NEWS
DemTalk - a free online communication toolkit for people with dementia and their family and carers
11/01/2013 11:33:22
A new online free communication toolkit has been launched to support effective communication with and for people living with dementia. DemTalkoffers free advice and shares ideas about how everyone can make communication easier and better. Different versions of the toolkit are tailored for different people. Simply choose the tab that sounds most like you and take a look. The team who put this together are very keen for feedback and there is a feedback section to the website where you can offer your views.
The website is: http://www.demtalk.org.uk/
Just Ask Telephone Helpline for Young Adult Carers
11/01/2013 11:25:05
A new helpline has been set up for young adult carers - the 'Just Ask Telephone Helpline'. The helpline is managed by The Cornforth Partnership and is part of the Horizon young adult carer’s project.
The Horizon project is an innovative and ground breaking project across County Durham the project partners are DISC, Action for Children, Consett YMCA and the Cornforth Partnership. All partners work towards a shared vision: to enable Young Adult Carers are heard, able to access appropriate services, gain confidence and have a choice in life.
Click here for more information on the horizon project; alternatively please email: horizons@disc-vol.org.uk or call the horizon team on 01325 731 160.
Volunteers will not be charged for new record checks
11/01/2013 11:17:37
Following calls from volunteering organisations and groups, the government has announced that the new portable criminal record checking system will not charge a fee for volunteers. When the DBS 'Update Service' goes live in the spring, once a volunteer has a check they should not need to undergo a new one every time they take up a volunteering opportunity.
Click here for the home office announcement on the topic.
Consultation - Child Poverty Measures
11/01/2013 10:26:54
The Government is launching a public consultation on better measures of child poverty. The consultation explores how we can best reflect the reality of child poverty in a multi-dimensional measure. It considers a number of potential dimensions: income and material deprivation, worklessness, unmanageable debt, poor housing, parental skill level, access to quality education, family stability and parental health. The consultation will close on 15 February 2013.
To find out more visit www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/departmentalinformation/consultations
Consultation - Sent on behalf of Ron Hogg PCC
11/01/2013 10:20:33
Ron Hogg, newly appointed Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Durham, invites you to take part in a consultation to improve how the police force is run across the county:
'So that I can deliver a policing service that meets the needs of local communities, I want to know what you think the police and crime community priorities should within County Durham and Darlington, and what you think the increase (if any) in the police precept (police element of council tax) should be for 2013-14.
Please find a link to my online survey below:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/durhampcc2012
This is a short survey which I strongly encourage people to complete; it is open to everyone in the Durham Police area and the results of this will help set the strategic priorities for what you want Durham Constabulary to focus on for 2013/14.'
Can you give mental health service users and their carers more say in the review and improvement of local healthcare services?
10/01/2013 14:21:03
Can you give mental health service users and their carers more say in the review and improvement of local healthcare services?
Age UK Country Durham is holding a consultation for all service users and their carers over the age of 18 who live in County Durham and Darlington. Health Services will soon be commissioned in a new way in County Durham and Darlington with the introduction of Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). This is an opportunity to see how mental health service users and cares can have a stronger voice in improving services.
In the past the current Countywide Forum and Locality Groups have influenced significant improvements to health services locally. Age UK County Durham has issued this consultation as they want service users and carers to see such benefits happening again. However, they recognise that the voices of many service users and carers currently go unheard, and so are looking to identify a model for involvement that is as inclusive as possible. This will be achieved by building on the experiences, skills and expertise of those already involved in the current structure, as well as strengthening and enhancing how the voices of mental health service users and carers can continue to be heard.
The current PCT involvement team has asked Age UK County Durham to undertake this piece of work. This is to ensure that group members have dedicated and consistent contacts during the changes in NHS staffing that are expected to come in the next few months. Clare Midgely, Age UK County Durham, will be consulting with mental health service users and carers during January and February 2013. If you are part of a group that represents service users and carers Clare would very interested in attending the group to facilitate this consultation, whether it is during normal meeting times or at another time that is of convenience. If you are not a member of a group or if you would prefer to speak to Clare privately, or for further information please telephone 0191 3839750 or e-mail her at mental.health@ageukcountydurham.org.uk.
Mental Health Care Cluster website & Payment by Results (PbR)
10/01/2013 09:44:33
Mental Health PbR is a system associated with specialist NHS Foundation Trusts but as it becomes more established, and services are increasingly configured (and commissioned) according to the care clusters then it will become increasingly important for other providers (such as the VCS) to be aware of the model and its potential implications for the way they work. These two resources are helpful in this respect.
Guide to Cluster Pathway
This web site provides a high level view of care packages/pathways for the mental health care cluster model. The idea initially is to provide help to service providers and commissioners as they move to using care clusters, and then to payment by results. A prototype website now exists.
Mental health PbR road test package for 2013-14
2012-13 was a major step in bringing mental health services within the scope of the Payment by Results (PbR), Use of the mental health clusters was mandated for use from April 2012. The clusters are the currencies for most mental health services for working age adults and older people. That means that service users have to be assessed and allocated to a cluster by their mental health provider, and that this assessment must be regularly reviewed in line with the timing and protocols set out in the mental health clustering booklet. It also means that the clusters must form the basis of the contracting arrangements between commissioners and providers. You can view this pack on the Department of Health website.
Changes to CRB checks
10/01/2013 09:41:41
On 1 December 2012 the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority merged to become the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). On 21 December 2012 Home Secretary Theresa May agreed that the new criminal record checking system would be free to volunteers, following calls from volunteering organisations. Volunteering England led a campaign because of concerns that charging to use the new system would create an unnecessary barrier to volunteering.
The new 'Update Service' due to go live in spring 2013 means that once a volunteer has a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check - as 'CRB checks' are now to be called - they should not need to face a new check every time they start a new volunteering opportunity. Instead, the system will allow an organisation to check online to see whether the volunteer's circumstances have changed since their first check. The new system which allows a DBS check to be 'portable' from one organisation to another has been welcomed by Volunteering England because the need for repeated checks has been a major source of complaints from people wanting to volunteer since CRB checks were introduced in 2002. For more information visit the Home Office website.
Guardian journalist Kate Belgrave visits the North East to see how the cuts are affecting people with mental illnesses
09/01/2013 17:09:04
Kate Belgrave, a freelance journalist who writes in the Guardian, has been visiting the North East to see how the cuts are affecting people with mental illnesses. Kate talked to MHNE about our growing concern over the number of distress calls we are receiving from people with mental health problems who are being found 'fit for work' as a result of undergoing a Work Capability Assessment (WCA). Kate also spent time interviewing people to hear their stories about what really goes on during an Atos WCA. Read Kate's report, which was published in the Guardian,�here and for more indepth coverage of what Kate found check out her online blog.
MHNE would like to hear what our members think about Kate's findings, or if you have any concerns about the Work Capability Assessment please do get in touch. We welcome all comments and points of view.
Community Care: Government to announce social care costs cap in coalition review
07/01/2013 15:55:26
Community Care has reported that in the Coalition Governments's mid term review, which will be published later today, the Government will commit to introducing a limit on individuals' liability for long-term care costs.
This will involve introducing a cap on individual contributions to their long-term care costs to give people some protection against the risk of catastrophic care costs, as proposed by the Dilnot commission. Today's announcement is likely to provide an outline of the proposed reform with further detail to follow in the coming weeks. It is not clear whether the government will specify the level of the proposed cap today, but press reports suggest this will be £75,000, well above the £25,000-£50,000 limit suggested by the Dilnot commission.