Worcestershire Council’s Promoting Independence (PI) Service, is succeeding in meeting up to 95% of objectives agreed with service users each month.
The service helps people recovering from illness, or who are disabled, or have mental health issues, acquire the skills needed to remain independent.
Support offered by PI is based on objectives agreed with service users. These can be learning to prepare meals and drinks, managing medication, household tasks, physical exercise or personal care.
A recent survey of service users' views show:
- 43% rated the service as excellent
- 43% rated it as good
- 14% found it to be satisfactory.
For more information contact: Dee Zimmermann, Team Manager, telephone: 01905 734200, email: dzimmermann@worcestershire.gov.uk
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Work4You, a new service helping people with mental health issues find jobs, has been launched in Staffordshire.
Funded by Staffordshire County Council, NHS North Staffordshire and South Staffordshire PCT, the scheme, run by national charity Making Space, will offer help with CVs, application forms, interview techniques and getting people into part or full time work.
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Dudley Borough Council has increased choice and control for service users, by improving the quality of information it provides.
The Council’s Community Information Directory, developed as a one stop shop for information about activities, events and services, now includes a Personal Assistant Register.
The register has been added in response to the growing demand for personal assistants. It will make it easier for people needing help in their homes to find and employ a suitable assistant.
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Over 50s with learning disabilities, who are based in Kidderminster, are to benefit from a programme of healthy lifestyle activities funded to the tune of £25,500, by the Worcestershire Partnership’s Health Improvement Fund.
The partnership brings together local government, health, learning providers, police, the probation service, voluntary and community organisations, and local businesses in Worcestershire.
The money has been given to local community organisation, the Odell Trust, which runs activities and services including healthy eating sessions, dental clinic sessions and blood pressure testing.
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Warwickshire County Council has introduced a monthly adult autism news bulletin, to keep partners, service users, carers and practitioners informed of activities and improvements to services.
Available on line and via email, the Adult Autism Strategy Update is mailed directly to members of the strategy implementation group, which had its inaugural meeting in January this year.
The group (or Partnership Board as it is referred to in the national strategy) is made up of individuals and families, social care workers and voluntary, community, and private sector representatives.
The update is also available on the council’s website.
Other council initiatives include compilation of a list of organisations and useful contacts. Anyone using the services listed are asked to comment on how well the organisation’s staff understood the needs of people on the autistic spectrum. Many of them are not autism specialists and can use the feedback to modify services and shape training.
The council’s adult autism team met with all disability employment advisers in Coventry and Warwickshire, with the aim of forging links and working together to help people find employment.
Contact: Simon Veasey, telephone: 024 7675 4035 email:simonveasey@warwickshire.gov.uk
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Development of a clinical guideline to help improve the care of adults with autism is underway, as part of the national autism strategy.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is developing the guideline to make diagnosis of autism clearer and consistent, and make it easier for people to receive services no matter where they live.
There are approximately 400,000 adults with autism in England, and around half have a learning disability.
The guideline is due to be published in June 2012.
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Seven outcomes will be used to judge successful implementation of the Autism Strategy.
Detailed in ‘Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives’: Evaluating Progress, they are:
1. adults with autism achieve better health
2. are included and economically active
3. live in accommodation that meets their needs
4. are benefitting from the personalisation agenda in health and social care, and can receive personal budgets
5. are no longer managed inappropriately in the criminal justice system
6. families and carers are satisfied with local services
7. adults with autism are involved in planning services.
The outcomes have been developed with a number of partner organisations, including the Association of Directors of Social Care and the National Autistic Society, and are supported by three overall ambitions:
1. local authorities and partners know how many adults with autism live in the area
2. a clear and trusted process for diagnosis is available locally
3. health and social care staff make reasonable adjustments to services to meet the needs of adults with autism.
Outcomes and ambitions will be used to assess public sector progress in improving services.
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