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In this issue:
Welcome to the October 2022 edition of the Adult Social Care Bulletin. This month's bulletin comes with an introduction from Tracey Denny, Head of Localities & Social Care Operations.
The summer months have been as busy as ever and the unusually hot weather caused us some challenges! However, it feels that the summer is now long gone, and we are fast approaching the winter. With so many anxious about the cost of living rises this year it’s good to see that this edition provides lots of information and tips to support.
I cannot fail to mention the sad passing of Queen Elizabeth ll, however during sad times I know I can always rely on Internal Provider Services to bring a smile to my face. It was wonderful to see the dedication of staff in IPS who ensured service users had a variety of ways to remember the Queen in their own way. Housing with Care opened condolence books, made picture boards, and service users from Wilfred Spencer visited Coventry Cathedral to lay flowers and deliver their condolence book – thank you to all the staff in IPS who went above and beyond to support service users.
Having been in Coventry for just over a year now this edition has reminded me of how many things we have to be proud of, The POD have so much to celebrate this month - it was amazing to see that the Telegraph had named them as one of the best Vegan and Vegetarian restaurants, having eaten there this news came as no surprise to me, but it was great to see The Pod recognised nationally.
Enjoy reading!
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Would you like to find out more about support through Adult Social Care? Have a chat and cup of tea with staff and get to know the teams. Find out more about:
- Having a social care assessment and what to expect
- Support if you're caring for someone
- Technology, equipment and adaptations that can support
- How to get involved and make a difference
- Advice on energy and keeping warm
- Paying for care and what to expect
- Benefits advice
- Working in Adult Social Care
- Shared Lives
This is a friendly event open to anyone wanting to find out more about services across Adult Social Care. So please pop along there will be tea and coffee.
Date: 10 November 2022
Location: Lower Hall. Central Methodist Hall, Warwick Lane, Coventry, CV1 2HA
Time: 10:00 - 15:00
The latest Adult Social Care Annual Report and Key Areas of Improvement 2021/22 has now been published.
The report describes the performance of Adult Social Care and the progress made in Coventry against the priorities for the year. Looking back at the year 21/22 a year that saw us come out of a national lockdown, be part of a widescale vaccination programme for social care staff and a raft of government reforms, that will have implications for future delivery.
The report includes powerful experiences of people navigating adult social care. It also explains the latest adult social care offer describing what people can expect when they contact the Council, how they can participate in the Council’s work, and useful links to information and advice.
Cllr Mal Mutton, Cabinet Member for Adult Services, said: “We put the report together to help us reflect on where we have made improvements and where more work needs to be done.
“It also sets out what people can expect from our services – explained in our adult social care offer.
“Things have become more challenging over recent year’s but we always strive to help people to live as independently as possible and there are examples of where this has happened through practical steps.
“The Council is having to get to grips with a lot of government reforms and this is presenting new challenges that will require time and resources to meet but which we will have to overcome.
“This is also despite the uncertainty of not knowing what this Government has in store and despite their inability to tackle the real concerns of recruitment and retention of staff.” She added: “It is the reality that as life expectancy increases more people are likely to require support from social care.
“Where people do need to come to social care for support we will do everything we can in Coventry to make that process as clear and supportive as possible – and we will do this through hard work, resilience, compassion and through the dedication of staff and in supporting people who require care and support - that is our absolute commitment.” The Adult Social Care Annual Report reflects the performance and activities throughout the main period of the COVID-19 pandemic to date. In 2021/22 the Council spent £110.4m on Adult Social Care compared to equivalent spend of £103.2m in 2020/21, with the increase largely driven by additional resources of £8.2m provided to the care market in response to the pandemic.
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CQC Inspection
The Health and Care Act and the Adult Social Care White Paper both set out that Integrated Care Systems and Adult Social Care within local authorities will be subject to assurance through the Care Quality Commission (CQC). This extends the CQC inspection regime that has been in place for many years across local provider services and replaces the Peer Review process that we have had in place for some years as part of the Regional assurance process.
CQC inspections will commence at any point from April 2023 onwards. Although the new assurance framework is still to be finalised by CQC, we know that one of the key areas will be ensuring that we are meeting our statutory requirements under the Care Act 2014.
What do we think inspectors will want to know?
