Could you walk across hot coals to raise money for Wiltshire carers?

A Wiltshire charity is seeking brave volunteers who are prepared to walk across hot coals barefoot to raise sponsorship.

Carer Support Wiltshire has teamed up with Sainsbury’s in Melksham to organise the event, which is being pencilled in for Bonfire Night, and is seeking 30 volunteers.

The partnership hopes to raise at least £3,000 from the sponsored fire walk which would be used to provide one-to-one support for carers in the Melksham area.

The Semington-based charity provides help and support to unpaid carers in the county and is Sainsbury’s Melksham chairity of the year.

Lynsey Woolford, PR ambassador at the store, said: “We are trying to recruit 30 people to do the event – if each of these people raise at least £100 in sponsorship that would be a staggering £3,000 plus for the Carer Support Wiltshire charity, minus costs.”

The event is open to anybody over the age of 18 but paticipants will need to register beforehand and take part in a training session beforehand with UK Firewalk.

If you are interested in taking part call Lynsey Woolford at Sainsbury’s on 01225 791727 or prl.melksham@sainsburys.co.uk

Article on Wiltshire Times

Carer Workshops: Writer in Residence

Wiltshire Council’s library service is working with the regional literature development agency Cyprus Well to run some workshops with a writer in residence. We would like to run some of these workshops for carers.

The workshops will be free to attend, and can be in different places in the county.  They are likely to run between January and March 2013. We would like to know whether there is interest from you, and if so what sort of workshops you might be interested in.

Here are some ideas for the theme of the workshop just to give you an idea of what is possible – though you may also want to tell us if there is a different area you would like to explore:

•  Exploring poetry writing 
• Creative writing      
  
• Getting your work published as an eBook

It would also be good to know whether you would like creative writing sessions focussed on the carer experience, or whether you’d like the chance to think about something completely different!  Your ideas and suggestions for how they might use these writer workshops, and whether you would like to join a class, will be welcome. 

Please let us know by calling 0800 181 4118 or email admin@carersinwiltshire.co.uk by 19^th September 2012.

Disability tests 'sending sick and disabled back to work'

Prof Malcolm Harrington, the government appointed adviser on testing welfare claimants, admitted the work fitness test was “patchy”.

He said that as a result of the flaws in the 13 week assessment, which tests physical fitness as well as mental skills, some claimants who were genuinely unable to work, have suffered.

He made the comments during an investigation into the system, introduced by the last Labour government, by the BBC’s Panorama programme.

Full Article on Telegraph

Concern at takeover of Wiltshire's autism service

Members of NHS Wiltshire have expressed concern at allowing Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership  to provide an autism diagnosis service.

NHS Wiltshire went through a rigorous process to identify qualifed providers to supply the service in the county.

Two organisations met the criteria, AWP and Autism Diagnostic Research Centre while a third, Social Enterprise Quality of Life, conditionally qualified.

NHS Wiltshire has previously expressed concern about services run by AWP and as a result is drawing up plans to retender the mental health service contract in Wiltshire.

Full Article on Wiltshire Times

Avon and Wiltshire mental health trust criticised

The culture and leadership of a mental health trust has been seriously criticised in an independent review.

The review of Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP) was commissioned after concerns were raised about the care of two patients involved in killings in Swindon in 2007.

It concluded that the trust culture was "centralist, top down and target driven, bureaucratic and controlling".

The trust has published a plan - Fit for the Future - to address the issues.

Full Article on BBC News

EVENT: Neurological Stakeholder Day

Do you, or someone you know, have a neurological condition?

If so, Wiltshire Council and NHS Wiltshire would like to invite you to their

Neurological Event

Stakeholder Day

to be held on

Friday 3 August 2012 

The purpose of the event is to:

·         provide an opportunity for you to give your views on current neurological services

·         explore services currently available and how they can be best used to form the future.

