Tuesday14 November 2017

Who was here:

Ian Penfold (co-chair, Carer Rep) / Marcia Lawman (co-chair, PB rep)
Marketa Synkova / Stuart Ramsden
Helga Firth-Bernard / Geoff Belsham
Ann Barker / Mo Rowe
Paul Melin / Alison cooper
Rosemary Goodrich / Richard Dean
Nicky Bishop / Marcia Lawman
Florence Garland / Innocent Moyo

Apologies:Linzi Holt, Cathy Marshall, Bernard Pearcey, Jo Smith, Susan Jackson, Marta Coates

Notes of the last meeting and matters arising

SAIL (Support and Advice for Independent Living) update (written update from Sharron Williams)

There is currently a proactive SAIL telephone service across all of Hampshire provided by the YOU Trust.

There are no longer any drop in’s funded as these were not well utilised and therefore not cost effective.

There is currently a 1:1 SAIL service offered in the following parts of Hampshire:

New Forest, Eastleigh, Test Valley, Winchester, Havant, East Hants, Fareham, Gosport, Basingstoke.

When Keyring withdrew their service in the north of the county, the hours for Winchester and Basingstoke were added to the locality Community Support Services.

At that time, Hart and Rushmoor did not have a Community Support Services provider to take on these hours.

Other potential providers in the area were approached, however, due to the social care sector’s current challenges a no provider could be identified with capacity to take on these hours.

Since then, some work has been underway to develop the market, particularly in the north of Hampshire, further discussions can now take place with those providers to explore the interest in providing these SAIL hours.

PIP and benefits applications. What is out there for people if SAIL is not available?

  • Benefits and Work
  • Personal Independence Payment (PIP) tips for family carers
  • The(FAB) Visiting Officersare based in offices around Hampshire. They:
  • help service users receivingcare at hometo complete a Statement of Financial Circumstances (SAS10) form and work out their financial assessmenthelp service users receivingresidential and nursing careto complete a Statement of Financial Circumstances (SAS 4) form and send it to our Residential Assessments team to work out the financial assessment
  • Carry out a welfare benefits check, provide information about welfare benefits and help with any claims the service user may be entitled to.
    Contact details are

Tel: 01962 845600

email:

  • Princess Royal Trust for carers

Can ring the Department of Work and Pensions on the person’s behalf and arrange for someone to carry out a home visit to help with filling in forms.

Ian:

SAIL Service clearly not working – could we ask people to fix it?

Deficiency in this area. What is happening now? Our area is suffering as a result. Is there anyone else who could do it?

If money was available, Speakeasy?

Transport

Dial aRide and community transport

Hampshire County Council needs to make £140 million of savings by April 2019 due to a reduction in funding from the government and an increase in the costs of services in the county such as social care due to growing demand.

As such the council has had to look closely at discretionary services such as school crossing patrols, household waste recovery centres and subsidised bus and community transport services.

As present the council spends some £4 million a year on subsidised bus and community transport services and at his decision day on 19th September, Cllr Humby approved a proposal that his funding should cease from April 2019 as part of the council needs for savings.

This proposal and other went to cabinet on 16th October and full council on 2nd November.

Generally local district or town/parish council meet half o the cost of local Dial A Ride services and their funding is not part of the current proposal.

Hampshire County Council is also lobbying the government to allow the council to introduce a charging pilot for users of older persons concessionary bus passes as way of retaining subsidised bus and community transport services. A 50 pence charge per bus journey would allow the services to continue at a similar level to now.

This proposal would need government approval and would not take place until local consultation has been carried out though in the past users have told the council they’d rather pay for something than loose the service. There are no plans to make a charge for holders of a disabled person’s pass.

LIG thoughts:

  • If you isolate people now, it will cost more in the future.
  • Please write to your own Councillor and our own MP please.
  • Marcia is confused and it will confuse others.
  • Why not create a Volunteer driver scheme – mitigate and share the load.
  • Resource HCC buses at the week-end. Buses are sat down at week-end doing nothing.
  • Bus MIDAS training is renewable every 4 years, D1 licence too for 8 seater bus. £1000 to have a D1. You cannot pay for every new member of staff to get a D1 licence.
  • Training can be expensive too. If they go to smaller cars, it saves money because you do not need all those certificates.

Frimley Park Hospital parking changes

Ian went to the recent special needs group meeting at Frimley Park Hospital and was told about new car parking charges.

Here is a summary of the changes that they are making:

New parking concessions to affect frequent attendees and blue badge holders - 27 November, 2017

The trust is making some changes that include the introduction of discounted weekly and monthly tickets and the discontinuation of automatic parking concessions for blue badge holders.

The new charging system will operate at Wexham Park, Heatherwood and Frimley Park hospitals.

This means Blue Badge holders will have to pay to park their car. However anyone who is entitled to free parking through low income or certain benefits will still be able to reclaim the cost of parking, and the process for doing this will be made clear.

From 27 November 2017a standard simplified set of concessions for all public users will also be introduced consisting of 7-day and 30-day tickets costing £15 and £50 respectively across all of our sites.

We believe this will make a considerable saving for people who need to attend for frequent treatment or those visiting loved ones who are experiencing a lengthy stay.

Both tickets will be transferable across our hospital sites.

See this page for details of the changes:

Basingstoke Hospital is now number plate recognition.

Aldershot Centre for Health: you can get fined with the blue badge unless you go to reception and register your car number the first time you go.Only free if you are using the car which is registered.

Blue Badge: why not add something to the badge which says you have to be fully exempt? It would be too easy and too sensible to do this! It would probably not work cross County though.

Hampshire LD Partnership Board

Marcia gave us an update.

Shared Lives update.

Minutes will be added to the website as soon as possible.

Marketa said that any information at the time of the Care assessment (or before) is really helpful for the social worker. There is a waiting list.

Anything else:

Paul will be away next month.

Geoff – Aspire project (employment). Jo Club has putting on Christmas Carol care home. Step 1 will be participating to Food Bank week) last week of November). Green Fingers (gardening) will be giving surplus products for Basingstoke food project for homeless

Fleet - raising awareness of autism in shops.

Mince pies next time round.

Meeting closed.

Dates for your diaries:

The next meeting will be on 12 December 2017Elizabeth Hall, Hook, 10.30 am to 12.30 pm latest (mince pies)

And then 2018

23 January
20 Feb
20 March
17 April
22 May
19 June
17 July
18 September
23 October
20 November
18 December
Elizabeth Hall, Raven Road, Hook RG27 9HH (room 4).
10.30 am to 12.30 pm
free parking

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