Care Forum Wales’ dementia care advisor, Stephen Ford, has released a new guide to dementia care to help carers deal with difficult situations that sometimes arise when dealing with older people with dementia.

He has called his guide ‘A CHAMPIONS’, which stands for Assessment of Challenging and Management Problems Initiating Options for New Solutions (Dementia Care).

The guide is free to download from our website HERE.

The guide offers a range of scenarios which can trigger difficult behaviour from dementia sufferers - and offers a series of ideas and solutions to deal with this.

Stephen is managing director of Pembroke Nursing Homes in Colwyn Bay, North Wales, and he has 37 years’ experience in caring for vulnerable adults.

He runs CFW’s All Wales Dementia Group and is a member of local and regional dementia care interest groups.

He said: “Switched-on care providers should know when anti-psychotic medication is of little therapeutic value. In exceptional circumstances, their use should be time-limited and never the first choice for managing difficult behaviour.”

Stephen can be contacted at pembrokehomes@aol.com

Read how The Guardian covered the Welsh Government's proposal to introduce new legislation aimed at giving people greater control over care budgets here: http://bit.ly/yvLjuE

Recognising the importance of social care as a profession and promoting best practice among its workforce is the key to preventing elderly abuse, the senior policy adviser for Care Forum Wales has said.

In a letter to the Western Mail, CFW's Mary Wimbury criticised a report in the paper on January 23 (Abuse of Our Elderly) for giving the impression that all social care workers were liable to abuse the older people they care for.

She said: "Anyone reading your article, Abuse of our elderly, on January 23 might be forgiven for assuming that all paid care workers are charlatans. In reality the vast majority are from reputable agencies and are caring, well-train and undertake a little-respected role diligently and professionally."

She went on to say that Care Forum Wales, which represents 500 independent care organisations across Wales, is continuing to strive for improvements. 

She added: "We'd like to see local authorities contracting [out services] to provide care that focuses on standards and decency - and not care by tick-box.

"We'd like to see them awarding contracts for care not on lowest price, but at a rate that will ensure a sustainable service caring for vulnerable people, where staff are properly rewarded, supported and supervised."

One of the goals of CFW is to get greater recognition for the social care workforce. "To that end we are working with the Welsh Government and other partners to establish a professional body to spread good practice and professionalise the role of the care worker," Ms Wimbury continued.

"When we're facing such challenges to the public purse we really do need to redirect our resources to important front-line services." 

Care Forum Wales (CFW) has welcomed the Welsh Government's social care bill as, "the most important change to social care in two generations".

The bill, introduced by Deputy Minister for Children and Social Services Gwenda Thomas today, will now go out to public consultation and a bill could be introduced as early as October this year. She said the bill had been prompted by demographic changes and increasing demand for social services across Wales.

It promises to give the thousands of people across Wales who receive social care greater control over the care they receive - and a chance to be in charge of their own care budgets. 

The bill could also lead to the establishment of a single adoption agency for Wales - there are currently 23 operating.

CFW believes that more effective working with the independent sector could help to reduce bed-blocking and provide more cost effective social care.

Chairman Mario Kreft said: "We're delighted with the legislation because it recognises that, at a time of increasing need with dwindling resources, this is a blueprint for action. 

"It's potentially the most important change to social care in two generations. We hope it will cut bureaucracy and focus resources and services on where people need them."

He added, "At a time of austerity this is about doing things better and more cost-effectively. It's a victory for common sense."

For more on this story see: www.bbc.co.uk/news/social_care_bill

For the full Welsh Government outline see: www.wales.gov.uk/social_care_bill

Rhian Huws Williams, the chief executive of the Care Council for Wales (CCW), has made achieving a higher level of professionalism in the social care sector in Wales top of her New Year's resolutions list. 

In an article in the Guardian (January 3), Ms Williams promised: "The Care Council will play a leading role in delivering a new professionalism that will mark a step-change for the profession in Wales."

She promises the Care Council, which was set up 10 years ago to monitor and improve standards in the social care sector in Wales, will adopt a "fresh approach to the Care Council's regulation and development work."

She says  CCW will work closely with the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW) to develop a new model of regulation with a focus of improving standards and building the public's trust in the sector.

One of the key ways CCW plans to do this is to gather evidence and identify what makes a high-quality manager - and to use these characteristics to share best practice and work on improving care.

It is also hoped that the Care Council and CSSIW will be able to work together to provide a single point of contact for members of the public seeking information about social care provision and standards.