The anticipated areas are:
- How Local Authorities work with people- how we do assessments, the quality of the assessments
- How Local Authorities provide support- the strength and quality of our provision- internal and external
- How Local Authorities ensure safety- not just safeguarding but more broadly how we manage care concerns and quality generally
- Leadership- at all levels of the organisation including the Council oversight of our services
We know that what will be key this inspection is feedback from people receiving support or going through their adult social care journey so we expect it will be a process were there will be plenty of opportunities to be involved, to provide feedback and to discuss experience. We will keep you updated along the way.
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Real time experience survey
If you've had a recent assessment or support provided from Adult Social Care then we'd like to hear more about your experience. You can provide your feedback by accessing Access the Adult Social Care Experience survey. The survey is open to anyone whose received support from Adult Social Care recently and any carer who may have received support.
We use any feedback to make sure we develop and improve our services and understand more about the realities of receiving support through Adult Social Care.
The survey asks for your Care Director ID which can be found on any assessment or support plan you will have received as part of your care journey.
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Adult Social Care Stakeholder Group
The Adult Social Care Stakeholder Group meet every other month to discuss any upcoming developments, projects and changes. They are there to influence, make changes and help us improve the experience of people accessing Adult Social Care. The group is made up of people receiving support, carers and voluntary sector organisations. In June we met to discuss key topics such as Social Care Reforms, the upcoming Adult Social Care Offer and Our Approach to engagement. The group have input into the language and layout of the Adult Social Care Offer (even correcting typos). The group is growing and we're always looking for new members and people who are passionate about using their own experience to help shape our future practice. If you'd like to find out more information about the group and get yourself invited, you can email GetInvolvedASC@coventry.gov.uk for more information.
August's Meeting
We met in August and discussed in detail the recommissioning of Home Support services which is at the start of the process. Jason Bejai (Commissioning Manager) attended the group to talk about the recommissioning process. The group discussed ways in which they'd like to be involved in commissioning activity and what it's really like to receive home support, the good and the bad. We talked about the pressures that the industry is experiencing and what social care reforms might mean for future delivery. We hope that this will be a reoccurring topic for the group, as we're keen to see through commissioning processes from beginning to end. Ways to be involved will soon be available of on Get Involved in Adult Social Care.
The group also had a sneak preview of the almost finished Adult Social Care - Annual Report, which is now available online.
We welcomed a number of new members this time around and the group continues to grow.
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In Coventry we're really committed to developing the options available for people using services and people caring to become involved in how services are delivered, shaped and improved. We've set out our commitment to this in "Our Approach" and the ways in which will move this forward.
Read the full document.
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Having a Carers' Assessment?
If you look after someone, a friend, a loved one, a neighbour sometimes it can be hard to think about the support you need yourself. But support is available when you need it. A Carers Assessment is a good way of starting those conversations and thinking about your own needs.
Who can have a carers assessment?
Anyone providing care for an adult is entitled to a carers assessment.
What is a carers assessment?
It's the opportunity for you to talk to a professional about your caring role, how it impacts you, what you'd like
We will explore what is important to you, how your caring role impacts you, what parts of your caring role you want to maintain, need support with or want to end. We will explore how regularly you are able to take breaks and the other areas of your life that are important to you. A Carers Assessment will also help you think about the future and what support you might need in the event of an emergency.
We will complete a support plan with you if required (and jointly with the person you are caring for) and will review this as your needs change over time.
What might happen as a result of an assessment?
The practitioner will work with you to see what support is available and what might help. It might even be that feeling listened too and having the opportunity to talk about your experiences has helped in itself. It might be that you need a bit more support, perhaps care and support for the person you're looking after, so they will su
Who does the Carers Assessment?
We work in partnership with the Carers Trust Heart of England to provide carers’ support services. The contact details for Carers Trust Heart of England can be found in part three ‘useful information’
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Carers' Bulletin
If you want to find out more about what's going on for Carers every month, please subscribe to our monthly Carers bulletin. We let you know everything that is going on across the city for carers, any groups or training, consultations and helpful information. Subscribe to the Carers' bulletin.
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Staff from Internal Provider Services went to great effort to support service users to remember the Queen following the sad news of her death this month.
