Latest news from SEND Improvement Programme

Following the Ofsted/CQC inspection of SEND services in the county earlier this year we are now working with Cumbria's two CCGs to deliver an improvement plan. This is a significant programme of work and a priority for People. A dedicated newsletter is now proving updates to stakeholders.

+ READ THE 20 SEPTEMBER EDITION

Would you like to show an AD your service?

Work shadowing gives the People Assistant Directors (ADs) an opportunity to see first-hand the great work that you do. It also provides you with an opportunity to share your insight directly with your AD, and get their views on the challenges that you and your team face.

The People Assistant Directors are:

• Fiona Musgrave, Assistant Director Integration & Partnerships
• Colin Cox, Director Public Health
• Cath Whalley, Assistant Director Adults
• Lynn Berryman, Assistant Director Children & Young People
• Dan Barton, Assistant Director Education & Skills
• Pam Duke, Assistant Director Provider Services
• Jo Atkinson, Assistant Director Strategic Commissioning

Let us know if you would like to invite any of the above to shadow you or your team. They can visit you for a couple of hours, half a day or you might want to invite them with you to attend a special event or meeting. Use the link below to share your invite with the Communications Team, please specify who you would like to invite and confirm your preferred date and time (if you have one).

+ INVITE YOUR AD TO SHADOW YOU OR YOUR TEAM

Have your say

On 4th October we will be sending out the 2019 People Survey. All colleagues will have until 8th November to complete the questionnaire.

The survey covers things like management, communications and morale as well as asking what it's like working for your service area within People. It's a great opportunity for you to share your views. The information you provide will help management teams to share good practice and consider what improvements can be made.

The survey is anonymous, so no one can track who the response came from.

+ MORE INFORMATION ON THE STAFF SURVEY

Save the date for Social Work Conference 2020

Friday 22nd May 2020, University of Cumbria Learning Gateway, Fusehill St.Carlisle

The format for this conference will be slightly different than previously. There will be a much more interactive event than usually happens at academic conferences. The focus will be on  frontline practice and service user experience. Dr. Andrew Turnell will be in attendance and will open and close the day. The aim is to have a space where we can think about which direction and areas you would want to design further research projects that will make a difference to service users' and practitioners' lives.

+ MORE INFORMATION angie.boyle@cumbria.ac.uk or kirsteen.laidlaw@cumbria.ac.uk

Tim shares Cumbria's AYSE experience with national audience

Tim Nicholls (pictured left) one of our Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) Professional Leads, has written an article about 'why ASYE works for Cumbria County Council' which has been published in national publication Skills for Care.

The article considers the benefits of ASYE for newly qualified social workers and explains why it works for Cumbria County Council. It discusses important factors that contribute towards it's success like investing in the development of our practitioners, effective training programmes, and it supports the improvement culture of our organisation

Thank you Tim for promoting the success of this excellent project on the national stage. Hopefully other local authorities will also 

It's a great read!

+ READ THE ARTICLE

Keeping our Best Interest Assessors informed

The first edition of a new newsletter for Best Interest Assessors went out in early September - follow the link below to have a read.

The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) Newsletter was produced to provide relevant and up to date information to Locality and Full Time Best Interest Assessors, their Team Managers and DoLS Signatories regarding DoLS and the imminent Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS) implementation, plus any other notable information they may find useful.

If you would like to receive future copies of this newsletter you can ask to be added to the distribution list by emailing applications.dols@cumbria.gov.uk

+ READ THE NEWSLETTER

CSAB annual report now available

The Care Act statutory guidance requires all Safeguarding Adult Boards (SABs) to publish an Annual Report, which states what it and its members have done to deliver objectives set out in their Strategic Plan.

CSAB have published their Annual Report for 2018/19 , which outlines their key achivements during the final year of the 2015-2018 Strategic Plan.

+ READ MORE

Population Health Fellowship programme for health care workers

As part of our Population Health and Prevention programme, Health Education England (HEE) is launching a new Population Health Fellowship programme for health care workers in the NHS. There are 14 fellowships available for all NHS clinical staff (AFC Band 6 and above/Post Foundation Training) including doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, dentists, healthcare scientists, pharmacists and others, to develop skills in population health.

+ FIND OUT MORE

Plans for NHS trusts to merge given go ahead

Two Cumbrian NHS Trusts have now received official approval on their plans to join together.

Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) and North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust (NCUH) will merge to become one trust – North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, on 1^st October in a move that will see more seamless care for people in Cumbria.

+ READ MORE

Borderlines Book Festival starts this week

The Borderlines Book Festival returns to Carlisle from Thursday 26th September to Tuesday 8th October, 2019.

Events will take place across Carlisle, in the Crown & Mitre Hotel, Carlisle Library, Cakes and Ale Café, Tullie House Museum, the Tithe Barn, and Stanwix Arts Theatre. The festival welcomes well-known names like BBC Breakfast presenter Louise Minchin, former Liberal Democrat Leader Tim Farron and author Razwan Ul-Haq.

Tickets to this brilliant event are now available and can be purchased online (see link below) or at Bookends Bookshop, Castle Street, Carlisle. For more information visit the website.

+ VISIT BORDERLINES BOOK FESTIVAL WEBSITE

PAT Testing - Parkhouse starting today

The testing of electrical equipment, or Portable Appliance Testing (PAT), is important to ensure that the equipment that we use is safe and in good condition. That's why the Property Team are continuing to run a schedule of equipment testing across the county. When a PAT scheme is being carried out in your workplace, it is important that you bring in any electrical equipment you have. Please see below up and coming dates:

• Parkhouse Building - 23rd September-4th October 2019

Please ensure that laptops and phones are fully charged before handing in chargers for testing. If you are unable to attend then please advise your manager so they can arrange for you to attend another session or make arrangements for the equipment to be tested on your behalf.

Health, safety and wellbeing events this week

The roll out of staff Health and Safety events continues with the dates below. Pop along to any of the below events to help us improve Health and Safety in the workplace.

• Cumbria House, Carlisle - 25th September 2019, 9am-12pm
• Parkhouse, Carlisle - 25th September 2019, 1pm-4pm 

+ READ THE LATEST HEALTH AND SAFETY MESSAGE OF THE MONTH