For the full article see: 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/social-care-network/2012/jan/03/a-plan-to-build-trust-in-welsh-social-services?newsfeed=true

The architect of last year's report on proposed reforms to long-term elderly care, Andrew Dilnot, has said there is "a real chance" of winning cross-party support from Labour and the Coalition on improving the system, according to a Daily Telegraph report here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/elderhealth/8991123/Elderly-care-reforms-could-get-cross-party-agreement-says-Andrew-Dilnot.html

Workshops to explain new E.coli prevention rules

An environmental health expert will be running two workshops in North Wales in February to explain new Food Standards Agency (FSA) procedures introduced in 2011 to prevent serious food poisoning outbreaks caused by bacteria including E.coli 0157.

Phill Alcock, a former senior Environmental Health officer with more than 35 years’ experience in local government, the NHS and the private sector, will set out how the new rules completely change how cross-contamination should be managed in kitchens.

He said: “The procedures are complex and they fundamentally change how kitchens should be arranged and managed.

“This workshop has been specially designed to guide you through the new procedural requirements.

“The new FSA regulations apply to all catering businesses, including care homes, and failure to comply can result in kitchens being temporarily closed down – which would impact on both care home managers and residents.”

The procedures are designed to prevent cross-contamination during food preparation which can lead to potentially deadly food poisoning outbreaks caused by bacteria including E.coli 0157, campylobacter and salmonella.

MORE INFORMATION:
www.food.gov.uk/ecoli_guide

Extract from FSA document on E.coli cross-contamination control:

“E. coli O157 is a particularly dangerous type of bacteria because it can cause serious, untreatable, illness and even death from very low-levels of contamination of ready-to-eat food. Because E. coli O157 survives at freezer, chill and ambient temperatures, measures to control cross-contamination apply to all of these environments. Although E. coli O157 is the key focus of this guidance, the measures outlined will also help in the control of other food poisoning bacteria, such as campylobacter and salmonella.

"The role of enforcing authorities is to protect consumers where a food business operator has not implemented adequate controls or appropriate corrective actions. Where an enforcing authority identifies that critical cross-contamination controls are inadequate or corrective actions have not been properly implemented, it must intervene and take all appropriate action to protect public health. Enforcing authorities must always consider the use of Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notices (which would close your kitchen and ancillary areas and prohibit you preparing food in your premises) where inadequate control presents a risk of cross-contamination of ready-to-eat foods by E. coli O157. Enforcing authorities should take possession of food intended for use as a ready-to-eat product for the purposes of destruction if it has not been produced, processed or distributed in accordance with statutory hygiene requirements and it has been exposed to the risk of E. coli O157 cross-contamination.”

ends 

A landmark judgment in Cardiff’s High Court has been welcomed by owners of care homes and care providers across Wales.

Mr Justice Beatson came down in favour of seven care home owners and against Pembrokeshire County Council in a High Court judgment affecting how much local authorities pay for care.

He ruled that the Council had failed to give due consideration to the need for a return on capital invested by owners, and should have considered paying less to providers who had not invested money to improve their homes as much as other providers had done.

The judgment follows a similar decision against the Council 12 months ago.

The decisions have been welcomed by Mario Kreft, chairman of Care Forum Wales, an association of independent care providers which has called on local authorities across Wales to work more closely with the private care sector to ensure the highest possible standards of care.

He said: “These are very important decisions by the judge which we very much welcome on behalf of residents and their families, care workers and care home owners because they put people and communities first.

“This isn’t just about a care home getting more money to do what the law requires it to do, it’s about the future of care services for the people of Wales and 90 per cent of those services are provided by the private sector.

“We’re committed to the highest standards of care and this has obvious resource implications and the fact that there are so many care homes in financial difficulty shows there are issues.”

One of the care home owners involved in the case, Mike Davies, said: “Our over-riding concern from the outset has been the need to provide high quality, sustainable services for the people for whom we provide care.

“This latest judgment has therefore come as a huge relief, most importantly for the residents of the homes involved and the dedicated staff who look after them.

“It is also a huge relief for the families of those residents and they too have been very supportive of our efforts to resolve this issue.”

Last year a similar decision resulted in Pembrokeshire offering to increase its weekly payment for each care home resident from £390 to £464 but the seven homes involved in the action disputed the method used by the council to arrive at the figure.

That led to the latest judgment and Mario Kreft added: “Pembrokeshire has chosen to play hard ball and this is the result.

“The judgment is a victory for equality and for the principle that if a care provider invests in providing services then he or she should not be out of pocket.”

“The judgment took account of the current financial climate. What we want now is to work together with the Welsh Government and local government to ensure a proper, sustainable service for the people of Wales.

“More than 70 per cent of the people in care homes in Wales are receiving their care from public funds so the criteria for that funding should be equal across the country and be sustainable.

“We have been campaigning for 20 years for the local and national governments to sit down with us and work out a proper approach.

“It’s not just about more money, it’s about sustainable services and how they link with the rest of social care and the NHS.

“There are more than 23,000 beds in care homes in Wales. It’s a hugely important part of the tapestry of social care in the country.

