TheCommunityGateway.com, the sister site to AskTara, is a one stop online catalogue of information about products that help people stay safe and independent at home
Free and easy to use, the nationwide site is aimed at users of products, and is useful to anyone involved in planning personal care.
It has been developed by The Community Gateway CIC, a social enterprise, in partnership with the JIP, and Improvement and Efficiency West Midlands.
For information on when the site will officially go live, contact info@thecommunitygateway.org.uk
The pilot website is available on http://www.thecommunitygateway.org.uk/
Monday, 14 March 2011
Councils set to reshape local care market
Details of commitments and priorities agreed at the JIP’s recent summit on shaping the social care market are now available.
Held in February this year, the event, which focused on Mobilising Community Capital, was the second in the Transforming Adult Social Care (TASC) series of summits.
Over 120 people from the public, private and voluntary sector attended to discuss and hear presentations on the changing social care market, how to mobilise local resources, gathering and analysing market intelligence, the role of micro enterprise and the evolving role of commissioners.
Key messages to emerge included the need for:
- closer cooperation between public sector agencies and providers of care services
- creating an environment where providers can be rewarded for delivering innovation and improved outcomes
- a user led culture where better information is available
- commissioners to take on the role of facilitating a much broader market
- the right skills and training
- effective, enlightened leadership
- a tight focus on efficiency
- an open and collaborative approach to addressing inherent power imbalances in the market
- a wider range of good value services
- action to prevent ‘at risk’ service providers falling out of the market and thereby reducing choice
- leveraging capacity that exists across the health and social care system to create a new, more vibrant and sustainable market; and using market forces to drive change.
Contact: Paul Johnston, telephone: 07847 318 672, email: paul.johnston@impactchange.co.uk
JIP e-bulletin No 20 March 2011
As the new chair of the Joint Improvement Partnership, I am delighted to confirm we will continue with our work alongside local authorities on transforming adult social care for the next two years.
The JIP will work in close partnership with Improvement and Efficiency West Midlands (IEWM).
The IEWM Board has agreed a programme of support, on a pared down basis, for councils in the region until March 2013. This includes us and the work we do in adult social care; emphasis will be on improving efficiency. We will give you details of our work programme and priorities in the April issue of the bulletin.
For this month, we bring you news of the commitments made by local authorities to reshape the care market, and advances made in some of the councils’ transformation programmes.
Look out for our readership survey that will be coming your way shortly. Your views will help us shape the bulletin and keep it relevant. Returned questionnaires will be entered for a prize draw – see details below.
Andrea Pope-Smith
Chair
Joint Improvement Partnership,
Director of Adults and Communities
Dudley MBC.
The JIP will work in close partnership with Improvement and Efficiency West Midlands (IEWM).
The IEWM Board has agreed a programme of support, on a pared down basis, for councils in the region until March 2013. This includes us and the work we do in adult social care; emphasis will be on improving efficiency. We will give you details of our work programme and priorities in the April issue of the bulletin.
For this month, we bring you news of the commitments made by local authorities to reshape the care market, and advances made in some of the councils’ transformation programmes.
Look out for our readership survey that will be coming your way shortly. Your views will help us shape the bulletin and keep it relevant. Returned questionnaires will be entered for a prize draw – see details below.
Andrea Pope-Smith
Chair
Joint Improvement Partnership,
Director of Adults and Communities
Dudley MBC.
Information service for prospective enterpreneurs
The Mutuals Information Service has been set up as a sign posting facility for public sector staff wanting to set up a social or mutual enterprise.
The service provides information on the range of business models available and their suitability for delivering services individuals may want to provide. It also puts staff in touch with organisations that offer help with business planning, HR and legal advice, finance and investment, marketing and market research.
The service is free and can be contacted on 020 7296 6705, or visit www.local.gov.uk/mutuals
GPs and county council working closer to improve healthcare in Staffordshire
Doctors and senior officials from the NHS met with Staffordshire Social Care managers recently, to forge ahead with plans to revolutionise the way people receive healthcare services in the future.
The event explored ways of delivering more effective and seamless services to people. It also focused on personalising services for individuals, including the use of emerging technology to allow individuals to manage their own health care better.
The county council already provides Telecare services to more than 1,000 residents, which are estimated to save the NHS £3,000 per user each year, as well as reducing demand on adult social care services.
County Councillor Matthew Ellis, Cabinet Member for Adults and Wellbeing, said:
"Staffordshire is at the forefront of truly integrated services with the opportunity to provide millions in cost savings, empowering people to take personal responsibility for their own health, and helping them to find the confidence to manage their own lifestyles in a way which will lead to healthier lives.
Bringing personal budgets, both for health and social care together, will mean a genuinely holistic approach to individual healthcare rather than the disaggregated 'part picture'.
Dr Ian Greaves, from Gnosall Surgery said: "It is essential for health and social care to work together to improve people's lives. We can overcome these traditional barriers by focusing on personalised care by informing individuals and their families of the services available and the associated costs. Such transparency allows everyone to become involved and plan for the future."
The event explored ways of delivering more effective and seamless services to people. It also focused on personalising services for individuals, including the use of emerging technology to allow individuals to manage their own health care better.
The county council already provides Telecare services to more than 1,000 residents, which are estimated to save the NHS £3,000 per user each year, as well as reducing demand on adult social care services.
County Councillor Matthew Ellis, Cabinet Member for Adults and Wellbeing, said:
"Staffordshire is at the forefront of truly integrated services with the opportunity to provide millions in cost savings, empowering people to take personal responsibility for their own health, and helping them to find the confidence to manage their own lifestyles in a way which will lead to healthier lives.
Bringing personal budgets, both for health and social care together, will mean a genuinely holistic approach to individual healthcare rather than the disaggregated 'part picture'.
