Minutes of May 2009

CLOUGH HALL RESIDENTS' ASSOCIATION

MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY 19^th MAY 2009 AT HOLLINWOOD SHELTERED HOUSING at 7.30pm

THIS WAS A JOINT FORUM MEETING - 50+ FORUM - Newcastle / Clough Hall Residenrts Association on the subject of Care in the Community

PRESENT :-

CHAIR FOR TONIGHT :- Mr Mike Reynolds - Newcastle under Lyme 50+ Forum

COMMITTEE: - G Sutton, C Brough, Mary Martin, Dave Martin, B Collis, C Brammer, T Dale,

J Gallacher. C Gallacher

POLICE:- PC D Woodward

GUEST SPEAKERS: - Mr C Davies, Wendy Snell, Val Rowley, Linda Regan, Jayne Rigby.

GUESTS :- Mr R Burns, Mrs T Evans, Mr M Jones

COUNCILLORS - Cllr J Taylor, Cllr M Maxfield, Cllr S Burgess, Cllr S Bowyer, Cllr T Morrel,

Cllr J Evans.

RESIDENTS: - 37 ( Includes CHRA and 50+ Members )

TOTAL ATTENDANCE: - 62

APOLOGIES: , M Moore, K Lee.

The CHRA Chairman opened the meeting and welcomed all present, especially the guest speakers, the Councillors present and PC Dave Woodward.

He then went on to mention the following:

Free refreshments available at the end of the meeting.
2 successful recent litter picks on May 2^nd and 3^rd; 5 locations were targeted and 45 bags of litter collected. The volunteers who took part were thanked, as were the Council for sending vehicles to collect the litter.
Recent incidents outside the Clough Hall area involving anti-social behaviour - local Councillors were thanked for their support, especially Councillor John Taylor who spent time with concerned residents trying to find a solution to the problems. The support of

Mr Tait, the Headteacher of Clough Hall School, Councillor Silvia Burgess, and the police

was also recognised.

The Chairman then introduced PC Dave Woodward.

PC Woodward explained that:

400 door chains are available for vulnerable residents or those of retirement age; anyone wishing to have one, or requiring help to have one fitted, should contact him.
Posters indicating ‘No Tools Left in This Vehicle' were available for residents to take.
Neighbourhood Watch updates are available on computer through the Online Watch Link (OWL) - http://www.owl.co.uk/

The Chairman thanked PC Woodward and went on to say that:

Lottery money is now due.
A Quiz Night is to be held on Wednesday July 22^nd, tickets cost £3 including refreshments; proceeds to be given to the Douglas Macmillan Hospice.
The next film show at Clough Hall School (‘The Duchess') will be held on Tuesday June 9^th at 1:45pm. A summer fete is also to be held at the school on Tuesday July 14^th from 1:30 to 5pm; the Town Mayor will open the fete, and the new Town Crier will be present.

He then handed over to Mike Reynolds, who welcomed everyone and introduced himself and the guest speakers. Mike explained that Staffs Fire and Rescue should also have been present to talk about Home Safety Checks, and said that the copy of The Advertiser published in the first week of June would carry a copy of the 50+ Newsletter - the 50+ Forum in partnership with Newcastle Social Care and Health is working to break down barriers and make the public more aware of the services on offer.

Mike then invited the panel members to speak in turn.

(NB The meeting moved along at a great pace, and with 4 different speakers it was difficult to pick up on all the points raised.)

Chris Davies - Regional Development Officer for Help the Aged.

Chris explained that while the Government feel that savings could be made in Community Care, Help the Aged argue that a massive cash injection is needed and that people should have more access to information and services. At the moment the criteria and eligibility for care are a postcode lottery, and this needs to be changed. Tightening budgets means that Community Care is not properly funded, and many people are left to fend for themselves. Previously there were 4 bands of care, but now 70% of local authorities will only fund those who meet the critical care criteria. Preventive care should be the way forward; this would reduce acute hospital admissions and prevent people's needs becoming critical. Current care packages do not provide enough money, and this means that families have to ‘top up' the amount received. Personal allowances have also been cut, and are now £20 per week, with those over 85 years receiving an increase year by year. In order to bring services up to scratch £1-2 billion needs to be invested in the service; the Putting People First Social Care Concordat of 2007 sets out and supports the Government's commitment to independent living for all adults, but is insufficiently funded. There is legislation in place which states that people have a right to have their needs assessed and met, but this is being disregarded and resources are being allocated according to age rather than need. 50% of people believe that the NHS is ageist, and age legislation needs to be put in place.

Informal care networks - family carers - save the state £87 billion per year, and it is unlikely that these carers will get a better deal; respite packages are not as readily available as before. There has also been a huge increase in elder abuse by relatives - emotionally, physically, sexually and financially. Direct payments/personalized care budgets have been introduced because of the push to privatise; expectations that the elderly can manage their own care packages are not realistic.