“At Care Forum Wales we want to work within the context of a public services ethos so that we plan for what communities need in terms of social care, both residential and domiciliary.

“The judgment is a very positive step towards resolving this long-running difficulty of getting local authorities and health boards to recognise the true costs of running care homes, but the next step is to work together to provide sustainable services.

“This isn’t about business operators, it’s about people and the service provided can only be sustainable if we work together under the Memorandum of Understanding that was signed up to by all those involved in social care.

“We need to move forward in the spirit of partnership and Care Forum Wales is writing to the Welsh Government and the WLGA to reconvene the Memorandum of Understanding as a matter of urgency early in the New Year.

MORE INFORMATION: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-16220178

Alheimer’s Society tips for helping dementia sufferers manage their finances

Following its report on December 14 on how dementia sufferers are being targeted by unscrupulous con artists and sales people http://alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/press_article.php?pressReleaseID=742,

the Society has come up a series of tips for helping older people deal with their finances.

These are:

1. Discuss money management with your family – Money can be a difficult subject to talk about but it’s important you plan how you want your finances to be managed if you became unable to look after them yourself.

2. Set up a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) - This enables a person with dementia to choose someone they trust to make decisions on their behalf about things such as paying bills and collecting income once they are no longer able to take those decisions. However, LPAs need to be set up while a person with dementia still has capacity.

3. Speak to the local bank manager – People with dementia and their carer should talk to their bank manager as soon after a diagnosis as possible. The discussion can look at extra support that may be available as their condition progresses and ways of managing money, eg using a signature card instead of a PIN number

4. Stop junk mail and unwanted telephone calls – There are a number of ways to do this, such as signing up to the Mailing Preference Service at mpsonline.org.uk and joining the Telephone Preference Service register.

5. Put a ‘no cold callers’ sign on the door - These can be obtained from the local trading standards department.  Six of the major energy suppliers will not knock on doors which have a ‘no door to door salesman’ sticker/sign on them.

Care Forum Wales ......Press release Friday 16th December 2011

A landmark judgment in Cardiff’s High Court has been welcomed by owners of care homes and care providers across Wales.

Mr Justice Beatson came down in favour of seven care home owners and against Pembrokeshire County Council in a High Court judgment affecting how much local authorities pay for care.

He ruled that the Council had failed to give due consideration to the need for a return on capital invested by owners, and should have considered paying less to providers who had not invested money to improve their homes as much as other providers had done.

The judgment follows a similar decision against the Council 12 months ago.

The decisions have been welcomed by Mario Kreft, Chairman of Care Forum Wales, an association of independent care providers who has called on local authorities across Wales to work more closely with the private care sector to ensure the highest possible standards of care.

He said: “These are very important decisions by the judge which we very much welcome on behalf of residents and their families, care workers and care home owners because they put people and communities first.

“This isn’t just about a care home getting more money to do what the law requires it to do, it’s about the future of care services for the people of Wales and 90 per cent of those services are provided by the private sector.

“We’re committed to the highest standards of care and this has obvious resource implications and the fact that there are so many care homes in financial difficulty shows there are issues.”

One of the care home owners involved in the case, Mike Davies, said: “Our over-riding concern from the outset has been the need to provide high quality, sustainable services for the people for whom we provide care.

“This latest judgment has therefore come as a huge relief, most importantly for the residents of the homes involved and the dedicated staff who look after them.

“It is also a huge relief for the families of those residents and they too have been very supportive of our efforts to resolve this issue.”

Last year a similar decision resulted in Pembrokeshire offering to increase its weekly payment for each care home resident from £390 to £464 but the seven homes involved in the action disputed the method used by the council to arrive at the figure.

That led to the latest judgment and Mario Kreft added: “Pembrokeshire have chosen to play hard ball and this is the result.

“The judgment is a victory for equality and for the principle that if a care provider invests in providing services then he or she should not be out of pocket.”

“The judgment took account of the current financial climate.  What we want now is to work together with the Welsh Government and local government to ensure a proper, sustainable service for the people of Wales.

“Over 70 per cent of the people in care homes in Wales are receiving their care from public funds so the criteria for that funding should be equal across the country and be sustainable.

“We have been campaigning for 20 years for the local and national governments to sit down with us and work out a proper approach.

“It’s not just about more money, it’s about sustainable services and how they link with the rest of social care and the NHS.

“There are over 23,000 beds in care homes in Wales. It’s a hugely important part of the tapestry of social care in the country.

“At Care Forum Wales we want to work within the context of a public services ethos so that we plan for what communities need in terms of social care, both residential and domiciliary.

“The judgment is a very positive step towards resolving this long-running difficulty of getting local authorities and health boards to recognise the true costs of running care homes, but the next step is to work together to provide sustainable services.

“This isn’t about business operators, it’s about people and the service provided can only be sustainable if we work together under the Memorandum of Understanding that was signed up to by all those involved in social care.

