Playing for independence in Staffs

Staffordshire County Council is using a board game to help service users identify what they need to live independently.

Designed by the Joint Commissioning Unit, the game Me, Myself & I* takes a holistic approach to looking at someone’s needs by focussing on six different areas of a person’s life – My Health, My Safety, My Home, My Life, My Money and My Choice.

The format makes it suitable for playing in an informal environment, either in a group or with an individual as part of their support session.

Feedback from service users will be used to influence future commissioning and service design.

The game is available for housing support workers, council colleagues, partners and organisations to use, and was an unqualified success when played at the annual Staffordshire Social Care and Health event held earlier this year.

Contact: Eve Wilson, Joint Commissioning Unit, email: eve.wilson@staffordshire.gov.uk, telephone: 01785 854238,

* © Staffordshire County Council, April 2010.

Mapping the workforce for the future

A number of key issues have been identified during a review of the region’s adult social care workforce planning arrangements, leading to a series of recommendations from the Workforce Mapping project.

DBI Consulting has been commissioned by JIP to deliver the project.
Consultants have carried out extensive research, looking at the state of the social care workforce, the sectors’ needs, the available resources, as well as gaps in the workforce and how they may be filled.

A considerable amount of information has been gathered on local trends and practices, partnership working, learning and development, and the relationship between service commissioning and workforce planning.

Issues that have come to light include:

Leadership - regional and local leadership needs to be proactive in supporting and driving workforce planning.

Recruitment and retention - turnover rates among staff are high (even in a recession) due to a number of factors including lack of clear career progression. Workers need to see there is a worthwhile future in the caring profession

National Minimum Data Set - a number of local authorities have to get to grips with this. Until there is good quality data that can be matched with the transformation agenda local authorities will not be able to plan effectively

Commissioning and workforce planning – these functions are currently separate and need to be co-ordinated. If commissioners do not know what skills are available, and workforce professionals are unaware of commissioners’ plans, the needs of services and organisations may not be adequately met

Training – there is a tendency for duplication, with numerous training courses on the same theme taking place in the region. These could rationalised by joined up planning.

Meetings and networks – the array of meetings and networks (often duplicating each other) can stretch employees’ time and commitment. There is need for taking stock of what exists, plus rationalisation and co-ordination

Safeguarding – ensuring arrangements for direct payment recipients are effective

Mapping care pathways - greater coordination between health, local authorities, private, independent and volunatary sector organisatons, will improve the service users’ experience and efficiency in services.

A full report will be presented with recommendations to the JIP in June 2010.

For more information contact: Jo Potter, Management Consultant, Dbi Consulting, email: http://www.dbiconsulting.co.uk/, telephone: 07957 705079

Grants for social business supporting health and care

Social enterprises delivering innovative improvements to health or social care can apply for a loan, grant or business support from the Social Enterprise Investment Fund (SEIF).

Social enterprises are businesses with social objectives. Profits tend to be invested to benefit the community they serve.

The SIEF provides advice and funding for businesses that are starting up, as well as loans for enterprises already in existence.

Scores of care and health related enterprises have been set up across the country with the help of the fund, providing employment opportunities to local people.

Read more

Stating the case for market shaping

The report ‘Why is market shaping and development important?’ presents key findings from analysis of the local government market.

Published by the Department for Communities and Local Government, it considers the main challenges and opportunities faced by markets in local government services, and outlines issues influencing the effectiveness of competition across the sector.

Read more

Shaping markets for the future

Improvement and Efficiency West Midlands is funding a market shaping project to stimulate the development and supply of services that meet the demands of service users.

The need for market shaping has become evident with the arrival of the Personal Assistant project which focuses on increasing the number and quality of PAs to care for people on personal budgets.

The project found service users often could not find the type of assistance they want, and have to settle for less than ideal provision.

The revelation has led to the formation of the Market Shaping Project.

Over the next 12 months local authorities will be encouraged to bring service users and providers together, to gain better understanding of both sides’ needs and aspirations. The project also aims to identify innovative commissioning and service solutions, and help to develop a sustainable and varied market that includes the third sector and micro businesses.

Contact: Paul Johnston, IEWM Project Manager, email: Paul.Johnston@impactchange.co.uk, telephone: 01670 528438.