Care workers are paid the minimum wage, and are paid by the quarter hour; this means that they don't stay in the job for very long, and a succession of care workers will care for an individual which leads to a lack of dignity in care. The General Secretary of Unison, Dave Prentis, has stipulated that services should be brought back under Council control.

Help the Aged maintains that:

Serious investment into care is needed.
There should be consultation with older people at all times.
Age discrimination should be protected against by law.

Wendy Snell - Service Manager Wellbeing and Older People, Social Care Newcastle-under-Lyme

Wendy said that Social Care is changing (‘transforming' according to the Government). The Transformation Agenda is set out in the Putting People First Concordat, which can be accessed on the web. Public consultation throughout the country has shown that people want the necessary support quickly, that early prevention means independence, and that there should be choice and control over services provided.

Why does there need to be change?

The elderly want to be treated with dignity and respect; by 2036 there will be 3 million people over the age of 85. If there is early intervention, then there is a better outcome for people and a better quality of life. Safeguarding is a way of keeping people safe, eg with fire safety checks by the Fire Service, and crime reduction visits; there is an up-to-date website which raises the awareness of safeguarding.

Social isolation is also a problem; this can lead to depression, which can then mean that a person fails to take their medication; this in turn can lead to illness, a spell in hospital and then long-term care.

In order to alleviate this the following services have recently been commissioned:

North Staffs Link Line - a phone service befriending scheme
WRVS - a befriending and mentoring scheme which links with other organisations.

Dementia is also an increasing problem. In North Staffordshire 3,000 people have dementia, and 1,572 of these are in the Newcastle district; this number is expected to double within 20 years. Social Care need to be involved with people at the point of diagnosis and have commissioned a Care Navigator; anyone diagnosed with dementia is offered the Care Navigator to work with them, put them in touch with relevant agencies, and discuss all relevant issues, eg Lasting Power of Attorney. There is a need to intervene at a much earlier stage when personal choices can be recorded, and a need to consult with other groups such as CHRA.

Val Rowley and Linda Regan, ELITE (Enabling Living Independently Today and Everyday)

Val explained that her own daughter, who has Downs Syndrome and is now 33 years old, receives direct payment and that this has given her new opportunities. She previously attended a day-care centre, but now she is part of a community and through communicating with vocal non-disabled people has improved tremendously. ELITE is a support group founded in N Staffs and Newcastle to support others taking the same route; the group is now inundated with queries from people wanting more information about direct payments. No charge is made for the service. Val and Linda, who also has children with disabilities, have been invited to join the Direct Payment Project Board set up by Staffs County Council, and their ideas have been taken up. Val emphasised that everyone may need support to stay in their own home, and that direct payment means that an individual can employ his/her own personal assistant - a personal budget gives both choice and control.

Jayne Rigby - Service Manager for Community Living, Staffs County Council

Jayne talked about dignity in care. She has worked in Care Services in this area for a long time, and she explained that care homes and residential services come under her umbrella - this means that she can discuss with people which services they need.

The Dignity in Care Campaign was set up in November 2006, and the aim of the Campaign is that others should be treated with the respect and dignity we would wish for ourselves. The objectives of the campaign (listed below) are stated on cards which Jayne left for residents to take.

High quality services that respect people's dignity should:

Have a zero tolerance of all forms of abuse.
Support people with the same respect you would want for yourself or a member of your family.
Treat each person as an individual by offering a personalised service.
Enable people to maintain the maximum possible level of independence, choice and control.
Listen and support people to express their needs and wants.
Respect people's right to privacy.
Ensure people feel able to complain without fear of retribution.
Engage with family members and carers as care partners.
Assist people to maintain confidence and a positive self esteem.
Act to alleviate people's loneliness and isolation.

Staffs County Council have a Dignity in Care website and an awards scheme which carers can be nominated for.

Finally, Jayne asked that people should

take the Dignity in Care cards and share them with family and friends
report good and bad practice, because the Service needs feedback
expect others to be treated as you would wish to be treated, irrespective of disability and age.

Mike Reynolds then thanked all the speakers for their contributions, and invited questions from the floor.

Q1. Elderly people fear that if they are taken into care they will have to sell their property to fund the care, and the family will lose their inheritance. Is this true? What would happen in this case?

Wendy Snell: If someone else is living with them, then this would not be the case. If a person lives alone, then their property is taken into account as part of a financial assessment. If the property has been put into trust then this raises different issues and legal advice would have to be taken.

Chris Davies: Care packages shouldn't be means tested.

Q2. Different agencies monitor care in different ways - elderly people are not registered or monitored. Is there a list of vulnerable people, and are they monitored to see if they are capable of administering direct payments? And I feel I am becoming a second class citizen because I don't have access to websites.

