CLOUGH HALL RESIDENTS' ASSOCIATION
MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY 4th MAY 2010 AT HOLLINWOOD SHELTERED HOUSING at 7.30pm
PRESENT :-
COMMITTEE: - G Sutton, J Gallacher, C Brough, T Dale, C Gallacher, C Brammer, B Collis,
D Martin, M Martin.
GUEST SPEAKERS: - Susan Fisher - County Manager - Staffs County Council -Finance & Performance Officer.
COUNCILLORS- Cllr G Locke, Cllr J Evans.
GUESTS - Anthea Bourne 50+, Margaret Coley 50+, Mr Rex Burns. Mrs Tina Evans.
RESIDENTS: - 31 ( Includes 16 members from 50+ Forum )
TOTAL ATTENDANCE: - 47
APOLOGIES: - Cllr Silvia Burgess, Mike Moore, Paul & Sue Fisher, Sylvia Clough,
Mr & Mrs A Kelly, Mr & Mrs A Mottram.
The Chairman opened the meeting; he welcomed everyone present to the Joint 50+/CHRA Forum and introduced Anthea Bourne, the new Chair of the Newcastle 50+ Forum. He also introduced Susan Fisher, the Finance and Performance Officer for Staffs County Council, and thanked her for coming. He then explained that minutes of the previous meeting and other handouts were available for residents to take, and gave the agenda for the evening.
The Chairman then spoke on the following:
- Kidsgrove First Responder Vehicle - this has been sponsored by Councillors and the Rotary Club and has been in use for several weeks, with 5 callouts during the first week. Fundraising events include a sponsored cycle ride on May 28th by 3 Rotary Club members who will cycle from the Moselle River to the Rhine, a distance of 304 km; anyone interested in sponsoring them was asked to speak to the Chairman.
- Clough Hall School -
- - the current computer course is running well, an excellent free course, and Phil Lovatt a superb course tutor. A B-Tech Certificate or the European Driving Standard in Computing is envisaged for later in the year
- - the next film shows are on May 26th (A Fish Called Wanda) and June 23rd (Kev)
- - an Open Day will be held on Wednesday May 19th from 9:30am to 4:00pm; CHRA have been asked to man a stall to talk about school/community events, and any volunteers willing to give an hour of their time were asked to speak to the Chairman.
The Chairman then invited Susan Fisher to speak.
Susan thanked CHRA for the invitation and began by stating that Staffs County Council faces the same challenges as other councils in the country - the challenges of sustainability and residential vs community care. However, since legislation dictates what happens in residential care, she explained that she would not be covering issues relating to that area. She went on to say that sustainability is a problem because there are rising numbers of people who need care and support - people are living longer (the number of those aged 100 years or more in the county has increased) and the incidence of more serious old-age disabilities, specifically dementia, has also increased. Advances in medical science mean that increasing numbers of young people with profound disabilities are surviving into adulthood and outliving their parents/carers; with no family to support them this gives rise to serious issues of care. Aspirations and expectations are also rising - a much higher quality of life is anticipated than in previous generations - and the costs of providing care and support are increasing dramatically. The care system itself is confusing and needs to be made clearer, and this applies nationally.
Last year Staffs County Council made £6 million in efficiency savings, and next year will aim to save £8 million, but the cost of care systems increases by £7.5 million per year as more people need this support. Systems need to be affordable and sustainable, and the impact locally needs to be balanced between service users and council tax payers - and most of us will fall into both these categories. The Council's aim is to do more with the money available - to provide intensive support initially when required, but then to enable people to live independently rather than moving into permanent residential care. Services would thus be available at a time of crisis, a time of greatest need.
Susan then directed attention to two graphs - the first showed that the proportion of the population aged over 65 is predicted to increase by more than one third from 2008 to 2025, and the second that the proportion of the population aged over 85 is predicted to double during the same period. Staffordshire has the largest rise in 85+ year olds in the West Midlands.
