CQC play a mighty role in the life of any regulated care provider, so getting their views is always important and we are delighted to welcome CQC's Sue Burn and April Cole in our opening Keynote slot! 

There are a number of key areas for use of technology in care situations including: Reaching the wider community; Enabling care users to maintain focus and contact, activities and games; Administration and management and Surveillance and tele-care. Between them April Cole and Sue Burn will be talking about how CQC view the use of technology in the these areas, what they see as good practice, how they see technology supporting the caring, management and assessment processes.

They are both well placed; Sue is the Inspections Manager in North Somerset and B&NES, and April is the Regulatory Policy Officer within the CQC Strategy & Intelligence Directorate with a career background that has covered many projects involving technology. The Q&A session will give you opportunities to discuss issues and ask questions.

To close the conference we are looking at information sharing between health and social care with Keith Strahan, Principal Lead in the Social Care Programme at NHS Digital. 

Keith will be addressing how person led, integrated care  can help all organisations focus on what is really important and join up health and social care in the process. While not promising to provide 'victory over all things technical', Keith will also provide updates about information sharing initiatives and highlight some of the opportunities that exist for social care providers.

Keith is well placed to address the conference; with a background as a registered social worker with experience in a range of settings, he understands the care context and also has huge experience of technology led projects. He was the first from Social Care to become a Founding Fellow of the Faculty of Clinical Informatics and in May 2018 was elected to the Faculty's Council. He is also a longstanding member of the Professional Records Standards Body (PRSB) representing social care. Keith has been led projects such as the Digital Care and Support Standard, Information Governance and Cyber security, NHSmail for care providers and is currently championing information sharing between health and care.

We also have a record number of stands at the Conference so make sure you arrive in plenty of time to browse and fortify yourself with tea or coffee.

The conference is next week! Make sure you book your place. Book Here  

Also, please note slight change in running order, see below!

We will have to confirm numbers on Monday and will be sending out joining instructions at that point!

See you on the 15th May!

Can digitisation improve personalised care?

The key to good management is knowledge, the starting point for which is robust information, and without which your chances of good decision making and taking appropriate action are reduced. Similarly, good personalised Care requires detailed knowledge of the person so that every decision and action is precisely tailored to their need.

In general, smaller businesses tend to be less complex and less reliant on data but in the care sector, even small businesses have a data challenge because they have to map data across the complex processes demanded by safeguarding, compliance, mental health provisions, DoLs, audits, assessments…. Even the smallest care business has a complicated data matrix.

So, is technology the answer? Certainly it can help
“Many organisations are refocusing to put technology at the heart of their strategies because it can help ……. reduce the administrative burden that care providers face” (Nick Wilson, MD Public Sector, Health & Care, ADVANCED).

The greatest strength of technology is its’ ability to marshall huge amounts of information and make it available on request, however the crucial word in Wilson’s quote is ‘strategy’. The benefits of digitisation diminish if projects are done piecemeal and not planned as part of a general plan.
"Many companies still use a range of disparate systems... and operate in silos. the simple integration of these systems can provide the kind of operational insight that can help providers" Nick Wilson

Another cause of stress is where projects are badly implemented without thinking through the HR, training and culture aspects. It is so important to communicate well, to explain what's happening, to make sure that staff don't feel threatened, to make sure they are all on board.

At the Conference we will have 2 workshops looking at this area, both of which are firmly setting the technology within the business and human context.

The first by Chris Gledhill of Electronic Mar is looking at the benefits of using digital medications management, how it can reduce the spectre of missed signatures and medications mistakes. Chris will be drawing on real life examples of care providers who have implemented digital MAR and using examples from real CQC assessments.

The second workshop is presented by Luis Zenha Rela, of Nourish Care takes a similar approach, looking at live examples of care providers who have adopted electronic care planning to see how they have achieved benefits and avoided pitfalls.

In both workshops the focus is looking at the resident and what the technology can do to improve their life? They will be looking at how can the care provider improve their service and ultimately how they improve their service ratings. You can join the workshops and ask Luis and Chris about support for implementation, avoiding mistakes, what training is required, how to best communicate your intentions with staff members and other stakeholders.