The event will take the form of workshops and open discussions with people living with a neurological condition, their carers, and health and social care providers covering the range of neurological conditions, including but not limited to:

• Multiple Sclerosis
• Parkinson’s Disease and PSP
• Motor Neurone Disease
• Acquired Brain Injury
• Stroke
• Epilepsy
• Muscular Dystrophy
• Huntingdon’s Disease

We expect the programme for the day to run from approximately 10.00am until 3.00pm at:

Devizes Sports Club, London Road, Devizes, Wiltshire SN10 2DL

Refreshments and a buffet lunch will be provided

We do hope you can attend and we look forward to welcoming you on the day.  I If you can attend, please contact: elaine.mortimer@wiltshire.nhs.uk or telephone 01380 733 972

NHS Wiltshire, Public Health Department, Southgate House, Pans Lane, Devizes. Wiltshire. SN10 5EQ

Wiltshire Council funding breaks for young people with special educational needs and disabilities

More than 1,000 young people with with special educational needs and disabilities, as well as their carers, are expected to benefit from short breaks and activities in Wiltshire this year.

The council has committed £1 million to maintain the service after a three year government funded package came to an end, and a range of activities are available over the summer.

The activities and breaks for young people aged from toddler to 25 with special educational needs and/or disabilities include cycling, holiday clubs, pony riding, swimming, fishing and drama.

Full Article on Gazette & Herald

Open Day for wheelchair users: Nudrive

HAVE YOUR SAY: Wiltshire Carers Strategy and Wiltshire Carers Action Plan

The Wiltshire Carers Action Group is the strategic planning group for the development of new and existing services that support unpaid carers in Wiltshire. The Carers Strategy for the county has just been refreshed and Wiltshire Council would welcome your comments on the document which will inform the carers action plan 143kb in the autumn of 2012.

You will find the draft of the strategy on the Consultations page of the Wiltshire Council website.

The closing date for your views is Tuesday 23rd October 2012.

Name your NHS heroes

PATIENTS and staff are being asked to name their champions in a national scheme to celebrate the unsung heroes of the NHS. Anyone who works within the NHS can be nominated, for any reason which has made a difference.

It could be anyone from a volunteer making a much-needed cup of tea, a nurse taking extra time to listen, or a colleague who always lifts the spirit of the team.

Oonagh Fitzgerald, director of workforce and education at Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, is encouraging people to nominate members of her team at GWH.

Full Article on This is Wiltshire

40% surveyed think special educational needs and disability reform 'will make things worse'

Campaigners call for greater focus on disabled children with social care and health needs

The Every Disabled Child Matters campaign (EDCM) has today (Thursday 12^th July) published the results of a survey on the Government's proposals to reform the special educational needs (SEN) and disability system. 85% of respondents were parents or carers of disabled children.

40% of respondents thought reforms will 'make things worse' and 10% thought the reforms would 'not change anything', whereas only 13% thought that the measures would 'make things better'.

Respondents agreed with the Government that the system needs to be improved, but warned that current proposals risk making it more difficult to gain support: 'The message is positive but the reality is that those families that have a child or children without a Statement of Special Educational Need will not be supported by them.'

Full Article on Every Disabled Child Matters

Not just a boy thing: how doctors are letting down girls with autism

Annette Lewns has more experience than most of the different ways in which boys and girls with autism are treated. Her 14-year-old son, Ryan, was diagnosed when he was three and a half. But doctors refused to diagnose her 12-year-old daughter, Rachel, until she was nine.

"What angers me is that for years I was dismissed by doctors purely because Rachel was a girl. Ryan was spotted very quickly because the autism symptoms that doctors look for are so male-orientated," said Lewns. "But Rachel's autism was hidden unless you knew where to look for it.

"Rachel could express herself, she had a couple of friends and understood emotions if someone was at an extreme: really upset or really happy. But you didn't really have to look too hard to see she didn't genuinely understand emotions or relationships: she was just mimicking scripts and scenarios from TV."

Full Article on Guardian Society

Annette Lewns is a Carer from Wiltshire who has previously had support and services from Carer Support Wiltshire.

Partnership Working in Wiltshire: Dorothy House and Sainsbury's

As a charity we try to link in as much as we can with other organisations in Wiltshire who help to support carers. This enables to reach as many carers across the County as possible.

Dorothy House is opening a drop-in and outreach centre in Trowbridge this summer, making a wide range of services more accessible to patients and carers.

There will be an open day for health and social care professionals to show off the new facilities on Monday 23^rd July between 11.30am and 3.30pm. There will be tours of the building on the hour from 1pm until 3pm.