She then spoke about the Council's Budget - adult social care costs around 30% of the average Council Tax bill, which means that anyone paying £1,000 per year is paying £300 towards caring for adults. The total gross spend is £240 million in Staffordshire, which has an adult population of over 160,000, and this pays for on average 26,000 packages of care (these will include intensive care packages and also those for lower-end needs, eg providing hot meals when a carer is not available).
Following a public consultation in Staffordshire in 2009 it was established that care should
- - be legal
- - be equitable to all - ie the same across the county and across services
- - promote independence, choice and access to community facilities
- - promote personal responsibility
- - be fair, reflecting the ability to pay
- - be cost effective, clear and straightforward
- - maximise client income, with advice on benefits available.
There is to be a Cabinet meeting to discuss the outcomes of the public consultation in June 2010.
Susan concluded her talk by focusing on the latest national developments in this area; these include a comprehensive insurance system for residential care (the detail of this is to be formulated) and a national care system. The latter would provide
- - national consistent eligibility criteria
- - a preventative service, so a ‘free' period of re-ablement to then allow an independent life
- - a quality framework for services
- - better information and advice processes
- - integration, eg with health services.
She then invited questions and comments from the audience which are detailed below.
1. What is the current position for a person who needs care but is a non- council tax payer?
A. This person would qualify for funded care subject to a means test. The crux of the current national debate is that care is based on an ability to pay.
2. Stoke-on-Trent Council are proposing a charge of £48 per day for daycare; daycare is very important for stimulation and therapy. Is this right?
A. The recent consultation has shown that an overwhelming majority of the public (76%) agree that people should be treated equitably, and that everyone should pay according to their ability to do so. However, not all customers are ever able to pay council tax, for example those with learning difficulties who receive benefits. The costs of daycare centres for those suffering from dementia should be met by the NHS; there is a difference between personal care and health care.
3. Care in the home can outcost normal care schemes unless there is little in the way of attendance, and proper care should cover 24 hours. People don't understand how much care they will receive if they choose home care - it can just be a flash visit and away. Carers are better employed in daycare centres - this means better care and more relaxed clients who are more involved in activities, and this would be the best way to deal with the problem. As costs escalate we need a different approach.
A. The system of funding needs to change in the future, and it comes down to personal choice. It is responsible to show people the choices/possibilities; one size does not fit all. People need to be safe (eg if they are suffering from dementia) as well as looked after.
4. Many elderly people live alone and become isolated; they need daycare, luncheon clubs, etc so that they can meet other people. If they don't have the money, they don't have the choice. Are luncheon clubs and cafes being created for Alzheimer sufferers?
A. Yes, for Alzheimer sufferers but not the rest. I will feed this back to the District Director for the north of the county - I don't know about local issues.
5. People suffering from dementia need care and a lot of stimulation, they should not be left on their own for 24 hours. The attendance allowance is saving money for the authorities but placing a lot of stress on family carers. Dementia sufferers are incapable of making informed choices, and many of them are being forgotten.
A. There has to be a balance between the care given to the most vulnerable and that given to others.
6. No-one understands welfare benefits properly - are they locally or nationally determined?
A. They are determined nationally. We can't change the welfare benefits system but we can lobby for change and we do offer welfare benefits advice.
The Chairman then thanked Susan for a most interesting and informative talk, and a break for refreshments followed.
After the break Cliff Poole spoke about the Butt Lane Petanque Club - this is the only one in Staffordshire and it has now been running for two years; there are 30 members and the club meets every Tuesday and Friday afternoon. On Saturday May 8th there is to be an open ‘come and try' session from 1pm to 5pm and Cliff invited residents to attend.
The Chairman then spoke on the following:
- Grit bins - Cllr Mary Maxfield will inform him of any developments regarding the bins.
- The Westmorland Unit - a rumour is circulating that this is to become an allotment site - if this is confirmed then residents will be informed.
- The next meeting will be held on Tuesday July 7th; the speaker will be John Shapter whose talk is entitled ‘Dental Myths Busted'.
He finally thanked everyone for attending, and the Vice Chairman concluded the meeting by asking anyone interested in the Talke Ramblers Saturday walks to contact Rev Paul Howard for further information.
The raffle was then held and the meeting closed.