Come and join us on May 15th at Ashton Gate Football Stadium and take part in this examination of technology in the care sector. Book Here

EMPLOYERS LIABILITY FOR THE SOCIAL CARE SECTOR

Employers Liability is one of the few classes of insurance required by law in the UK. It protects employees should they ever be injured at work. Richard Barnes, Business Development Executive for the Care Sector at Towergate Insurance Brokers explains what employers should be doing in the event of one of their employees being injured by a service user whilst at work.

 As a specialist provider of Care Home insurance, Towergate has seen first-hand the rising costs across the UK social care sector and unfortunately, insurance is no different. This is partly due to the unique nature of the industry which requires specialist knowledge and expertise, as well as the increasing media coverage of the social care sector, however the most significant reason for these premium increases is the volume of Employers Liability claims being reported.

 Saying Sorry

It’s natural to want to apologise after something that shouldn’t happen occurs and in the unfortunate case of a service user assaulting, attacking or injuring a member of your staff, apologising to your employee is not you admitting fault. However, you should be prepared for any possible claim by recording evidence; just because an accident has happened, it does not mean that you are legally liable or that compensation should be paid.

 Future-proof your foundations
An employee has up to three years in which to make a personal injury claim and we have often found that sometime after an incident has occurred, employees can suddenly decide to pursue a claim for previous injury, which at the time of it happening, they did not wish to take any further. These claims can be made by existing or previous employees, so at Towergate we advise that you keep your employee records up to date.

 It is essential that you contact the insurance provider you had cover with during the time of the alleged incident, as they will be able to give you relevant advice and inform you of steps that will need to be taken. If you have switched insurers since the occurrence, you will still have to inform the insurance provider you were with at the time of the incident as they will be the ones who may have to pay out if the claim is successful.

Accurate Record Keeping

If a claim is going to be successfully defended, then significant records will need to be submitted to provide evidence that the relevant procedures were in place at the time of the incident.
Evidence can include the following, but there are also other examples that your insurer can inform you of depending on the incident.

 ·         Accident book entry, including photos of the scene and/or injury

·         RIDDOR report

·         Copies of any correspondence exchanged with the HSE regarding the incident

·         Copies of the involved resident’s care plans

·         Details of any similar incidents or complaints made by staff regarding the resident involved

·         Confirmation of any dates of absence which the claimant incurred because of the incident

·         First aid reports

·         Accident investigation reports

·         Minutes from any health and safety meetings at which the incident was discussed

·         Claimant training records

·         Statements from any witnesses to the incident

·         Details of any remedial action that may have been taken because of the incident

·         Earnings details for the 3 months prior to the incident and the month after returning to work

 It is therefore not only important, but an insurer requirement, to report any incident which you think may give rise to a claim. By reporting an incident, it is important to understand that this is not the same as making a claim. Instead you are making your insurer aware of an accident that has occurred, which provides them with the opportunity to consider the circumstances and decide if they want to gather a suite of evidence to ensure that they are prepared should a claim be reported in the future.

 At Towergate, we recommend that you build a close relationship with your insurer or insurance broker, as they will be able to provide bespoke advice and support depending on your needs.

If you would like to find out more about Towergate Insurance or you require more information on Employer’s Liability, you can call us on 01438 739280 or email us: caredivision@towergate.co.uk

 Towergate Insurance Brokers is a trading name of Towergate Underwriting Group Limited. Registered in England No.4043759. Registered Address: Towergate House, Eclipse Park, Sittingbourne Road, Maidstone, Kent ME14 3EN.
Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

The Team

Dunkley’s Chartered Accountants are an independent practice based in Bradley Stoke, Bristol who have been specialists in the Healthcare Sector for over 25 years.

Just as you care for the people in your homes, we'll take the time to care for you. We'll learn about your business, the environment you operate in and the legislation you need to follow. Then we'll give you the best advice possible.

With our practical working knowledge of the care home sector, we can help you with residential, nursing, domiciliary and special needs care, your understanding of the multi-funding structure for residents, care quality commission requirements and employment law.

We can also provide a multitude of services to help you manage your business and maximise its opportunities including annual accounts preparation, tax compliance and planning, management accounts, bookkeeping, VAT and payroll services, cashflow projections, business structure advice, due diligence on proposed acquisitions as well as business valuation, succession and exit planning.