There will be separate events which are planned for later in the summer targeted at a wider audience, including carers, so watch this space.

During Carers Week 2012 we had a joint stand with Dorothy House at Sainsbury's in Bradford-on-Avon, as well as independent stands for Carer Support Wiltshire across the County. We look forward to more partnership working with businesses like Sainsbury's in the future.

Alison Crangle from Carer Support Wiltshire with Sarah and Wendy
from Dorothy House outside the Bradford-on-Avon Sainsbury's store

Countryside Mobility Scheme: Local Mobility Scooter Hire

For more information, telephone 01392 456522 or email info@countrysidemobility.org or visit www.countrysidemobility.org

Warm & Well: Free cavity wall and loft insulation

Grants are now available for loft and cavity wall insulation! If your loft has no insulation or it hasn’t been topped up in several years, Wiltshire Warm and Well may be able to top it up for free.

If you have cavity walls these can also be insulated for free using a grant. You no longer need to be on a qualifying benefit or over 70 to get the work done for free!

If you have solid walls, there are also grants available for internal and external wall insulation. The level of grant funding is dependent on your circumstances, the size of the property and the main source of heating within the home. There are currently grants up to £14,995 so there has never been a better time to take advantage of the offer.

The Energy Saving Trust estimates a yearly saving of around £175 after loft insulation is installed and up to £135 after cavity wall insulation is installed (based on 3 bed semi-detached house). The grants will not be available indefinitely so please act now to arrange a free no obligation survey.

To apply for FREE independent, impartial & local advice on easier ways to keep warm and well
Freephone 0800 500 3076
Text WARM to 83010
Email: warm&well@swea.co.uk
Online at www.warmandwell.co.uk

Andrew Lansley: elderly will be able to opt in to social care insurance scheme

Elderly people will be able to voluntarily opt into a government social insurance scheme – paying premiums to the state to ensure their costs for care and accommodation would be capped – the health secretary has announced.

The government says it will consider a "voluntary scheme" allowing people to "individually make the choice to be protected by a capped cost scheme". Sources say the taxpayer would have to bear the one-in-10 risk of "catastrophic" costs of above £100,000.

The scheme emulates but undermines the Dilnot report, which called for a system for the elderly whereby the total cost of care would be capped at £35,000 with support for old people extended to those with assets of £100,000, up from the current limit of £23,250. So-called "hotel costs" – to pay for food and beds in residential homes – would be limited to £7,000-£10,000.

Full Article on Guardian Society

Reforming Care & Support: The Social Care White Paper

The most radical reform of the social care system in 64 years has been announced today.

Key elements of the Government’s plans include:

• People will be confident about the quality of care: ruling out crude “contracting by the minute” that turns care workers into clock watchers and consult on whether more should be done to prioritise continuity of care if a provider goes out of business.
• People will be treated with dignity and respect: more care workers will be trained and they will deliver high quality care. Dignity and respect will be at the heart of a new code of conduct and national minimum training standards will be set. 
• Everyone will know what they are entitled to: access to care will be consistent through a national threshold for basic care and people will not have their care interrupted if they move around the country.
• Everyone will have control over their care: people will have clear, practical information and advice on the care system and a way to report bad care. People who receive state support will be in charge of their budget and have control of their care. To support people to live independently for as long as possible, we will inject £200 million into the supported housing market over the next five years
• Carers will have new rights to public support: the draft Care and Support Bill will, for the first time ever, enshrine in law rights which place carers on the same footing as the people they care for.

Full article on the Department of Health

Take a look at the full paper: 'Caring for our Future: reforming care and support'
(Pages of most relevance to Carers are pages 12, 14-17, 29-35, 41-42, 45-46 and the concluding chapters)

Social care plans 'simply paper over the cracks'

The elderly and disabled face years of misery because the government has failed in its overhaul of social care, council leaders and campaigners say.

The Local Government Association accused ministers of "papering over the cracks" after they refused to commit to capping the lifetime costs people face.

Last year an official review recommended a limit of £35,000.

But the government said while a cap was the "right basis" for change, it needed more time to look for cheaper options.

Full Article on BBC News

SURVEY: The Autism Diagnosis Project

Do you or your child have an autism spectrum disorder?

If so, a new research project wants to hear from you!