“We need to move forward in the spirit of partnership and Care Forum Wales is writing to the Welsh Government and the WLGA to reconvene the Memorandum of Understanding as a matter of urgency early in the New Year.”

Dementia sufferers in Wales are falling victim to con artists who target them with cold calls, mail scams and mis-sold policies according to charity, The Alzheimer’s Society.

Research, published in its report, Short Changed: Protecting People With Dementia From Financial Abuse on December 14, shows that people with dementia in Wales have victims of scams totalling more than £5million.

The report calls for people with the condition to be better protected from financial abuse.

It reveals that 62% of carers in Wales, England and Northern Ireland said the person they look after had been approached by unscrupulous door-to-door salesmen and 70% regularly received telephone cold calls.

Read More: WalesOnline/dementia_sufferers_conned

A report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission into care of the elderly at home in England is published today following a 12-month inquiry.

The report, 'Close To Home: Older People and Human Rights in Home Care' follows an investigation into what extent public authorities promote and protect the human rights of older people (aged 65 and over) who need home-based care and support.

Among its conclusions, the report found:

• Many older people receive care at home which respects and enhances their human rights but this is by no means a universal experience
  
• There are areas of real concern in the treatment of some older people and significant shortcomings in the way that care is commissioned by local authorities
  
• There is a legal loophole so that the majority of older people who receive care at home – if they pay for all or part of it themselves or if it is delivered by a private or voluntary sector organisation – are not protected by the Human Rights Act

The authors of the report said: "We hope our report will make a difference to the lives of older people and assist the process of Government's planned reforms to adult social care.

"There are significant risks to the human rights of older people who require or receive home based care and support, yet the duties and responsibilities of those providing, commissioning, funding or regulating the care and support system to protect and promote human rights are far from clear.

"We want older people to continue to enjoy their human rights and freedomes which everyone expects. After all, one day we may need home care ourselves or know someone who does."

For the executive summary of the report see:  http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/uploaded_files/homecareFI/home_care_exec_summary_final.pdf

For the full report see: http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/uploaded_files/homecareFI/home_care_report.pdf

Award for Care Forum Wales' Mario Kreft

The chairman of Care Forum Wales, Mario Kreft, has been recognised by the Welsh Government for his pioneering work in social care.

Also the proprietor of care home Pendine Park in Wrexham, Mr Kreft was honoured with a special Recognising Achievement award from First Minister Carwyn Jones during a ceremony at Ruthin Castle on November 10.

Mr Kreft is the chair and a founder member of Care Forum Wales. "One of my proudest achievements was founding the Wales Care Awards which celebrates the skill and dedication of the unsung heroes and heroines of social care," said Mr Kreft. The event will be celebrating its 10th anniversary next year.

Among the first to congratulate Mario was Welsh Government Health Minister Lesley Griffiths. She said: "I am delighted Mario's hard work, determination and commitment has been recognised in this way.

"I know he will say this honour is a team award but every team needs a leader and he always leads from the front and is very deserving of this accolade."

Mr Kreft added: "The Achievement Award is recognition of the huge contribution of social care in communities right across Wales, including the teams at Care Forum Wales and Pendine Park.

"It's a huge team effort and a reward for all the work we've been doing together over the years to raise standards in social care and promote the profession."

ends

A new UK Government campaign being launched in England will highlight the fact that six out of 10 cases of dementia in elderly people go undiagnosed - because relatives often confuse the normal signs of ageing with symptoms of dementia.

As part of the campaign, which is aimed at encouraging early diagnosis, families are being urged to look out for the warning signs of dementia when they visit their elderly relatives during the coming festive season.

Experts believe Christmas is a time when many people realise family members may have a memory problem. They are now being warned to act on it and seek help sooner rather than later.

The Department of Health advert, part of a £2m TV and national press campaign on the issue, tells the story of a man in the early stages of dementia, and his daughter, who feels she is losing her father.

It highlights the importance of contacting a GP if you or a relative have symptoms like memory loss, confusion and anxiety.

Pilots of the Department of Health initiative suggest it helps people realise that early diagnosis of dementia can lead to better treatment and the slowing down of symptoms.

 A lot of relatives first notice problems when they visit family members over Christmas, prompting a big increase in calls to the Alzheimer's Society's helpline. In January 2011 it recorded a 43% rise in calls.

Alzheimer's Society chief executive, Jeremy Hughes, said: "It's when you see someone you perhaps haven't seen for a while that you can see the difference.

"If their memory is going, if they're getting confused, if they have sudden mood changes, that's the time to say, 'Maybe you should see your doctor.'."

More than 800,000 people in the UK have dementia - and many are never diagnosed. There is no cure, but with the right treatment, the symptoms can be slowed down.