Dr Ian Greaves, from Gnosall Surgery said: "It is essential for health and social care to work together to improve people's lives. We can overcome these traditional barriers by focusing on personalised care by informing individuals and their families of the services available and the associated costs. Such transparency allows everyone to become involved and plan for the future."
Forging firmer links in Lichfield
Plans to embed a multi agency referral system to support vulnerable adults are well underway in Lichfield and wider Staffordshire.
Under the banner of Let’s Work Together, a seminar attended by representatives from the fire service, police, health, housing organisations and the voluntary sector, was held in February this year to raise awareness of support available from other organisations to help people live healthy, safe and independent lives.
The event built on an existing arrangement between Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, and Social Care and Health, where workers from each organisation refer names of vulnerable people they come across, to each other.
The seminar resulted in a commitment to spread the practice throughout other public and voluntary sector organisations.
Since then funds have been secured to develop specific projects, and a project manager, Carmel Warren, has been seconded from the fire and rescue service for a 12 month period.
Carmen will oversee development of training and a referral process that will be embedded in all partner organisation infrastructures, and ensure all home visitors can work together.
Synopsis and case study
Let’s Work Together
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service (FARS) and Social Care and Health (SCH) have been working together since July 2007. This was following the death of an elderly lady, Olive Simcock, who died following a fatal house fire in her rural cottage in November 2006. Olive’s lifestyle put her at very high risk from fire and although she was known to SCH she was not known to the FARS therefore no fire safety measures were put in place. Following her death it was thought that more lives could be saved if the FARS and SCH worked together and the “Olive Branch Initiative” was born.
“Let’s Work Together” aims to build on the successes of the partnership working of the FARS and SCH. In February 2010 a multi agency awareness seminar was facilitated by the FARS and Lichfield District Community Voluntary Service Support (LDCVSS). The seminar was looking to raise awareness to Service Managers and all Home Visitors of the support that other organisations can offer to help support people to live healthy, safe and independent lives. It was attended by personnel from FARS, LDCVSS, SCH, Police, Lichfield District Council (LDC), Housing Providers, South Staffs Primary Care Trust (PCT) and organisations that are supported by LDCVSS.
The seminar was extremely successful and well received, feedback was very positive and there was a buzz in the air to move things forward. To help support the LWT project various funding applications were submitted which were successful, funders included Staffordshire One Place (IEWM), Trent Valley Basic Command Unit Fund, Safer and Stronger Communities Area Based Grant, and a contribution from the Locality Working Budget and LDC were made.
LWT now operates under the Staffordshire One Place/Lichfield One Place banner it is one of two projects developed by Staffordshire Chief Executives. The other project is Supporting Families both projects seeking to deliver better services with better outcomes for less money, demonstrating clearly how alternative ways of working can be achieved.
A LWT Project Manager, Carmel Warren has been seconded from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service for a 12 month period. During this time it is envisaged that a cohesive training and referral process will be introduced and embedded into all partners infrastructures. Ensuring that all Home Visitors can work together, never missing a chance to make a difference!
Case Study: Catharina Page
Since the initial seminar in February 2010 many referrals are now being made to partner organisations for assistance to help people they visit live healthier, safer and independent lives.
In March 2010 Carmel Warren met a lady called Catharina at Lichfield Library. Catharina is blind and the subsequent conversations that took place between Carmel and Catharina identified fire risks that Carmel thought should be addressed immediately.
Carmel returned to the station and arranged for a Home Fire Risk Check to take place immediately. When the crews returned to station they explained that Catharina felt lonely and isolated and the following risks were identified:
- She used the microwave by guessing the timings
- There was no door to the kitchen
- Only one fuse board for the whole property
- She had a faulty electric blanket
- Catharina also used a chip pan
- She used her hand to gauge the heat on her cooker
- She also used her finger to identify when she had reached the top of her cup when making a cup of tea
- There were no working smoke alarms in the property
Carmel immediately made a referral to SCH for an assessment of needs and also sent a referral to Bromford Floating Support .
The outcomes of these referrals were as follows:
- A stair rail fitted, tactile marks to kitchen appliances were introduced, Catharina was given a “talking pen” which is used to label items from shopping, to identifying the colour of her clothes
- weekly visits to shops, café for a coffee, confidence building, arrangements made for electrics and walk in shower to be installed.
Catharina made a recording and asked for it to be played to the fire fighters that made the initial visit:
“I have been sitting here thinking, my name is Catharina, I have been sitting here thinking how my life has changed since I had a visit from the firemen about safety in the home. Through those people I wasS put in touch with social services and since then my life has changed, for which I say a big, big thank you.”
LWT wants to support ALL people to live healthy, safe and independent lives. Ensuring that Home Visitors are aware of the services we all offer and knowing where to refer to will help us to achieve this goal.
My Care In Birmingham
A new website helping people to quickly and easily find out about adult social care services has been launched in Birmingham.
The site, known as MyCareinBirmingham, guides people through a short series of questions leading to a page of information and contact details about council services or organisations that can provide social care support and activities.
Cabinet member for Adults and Communities, Cllr Sue Anderson, said: “We are changing to a more personal approach to adult social care in Birmingham, and adults who have been assessed as needing support now have much greater choice and control over the type of care they get.
“This website helps adults get specific advice and information at their fingertips, and provides details of adult social care services and support, from helping people to remain independent at home for longer, to helping them get out and about.”
The new site will be delivered in three phases; the first being the ‘advice and information’ section, which is now live. The second, to be launched later this year, will guide people through an ‘adult social care assessment’ online. The third phase will see the addition of a ‘marketplace’ that will promote adult social care services available for people to buy.
Visit: www. birmingham.gov.uk
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