Free training in Dudley

Dudley Council’s half day training course, Safeguarding Raising Awareness, is available to all PAs free of charge.

Mandatory half day child protection training is also free, and must be taken up by PAs working in households where there are children under 16.

All other courses incur a charge for service users.

PAs and people receiving direct payments took part in consultation on barriers to recruitment in February this year. One issue to arise is the lack of support, and isolation faced by PAs. The idea of setting up a PA network is now being explored.

Contact: Judith Round, Direct Payments Co-ordinator, telephone: 01384 813465

Solihull assists PA employers

Solihull Care Trust has recently appointed a training broker to assist employers with training PAs, and to support future planning of health training needs.

Carmen Smith has been commissioned to provide employer support to individuals receiving direct payments and individual budgets, who employ PAs.

Carmen’s key responsibilities are to work with employers to identify the training needs of people they hire, and find appropriate training for them.
She is developing a training directory listing training providers and the courses they deliver.

Solihull Care Trust has purchased an e-learning training pack for PAs and trust staff to increase understanding of the PAs' role.

Future plans include provision of NVQs, apprenticeships and training for employers.

A PA events day has been organised for September 2010.

Contact: Carmen Smith, email: carmen.smith@solihull-ct.nhs.uk

PA training targets BMEs in Staffordshire

People from black and minority ethnic communities in East Staffordshire have signed up for work as personal assistants following a targeted training course set up by the borough’s social care and health service.

The sign up follows a five day training course organised by
BME Community Development Officer, Nighat Younas, and paid for by Care Match.

Participants were introduced to the role of PAs and provided with essential information about personal hygiene, diet and nutrition, and common health conditions.

The initiative started last November, when people claiming Job Seekers Allowance were invited to a jobs fair promoting careers in the care sector.



Thirteen people from Polish, Pakistani, Dutch, Caribbean, Malaysian, Indian, German and Arabic backgrounds attended, and expressed interest in working as PAs.

Training was provided in response, and all 13 of the participants have now registered as assistants.

Staffordshire care and health is helping to develop a PA workforce that reflects the diversity of the borough’s population.

Nighat is currently involved in setting up a direct payment for a Polish resident who wants to buy the services of one of the recently trained PAs.

Contact: Kay Hickinbottom, District Procurement Manager, Social Care and Health (East Staffordshire), telephone: 01283 239667.

Forming a PA framework in Sandwell

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council has established a framework for developing and sustaining a PA workforce.

By linking the activities of workforce commissioning and market management, a picture has emerged of what is needed to build a modern PA workforce.

The framework specifies key skills and competencies, mandatory training to be undertaken, and relevant regulations. Options for career development are also outlined, and accreditation will be offered to PAs meeting requirements.

Plans for an online market place are being considered for PAs wanting to promote their services, and for service users looking for assistants.

The spread of personal budgets has already led to a rise in the number of PAs in the borough, and feedback from this growing end of the market is positive.

Focus will remain on ensuring the PA service remains flexible enough to respond to customers’ needs, while at the same time safeguarding vulnerable adults.

Direct employment toolkit available on line

An on line tool kit detailing the do’s and don’ts of directly employing PAs has been produced by the West Midlands Personal Assistant Project.

The Direct Employment Toolkit is designed to inform, develop and empower both service users and PAs, and has been published in readiness for the expected increase in the number of assistants needed to care for people receiving personal budgets.

The kit contains:
· guidance and legal advice on the role of local authorities in developing the number and quality of PAs, guidance for service users about their responsibilities as employers, and guidance on safeguarding
· information on barriers to direct employment, and a strategy for overcoming them
a business case for identifying opportunities for efficiency, increasing supply and demand, enhancing the quality of services, and a fair price for PA support.

Contact: Paul Johnston, IEWM Project Manager, email: Paul.Johnston@impactchange.co.uk, telephone: 01670 528438.

Read more

Tackling the PA shortfall

Demand for PAs to take care of people in receipt of personal budgets is expected to grow substantially over the next year.

The increase is predicted as councils move towards the target of giving 30% of eligible service users personal budgets by March 2011.

Individuals will receive money to buy the support they need, based on care plans drawn up with the help of care workers. This is expected to create a demand for directly employed PAs.