For help understanding the symptoms of dementia see: www.alzheimers.org.uk/dementia_symptoms

READ MORE: www.telegraph.co.uk/elderhealth/early-dementia-diagnosis
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2058307/Dementia-6-10-Alzheimers-cases-undiagnosed.html#ixzz1d0snncMo

Supported Living Care Practitioner Award
Jakub Nowak
GOLD

Beverley Millington
SILVER

Lisa Taylor
BRONZE

Residential Care Practitioner Award
Rebecca Griffiths
GOLD

Stacey Howells
SILVER

Rhian
Thomas
BRONZE

Leadership and Management in Residential Care Services Award
Deborah Wellington
GOLD

Mari Jones
SILVER (JOINT)

Ann Hughes
SILVER (JOINT

Leadership and Management in Supported Living Care Practitioner Award
Michelle Willis
GOLD

Jaymylee Colyer
SILVER

Lucie Williams
BRONZE

Promoting Fulfilled Lives Award
Keith
Jones
GOLD

Gerry
Humphries
SILVER

Peter
Gough
BRONZE (JOINT)

Wendy Parker
BRONZE (JOINT)

Commitment to Training Workforce Development Award
Anne Dwyer Thomas
GOLD

Sarah House
SILVER

Wendy Harvey
BRONZE

Exceptional Newcomer Award
Laura Emery
GOLD

Karl Houldsworth
SILVER

Jamie Jeffries
BRONZE

Nurse of the Year Award
Karen Woods
GOLD

Colin Short
SILVER

Sarah Coleman
BRONZE

Outstanding service Award
Joyce Royal
GOLD

Nina Wright
SILVER

Rosalyn Wilmott
BRONZE

Excellence in Dementia Care Award
Mark Bailey
GOLD

Catherine Ellis
SILVER

Sarah Coleman
BRONZE

Leading Practice in Learning Disability Services Award
Linda Jones
GOLD

Dorian Williams
SILVER

The Social Care Health and Safety Award
Brian Harris
GOLD

Excellence in Housekeeping and Hospitality Award
 Jo Davies
GOLD

Elizabeth Evans
SILVER

Shani Withers
BRONZE

Innovation in Residential Care for Children and Young People Award
 Nicola Graham
GOLD

The Peter Clarke Award in Promoting Excellence in Services for Children and Young People Award
 Darren Jackson
GOLD

Karen Hodges
SILVER

Julie Jones
BRONZE

Excellence in Mental Health Award
David Davies
GOLD

Ann Chapman
SILVER

Kathryn Taylor
BRONZE

Catering in Care Award
Jayne Lee
GOLD (JOINT)

Steve Coote
GOLD (JOINT)

April Caldwell
BRONZE

Dignity in Care Award
Linda Jones
GOLD

Peter Gough
GOLD

Karen Woods
GOLD

Gerry Humphries
GOLD

Spirit of Care Award
Darren Jackson
WINNER

The Craig Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award
Eurwen Edwards, OBE, BEM
WINNER

Care Forum Wales Care Award for Exceptional Services to the independent social care sector
Shokat Babul
WINNER

Consultation on the use of the ‘dementia’ category in care homes in Wales    http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JZWHZMW

• Currently in Wales, the Care and Social Services Inspectorate (CSSIW), the regulating body for adult social care, requires a care home to have gained registration within the ‘dementia category’ if they provide care for people with a dementia.
• But in reality it is likely that many people with dementia are being cared for in places without the dementia registration. Current estimates suggest that two thirds of care home residents have a dementia, but only a third of care home beds are registered for the dementia category.
• There is an argument that the current practice offers a disincentive to diagnose dementia in those who are already resident in a care home, in case they are required to move to a home registered within the dementia category.
• Others argue that a dementia diagnosis in itself says little about a person’s needs, and it is ensuring that the person’s needs are met which should be the focus.
• In England, categories of registration are no longer used. Instead, people are encouraged to refer to the care home’s ‘statement of purpose’ when deciding whether a care home can meet the needs of a person with dementia.

These and related issues have prompted the CSSIW to commission DSDC Wales to undertake a consultation in relation to the potential impact of making changes to the categorisation of care homes in relation to dementia care in Wales. We would be most grateful for your views on the current situation, which will inform our recommendations concerning the potential impact of discontinuing the use of the ‘dementia category’.  
We would be extremely grateful if you could follow the link below and respond to the questions within the next two weeks. All answers will remain confidential.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JZWHZMW

For further details contact:

Professor Bob Woods
DSDC Wales, Bangor University,
43 College Road, Bangor LL57 2DG
Tel: +44 1248 383719
e-mail: b.woods@bangor.ac.uk
web-site: www.bangor.ac.uk/dsdc
DSDC – the Bangor Centre for Research & Development on Dementia Care Services

More than 500 people attended the Wales Care Awards at City Hall, Cardiff on Friday October 21 in an awards ceremony highlighting the vital role of care workers and the social care sector to the people of Wales.

