Older People’s Voluntary Sector Services (OPVSSN) Meeting
Notes of Meeting held on 2nd March 2016
At The Well, Top Barn Business Centre, WR6 6NH.
Present:
Pippa Norfolk Worcester CAB/WHABAC
Amanda Wright Community First
Paul Raper Simply Limitless
Lynne Raper Simply Limitless
Carole Cumino Worcestershire Association of Carers
Liz Staveley Age UKHW
James Wheeliker Well Connected Programme
Angela Booton Age UK Bromsgrove & Age UK Redditch
Sharon Wright Worcester Volunteer Centre
John Taylor Community First
James Wheeliker Worcestershire County Council
Lisa Owen Worcester Volunteer Centre
Sarah Lange Royal Voluntary Service
Karen Withers Care and Repair Worcestershire
Jenny Johnson Evesham Older People’s Forum
Cathy Jackson-Read Onside Advocacy
Jayne McCullough Independence Trust
Tonia Enderby Droitwich CVS
Terry Osborn Kemp Hospice
Mark Pickering URC Broadway
Sue Harris Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust
Lee Cruikshank Stonewater
Peter Pinfield Healthwatch Worcestershire
Felicity Jones Healthwatch Worcestershire
Peter Gill Fortis Living
Janet Smith Alzheimers Society
Bernard Feehan Alzheimers Society
Jane Bamber Red Cross
Henry Soulsby Redditch/Bromsgrove CCG
Emma Gardner Sports Partnership
Anna Mason Macmillan/CAB Cancer Support
Apologies:
Mark Jackson Keith Parry Jonathan Sutton
Philip Gerrard Philip Talbot Jane Longmore
Pat Wallace Ruth Cooper Lindsay Peniston
Jan Phillips Roger Garland Lynne Fyfe
Sharon Wright Trish Blackwell Alison Schofield
Jane Thomas Doug Chaplin Nigel Caldicott
Karen Edwards Helen Briscoe Helen Perry-Smith
Indy Lahal Michael Hunter
1. Welcome, Introduction and Apologies: Carole Cumino (Chair) welcomed everyone to the meeting, particularly those attending for the first time. This was the second meeting held at The Well, as a result of the increasing numbers attending the Network. Apologies were received from 23 people. John Taylor checked with members about the venue in terms of facilities, location, parking, etc and the consensus was that The Well was very suitable for future meetings.
2. EPCMHS – Next steps: Update from Amanda Wright of Community First. Amanda reported on the Enhanced Primary Care Mental Health Service, indicating that –
o The specification for Moodmaster has now been shared and is available via CLiCK
o Advertisements for staff to work in the Wellbeing Hub have been shared (closing date for applications 6th March)
o The Wellbeing Hub staff will make use of a countywide directory of services (which will link with Your Life Your Choice) and which will be available publicly on the Healthy Minds website (www.hacw.nhs.uk/healthyminds)
o There is now one countywide SPA (Single Point of Access) in operation
o The Peer Support element of the model will come into place later in 2016 as it will focus on supporting people moving from secondary to primary care mental health services. This entails co-ordination with secondary care mental health services which are currently also being redesigned
o The value of networking for VCS providers was highlighted through the engagement events, which is something that CF would like to take forward in future.
Further information is available from Amanda at .
3. Dementia work in Worcestershire: Side by Side Scheme: Janet Smith, Alzheimers Society, presented details of this project which helps people diagnosed with dementia to do the things they love with the support of a volunteer. It also aims to support people to create useful networks and enable them to participate in their communities. This extra support can make it easier for people with dementia, who might sometimes feel isolated or find it difficult to leave their homes, to remain active and feel part of their neighbourhood. From having a cuppa, to joining an art class or receiving a weekly telephone call, Side by Side is a flexible way to help people with dementia to keep doing the things we take for granted. It is primarily a volunteer-led service, seeking to match people living with dementia with a volunteer who can work alongside them and build a positive relationship. Janet would encourage agencies to refer people to the scheme, which is due to run until March 2017.
