Community Care Live 2011

Date:         18-19 May 2011
Venue:      Business Design Centre, Islington, London
Cost:         Free

This year’s event will help you navigate current policy changes and showcase practice excellence that is really making a positive difference to the workforce and service users, at a time of financial constraint.

Visit the SCIE stand to speak to SCIE staff and pick up copies of all our latest resources. For further information about this event visit the Community Care Live website.

Ageing Well Masterclass: building social capital with older people

Date:         24 May 2011
Venue:      Hyatt regency, Birmingham
Cost:         Free

The Ageing Well programme supports local authorities to develop good places to grow older. This masterclass explores the practical options for harnessing the capacity of local communities, particularly within the context of a reducing public sector.

It looks at:

• working with communities and the voluntary sector to support the development of local services
• the asset-based community development approach and its practical application
• intergenerational working
• examples of alternative models of support for older people.

Contact: Jane Pattulo, telephone: 020 8660 1769, email: lgid@event-x.com

New sector-wide partnership for transforming adult social care

The new Think Local Act Personal Partnership takes over from Putting People First (PPF) the three year programme that ended on the 31 March this year.

The partnership consists of 30 national and umbrella organisations, representing a range of interests in personalisation and community based support. 

Its work will include advising and influencing government, and will focus on six priority areas: personalisaton and personal budgets; developing cost effective and efficient solutions; developing the service provider market and workforce; building community capacity; improving information to the public and highlighting the importance of coproduction.

A work programme will be developed over the coming months. Tools and materials previously held on the PPF website can now be found on the Think Local Act Personal site, which is hosted and maintained by the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE).

Read more

Neurology partnership for Staffordshire

Officers from Staffordshire County Council have joined the recently formed Regional Neurological Alliance for the county.

Set up in January this year, the alliance gives a united voice to people affected by any of the 57 neurological conditions affecting the body’s nervous system. 

It will seek to influence decisions about services that meet their needs, and push for integration of services to ensure quality and a holistic approach.

Chair of the Staffordshire Regional Neuro Alliance, John Morgan says:  “I am privileged to be leading an impressive group who are committed to making a difference to the lives of the many living with miserable neurological conditions,and their carers and friends. We believe that we can only do this by forming effective partnerships with decision makers and providers based on mutual understanding open communication and realistic shared goals.”

Network of dementia cafes for Sandwell

A £50,000 network of dementia cafés has opened in Sandwell to help the thousands of people in the borough affected by the condition.

Sandwell Council has worked with Accord Housing Association and other local organisations to launch cafés in the six towns.

More than 3,200 people in the borough are living with dementia, over one per cent of the population, and this figure is expected to continue to rise.

The cafés will give people with dementia and their carers somewhere to go for information, support and advice, and the chance to meet other people.

The two hour drop in cafés are hosted monthly at various venues, at different times, and attended by a coordinator.

Other organisations involved in the scheme are Sandwell Mind, Options for Life, the West Bromwich African Caribbean Resource Centre and BUDS.

For more information or to register interest in attending, telephone Nicole Beeching on 0300 111 7000 or 07818 840982, or email nicoleb@accordha.org.uk

Timely response from first point of contact

Dudley’s Access to Adult Social Care Team has made a marked difference to the way people are given advice, care and support in the area, since it set up less than a year ago. 

Since its launch in June 2010, as a first point of contact, the team has dealt with 600 to 700 enquiries a week, with half of these resolved by providing advice, or referral to an appropriate person.

Responses are consistently prompt, and people needing emergency support have received it the same day.

Information about the team has been circulated to professionals in other agencies, who refer members of public to the team. 

The approach has helped the council to respond to Dudley’s residents in an appropriate and timely way.  Options are being explored to enhance the team’s activities. 

Contact: Steve Jones, TSC team, Email: steve.jones@dudley.gov.uk .

Regional roll out for Dudley care course

Dudley Council’s online course designed to raise awareness of carers’ rights and the services available to them, is being rolled out across the West Midlands.

Funded by DH, the Carer Aware course is aimed at carers, employers and other organisations.

It has been hailed as a great success and is used as a blueprint by at least 35 authorities, nationwide.

The course can be completed by carers or a team of employees. When a number of staff within an organisation complete it, they will be accredited as ‘carer aware’, and be given a sticker to display in their building, so carers will know staff are trained to point them in the right direction for accurate information that will help them in their caring role.

It can be accessed through www.dudley.gov.uk/careraware .

Organisations keen to become carer aware accredited should call Christine Rowley, carers’ co-ordinator on 01384 818723 or email christine.rowley@dudley.gov.uk .