafés – Paula Thursfield, Co-ordinator, telephone 01782 214999.

MASE Café – Daphe Sharpe, email : daphne.sharp@staffordshire.gov.uk or call Elaine Dunlop on 01785 823110 or Daphne Sharp on 07939505455.

Staffordshire’s pill dispenser preparations

Staffordhsire County Council has taken delivery of 200 automatic pill dispensers in preparation of the first large scale pilot of the devise.

Staffordshire is one of seven local authorities and Primary Care Trusts getting ready to test the dispenser’s effectiveness, safety, and appropriateness for various groups, plus the cost implications for making it widely available.

The dispenser automatically reminds users to take pills when the built-in alarm goes off. Programmed to release tablets at specific times the battery operated container is loaded with tablets by pharmacists and securely locked.

Council staff, health workers and carers’ groups are already familiarising themselves with the way the dispenser works by using sweets instead of pills.

It is being demonstrated across the county in a range of settings including Alzheimer cafes – see Alzheimers Cafés in Staffordshire post.

Assistive Technology Project Lead, Jim Ellam said: “To help carers and colleagues understand how the dispenser works, I load it with smarties, and tic tacs, and set it to go off every few minutes. This shows how the technology works and using sweets demonstrates how easily the pills are dispensed. I am delighted in the tremendous interest being shown in using this to promote independence, improve medication compliance and helping to support carers.”

The dispensers will be given to people with a variety of conditions who may benefit from more independent living.

Other organisations signed up to take part are Dudley MBC, Herefordshire County Council, Staffordshire County Council, Staffordshire North PCT, Telford & Wrekin Council, Wolverhampton City Council and Worcestershire County Council.

For informantion contact pill dispenser project manager, Andy Jackson, mobile: 07815 073611, email: andy.jackson28@ntlworld.com

The pilot is a joint project between the West Midlands JIP, Boots UK, West Midlands NHS, independent pharmacies, and PivoTell the distributors of the device; and supported by funding from the Department of Communities and Local Government (CLG).

Direct payments increase in Solihull

The number of people in Solihull receiving direct payments instead of regular social care provision is increasing.

Nearly 300 service users are receiving the means tested cash payment which they can use to buy their own support, as part of three personal budget pilots run by Solihull NHS Care Trust (SCT).

The pilots are with people who have learning difficulties, people with physical and sensory impairments and individuals with long term health conditions.

SCT has agreed a contract with Enable Solihull - a collective of third sector organisations - to map local social care services, raise awareness about personal budgets, and provide support to social care providers in the process of setting up personal budgets.

SCT took part in the national personal health budgets pilot called Staying in Control, and is a provisional pilot for the Department of Health’s Personal Health Budget programme.

Worcester brokerage team in place

Worcestershire County Council’s internal brokerage service is up and running with the appointment of a 14 strong permanent brokerage team.

The new team consists of a manager, two team leaders, eight brokerage officers and three brokerage assistants.

Their role is to find appropriate care for service users and negotiate the best price for services.

Brokers will not have direct contact with service users or their carers, but will work closely with social workers and service providers to ensure a good care package is in place.

After identifying possible care options, informing providers of the services required and negotiating a price, brokers will pass the information on to social workers for discussion with service users. When a decision is made the brokerage team will complete the purchase.

Brokers work on behalf of the council’s adult social care services and service users with personal budgets.

The brokerage system is seen as an effective alternative to traditional commissioning methods, offering greater choice, flexibility and increased efficiency. Different models are on trial in other authorities – Herefordshire County Council is testing an external brokerage scheme which uses independent brokers.

Worcestershire’s brokerage team can be contacted on 01905 822504, email: BrokerageTeam@worcestershire.gov.uk.

Self assessment tool for providers

Worcester City Council has designed a self assessment tool to help service providers adapt to personalisation of services in adult social care.

Its purpose is to help business owners understand and identify new opportunities in social care and to assess the impact personalisation may have on the services they provide.

The tool will allow them to analyse which parts of their business may need further development and if they require support from the council.

It focuses on four key elements for change:
· Delivering Flexible Support
· New Types of Services
· Workforce
· Systems and Process
Click Provider Self Assessment Tool

Birmingham evaluation available

Evaluation of Birmingham City Council’s trial of self directed support, including individual budgets for service users, is available to local authorities in the region for free.