A team of researchers at Goldsmiths, University of London and London South Bank University are interested in finding out about your experiences of receiving a diagnosis of autism.

They would like to hear from adults with autism, as well as parents who have a child with autism, who would be happy to take part in a short online survey.

To find out more about this survey, or to take part, please visit their website.

Social care funding clarity urged

The government is setting out its White Paper on social care later, amid calls for greater clarity on how it plans to fund the system in England.

The government has said it agrees in principle with the idea of capping how much people have to pay but it will not explain how or when this will happen.

Instead it will focus on promising more equal access to council care for elderly and disabled people.

But charities and council leaders say greater clarity is urgently needed.

Full Article on BBC News

NHS 111 delays unlikely as CCGs look set to push ahead

Exclusive: Any delay in the rollout of NHS 111 looks increasingly unlikely as no CCG has requested extra time to introduce the new urgent care service and preferred providers have been announced for 40% of the population in England.

The latest figures shows preferred providers for the new 111 service have been announced in 24 areas of England, covering 41% of the population, with ambulance trusts and GP-led services leading the field.

Pulse can also reveal not a single CCG in England has formally requested an extension to date on their rollout of NHS 111 to their SHA cluster, despite the deadline fast approaching.

Full Article on Pulse

VIDEO: Wiltshire Voices: Life After Stroke

Wiltshire Voices is a project that aims to find new ways of reaching out to people who do not, or cannot, attend the council’s meetings. Wiltshire Voices aims to do this by talking and listening to local people and recording their stories.

Recently the 'Life After Stroke' video was launched which makes for very interesting and engaging viewing.

You can watch the film over on the True Vision website.

To find out more about the Wiltshire Voices project, visit Wiltshire Council's website.

EVENT: Wiltshire Involvement Network Public Meeting

Monday 23^rd July 2012 10.30am - 12.30pm

followed by the WIN Core Group Meeting at 1pm.

10.00-10.15am Refreshments

Alamein Suite, City Hall , Malthouse Lane, Salisbury SP2 7TU

Speakers From:

 Great Western Hospital— Update on Services

 NHS Wiltshire—Update on NHS Services

Wiltshire Council – Update on Healthwatch

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust - Wellbeing Project - supporting people recovering from mental health problems

Wiltshire Council - Update on Wiltshire Online Initiative

If you are concerned about or have experiences of:

·       Ambulance response times

·         Hospital discharge

·         Help to Live at Home

Contact the Wiltshire Involvement Network and we will investigate. 

 For more information contact Lucie Woodruff on 01380 871800 or email luciewoodruff.wsun@btconnect.com.

Please confirm your attendance either by contacting Tracie Clark on 01380 871800 or by emailing winadmin.wsun@btconnect.com.

Members of WIN will be available to chat to you if you have any concerns or issues you may wish to raise.  We look forward to seeing you there.

The Wiltshire Involvement Network is hosted by Wiltshire and Swindon Users Network.

Short Breaks Bulletin - July 2012

Wiltshire Parent Carer Council have produced a Short Breaks Bulletin for children and young people aged between 0-25 years with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities.

It's packed with a calendar of activities for over the school summer holidays.

Click here to download the July 2012 edition.

Pledge to end elderly care lottery

For the first time, every council in England will be required to offer basic help to frail or disabled adults to end the so-called “postcode lottery” in services.

The move would stop local authorities attempting to save money by cutting home-help services and care home places for all but the most severely disabled residents.

The Care and Support White Paper, to be published on Wednesday, will also make it easier for elderly people to move closer to their relatives and continue to receive state support with daily tasks such as washing and dressing.

Currently, many people are at risk of losing home-help services when they move because social care is organised separately in every council area.

Full Article on Telegraph

EVENTS: Help to Live at Home

Do you, or someone you know need some extra help?

Come along and find out more.

Salisbury, City Hall

Tuesday 7^th August

10.30am - 2.30pm

  

Trowbridge, Civic Centre

Tuesday 14^th  August

10.30am - 2.30pm

 

Devizes, Corn Exchange

Tuesday 21^st August

10.30am - 2.30pm

 

Chippenham, Neeld Hall

Thursday 30^th August

10.30am - 2.30pm

 

Telephone 0300 456 0111 or email careathome@wiltshire.gov.uk