Transforming adult social care in the West Midlands

Details of local and regional activities to transform adult social care can be found in the publication ‘Delivering Putting People First in the West Midlands’, an account of what took place at the Transforming Adults Social Care (TASC) summit held in July this year.

The booklet, available free of charge, showcases best practice in the region and the work underway to reach five milestones during the first phase of transformation by April 2011.

Regional milestones agreed by the Department of Health (DH), the Association for Directors for Adult Social Services (ADASS) and Improvement and Efficiency West Midlands (IEWM) are that:

• transformation of adult social care has been developed in partnership with existing service users (both public and private), their carers and other citizens interested in these services
• a process is in place to ensure all those eligible for council funded social care support will receive a personal budget via a suitable assessment process


• partners are investing in cost effective preventative interventions which reduce the demand for social care and health services


• citizens have access to information and advice regarding how to identify and access options available in their communities to meet their care and support needs


• service users are experiencing broadening of choice and improvement in quality of care and support services built upon involvement of key stakeholders (councils, Primary Care Trusts, service users, providers, third sector organisations etc), that can meet the aspirations of all local people – whether council or self funded - wanting to procure social care services.

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Telephone: 0121 245 0220

Email: info@westmidlandsiep.gov.uk .

Personalisation and transformation - a brief summary

Social care is the wide range of services designed to help people maintain their independence, and equip them with resources needed to play a fuller part in society, and to protect them in vulnerable situations.

Advances in public health and healthcare, together with changes in society mean people are living longer.

As communities become more diverse, the challenge of satisfying increasing demands and different needs becomes more apparent.

Putting People First (PPF) is a response to these changes and challenges.

It is a national programme set up to ensure public bodies work together with the purpose of empowering individuals to take control over their lives, and give them maximum choice. PPF requires all aspects of support services to be addressed including:

• Universal services – the general support available to everyone in their community, such as transport, leisure, education, employment, health, housing, community safety, and information and advice

• Early intervention and prevention – helping people live at home independently, preventing them from needing social care support for as long as possible, leading to potential financial savings

• Choice and control – giving people a clear understanding of how much is to be spent on their care and support, and allowing then to choose how they would like this funding to be used to suit their needs and preferences

• Social capital – fostering strong and supportive communities that value the contribution each citizen can make

• Social care will need to undergo significant changes in process, practice and culture, requiring investment in training and support for the workforce

• A total of £520 million, in the form of the Social Care and Reform Grant, has been allocated over three years to assist the transformation process. The third and final raft of the grant has been distributed this year

• PPF is not limited to public services used by people eligible for state support; it is also about how everyone makes best use of resources in their area.

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Commission seeks to crack care funding dilemma

The newly appointed Commission on the Funding of Care and Support has started its consideration of how to achieve an affordable and sustainable funding system for care and support of adults in England.

The commission, set up in July 2010, will report within a year. Its brief is to look at a range of ideas compatible with the personalisation of care, preventative services and partnership working. Specifically it has been asked to make recommendations on how:

• best to meet the cost of care and support based on a partnership between individuals and the state



• people can choose to protect their assets, especially their home, against the cost of care



• public funding can be best used to meet care and support needs



• the commission's eventual preferred option can be delivered, along with timescales, an assessment of impact on local authorities and the NHS, and, if appropriate, details of financial regualtion.

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Care awards 2010

The Great Brtish Care Awards are open for nominations.

Organised by Ceretas, the body representing people in home care services, the awards celebrate excellence across the social care sector, and pay tribute to individuals who demonstrate outstanding performance in their field of work.

Closing date for entries is 23 August 2010.

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Name change for IDeA

The IDeA’s name has been changed to Local Government Improvement and Development (LG Improvement and Development), in a move to update its brand.

The organisation comes under the LG Group, a constituent organisation made up of six different bodies.

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Including carers in Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton City Council and Wolverhampton Primary Care Trust have developed a Joint Carer Strategy that reflects the priorities of informal unpaid carers in Wolverhampton.

It sets out a vision for carer services for the next three years.

The 2001 census identified 25,707 carers in Wolverhampton, 6,000 of whom provided at least 50 hours of care each week.

Approximately 3,500 informal carers are actually known at this moment in time.

A wide cross section of carers was canvassed for their views prior to drafting the strategy. Consultation activities included:

• carers in employment involving staff members from the City Council or the Primary Care Trust who also have a carers role
• a stakeholder event that brought together Carer Task Group representatives and professionals
• two workshops at the Older People Partnership Board annual event
• feedback forms circulated at all events and also to all Carer Support Groups and Carer Task Groups
• a survey questionnaire sent out to 333 carers who had received a grant in the last financial year as part of the Carer Break scheme
• a questionnaire sent out to practice managers at all GP surgeries in Wolverhampton
• two combined Carer Task Group events that brought together members from Long Term Impairments, Learning Disability, Older People, Mental health and Parent Carers task groups.

The contributions made by carers informed the writing of the draft strategy, which was welcomed and endorsed by carers as a document recognising their caring role and contribution.

Carers have continued to be forefront in the final stages of strategy development. A Carer Strategy Group has been formed bringing together 17 carer representatives from all service areas. The group, with the carer support manager, are developing an implementation plan.

Commissioning initiative helps stroke care and prevention

The Joint Commissioning Unit (JCU) in Staffordshire is leading on a number of successful community based preventative services for potential stroke victims, and rehabilitation services for stroke survivors.

Working with the Stroke Association, South Staffordshire PCT, South Staffordshire practice based commissioners and the local Stroke Network, the partnership’s work is recognised nationally and regionally as best practice in helping stroke survivors to rebuild their lives.

Backed by three year government funding until 2011, their work consists of:

• Primary Prevention Service – increasing the service in South Staffordshire to provide information, blood pressure checks and lifestyle advice. An estimate of 3,000 people per year will be reached


• FAST (Face Arm Speech Take action) training – aimed at front line staff working in general practice to increase their understanding of what a stoke is, how to identify it, and the need for it to be treated as a medical emergency


• Communication Plus – providing a new model of support for individuals with communication disability, the scheme puts greater emphasis on supporting people to resume day to day tasks such as shopping and leisure activities


• Back to Life courses – a rolling programme of courses for stroke survivors and their carers, focusing on need. This may include coping with the psychological impact; understanding what a stroke is, and reducing risk; medicine compliance; getting back to work and relationships; and financial issues. The service aims to work with 200 survivors each year.


• Long Term Support Service – a two year project to support survivors and carers by setting up activity groups that will become self supporting by the end of the funding period.


• Workforce Planning – the JCU has commissioned ten days’ training to be provided by the Stroke Association to improve the skills of 200 care staff in residential and nursing homes.

Contact: Vanessa Pugh, County Commissioner (Long Term Conditions), Joint Commissioning Unit, telephone: 01785 854603 or 07815 167447.