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Carers Liaison The role of Carer Liaison is to ensure that Carers’ voices are heard and that they have a say in the provision of services. The Liaison Officer attends lots of meetings in North Staffordshire, on behalf of Carers, and provides feedback to Health and Social Care services, about Carers’ views and concerns. Liaison work covers all client groups:
The Liaison Officer needs your views and comments, good or bad, about services you have received, so that they can be passed on to the appropriate people. Dianne's update Liaison has been rather busy recently and it is more than obvious that Carers are a high priority for service providers at present. I have recently been asked to join 4 new Forums to strengthen Carers voices in the city, which is fantastic as it really does say to me that Carers are getting recognition for what they do. I am not saying this is consistent in all areas and I agree that there is room for better involvement with Carers, but I really feel that there is a culture shift toward listening to Carers' views. I have been attending the Local Partnership Boards and have recently been invited to join the Overview and Scrutiny Committee within the City Council as a Carer's representative. I have joined the Learning Disability and Domiciliary Care Forum, which I hope will give the views of Carers to providers of services who may be driven by users of services and who do not always consider Carers. I have also been working closely with the County Council in developing their voice with all stakeholders. I have to say that the new District Director, Darren Evans, seems very positive about engaging with Carers in Newcastle, even to the point that he has agreed to come and open our Carers Café launch in Newcastle. So hopefully Carers from Newcastle will get a chance to meet the District Director and give any views, etc. on services through the feedback forms, that we have available at the Carers cafes. Part of my role as Liaison Officer is to improve Carer involvement at a strategic level. Your views really help to shape, change and dictate what services, for Carers and users of services, are needed. I attended a conference recently at the Medical Institute where NHS professionals participated in an event around Learning Disability, raising the awareness of people with a Learning Disability. It would be great to run an event very similar for Carers. Engaging with professionals, getting them to sit up and take notice of what carers are saying they want. I will be approaching the provider trusts and the PCT to see if this is something they feel would benefit their staff teams, so I will keep you posted. I will be out and about over the next couple of weeks, as normal, hopefully travelling around. This can be rather stressful at times, especially this week. I was on my way to Rodbaston College, when my car broke down on the M6. Really threw a spanner in the works…and one was needed for the car too!!!! Dianne
CHANGES FOR THE BETTER In response to questions raised by relatives of service users, Keith Skerman, Director of Performance in the Council's Directorate for Social Care, said: "We are seeking to build on good services and improve those that can be - not withdraw them as such. We fully endorse the view that users and carers need to be involved in discussions on all services and we have made that point repeatedly during all our consultations on care homes. Staffordshire has slipped behind the rest of the country and we need to give people more choice. The recently appointed District Management Teams are progressing this and are a part of the wider strategy to implement "Changing Lives", which is a medium - term plan looking beyond this year. Direct payments are not being made compulsory, and we accept that they may not suit every user or their family. However they are becoming increasingly popular. The range will grow, as our commissioning is developed in partnership with local organisations and through involvement with users and carers. Friendship groups for our users are very important and social activity is the key to making social care more personalised. Experience elsewhere shows that day centres are not the only means to achieve this - we want to expand the range and choice available - not the reverse. We do not want to see vulnerable and disabled people isolated in their own homes. We know our current day services only reach a relatively small number of those that might need support. This is why we want to review how we can generate more, not less, support on a local basis, with better access than at present. Younger people should be enabled to have social and vocational activities that promote their independence and families need respite as well. Our intention is to expand what is available and open up opportunities - not the reverse. Advocates are necessary for those having difficulty expressing their views or making their own plans. We want to offer choice in this, not oblige people to have their families as their advocates. There will be plenty of opportunity for people to discuss their concerns with the Council through local arrangements before any changes are made."
PARENTS BATTLE TO PREVENT ISOLATION The potential closure of Council-run day services has been hanging over carers for more than 18 months. They say their questions have gone unanswered so they are left with no alternative bit to seek legal help in their fight against the proposals. Solicitor Yvonne Hassock - who has brought two high court actions over its handling of the possible closure of care homes is to hold talks with families of some of the hundreds of adults with learning difficulties who use the services. She believes that if the day-care ends, there is a greater risk of depression for users and an increased risk of carers finding they have no where to turn. Ms Hossack said her colleagues had already visited some of the nine day services and were impressed with what they found. She said: "They are brilliant examples of day services. The best they have seen. The council ought to be proud of them. It would be a pity to see them go." Families say the Council should work closely with them to get a positive outcome. They claim "Changing Lives" is a knee-jerk reaction and that the services have been consistently under-funded to create today's problems. Carers say they are only aware of one alternative - direct payments, where money is given directly to he family and then paid out as they see fit, giving the service user one-to-one care. But, they reckon the County Council has underestimated how many people could claim direct payments and that the pot will soon run out. At a recent 50 strong carers meeting in Chesterton, no-one was in favour of receiving direct payments. Carers, who tend to be mums and dads, say that as they get older they no longer have the energy or the imagination to entertain their grown-up son or daughter, and they appreciate the trained staff who can do new things with their loved ones. CARER CONCERNS
North Staffs Carers Association, Unit 2, Burslem Enterprise Centre, Moorland Road, Burslem, Stoke on Trent, Staffs, ST6 1JQ Tel: 01782 834 836 (answerphone out of hours) Fax: 01782 831 610 This web site is supported by funding from Staffordshire County Council and Stoke on Trent City Council.
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