Rose O’Brien shared some lovely pictures of service users planting seeds and visiting Coventry cathedral ‘This really matters to people attending the YOUNITY Hub, seeding packs made in loving memory of the Queen are to be planted at home in peoples gardens, a rose was planted in memory at the centre and a poem was read out. A book of condolences was signed and then delivered by staff and service users on Friday 16 September 2022 to Coventry Cathedral.’
Dana Rubidge from Knightlow Lodge also shared pictures and said ‘listening to what she meant to each individual has been very emotional’.
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Why flu vaccination is important
Flu vaccination is important because, while flu is unpleasant for most people, it can be dangerous and even life threatening for some people, particularly those with certain health conditions.
The best time to have your flu vaccine is in the autumn or early winter before flu starts spreading. But you can get your vaccine later.
Who can have the flu vaccine?
The flu vaccine is given free on the NHS to adults who:
- are 50 and over (including those who will be 50 by 31 March 2023)
- have certain health conditions
- are pregnant
- are in long-stay residential care
- receive a carer's allowance, or are the main carer for an older or disabled person who may be at risk if you get sick
- live with someone who is more likely to get a severe infection due to a weakened immune system, such as someone living with HIV, someone who has had a transplant, or is having certain treatments for cancer, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis
Where to get the flu vaccine
You can have the NHS flu vaccine at:
- your GP surgery
- a pharmacy offering the service – if you're aged 18 or over
- some maternity services if you're pregnant
Sometimes, you might be offered the flu vaccine at a hospital appointment.
If you have a flu vaccine at any NHS service except your GP surgery, you do not have to tell the surgery to update your records. This will be done for you. If you’ve been given a flu vaccine privately, or through an occupational health scheme, you can tell your GP surgery if you would like it added to your NHS record.
Where can I book
You can arrange your flu vaccine with your GP or book online.
COVID autumn booster
A season booster is now available for COVID-19 for people who fall into the following categories:
- aged 50 or over
- pregnant
- aged 5 and over and at high risk due to a health condition
- aged 5 and over and at high risk because of a weakened immune system
- aged 16 and over and lives with someone who has a weakened immune system
- aged 16 and over and is a carer, either paid or unpaid
- a frontline health and social care worker
The appointment dates you'll be offered will start from 3 months (91 days) after your previous dose.
Book your booster.
Coventry City Council has recently collaborated with EON in promoting their Homes for Living programme, a scheme aimed at supporting people to live better for longer in the comfort of their own homes by installing discrete, minor adaptations free of charge.
The scheme is open to all Coventry residents regardless of which energy provider they are with and aims to support those who could benefit from having such installations but may not be seen by adult social care. Find out more information on the EON scheme.
Coventry residents can get free energy advice by contacting the Act on Energy advice line: 0800 988 2881. Act On Energy is a charity commissioned to provide information, advice and guidance as well as physical interventions (depending on eligibility).
The pressures in the last two years have left households struggling more than ever to pay their energy bills. Having a better understanding of fuel poverty, and what steps can be taken to tackle it, could help you support those most in need.
Act on energy are delivering a number of online training sessions that will cover:
- What is Fuel Poverty – and its impact
- Understanding the Energy Crisis, inc. a global and UK perspective, the price cap and why this is happening
- What help is available now
- Longer term solutions
Front line workers or anyone wishing to learn more about the current cost of living crisis are welcome to sign up to the free online training.
Read more and book onto planned dates.
Alternatively, if you would like to arrange in person training for you and your team, please email administration@actonenergy.org.uk or call 0800 988 2881 (please note this will require a minimum of 10 attendees).
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The cost living crisis is significantly impacting on so many people, and because of this Iceland have introduced a 10% discount Tuesday. This means that individuals who are 60 and over, can shop on a Tuesday, and receive this discount off their shopping. There is no minimum spend and applies across all your shopping, all you need is to show a senior buss pass, driver’s licence or a senior railcard as proof. You can receive this discount in either Iceland or The Food Warehouse.
Please find below a link to an internet page containing a range of useful information regarding support with the current cost of living crisis and also wellbeing support. This source of information is aimed at offering guidance and information for everyone living in Coventry.