A brief discussion was held about the Meeting Centre at Droitwich, which is a joint initiative with the University of Worcester and is a European-funded MEETINGDEM Project from March 2014 to Feb 2017. Meeting Centres are an innovative way of supporting people with mild to moderate dementia and their families through an evidence-based, person-centred approach. Meeting Centres are designed to provide support to people living with dementia and their families/carers, and offer an enjoyable, flexible and adaptive programme. It was reported that Meeting Centres have been successful in the Netherlands for over ten years. The approach focuses on helping both the individual and their family adapt to living with dementia. A permanent professional team of staff and volunteers provide a range of social and informative activities up to 3 days a week. Further information about the work of the Centre is available from Sam Arnold, Centre Manager on ().
It was noted that a meeting was held in February at the University of Worcester regarding the potential for a countywide Dementia Action Alliance - a movement with one simple aim: to bring about a society-wide response to dementia. It encourages and supports communities and organisations across England to take practical actions to enable people to live well with dementia and reduce the risk of costly crisis intervention. Discussion focused on the possibility of extending a future meeting to include a theme on dementia illnesses, perhaps with a network lunch and more information on Dementia Action Alliances. John agreed to explore this option and report back to members.
Janet can be contacted on .
4. Macmillan Cancer Support Services/ Citizens’ Advice Service: Anna Mason, Macmillan Benefits Advisor reported on this service. The Macmillan cancer support services comprises the Cancer Information Centres at the 3 main hospitals of the Worcestershire Acute Trust, Worcestershire Macmillan Citizens Advice (CAB) and the Buddy Service. The Cancer Information Centres can help with many of the questions that people with a cancer diagnosis may have. They have a range of helpful information and can signpost on to other services. The main contact is Kay Tandy - 01905 733837.
Worcestershire Macmillan Citizens Advice provides a county wide welfare benefits advice service to people living with cancer, their carers and relatives. Advice is principally provided by telephone, but appointments can also be arranged at the main county hospitals and home visits where appropriate. Contact on 01905 725946. The Macmillan Buddy Service is a volunteer-led service providing practical and emotional support for people affected by cancer across the county. The contact number is 07764503475 or 07583555282.
There is a quarterly meeting of the Macmillan Integrated Support Services Steering Group (ISSSG), which draws together the key strands/agencies working in this field. Further information on the work of ISSSG is available from Gill Cornwell, Case Support Worker, at .
5. Sports Partnership & the HWB agenda: Report from Emma Gardner, Project Manager (Adult Participation). The Sports Partnership, based at the University of Worcester, is an independent company in the process of applying for charity status. Most funding comes from Sport England but there are other contracts being delivered in Worcestershire. The aim of the Sports Partnership is to increase the numbers of people taking part in Sport and Physical Activity. There are various work areas within the partnership including Children and Young People’s programmes such as Sportivate and Satellite Clubs, Workforce including coaches and volunteers and National Governing Body Relationships which involves bringing national sporting priorities to the local area. The key areas currently are:
o Strength and Balance Classes - We run a programme of Strength and Balance classes across Worcestershire targeted at those who are at risk of falling or have had a fall. We took on the contract in April 2015 and so far have had 860 referrals, set up 35 classes and had 350 people actually attending courses. We have seen a significant rise in referrals. One of the reasons for this is that people are now able to self-refer instead of having a professional referral. We have also put the programme forward for a CSPN award – for those interested the video submission can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBZaa1ZJPWM. If you would like any leaflets or more information please contact Emma directly.
o Bowls - Herefordshire and Worcestershire has been identified as a Bowls Hotspot due to our demographics. We are providing support to local clubs to upskill the workforce, develop the clubs and increase membership. We are also working with Rooftop Housing and local clubs to give their sheltered schemes (Evesham, Broadway, Pershore and Bredon) 6 weeks of bowls which can then either progress into club membership or continued participation in the scheme. If anyone is interested in bringing bowls to their organisation, please contact Emma.
o Macmillan - We are currently working with Macmillan to develop a programme to encourage more people who are living with cancer into physical activity. This will focus on motivational interviewing and behaviour change to encourage people back into activity and try and alleviate some of the concerns/fears that they may have. We are working closely with other Macmillan services and the acute hospitals trust.
o National Governing Bodies - We have been approached recently by a number of national governing bodies that are keen to engage the older population in sport and physical activity. One of the most recent is the RYA (Sailing). Further details to follow when available.
