WM jobsite goes from strength to strength

The region’s successful WMJobs website has grown to include a range of services for public sector employers seeking to place the right people in the right jobs in their organisations.

Managed by West Midlands Councils and led by the WMJobs Partnership, the website offers a gold, silver and bronze package of services giving different levels of support with advertising vacancies, processing applications, and appointing candidates.

WMJobs Partnership is open to any public or voluntary sector organisation.

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Telecare site goes public

The JIP backed telecare website askTARA, which gives information about health and social care products, is now available to the general public.

Created by social enterprise, Community Gateway CIC, in partnership with the JIP and Improvement and Efficiency West Midlands, the web based catalogue features assistive technology products to help individuals maintain their independence.

askTARA, first launched in March 2010, featured products and services provided by councils in the West Midlands to service users. The site has now been expanded to cater for the general public nationwide, and will provide information on aids such as personal community alarms and flood detectors. 

Health products such as blood pressure monitors that share data online with GPs, and services including home support assistants, will eventually be included.

askTARA has been shortlisted for a Health Services Journal award, and nominated for the government’s Big Society Awards. 

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Supporting sustainable social care business

Stoke Council is supporting the growth of business in the adult social care sector, by holding a series of forums geared towards ensuring high quality social care and a well trained flexible workforce. 

The forums give employers the opportunity to network, and gain knowledge and information about services available to support a sustainable workforce.

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Home repairs service scores top marks

Over 600 people have been helped this year by Telford & Wrekin’s successful HOMEfix scheme, set up to carry out minor maintenance and repair jobs for residents aged over 60 or disabled. 

Established in July 2006, HOMEfix is run by the council’s Home Improvement Agency.  The service carries out work people can’t do themselves such as fixing dripping taps, putting up curtain rails or shelves, fitting a letter basket, changing kitchen or bathroom taps, unblocking sinks, fitting fire alarms, and more.  

Customers pay £15.32 for the first hour and £5.10 an hour after that, for a maximum of three hours at a time. 

Survey scores show a 100% customer satisfaction rate.

Contact: Home Improvement Agency, telephone: 01952 381 855.

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Self assessment board game e-enabled

Staffordshire’s innovative board game, Me, Myself & I *, designed to help service users identify what they need to live independently, is being developed for wider use making it available electronically.

The original hard copy based version was produced in spring 2010. The playing board is divided into five key areas – My Health, My Life, My Home, My Safety and My Money.  Players select cards reflecting their priorities in each of the areas.  Service providers, carers or support workers act as facilitators recording the cards selected and comments made, building a picture of the service users’ needs. 

Following its initial success, Staffordshire has gone on to develop the game as a holistic self assessment, consultation and signposting tool using mobile and web technology. 

This reflects the council’s aim to increase the range and quality of appropriate channels for accessing information, and advice that will help people maintain independent lives.

The game is currently in test phase and is being showcased at several events throughout autumn and winter 2011, with a view of selling it to other local authorities.

Email: memyselfandi@staffordshire.gov.uk, telephone: 01785 278529.

* © Staffordshire County Council, April 2010.

Making assessments on the move

Care assessments, can be processed more efficiently with the development of Sandwell Borough Council’s Electronic Access Assessment tool, which allows officers to handle assessment while on the move.

The tool using web and mobile technology is able to:

• accurately determine if individuals qualify for support under the council’s Fair Access to Care Services eligibility criteria
• deliver consistency
• increase staff productivity
• be used in real time in a variety of settings
• automatically populate self assessment and carer assessment documents
• link to personal budget assessments
• meet equality impact assessment requirements.

The application has become the council’s main tool for identifying a customer's entitlement to social care support, and can be used by officers in a range of locations, including clients’ homes, hospitals or officers own homes, using 3G connectivity. 

The tool has been rolled out to the council’s Customer Contact Centre, the Rapid Response Team (including the Hospital Team), and the Long Term Wellbeing Team. 

It has already led to dramatic reductions in assessment times.

Contact:  Sanjeev Kataria, Putting People First, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, email: sanjee_kataria@sandwell.gov.uk .

On track for personalisation

Councils in England are on track to achieve the government target of personal budgets for all service users by 2013, according to a survey by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS).

Ninety seven percent of councils questioned say they are on target, with 40%  revealing they already have 60% of users on personal budgets. Three authorities are on course to reach the 100% mark by the end of 2011-12.

The target was set last year in government’s Vision for adult social care. 

ADASS concludes councils are making good progress towards universal budgets, helped by significant promotion and communication of direct payments, as well as restructuring of services, identification of new suppliers, and staff training and development.

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