Jayne Rigby: Phone numbers are given as well and leaflets are available. Some community organisations provide free training and access to computers, and there are internet cafes.

Q3. People have died because of a lack of simple care; is there a list of vulnerable people in the community who need help?

Wendy Snell: GPs have some information, but it is difficult getting information on this. Social Care and Health Services have to be told to improve their standards or there will be no further commission of their services.

Q4. I understand that direct payments can only be accessed by those in the critical and substantial categories and therefore by relatively few people - is that so?

Wendy Snell: There is a new look at criteria in the Transformation Agenda; we need more involvement earlier on.

Q5. Aspire provide a care call system which has increased from £12.03 to £14.03 per month. In Stoke-on-Trent this service is provided free to those over 80 years of age, but not in Staffordshire - why?

Councillor John Taylor explained that Aspire is a Housing Association and is not part of the Council and is not contracted by the Council. Aspire provide this service at a charge to their tenants. Staffs County Council do not subsidise this service.

Q6. If under the direct payments system people can employ who they want to, I would like to ask ELITE if those who are employed are monitored or vetted in any way, to make sure that appropriate people are chosen.

Val Rowley: The Rowan Organisation help with this, and there is also a Care Match website. Anyone who applies is CRB checked and has to provide references; there is also a 3 months' probationary period.

Q7. As the number of people with direct payments increases, will there be enough carers available? And who checks that people living alone spend the payment appropriately?

Wendy Snell: There are support groups to help, and this has to be done legally and a contract drawn up; records have to be kept because this is public money. People can also mix and match direct payments and day care centres.

Chris Davies: These checks are not as robust in the private sector as in the public sector.

Mike Reynolds said that the 50+ Forum have concerns about the checks and inspections in place; direct payments should not be the only option - some people will need different support.

The following question is as a result of a phone call he received today.

Q8. Do those living independently in their own homes, but close to complexes which are being built, have access to these complexes?

Wendy Snell: Yes.

Q9. Social Services is a shambles - how does the UK compare with other countries? And if we are worse, what aren't we doing?

Chris Davies: We have the poorest-paid pensioners in Europe, with the State pension being 9% of average income.

Cllr Burgess commented that Europeans are more family orientated, and the UK is poorer in that respect.

Cllr Taylor added that the Social Care System in Scandinavia is different, but taxes there are higher; there is a correlation between taxes and services - we get what we pay for.

Mike Reynolds said that no-one present could give an accurate answer to this question.

Cllr Taylor spoke directly to Chris Davies:

Politicians don't like not having enough money to provide care, but the County Council has priorities and has to balance where the money comes from.

Chris Davies replied that if there was a legal obligation then there would be a better case; greater contributions would mean more funding.

Q10. Does good and bad practice include the police, and the management team of Stafford General Hospital?

Jayne Rigby: The Safeguarding Board are to look at Stafford General Hospital and the results will be publicised; comments and complaints are not investigated by the managers involved but by an independent team. Any poor treatment in hospital would be investigated.

Q11. Is the Putting People First document available on the web? And what about the No-one's Listening document?

Wendy Snell: Yes, both are available.

Q12. Direct payments seem to me to be very confusing - it's a minefield. Is there a simple publication or website which explains what they are and how they work? Has anyone tried to simplify or standardise the system?

Val Rowley: Direct payments depend on individual personal needs; we are trying to get continuity but the system works differently in each district. Direct payments do not affect benefits - the money is given in place of accessing day care centres; these centres are then left for those in critical need with no family to support them. As for direct payments to carers, up to £40 per week is not means tested. ELITE is trying to simplify the system and some things have changed.

Q13. If I have a State pension which is more than £50.55 per week then I am not entitled to Carers' Allowance, am I?

Val Rowley: No, but you are entitled to Carer's Direct Payment, and if you are giving 24/7 care then you are entitled to a weekly payment.

Q14. People should look at dementia positively - there is a life with dementia. Do you agree?

Wendy Snell: Yes, and there needs to be discussion in the early stages. People should be looked at as individuals, not as diagnoses. A Navigator (named key worker) needs to work with the same person in order to build a relationship.

Q15. Should the Government control health advice published in national newspapers?

Mike Reynolds - The Government spends enough money already!

Mike Reynolds then thanked the speakers and the audience, saying that it was a pleasure to chair forums where contributions were made by the audience.

The Chairman of CHRA, Graham Sutton, thanked Mike for taking the Chair and also thanked the panel - all of whom had given their time voluntarily.

PC Woodward added briefly that Friday May 22^nd was leaving day for Y11 pupils and that 9 officers would be on duty that evening. He asked residents to phone the police if they should see a large gathering of youngsters, or youngsters with alcohol,

Following the raffle and the refreshments the meeting was then closed.

Signed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G Sutton, Chairman CHRA