Further information on all these initiatives from Emma at .
6. Worcestershire Falls Pathway: James Wheeliker, Project Manager, Well Connected Programme reported on the current position. The Worcestershire Falls Pathway, which has been in operation since 2010, was agreed in partnership by the statutory partners and key VCS organisations. The ethos was 'Falls prevention is everyone's business', and the current Pathway has been very successful in terms of identifying those within our communities who are at risk of falling. However, with an ageing population and reducing resources available, a full evaluation and review of the Pathway was agreed in 2015. Many elements of the current pathway continue to work well, particularly the VCS use of the case finding tool to identify those at risk – approximately 250 referrals are received each month by the falls team.
The review of the Pathway has identified opportunities to make processes more efficient within the health system. The sharing of information between partners and the simplifying of bureaucratic processes can reduce the time taken between a person being identified as 'at risk' and the relevant interventions taking place. This should help to reduce the numbers of people entering the system as 'fallers'. The commissioners and providers are now finalising the details of the new services and changes will start to take place from April 2016.
James reported that the Falls Prevention Group is due to be reconvened by Karen Wright, Public Health Consultant; at this time membership is not yet settled. In addition, the Fire and Rescue Service, via their Signposting Service, will be raising the profile of over-65 years in a forthcoming project. Further information available at
7. Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) Update: Sue Harris, Director of Business and Strategy, Health and Care NHS Trust reported that a new approach is being promoted by NHS England whereby there will be 44 Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) ‘footprints’ across England (see article below). Thus, Herefordshire and Worcestershire have been put together with a view to pursuing a whole systems approach to the health economy, with funding and delivery of services being identified as ‘everyone’s business’! By the end of June there must be a collective view of the challenges and problems confronting the patch and an indication of the quality of relationships across the health economy.
A subsequent statement released by leaders of the new system in Worcestershire is available at http://www.comfirst.org.uk/sustainability_and_transformation_plans_stps
There are 3 key aims for the STP:
o Health & Wellbeing Gap – health inequalities, and the role of the wider community in addressing these inequalities
o Quality & Care Gap – reducing variations in service provision and increasing consistency
o Funding & Efficiency Gap – dealing with the financial challenges
Sarah Dugan, CEO at Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust has been appointed as STP Lead in Worcestershire. There will need to be a strong political will to ensure the effectiveness of the new system and it is believed that the role of the VCS will be critical, as will the voice of Healthwatch Worcestershire (HWW) and its constituents. The approach throughout is expected to be bottom-up, rather than top-down, though how that will look in practice is less clear. The main message from NHSE leaders is that local areas – ie Herefordshire and Worcestershire – have got to address quickly the ‘wicked issues’ and devise a workable plan if the funding is to follow. There is a longer-term view about seeking to move further upstream and dealing generationally with the major issues of health inequalities, with greater emphasis on preventative services and early intervention, which would be the desired approach. However, it is proving incredibly difficult to find sufficient money in the system to be able to achieve this major shift. Both the pace and scale of change is very significant and the whole process will require a very different approach in the future from all partners. Sue can be contacted at .
8. Clinical Commissioning Groups Updates: Henry Soulsby, Engagement Manager for Redditch/Bromsgrove CCG, presented an update on behalf of the 3 CCGs in Worcestershire:
· Acute Services Review – due out in summer 2016 for consultation, following final sign-off of the proposed model by the West Midlands Clinical Senate. The model should save an initial £4.8M and eventually up to £20M, while seeking to ensure a safe and effective range of services across the county. The issue of transport has been addressed as part of the planning process
· Simon Hairsnape, Chief Operating Officer of the 2 North Worcestershire CCGs, has been seconded to Herefordshire until March 2017. As a result Simon Trickett, Chief Operating Officer of South Worcestershire CCG, has moved to cover the roles in North Worcestershire, and in turn arrangements are being put in place to ensure his role in South Worcestershire is covered