If you would like to organise a free appointment with Fiona, our Care Home Specialist, please get in touch today on 01454 619900 or by emailing fiona.davey@dunkleys.accountants.

To find out more about the services we provide or to read case studies from our existing Care Home clients, visit our website: https://www.dunkleys.accountants/sectors/healthcare/care-homes

Altura Learning partners with The Care Workers Charity to celebrate the winner of their writing competition.

 Altura Learning UK was privileged to have the winner of The Care Workers Charity annual writing competition join them in the studio at the Milton Keynes office in January. The winner for the ever popular writing competition was Chris Woodward, a former Care Worker.

Chris wrote a beautiful poem ‘Alone’, which he was inspired to write after working closely with many dementia patients over the years. Travelling to the Altura Learning office in Milton Keynes, Chris kindly accepted the opportunity to share his poem on camera. To view the poem recited by Chris, click here.

The Care Workers Charity continues to run the writing competition and is encouraging care workers to submit entries about their daily lives and help celebrate the passion of staff who routinely go the extra mile.

 To find out more about entering the writing competition and to view previous winners of the writing competition, please visit: https://www.thecareworkerscharity.org.uk/care-worker-stories

Give your views on a new blended learning and recruitment model
 
Research from social care recruitment experts, Cohesion, has found that new starters are seeking opportunities to develop in and beyond their current role as early as 12 weeks into their new role within an organisation. As a result, they believe that introducing learning into the recruitment and on boarding employment cycle can positively impact the quality of candidates and retention of new recruits.
In partnership with Altura Learning and Neil Eastwood from Care Friends, they would like your input on a new blended learning and recruitment model. They will be sharing their findings at the NCF Annual Conference later in the year. To take part please complete the survey via the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MJZ6G85

Windmill care was established in 1998 by husband and wife Team Len and Katy Collacott, following the purchase of Windmill House. In 2009 they were joined by Richard Deverson as Operations Director.

With over 20 years’ experience as a nursing sister in NHS and private residential homes, Katy quickly established an enviable reputation as a provider of quality care in exceptional surroundings. So when Kate moved to The Meadows to take on their new state of art accommodation she left a void in the organisation, her footsteps were hard to follow, but who better than Len and Katies daughter Sarah, she too came from a trained nurse background and was previously a sister in ITU in Birmingham.

Sarah was left in the unenviable position of restoring a team in mourning, away from care ask any Manchester United Fan, they still long for Sir Alex Ferguson to come back! To restore her team and to create a new vision and acceptance of change Sarah called on Karen Brasier from Cabot Training. Karen has worked with many care organisations and her focus was back to basics. To demonstrate well-led your team needs to all be on the same page and be committed to demonstrating values and behaviors. These values are actions not a set of words.

Sarah said following the bespoke training based on standards from the Leadership Qualities Framework we had a restored confidence and practical advice on how to select and train our employees to become Super Teams. What’s more the positive impact and future training is intended to take us from a good overall rating to outstanding!

Karen worked particularly with the on-site management team offering guidance and mentoring and here they are being presented with their certificates. (Pictured left to right, Karen Brasier, Tracey Young, Sarah Collacott, Maria Watts, Len Collacott.)

The Skills Platform have asked us to share this information with care providers and charities across the region.

Every year the Skills Platform run a report to map the digital skills across the third sector. The Charity Digital Skills Report is now in its third year and has been a super successful resource for charitable organisations and to help the sector develop a shared understanding of what digital can help charities do.

Last week we opened the survey upon which the report is built. Please complete the survey where appropriate and share with others for whom it may also be appropriate to really help us make this year's report the most comprehensive yet.

Resources:

• Here's the link to the survey: surveymonkey.co.uk/r/digi2019

• Here's a link to a page that describes a little more about the report: https://www.skillsplatform.org/blog/charity-digital-skills-report-2019-survey-is-now-open

• And links to our social media channels, which are filled with messages about the survey, are below

Many thanks in advance for your support.

Yours
Laura Clough
Skills Platform Marketing Manager

The end of the financial year saw substantial changes at the Board of Care & Support West, so..

It’s HELLO from new Chairman Deian Glynn of Manor Communities and GOODBYE from Len Collacott, our outgoing Chairman: You can read his final note to members below.

Please note that with Marilyn Clarke’s departure, our secretary is now Sam Hawker of AbleCare.