Cost of Living and wellbeing support
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The Adult Social Care offer is our way of explaining as succinctly as possible what we do, what people can expect when they contact us and the processes involved, along with useful contact information and sources of support. The draft offer received lots of really positive feedback and the contributions from staff regarding how and where to share it will all be taken into account. Some of the suggestions made are being worked on right now:
- An easy read/shortened version
- Translated versions to be made available
- An introduction video to explain purpose etc
- Posters, leaflets of the ASC Offer to offer hard copies for places such as The Opal and Hospital Discharge
This information is now on our ASC web pages. It will be shared more widely with partners, community groups and organisations during the next few months. We also plan to hold face to face engagement sessions out in the community across the city throughout the year to ensure we are sharing our commitments and receiving feedback directly.
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To celebrate World’ Alzheimer’s Day, we wanted to share the work going on in Coventry to improve the lives of people living with Dementia.
Maymorn Day service have been liaising with the Alzheimer’s Society Focus Group in Coventry to co-produce the vision for a Single Dementia Hub in Coventry. The project has been a work in progress for over 12 months and has involved stakeholder engagement exercises at which people living with dementia opened and closed the session and talked about their own experiences.
From this, a vision was designed:
 In October 2022, we will be asking for approval to transform Maymorn Centre into a Single Coventry Dementia Hub. The Centre has secured a significant amount of funding for 12 months from the Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board to create new posts and to facilitate a dementia friendly café/social space.
More recently, smaller sub-groups have been set up with key members of the focus group to explore the role of the Lifestyle Co-Ordinators and volunteers as well as establishing what the offer should look like in terms of activities and a support network. It is envisaged that members of the focus group will join the recruitment panel for various roles based in the Dementia Hub. Who else is better equipped to recruit Support Workers for Young Onset Dementia than someone who has Young Onset Dementia?
The focus group have been invaluable in co-designing the vision and pushing the agenda for this to be achieved not to mention working with us to design a mission statement should the approval go ahead. The focus group pictured below are facilitated by two fabulous Alzheimer’s Society employees who are integral to enabling us maximize the input from the focus group.
If approval is granted joint partnership project groups will bring various stakeholders together to make the most of the hub and promote greater partnership working, all of which can only benefit people living with dementia and their carer’s as well as the organisations themselves.
Below are some of the things the members of the Alzheimer's Society Focus Group have been saying about the project:
“My thoughts on the lovely Debbie and April both ladies were ultra-professional I felt and feel empowered and listened too and valued again, which when having the label dementia happens very infrequently now. I find people don't listen to me and maybe pity me. Both ladies are a breath of fresh air in the fight for people like myself with Dementia. Thank you for allowing me to feel empowered and valued again and continue to have a purpose in life.”
“I think working with Debbie and April is iconic. Hopefully being World Alzheimer's day this will be the start of something good. “
“Something new and fresh and with longevity - reaching out to those diagnosed with dementia. I definitely felt listened to.”
“It's been like a breath of fresh air to work with people who really listen and try to make it happen awesome. I hope the hub delivers a place for all our needs both social, medical and information”
The Pod named among the best in UK in national paper guide
Coventry’s The Pod café has been named as one of the best vegan and vegetarian restaurants to try in 2022 in a guide in The Telegraph.
The café in Far Gosford Street is listed along with top spots in London and across the UK as one of the “best spots around the country to visit if you're looking to make your meals meat-free.”
The Pod, is an award-winning secondary mental health social brokerage and cultural hub that focuses on critical connections and a shift from service user/patient to citizenship and agency.
As well as the café, it runs Time Union and Food Union to bring people and communities together to help and support one another.
The Telegraph’s guide says: “Whether you're looking for purely vegan or vegetarian restaurants or just something meat-free on the menu, these are the spots to visit.
Its listing on The Pod states: “Part of a multi-faceted council-run community space, this vegan café provides one of the most affordable meals around, with the set lunch costing just £8. The plant-based menu changes regularly but expect a lunch to include offerings like roasted cauliflower and black bean curry, pilau rice and salad, followed by cardamom cake. “
Christine Eade, Manager of The Pod, said the accolade had come as a complete surprise.
“The value of the café is it is street facing and enables us to create an authentic and deep connection with the city, its entrepreneurs, elders, academics, artists, quiet activists, toddlers, breastfeeding mothers, students and onwards who wouldn’t usually come through a Council front door.
“It has had so many loves and shares on our Facebook and Instagram pages and some amazing comments. It's heart-warming and the café team work so hard it's absolutely well deserved.”
To see more on the Telegraph guide, visit the website. Learn more about The Pod and see menus.
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