The one year trial and its findings are detailed in the report ‘Older Adults Pilot Evaluation - Resource allocation system and support planning’.

The trial included development of ways to help service users take greater control of planning their own support. This included creation of a Resource Allocation System (RAS) – the basis for allocating individual budgets once need and eligibility had been confirmed; and processes and materials to assist service users in developing individual support plans.

Fifteen recommendations are specified in the report, including the continuation of RAS and creating a programme for promoting cultural change.

For a copy of the report email: maria.b.gavin@birmingham.gov.uk

Rough guide to personalisation

A free guide to personalisation is available from the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE).

Personalisation: a rough guide, defines the different types of personal budgets available; it explains how the idea of personalisation came about , what it is intended to do, and its impact on the workforce, third sector oganisations, private providers, user led organisations and commissioning.


SCIE carries out research, identifies good practice in social care and disseminates its findings.
It is an independent charity funded by the Department of Health, Department for Children Schools and Families, and the devolved administrations in Wales and Northern Ireland.

Click here for a copy.

All of SCIE’s publications and other resources are free.


Useful links on the SCIE website:
-Personalisation briefing – Implications for commissioners
-Personalisation briefing – Implications for carers
·SCIE research briefing 20: The implementation of individual budget schemes in adult social care

Festival of ideas

JIP West Midlands has joined with Innovation Exchange – a consultancy supporting innovation in the third sector - to stage Innovation for Personalisation: A Festival of Ideas, on 26 November 2009.

The one day event puts third sector organisations running innovative adult social care projects in touch with commissioners and investors looking to buy or develop personalised services.

The festival takes place in The Orange Studio, 7 Cannon Street, Birmingham, B2 5EP, from 9.30am-4.00pm. Look out for your invitation which will be sent to all adult social care departments in the region.

The event will be attended by senior figures from the public sector across the West Midlands, as well as leading innovators and investors.

Expert advice will be given on how to cultivate fledgling projects and ideas.

Innovators and investors will:
· Hear about the most advanced and effective existing provision
· Make contact with people behind the best new ideas and projects in the third sector
· Help shape the work of innovators to deliver effective and appropriate care services
· Have the opportunity to consider collaborating with existing or new innovations
· Find ways to meet the requirements of Putting People First by supporting projects

Eric Robinson, JIP Lead on Personalisation, ADASS and Corporate Director of Social Care and Health in Staffordshire County Council says:

“We need to work together with passion and commitment to help everyone lead fulfilling, independent lives.

This is an important event for the JIP in helping us to find high potential innovation projects that are making personalisation a reality.”

Key themes for the day include:
· Support brokerage and advocacy
· Advice, information and guidance
· Potential of user led and community led approaches
· Safeguarding and risk management
· Potential of new technology

Director of Innovation Exchange John Craig says: “This event brings all the relevant people together in one place. It can take months to find the right person to pitch your ideas to. Likewise commissioners in the public sector know there are lots of fantastic projects out there but don’t have the time to find them.”

John can be contacted by email: John.Craig@Innovation-unit.co.uk

Innovation Exchange would like to hear of any fledgling proposals or innovation projects in advance of the event. People with the best ideas will receive a festival invitation. Click here for details.

Making care personal

Welcome to the JIP e-bulletin. In this issue we focus on the personalisation of adult social care services as part of the government’s Putting People First agenda.

Public sector workers across the West Midlands are already transforming the way adult social care services are designed, delivered and received to meet the needs of the user.

However, personalisation, which gives users control over their own budgets to buy services and support to suit them, sets a new challenge for local authorities, and needs a radical approach to make it work.

Service providers across the region are demonstrating dedication, drive and commitment in their efforts to find new ways of catering for rapidly growing numbers of adults receiving social care - 1.7 million more people will need care and support by 2026.

Numerous examples of innovative services reflecting changing needs and expectations already exist. The JIP has allocated substantial resources to help local authorities introduce new ways of working with the focus on personalisation – see the JIP business plan for details.

On 26 November we will host with consultancy Innovation Exchange an event where third sector organisation representatives, public sector commissioners and other investors, can come together, exchange ideas and possibly commission new personalised services – read the story Festival of Ideas for more information.

Our aim is to enable those local authorities responsible for adult social care to be at the cutting edge of providing personalised services that give individuals more choice and control.

Eric Robinson
JIP Lead on Personalisation and
Corporate Director of Social Care and Health, Staffordshire County Council