We also have a new business address: C/O Manor Community, Gladstone House, Gladstone Drive, Soundwell, Bristol. BS16 4RU.

Dear Members

I need to keep you up to date with events at C&SW and to inform you that I have decided to stand down as chairman of the organisation with effect from the end of the last financial year. From 1st April there will be a new chairman ---- and we are fortunate to have a willing successor in Deian Glyn from Manor Community who has volunteered to take on the role of Chair and I wish him the best of luck.

 It’s been 20 years since I first became part of ARCHA, the predecessor of C&SW, and around 8 years since I took over as chair. So much has happened in that time. Our industry has changed out of all recognition and regulation has ballooned. Long gone are the days of the relatively friendly LA inspector and we have morphed through National Care Standards Commission, CSCI, and eventually (so far) CQC. The industry has become far more professional, as have our regulators, and the workload required to deal with that regulation had increased dramatically.

I am proud that our organisation has changed and modernised with the industry in order to best represent the interests of our members and, ultimately, our service users. The industry, our members, and C&SW have all become so much more focussed and the level of care that we provide for an increasingly complex market continues to meet higher and higher targets. The beneficiary is the service user.

C&SW has continually moved forward and the organisation that now hosts the prestigious Annual Care Awards event is a long way from the one I first joined. As ever its leaders have embraced change, moved with the times, and remain a force to be reckoned with. C&SW is acknowledged both locally and nationally as an example of excellent representation.

My own business has needed to adapt and change in the same way. Knowing when to change is the key- so on that note I believe that a change of chair at this time would be a good thing. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with C&SW and its highs and lows but it is the right time to move on and let the next leader chart the course.

 From April 1st, I will also stand down as a Director, although Windmill Care will continue as members. I will always be grateful to ARCHA and its successor for giving me the knowledge of the care industry that a fledgling operator needed and you will always have my support. C&SW will need to remain vigilant and flexible to be able to carry on with its fine traditions. I leave the organisation in good hands and I have every confidence that it will do so.

I take this opportunity to thank the membership, the directors, and our Chief executive, David Smallacombe and his team of colleagues for all the help and support that you have given me over my time with you.

Best wishes to you all for the future.

Len Collacott

And this very popular Network for registered managers enters its 6th year! Words from the network’s organiser below and you can download the flyer here.

Spread the word! Click here to register your interest. If you want to talk to someone before you register then Email Mik Alban  or Tel:  07788 498909

“We will be continuing our popular Registered Managers’ Network sessions with the next three sessions focusing on:

1. Managing investigations

2. Managing performance

3. Managing families and expectations.

In addition we will also:

1. keep the CQC theme … each session will have a slot where participants can provide updates and discuss their experience of recent CQC inspections.

2. provide pertinent updates … starting with the Liberty Protection Safeguards.

3. continue with sharing ideas and good practice. This seems to be appreciated so we will keep it as a theme that runs throughout all the sessions.

4. provide the opportunity for participants to raise issues that are affecting them. A sort of ‘problem shared is a problem halved’ slot.

5. focus on the creation (and sharing) of mini training sessions that participants can adapt for their own workplaces.

 Plenty of good stuff for everyone”.

Book the Care Conference Now:

Many organisations are refocusing to put technology at the heart of their strategies because it can help relieve the administrative burden that care providers face and can help them to compete more effectively in the market.

Managing a complex network of stakeholders is one of the biggest problems facing adult social care and it is this area of managing the logistics of staff , clients, suppliers and other stakeholders, that these two workshops address.

Adopting technological solutions can help to integrate systems and stop people working in silos.

And it isn’t just care providers adopting technology to smoothe and facilitate logistics, we are told that many local authorities are using cutting edge technology, often designed to specific needs but quite often just adopting simple digital solutions.

The first workshop, the Bristol and South Gloucestershire Bed Tracker System, presented by Harriet Soderberg demonstrates one example where the local authority is using web based technology to support the process of finding beds for clients with care needs. Adopting a system already in use elsewhere the Bristol and South Gloucestershire project can be implemented relatively quickly and will enable SG care homes to share live bed vacancies. At the same time it enables discharge and brokerage teams to quickly search for vacancies, and there are plans for it to be open to self-funders in future, supporting care provider marketing needs..