In a lively ceremony, ably hosted by BBC Wales newsreader Lucy Owen, nearly 50 care workers and managers received awards for their services to the social care sector in Wales.

Guest singer Shân Cothi wowed the crowd at the awards dinner where guests included the Welsh Government Health Minister, Lesley Griffiths, who presented all the winners with their awards.

Also present at the ceremony was Older People's Commissioner for Wales, Ruth Marks, along with politicians and hundreds of business people with links to the social care sector, as well as many social care workers themselves.

To see the full list of winners: WALES CARE AWARDS WINNERS 2011

THE Wales Care Awards take place in Cardiff's City Hall tonight (October 21).

The aim of the awards, first held in 2003, is to raise public awareness of the vital contribution made by the social care workforce to the health and wellbeing of the people of Wales. 

Sponsored by Barclays Corporate, they will be held in the presence of The Right Honorable the Lord Mayor of the City and County of Cardiff and The Lady Mayoress, Councilor Professor Delme Bowen and Ms Pamela Morgan.

The awards will be presented by Mrs Gwenda Thomas, AM, Deputy Minister for Children and Social Services and are hosted by BBC Wales' TV news anchor Lucy Owen.

Wales Care Awards shortlist announced

THE shortlist for the prestigious Wales Care Awards, which take place in Cardiff on October 21, has been announced.

A total of 46 staff and organisations are up for one of 17 awards ranging from Nurse of the Year to the Peter Clarke Award for Promoting Excellence in Services for Children and Young People. Categories where awards are given also include mental health care, dementia care, health and safety and catering.

Mario Kreft, chairman of Care Forum Wales, said: “We look forward to celebrating the best practice in social care and the dedication of the workforce at the Wales Care Awards 2011.”

Wales Care Awards - the shortlist in full: see www.careforumwales.co.uk/care_awards

Steve Elliott, who chairs the special interest group, said: "We're facing a big challenge in the provision of placements for children who need residential care as local authorities try to drive down the cost of placements.

"The challenge for the sector is that we must continue to ensure placements are based on children's needs," he said. "We must continue to set targets for the best possible outcomes.

"As a group we have an important role to play in this and we must make sure our voice is heard in these difficult times," added Mr Elliott.

The residential childcare workforce in Wales, including managers, is estimated at around 2,200, compared with around 70,000 who work in the broader social care sector. Yet the number of children needing residential and specialist childcare is on the increase as recession impacts on already struggling families.

The Wales Care Awards, which take place in Cardiff's City Hall on October 21 and are set to be hosted by BBC1 newsreader Lucy Owen, are just over a month away - and there's still time to book your place.

Tickets, priced at £84, include a three-course meal in the grand surroundings of City Hall. It's a great opportunity to network - including with Welsh Government deputy minister for children and social services Gwenda Thomas.

And it's your chance to celebrate the achievements of Wales' best carers and care providers.

If you'd like to book a place or a table, contact Sue Thomas at Care Forum Wales on 01978 752500

Responsibility for lost time working accident to change from over 3 day to over 7 day reporting

From April 2012.  For further details click here

Older People’s Commissioner seeks assurance on dignity for elderly patients

The Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, Ruth Marks, has asked for further reassurance from health boards that robust measures to protect the dignity of elderly people in their care will be put in place.

Health boards across Wales were given three months to respond to the damning report, published in March 2011, which said that older patients were being denied their basic human rights and hit out at “shamefully inadequate” care in some hospitals.

In a letter to each of the health boards, Ms Marks said: “I have received many good responses, however no health board has provided me with enough information to fully assure me that the interests of older people will be safeguarded and promoted in hospitals in Wales.”

Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/cardiffonline/cardiff-news/2011/07/28/older-people-s-commissioner-more-needs-to-be-done-to-safeguard-dignity-91466-29134864/#ixzz1VBCfY8To

DIARY MARKERS FOR MEMBERS – EVENTS FOR MEMBERS

Calling all nurses –  workshops to support nurses in the independent sector.

Care Homes Nursing Group Workshops

– Thursday 22nd September 2011 - Optic Centre, St Asaph, North Wales and

Wednesday 5th October 2011 - All Nations Centre, Cardiff.

A new training network for nurses in the independent sector. Click here to download booking form.

Keeping at the forefront of information and how to use it.

Essential Update Seminars – commencing September 2011

The seminars will be held in partnership with the Care and Social Services Inspectorate for Wales (CSSIW), Care Council for Wales (CCW) and include CFW policy advisors presentations. Click here to download booking form

Tuesday 20th September - All Nations Centre, Cardiff

Tuesday 27th September - Springfield Hotel, Holywell, North Wales

Thursday 29th September - Treetops Country Club, Swansea

CARE Forum Wales has welcomed the news that CRB checks for care staff are set to become 'portable' - saving care workers and their employers from re-applying and waiting for a CRB check every time an individual moves jobs.

