Supporting the PA market

A framework for supporting the development of personal assistants (PAs) and their employers has been produced by DH. 

Working for personalised care: A framework for supporting personal assistants working in adult social care, examines the roles of national and local government, communities and individuals. It identifies potential obstacles and barriers and provides good practice examples for overcoming them.

The framework sets out a strategy to accelerate and support growth in PA employment as part of the drive to personalise adult social care. It provides an outline for a delivery plan which will be developed over the coming months.

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Responses to NHS consultation available

Responses to Government’s consultation on modernising the NHS have been published.
The consultation, Liberating the NHS: Developing the healthcare workforce, ran from December 2010 to March 2011.  This was followed by the NHS Listening Exercise.

DH has published a summary of replies received, and a full formal response will be published in Autumn.

Summary of responses to the consultation

NHS Future Forum says let’s talk

The government has asked the NHS Future Forum to continue a new phase of conversations with patients, service users and professionals, following its listening exercise on the proposals to modernise the NHS.
The NHS Future Forum, a group of health experts led by GP Professor Steve Field, will provide independent advice on four themes:

·        Information – how to make information improve health, care and well being

·        Education and training – how to develop the healthcare workforce to deliver world class healthcare

·        Integrated care – how to ensure the government’s modernisation programme leads to better integration of services around people’s needs

·        The public’s health – how to ensure the public’s health remains at the heart of the NHS.

The Forum is inviting comments on these areas.

Read more on how to take part.

Residents in Wolverhampton urged to have a go

Wolverhampton City’s learning disabilities team struck a blow for equality by staging Have Another Go, a programme of events for people with learning disabilities to get involved in community based physical activities.

The team, from the Black Country Partnership (BCP), staged the events last week as part of its drive to remove health inequalities experienced by people with learning disabilities.

Di Webb, Strategic Health Facilitator for the BCP said: “clinical evidence shows people with a learning disability are more likely to become obese, and our aim is to get them involved in physical activities, boost their fitness levels and improve their general health and wellbeing.”

Activities included a three mile walk, the Wolverhampton Marathon Relay, cycling events, a Zumba session, handball, tennis, football and basketball.

All the pursuits are already available in the local community. The initiative is designed to offer people with learning disabilities a taste of what they could do, and encourage them to participate.

Last year’s event led to double the number of residents with learning disabilities taking part in the city’s Walking for Health Scheme.

Contact: Di Web, telephone: 01902 572572.

Have Another Go

Supporting a Transforming Reablement Service in Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council - Case Study

This study describes the use of eABLE in Walsall, a software package used to manage and track the effectiveness of the council’s reablement programme.

It traces the service user’s journey through the programme and gives up to date information on how it benefits each user.

Key elements include an assessment module which scores the service users’ level of independence on the basis of their ability to perform day to day activities. Scores provided at each assessment stage give an objective measure of the improvements in the service user’s independence during the course of the programme.

The Activity tracker module includes a detailed breakdown of activities, the time spent doing them and the location; giving a clearer picture of the overall cost and performance of the service.

eABLE was developed by psHEALTH Ltd with support from the Community Gateway which managed the pilot of the software in partnership with Improvement and Efficiency West Midlands (IEWM).

IEWM’s Head of Adult Social Care, Communications and Strategy, Matt Bowsher said: “Having a clear baseline, and understanding the impact of different interventions enables a Council to offer choice, better value and a realistic chance of meeting people’s assessed needs. eABLE helps council’s optimise their reablement service and achieve sustained independence for people faster.”

For enquiries and a copy of the case study contact: Nathan Downing, Director, Community Gateway, telephone: 07970 567 332, email: Nathan@communitygateway.org.uk .

Direct payments boost PA jobs

The number of jobs in the adult social care sector has surged due primarily to an increase in the number of personal assistants working for people in receipt of direct payments. 

Figures released by Skills for Care show jobs increased by 7% to 1.77 million between 2009 and 2010.

The data also shows approximately 154,000 adults and older people were receiving direct payments from council social services departments in 2010, and the total number of direct payment recipients increased by 35% between March 2009 and 2010.

Full findings can be found in the Skills for Care report The Size and Structure of the Adult Social Care Sector and Workforce in England 2011.

Analysis is based on data provided by employers to the National Minimum Dataset for Social Care, providing commissioners and employers with information needed to help them meet some of the key challenges set out in the government’s vision for social care.

Report

Enhanced reablement shows results

Staffordshire County Council has produced a short video promoting its Living Independently Staffordshire reablement scheme that offers greater flexibility and a longer period of support following illness or injury. 

Following four successful pilots, the scheme, which provides up to 12 weeks of free intensive support to help people get back on their feet, is set to operate across the county.

Previously people received up to six weeks reablement support, but the Community Reablement team found some individuals needed more time to regain their independence, and often ended up in hospital again or long term care.

The revamped service is now available to people over 18 if they are referred by their GP, hospital or direct from the community. No other county in the country offers reablement care to people as young as 18. 

Support ranges from simple help with medication, or relearning how to boil a kettle, to more demanding situations, such as regaining the ability to talk and carry out other daily tasks.

Pilot scheme results show more than 50% of people who used the service were able to go back to their own lives and live independently without further support. 

See video