Thus at the same time it makes the process of finding a care home placement as easy as possible. and it provides Care Homes with a ‘shop window’ to share available beds as well as other information about the home. It’s free and easy to use, once you have registered, you will be part of a rapidly expanding network of care homes across the country utilising the Capacity Tracker – already more than 6,000 homes are on board.

The workshop will be an opportunity to ask questions about the Capacity Tracker and how it interfaces or compares with other systems in use across the region; you can also learn more about how to register and use the product.

The second workshop, Roster Planning Software, presented by Lee Truman of CarePlanner, looks at examples of technology that integrate processes of managing clients and staff to deliver domiciliary care, such that call scheduling, staff rostering, time sheets and invoicing can all be managed from within one system. Lee will be able to demonstrate how integrated systems such as Care Planner can deliver service process and administrative improvements at reduced cost. Other similar technology is available too as well as technology to support residential settings. You will be able to ask about the costs of this sort of software and implementation issues you would need to consider.

Book Now for 15th May Conference

Our Conference focus this year is technology in care, an absolutely critical subject at a time when there is pressure to continually improve performance with less resources. There are many applications available to care providers covering a wide array of processes and subject areas, it’s difficult to know what is out there and it’s difficult to choose what you want or indeed what you need and what will deliver maximum benefit and return on investment.

Whatever technology you decide to adopt, it is important that the organisation is ready to move to digital processes; you need to consider the following questions:

• Are your staff digitally competent?

• Is the organisation ‘change management’ competent with a comprehensive project plan and effective project management skills?

• Does your organisation have the appropriate knowledge of the legal framework underpinning data management, change management and employment law?

The conference helps you to address these questions in smaller workshop sessions giving you the opportunity to listen and ask questions.

One of the Session 2 workshops is by Royds Withy King solicitors James Sage and Nicola Radcliffe. James and Nicola will be looking at the evolution of technology in the care sector from a legal perspective.  The workshop will focus on the future care workforce and the impact of technology on operations, regulation and safeguarding. 

 As at the date of the conference, we may or may not have left the EU.  However, assuming that Brexit, of some sorts, is still the future then the social care workforce crisis will remain a key issue for providers. James will consider whether technology can help tackle the care sector workforce challenges, the employment law and other implications of increased use of technology in care, and how to strike the right balance between the use of technology and the need for human touch. 

 He will also be considering where technology can assist with care work and how tech v touch is being implemented in social and healthcare settings at home and abroad. 

 Nicola will be exploring the interaction between technology and regulation, and what legal issues arise from some of the technological solutions that are emerging in to the health and social care market.  CQC might not be ready for a tech revolution but they expect providers to innovate in order to demonstrate outstanding practice, so how do you manage this in practice and what pitfalls do you need to be aware of?

Another workshop provided by Paul Kaye of QuiqSolutions is looking at the sort of technology available to support the critical processes surrounding compliance and quality assurance processes. Paul will be showing you

• the technology being used by many commissioners to automate contract monitoring;

• how technology can help to reduce dramatically the mountains of paper that compliance can generate, as well as provide digital audits and surveys.

• The workshop will also cover technology to benchmark your service against CQC standards and improve your rating.

We look forward to seeing you on 15th May at Ashton Gate. Come prepared to ask essential questions about support available to you in adopting technology and how best to implement technology projects.

You can reserve your place at the conference here:

We have had notice from the Home Office that the EU Settlement Scheme is now fully open and urge you to read the letter from the Home Secretary, available HERE and ensure that your staff participate promptly where necessary.

Earlier this year, SG adult safeguarding conducted an audit of how multi agency working handled the case of 4 adults who had experienced scamming.

As the Board Rep on the South Gloucestershire Council Safeguarding Adults Board for the Care Home Provider Forum Sam Hawker (Able Care Homes) and board member of C&SW has asked us to share the attached audit results concerning scams. 

 The download of the results of the audit can be found here; some of the case studies were quite shocking to hear, including the issue of ‘Romance Scams’. 

If you have any concerns at all involving clients in your care please report in the normal way to the CSO Desk.  Additional helpful information can be found at http://www.southglos.gov.uk/business/trading-standards/consumer-advice/.  Providers outside of the South Gloucestershire area can contact their local safeguarding team and signpost to local Trading Standards.