The new regulations are set to take effect soon - details will follow for CFW members in our forthcoming series of Essential Update seminars - following a long campaign by CFW and other care sector organisations to streamline the CRB-checking process for staff with a valid, current check in place.

See website for list of seminars - to be announced soon.

The government is set to begin a major review of the funding of elderly care in England. But in the face of massive financial pressures and an increasingly elderly population, what is going to be the true cost of balancing the books?

New figures seen by the BBC reveal struggling care homes are facing average real term cuts of 2.5% in fees from local councils.

Experts have warned this could mean many more face the same fate as Britain's biggest care provider Southern Cross, which this month narrowly avoided being forced into administration.

Preliminary figures from leading health economist William Laing reveal the extent of the squeeze across the sector.

Mr Laing carries out an annual survey of the fees councils pay to care homes. This year, there has been an average rise in fees across the UK of just 0.5%. This equates to a real terms cut of 2.5% after inflation is taken into account.

Tonight File on 4 investigates how cutbacks are leaving elderly people with insufficient care, and councils with a major financial headache.

The programme also hears from small care home providers who say they are being forced out of business because the fees local authorities now pay them are too low.

For more information - File on 4 is on BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday 28 June at 2000 BST and Sunday 3 July at 1700 BST. Listen again via the BBC iPlayer or download the podcast or click the link http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13896362

Cool Heating

Learn about the Renewable Heat Incentive and modern wood heating

Learn how to save thousands on your heating bills.  This government scheme should be of interest to all  SME's with large heating bills.  It is also particularly good if you have access to your own woodland.  You may have heard of the feed in tariff scheme for renewable electricity, well the government have recently launched a similar scheme to encourage renewable heat:

Come to our free  seminar to learn:

·         About the RHI and how it works

·         Work out how save £’000’s on you or your client’s heating bills

·         Explore how modern wood fuel boilers work in the real world

·         Ensure wood fuels promote excellent air quality, and conform to sustainability standards

·         Network with experts in policy, installation, boiler manufacturers and fuel suppliers

·         Visit projects and speak to organizations who already use modern wood heating

This ‘Cashback’ mechanism has a Government guaranteed fund of £860 million until 2014 and pays clients for 20 years who invest in a range of renewable heat technologies such as modern wood heating (wood chip and pellet boiler systems), plus solar water heating, heat pumps and bio-methane.

The Cool Heating Campaign has been organized by  Woodfuel Wales and the Renewable Energy Association (REA)  inform clients and partners about the investment potential of the new Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) It is supported by the Forestry Commission and the Carbon Trust

For more information click here:

North Wales

South Wales

A Radio 4 documentary, File On 4, is set to tackle the controversial subject of elderly care in its latest programme on Radio 4 tomorrow night (Tuesday, June 28).

Care Forum Wales was among the professional bodies which provided views on the issue of care for the elderly for the progamme which will be aired at 8pm on Radio 4 tomorrow night.

You can follow the programme link here: www.bbc.co.uk/elderlycare

Following Health Minister Lesley Griffiths’ announced spot checks to ensure dignity in care, Deputy Minister for Children and Social Services Gwenda Thomas has also expressed a personal commitment to protecting older people.

She said:

“It is over 10 years since the Welsh Government published ‘In Safe Hands’. At the time this guidance was a ground-breaking policy that looked at developing and implementing local arrangements for protecting vulnerable adults, many of whom were elderly."

The publication by the Welsh Government in March of ‘Sustainable Social Services in Wales: A Framework for Action’ gave a very clear statement that it was a basic right for everyone to be free from exploitation, abuse and neglect regardless of age. It also set out the Welsh Government’s intentions for the future which include establishing a National Safeguarding Board for Adults and Children.

Read more: http://wales.gov.uk/newsroom/healthandsocialcare/2011/110615elder/?lang=en

The theme of Carers’ Week 2011 is ‘The True Face of Carers’.  The campaign aims to find out more about the reality of caring in the UK in 2011: how hard a carer’s life is; the biggest surprises encountered by those taking on a caring role; to what extent caring is a perpetual struggle or a richly rewarding experience; and how much support carers receive.

At least 70% of the care provided to vulnerable people in communities across Wales is given freely by unpaid carers, often family and friends.  

Carers’ Week is an opportunity to celebrate their contribution and to raise awareness of some of the issues those carers face and to look at ways to give them the support they need.

Read more: http://wales.gov.uk/newsroom/healthandsocialcare/2011/110613carers/?lang=en

TODAY sees the launch of a new initiative from Care Forum Wales (CFW) - the launch of a special interest group for nurses working in the care sector.