Improvement and Efficiency West Midlands (IEWM) has commissioned Impact Change Solutions Ltd to deliver the region’s Personal Assistant Project, which has been set up to find ways of increasing the number and quality of PAs.

The project has recently delivered analysis of the role local authorities could play in expanding the PA sector, and in addressing the barriers services users face as potential employers.

The project’s final report and recommendations will be published by the end of June 2010.

Contact: Paul Johnston, IEWM Project Manager, email: Paul.Johnston@impactchange.co.uk, telephone: 01670 528438.

JIP e-bulletin No 13 June 2010

In this issue we bring you the latest news about moves to increase the number of personal assistants (PAs) available in the region to care for service users.

With the pace of social care transformation picking up, and more people receiving personal budgets, the demand for PAs directly employed by service users is set to grow.

JIP has prepared for this by setting up the Personal Assistant Project. Its brief is to come up with ways of encouraging more people to work as PAs, and to generate ideas for improving professional standards.

Another development worth noting is the Market Shaping Project, set up to stimulate the creation of new and sustainable businesses and services that meet the demands of service users.

We look forward as always to receiving news and information about developments in adult social care in your local authority.

For the next issue, we’re particularly keen to hear about the work your council is doing on collaborative commissioning. Please send your details to Cathrina Louis, email:cathrinalouis@btinternet.com, by Wednesday 30 June 2010.



Eric Robinson JIP Personalisation Lead
Corporate Director of Social Care and HealthStaffordshire County Council

JIP e-bulletin special June 2010

Dear colleague,

Welcome to this e-bulletin special bringing you news of our priorities for 2010/2011 and how we plan to use the resources available for supporting the development of adult social care.
We also introduce our team of specialists on hand to help you and your organisation deliver customer focused and efficient services.

The JIP brings together adult social care services and improvement agencies in the region; and is a programme board for Improvement and Efficiency West Midlands (IEWM) which is the name of the regional Improvement and efficiency partnership (RIEP).

IEWM’s priorities for adult social care are:

Reablement - this is the technique to equip people with skills to help them live independently. A regional project currently underway aims to channel 95% of all assessments through areablement team resulting in 60% of service recipients no longer needing care or support. Efficiencies of £7 million are predicted by the end of the financial year.

Telecare – using a range of equipment and electronic response services to complement reablement and to help redesign traditional care services. We will continue with our pilot of 500 automated medicine dispensers and test new technology to support people with dementia and learning disabilities living in the community. Our programme will quantify return on investment (ROI) - initial findings indicate the potential for ROI is £15 for every one pound spent. Consultancy support will also be provided for councils in the region to design and execute a telecare strategy.

Personalisation – work on the nationally recognised Personal Assistant Project will continue, to drive up the quality, volume and efficiency of carers directly employed by services users receiving a personal budget. IEWM will facilitate a series of pilots using technology devised by information provider Opportunity Links, to improve the quality of information available to budget holders on good value care services. We are also focusing on shaping the market place for personalised social care including forgeing stronger links with the voluntary sector.

Collaborative Commissioning – help will be provided to councils toidentify collaborative commissioning opportunities such as joint council purchasing of telecare equipment, and extend the use of the Care Funding Calculator which has already achieved £2.8 million efficiency to date. The calculator is projected to make £7 million in savings by the end of this financial year.

Social Care Total Place – designed to identify and avoid overlap and duplication between organisations, resources will be allocated to the Coventry Optimal Care pilot. The pilot is an innovative approach to mapping falls prevention services, looking at gaps in provision, the resources invested and the impact they have on the health and social care economy.

IEWM will continue to facilitate improvements to social care through the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services’ (ADASS) networksincluding Dementia, Telehealthcare, Personalisation, Direct Payments and Reablement.

Plans are in place to organise a series of ‘efficiency challenge’ workshops for directors, and to run high profile summits to showcase best practice in personalisation and telecare.

We look forward to making these initiatives a success by working closely with councils in the region and our JIP partners. We will keep you informed of progress in our monthly JIP e-bulletin and the IEWM website.