C&SW have been asked to help circulate this information as widely as possible in the region, pleaase see letter below:

Dear colleagues

Please find links below for letters from South Gloucestershire Public Health and Healthwatch colleagues inviting you to take part in a Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) post flu season survey for domiciliary care providers and care homes, reporting on staff vaccination uptake for 2018/19. The surveys, also provide the opportunity for more general feedback on materials and support offered during the flu season.

• Letter for Care Home Providers

• Letter for Domiciliary Care Providers

Surveys can be completed on line :  

Survey for domiciliary care providers: https://wh.snapsurveys.com/s.asp?k=155316769349

Survey for care homes: https://wh.snapsurveys.com/s.asp?k=155316660305

 For providers returning surveys on behalf of more than one organisation, please use the links below to access spreadsheets to complete your return.

Care Home Spreadsheet; Domiciliary Care Spreadsheet

This can be submitted through the survey (Select Yes for Q1), on the next page of the survey you will be able to upload your completed spreadsheet into the web survey form to submit (Q2).

 The survey will close on Sunday 28th April.

 Thank you for your response.

 Regards

 Amy Thacker

Emergency Planning and Health Protection Officer; Public Health and Wellbeing Division; South Gloucestershire Council;  

Office base: South Gloucestershire Council Offices; Badminton Road; Yate, BS37 5AF

C&SW Commercial partners are hosting this information event at Ston Easton Park, Bath, BA3 4DF, 11th April, 10.00 - 12.00.

Speakers are Mick Feather, Care Business Manager and keith Lawson, Business & HR Expert.

More information and contact details are in this download.

Booking essential. 0345 310 0650; rsvp@citation.co.uk

Recently published by CQC, this document is essential reading for managers in social care settings. It looks at the issues that will be considered at inspection. The pdf can be downloaded here. We cribbed a picture of the contents to give you some idea of what is covered. See below:

As part of our aim to support integration of health and social care, C&SW are helping to promote these training course which are aimed at people in the care sector as well as primary care.

The full list of upcoming events can be found here and includes a Nursing Conference which will be of interest to nurses in the sector. This will be on Friday 10th May at the Bristol Golf Club.

BTW, the Domiciliary Care Training has been designed and is being delivered by C&SW member Jane Redman.

Please use the following contact details to find out more or apply to these courses:

http://www.cepnbnssg.co.uk

cepn.bnssg@nhs.net

Upcoming Events and Programmes:

Please note: unless stated otherwise, our non--attendance isattendance policy is generally to charge if you cancel within three weeks of an event or simply fail to attend.

Domiciliary Care training: This programme will deliver ‘Human Factors’ training, whilst also (re)familiarising home care providers with the SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendations) communication tool. Two more full-day workshops will be held, as follows:
 Wednesday, 27 February at The Batch, 8a Park Road, Warmley, Bristol, BS30 8EB (nearly full).
 Tuesday, 19 March at Locality Health Centre, 68 Lonsdale Av., Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS23 3SJ.

End-of-Life Care study days: This multidisciplinary training will teach GPs, nurses, ANPs, paramedics, and other non-medical clinicians from across BNSSG how to respond confidently and competently to patients and families during the end stages of life. Hospices and Helen Eddison, AHSN’s ReSPECT Project Leader will contribute to this course.
Attendees must be able to attend a full-day session on Wednesday, 22 May, and a half-day catch-up ses-sion (the date is being finalised).
Both sessions will be held at: Engineers’ House, Clifton Down, Avon, Bristol, BS6 3NB.

Stroke Prevention and Diabetes Management study day: BNSSG CEPN has organised a Stroke Prevention and Diabetes Management study day, to be held for HCAs on Wednesday, 5 June. This full-day session will help non-registered clinicians to contribute to the treatment and management of these long-term conditions, as opposed to teaching them how to handle them wholly independently.

Falls, Frailty, and Dementia study day: BNSSG CEPN has also arranged for a Falls, Frailty, and Dementia study day, aimed at HCAs and to take place on Wednesday, 17 July. This will aid non-registered clinicians with contributing to the treatment and management of these long-term conditions, rather than teaching them how to address them alone.

