Welcome by James Moraghen (Vice-Chair) in Absence of Sonia Roberts (Chair) Due to Illness

Shropshire Disability Network Members Meeting
held 13 March 2013 at Mears, Shrewsbury

Welcome by James Moraghen (vice-chair) in absence of Sonia Roberts (chair) due to illness

Explanation by Carla Bolton, Mears’ new-business development manager, of what Mears does – providing facilities for disabled/elderly, Handyperson service, and several other services in conjunction with Shropshire Council. She apologised for building materials in meeting room as it is being refurbished. Carla said she was always pleased to talk to community groups.

Present
June Jones (SDN, Arthritis Res & Shropshire Patient Group), Grace Cookson (Red Cross), EM Evans, Kathy Jones (Deaf Club), Ann Smallcombe (Deaf Club), Tony Lawrence (Deaf Club), Carole Lawrence (Deaf Club), Phil Godden (NASS), Kevin Clift, Liz Perceval (SDN), Jon Perceval (SDN), Pam Newall, James Moraghen (SDN), Lisa Topple (VISS), Paul Siroky (VISS), Andrea Jones (ICS), Hilary Fisher, Alan and Sherry Townsend (SDN), Wendy Southall (SCCG), Karen Higgins (SCCG), Jackie Jeffrey (CAS), Glynn Jenkins, Kath George (Shrop Libraries), H Brown (VISS), Donna Smith (Headway), Jane Bowen (Penderels Trust), Jill Buckley (Deaf Club), David Tarr (Deaf Club), Ruby Hartshorn (SDN), Peter Staples (SDN)

Apologies
Sonia Roberts (SDN), Grace Hough, John Hurst-Knight, Ruth Houghton, Tina Jones (Listen Not Label), Vicky Brain (Wellington Cottage Care Trust), Kevin Clift, John Morris, Ian Warburton, Velma Finney (Access, SC), John Simcox, Natalie Hawkins, Eddie Davies, Chris Hunt (Red Cross), Sue Stewart,

Minutes of last meeting
In the absence of any questions or comments regarding the last meeting, it was proposed by Ruby Hartshorn, seconded Andrea Jones, that the minutes be accepted. Agreed.

Matters arising
Welfare reform meeting in January: This had gone well. The format of dividing the audience into four and rotating the speakers around them had been effective.

Treasurer’s Report
Written report presented. Liz and Ruby took questions during the break.

Website and newsletter
Ruby urged members and supporters to make better use of the website, both by reading it and leaving comments. She emphasised that SDN was nothing if it was not the membership and members’ input via both the website and YourVoice newsletter was vital. She had recently discussed the site with webmaster Paul Nash. Visits to the site are up by about 500 per month and Paul thinks this is a result of SDN activity on Twitter and Facebook

Publicity Report and Fund-raising Report
Ruby reported on both areas, in which she has the lead. Since her last report, SDN has been approached by Radio Shropshire several times on various issues, and Radio Nova in Newport has also linked in. We have 370 followers on Twitter and 22,000 on Facebook. However, she is disappointed with the Shropshire Star and Shrewsbury Chronicle response to our press releases and phone calls. Shropshire Life declined to use one of our items because of the photograph’s quality. SDN has joined the Shropshire Providers Consortium

Referring to the social event to be held at Bayston Hill Memorial Hall on Friday 15 March Ruby said fewer tickets had been sold so far than at the same period last year for the 2012 event. When the evening date was set there was no way of knowing it would coincide with Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day appeal.

Speakers
There were two presentations to the meeting.

First Speaker, Wendy Southall and Karen Higgins spoke about their work in Health Care Commissioning, a service which is monitored, evaluated and reviewed annually. They explained that different commissioners had responsibility for different areas of service, such as older people, children, cancer, and end of life. Organisations in the reshaped health care system needed to work in collaboration, to ensure that what is developed actually fits local needs, and to continually monitor and seek quality improvements. One aim is a culture change in the service, with everyone involved, including patients, encouraged to feed back on their experiences and get involved in decision-making. They explained the referral system, which meant more choice for the public as to where they accessed services. In question time, they said waiting times should be reduced but evidence was given that this did not always happen. They were also asked detailed questions about chiropody, ophthalmology, audiology and other sensory needs. They explained that from, 1 April GPs were legally responsible for ‘holding the pursestrings’. Copies of Local Health Commissioning Structure were distributed.

Second Speaker:, Jackie Jeffrey of Citizens Advice Shropshire spoke about the sweeping benefit and welfare changes that are being introduced from this April. She urged people with disabilities to contact Citizens Advice with details of their experiences, saying ‘We must find some way to collect your evidence’. Jackie had been very involved in the January big debate event about welfare and benefit reforms, having introduced and chaired the event. In a wide-ranging and knowledgeable talk, Jackie covered many aspects of what the benefit and welfare landscape will look like in the near future. She also offered practical advice as to how service users could best cope with the changes. One simple but vital step she urged people to take was never to fill in forms on their own - always to get help from Citizens Advice or a similar organisation, or at the very least to ask a relative, friend or trusted neighbour to help them.

AOB None were raised

Signed as a true Record by:______

Date:______