Linda Sanders
JIP Chair Director of Adult,
Community & Housing Services
Dudley MBC

Andy Hancox
Director
IEWM

Whose who in the team?
Specialists managing specific areas of the JIP strategy are:
Matt Bowsher, jointly accountable to ADASS and IEWM. Matt has overall responsibility for the design and execution of the JIP Strategy in the region. Email: mbowsher@westmidlandsiep.gov.uk, mobile: 07500 944766.

Sue Williams supports the region in a number of different roles. She currently facilitates the ADASS Personalisation, Telehealthcare, Older People and Direct Payments networks and the Housing Learning Improvement Network.Email: swilliams@westmidlandsiep.gov.uk , mobile: 07824 605653.

Simon Adams is an independent performance specialist working across the South East, South West and West Midlands. He supports the Performance Management Network and will help develop an evidence baseline for telecare, building on the automated pill dispenser pilot. Email: simon@simon-adams.net, mobile: 07968 616285.

Andy Jackson is project managing the Automated Pill Dispenser Project. He liaises between PCTs, pharmacies and local authorities. Email: andy.jackson28@ntlworld.com, mobile: 07815 073611.

Paul Johnston has worked on the Personal Assistant Project for IEWM and is one half of Impact Change Solutions Ltd. This year he will lead on a market shaping programme to underpin the development of Putting People First. Email: paul.johnston@impactchange.co.uk, mobile: 07847 318672.

Mihir Trivedi has worked on the Care Funding Calculator Project for the last 10 months. The project has generated significant cash releasing efficiency and is now a mainstreamed activity in a number of authorities. Mihir will continue to provide capacity for the project as well as leading the Collaborative Commissioning strategy. Email: mihir@hb21.co.uk, mobile: 07977 160 163.
Nathan Downing joins us from the Department of Health programme, Care Services Efficiency Delivery(CSED). He will focus on developing the business case for telecare and designing a strategy for the region. Email: nathan@ndiconsulting.co.uk, mobile: 07970 567332.

Gill Vickers worked intensively on Herefordshire’s Personalisation Programme and has also acted as Vice Chair of the Personalisation Network. Gill will initially focus on the development of personal budgets by providing on site support to councils and collate the Department of Health (DH) milestone returns. Email: gillv@btinternet.com, mobile: 07737 968883.

Stephen Rea is our regional CSED lead. He participates in the JIP and established the regional reablement programme plusthe learning disability housing support scheme. He has also assisted our councils in interpreting the Use of Resources Analysis. Email: stephen.rea@dh.gsi.gov.uk, mobile: 07920 450260.

Helen Miller has worked within the region for CSED for over 12 months, initially supporting transformation planning and now as one of the two regional reablement specialists. Email: Helen.Miller@dh.gsi.gov.uk, mobile: 07767464864.

Simon Pickford forms the other half of the reablement programme and has developed effective working relationships with officers in the councils. Email: Simon.Pickford@dh.gsi.gov.uk, mobile: 07920 814129.

Cathie Louis works for So Lin Jeffery Communications Ltd. She has designed and implements our Communications Strategy. Cathie produces the monthly e-bulletin and has written a case study about safeguarding in partnership with Coventry City Council. If you want to showcase your work please contact her.Email: cathrinalouis@btinternet.com, mobile: 0790 8875533.

Denise Porter is accountable to both the Director for Social Care Leadership and Performance in the DH, and the Regional Director of Public Health. Denise works with councils on developing social care services in line with the Putting People First agenda.
Email : Denise.porter@dh.gsi.gov.uk, mobile 07917 232285.

Additional support is provided by:
Sandra Hudson who is accountable to the DH Deputy Regional Director. Her role is to lead a small team that supports regional councils with specific programmes including dementia, carers, LINKS, Valuing People Now, the Mental Capacity Act, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, and Dignity. Email: Sandra.hudson@dh.gsi.gov.uk, mobile: 07917 040827.

Philippa Shreeve works with DH West Midlands, supporting the Older Peoples agenda. Her areas of operation are delivery of the National Dementia Strategy, the Dignity in Care Campaign,and Early Intervention and Prevention with particular focus on falls prevention. Email: philippa.shreeve@dh.gsi.gov.uk, mobile: 07917 041279.

Our mailing address is:Improvement and Efficiency West Midlands Regional Partnership Centre, Albert House, Quay Place,Edward Street, Birmingham, B1 2RA.