AbleCare Homes would like to congratulate to all of their finalists at The Great British Care Awards South West Region who attended a fabulous awards evening at Ashton Gate on 16 November 2018. The finalists were:
AbleCare Homes - Care Employer
Teresa Silverthorne - Registered Manager
Ellie Holloway - Frontline Worker
Amelia Brooks - Care Newcomer
Alex Follett - Care Newcomer
James Taylor - Frontline Leader
Jayne Bowman - Care Trainer
Leanne Thorne - Putting People First
The Crossley House Team
The Frenchay House Team

Extra special congratulations go to Alex Follett who works as an apprentice at Frenchay House.  After winning the Care Apprentice Award at the C&SW event in October she has gone on to win the Care Newcomer Award for the South West. Alex wasn’t able to make it to collect her trophy in person and so it was picked up by her Manager, Leanne. Next step - The National Finals!! 

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed a lively evening which featured a special appearance from former X Factor star, Chico with singing, dancing and photo opportunities galore.

AbleCare Homes Director, Sam Hawker, says ‘It goes to show what a great team we have with so many being selected in the top of the South West for providing such good care.   I am very proud of them all.’

At our General Meeting in November, looking at Community Links, Winash shared a project they were pursuing in Clevedon, North Somerset alongside Wyldwood Arts (met at an earlier C&SW General Meeting).

They discovered last January that they had been awarded nearly £10,000 from the Big Lottery Fund for an intergenerational Arts project called “Communi-tree”

By November they have set up weekly intergenerational sessions with many local groups:

• Rydal Nursery

• YMCA

• Ravenswood Special School

• St Nicholas Chantry School

• Brownies

• 1st Clevedon Beavers

• 2nd Clevedon Beavers

• Rock 11 Clevedon

At the end of November they had a Bring & Share Supper and Presentation evening with live music and friendship inviting everyone who had participated along with their families.

The impacts and benefits definitely go two ways. One initiative involved 6 children from St nicholas Chantry finding penpals amongst the residents and writing to them. Henry who doesn’t have an older grandparent appears to have adopted his pen pal as a substitute and he and his Dad visit twice a month.

The manager at Winash, Heather House, comments that a real highlight has been watching the interactions and listening to the conversations “It has been an amazing journey, with the coming together the highlight, the conversations triggered, the smiles on faces, the chats that followed about the session, the improved well being by introducing children regularly into Winash, and having fun times together”

Two courses being offered for people working with clients with learning difficulties and autism.

Reducing Restrictive Practices (download flyer)

Working together: Improving lives for people with a learning disability or autism who have or may offend (download flyer)

Reducing Restrictive Practices: Training from Avon and Wiltshire Positive Behaviour Support Network, For people who support individuals with a learning disability who have challenging behaviour 8th February 2019

Updated Guidance, Facilitated by Tracy Cox and Wendy Wright,  University of the West of England, Glenside Campus, Blackberry Hill, Stapleton, Bristol, BS16 1DD. Map

Room number:  1C02 ;  Time: 9.30-12.00 (inclusive of 30-minute coffee break/network); Free car park available with parking permit from reception on arrival;

This is a free event - to book a place email: tracyr@milestonestrust.org.uk or alann@milestonestrust.org.uk

For more information about the network visit:  https://positivebehaviour.wordpress.com/ ; Find us on Facebook, or contact Alan Nuttall 0117 9709388

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Working together: Improving lives for people with a learning disability or autism who have or may offend

Come and meet with organisations from across the South West of England who work with people who have a learning disability or autism or both, and who have offended or are at risk of offending.   At our interactive event, you will learn more about the processes and responsibilities of different agencies, hear about what works and examples of best practice, and take part in discussions around some of the challenges of delivering good support to people at risk of entering the Criminal Justice system.

• How do we identify barriers, share perceptions of risk and overcome the concerns in order to support people out of hospital or prison?

• What are the frameworks for discharge or release, and who is responsible for what?

• How can we support people with learning disabilities and/or autism who have committed offences stay in or move back into communities in ways that are safe for them and others?

This event is for Care Provider Organisations who support people with a learning disability and, or autism. It is jointly hosted and supported by Skills for Care, the Local Government Association and NHS England - Transforming Care support programme

Date: 27th February 2019; Time: 10.00am to 15.30pm; Venue: Taunton

Please book you place using the booking link : https://events.skillsforcare.org.uk/skillsforcare/606/home