The new Care Homes Nursing Group kicks off today with a seminar in Cardiff's City Hall. This will be followed next week by a seminar for North Wales-based staff with a meeting in Conwy Business Centre on June 15.

The initiative is aimed at supporting CFW's nurse members by providing them with a forum in which they can share best practice and professional knowledge.

The Care Homes Nursing Group will be split into three branches - one in South East Wales, one in South West Wales and one in North Wales.

Mario Kreft, chief executive of Care Forum Wales, said: "These groups will provide a vehicle for the dissemination and sharing of information, providing support on professional and personal issues. It will also provide a link to the Welsh Government and commissioners and planners of are services."

Once established, the Nursing Group will identify its own agenda and define its future purposes. Members are welcome to book a place to attend the next meeting, in Conwy on June 15, or contact CFW for further information. Non-members are also welcome to attend for a small fee (£35 per delegate).

THE Care Quality Commission (CQC) today (May 26) published the first 12 reports from an inspection programme which will see it examine whether elderly people receive essential standards of care in 100 NHS hospitals in England.

Inspections will focus on whether people are treated with dignity and respect, and whether they get food and drink that meets their needs.  A national report into the findings of the programme will be published in September.

These first 12 inspection reports identify three hospitals as failing to meet the essential standards required by law; Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust and Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust. Less serious concerns were identified in a further three hospitals, with the remaining six found to be meeting essential standards.  All the hospitals where concerns have been identified must now tell the regulator how and when they will improve. The three hospitals failing to meet essential standards could face enforcement action by the regulator if improvements aren’t made.

While the reports document many examples of people being treated with respect and given personalised, attentive care, some tell a bleak story of people not being helped to eat and drink, with their care needs not assessed and their dignity not respected.

Recurring concerns relating to nutrition included:

• people not being given the assistance they needed to eat – meaning they struggled to eat and in some cases were physically unable to eat meals
• their nutritional needs not being assessed and monitored – for example, not being weighed throughout their stay, making it impossible to determine if they were losing weight; or identified as malnourished without an action plan being put in place to address this
• people not being given enough to drink – water left out of reach or no fluids given for long periods of time. In one case, a member of clinical staff described having to prescribe water on medicine charts to ensure patients got enough to drink.

Recurring concerns around dignity and respect included:

• People not involved in their own care – their treatment not explained to them; being told what would happen to them without consent being sought or concerns addressed; staff addressing patients’ relatives rather than the patient themselves
• Staff not treating people in a respectful way – spooning food into people’s mouths from above without engaging with them; discussing personal patient information in open areas.
• Staff speaking to people in a condescending or dismissive way. One man told us that staff “talk to me as if I’m daft. “

However, inspection teams also observed examples of excellent care delivered by nurses and other healthcare staff who took the time to explain every aspect of a patient’s care to them in a way they could understand, interacted with each patient as an individual, spoke to them with respect and ensured their dignity was maintained. And in many hospitals, nutrition and hydration were recognised as an important part of the patient’s recovery, and real efforts were made to ensure that people got meals they enjoyed in a pleasant environment - and the help they needed to eat it. One patient told us “I cannot praise them enough. I am made to feel that I am the most important person.” 

Commenting on the publication of the first reports, Jo Williams, Chair of the CQC, said:

“CQC inspectors have been joined by a practising nurse and an ‘expert by experience’ in our dignity and nutrition inspections ,This has been invaluable to help us build a detailed picture of the care that older people are receiving in NHS hospitals today.

“Many of these reports describe people being ‘cared for’ in the truest sense. Sadly, however, some detail omissions which add up to a failure to meet basic needs - people not spoken to with respect, not treated with dignity, and not receiving the help they need to eat or drink. These are not difficult things to get right – and the fact that staff are still failing to do so is a real concern.

“I will be writing to the Chair of every hospital where this inspection programme has identified poor care to ask what they plan to do address these issues. The key elements that every hospital must have in place are a compassionate staff culture which is driven by strong leadership and supported by good systems.

“These are the basics that help ensure every patient is treated like an individual – not a nuisance to be ignored or a task that must be completed. This is what we expect for ourselves and for our own families, and what every patient should expect from the people who care for them.”

Commenting on the publication of the first reports, Rt Hon Andrew Lansley the Secretary of State for Health, said:

“Everyone admitted to hospital deserves to be treated as an individual, with compassion and dignity. We must never lose sight of the fact that the most important people in the NHS are its patients – that’s why I wanted the CQC to look into the treatment of older patients and stamp out poor care fast. I also believe nursing expertise is vital to improve patient experience, which is why I asked the CQC to ensure these would be nurse-led.

“The inspection teams have seen some exemplary care, but some hospitals are not even getting the basics right. That is unacceptable.

“Where the inspections uncovered appalling levels of care, the CQC will be able to use its enforcement powers to ensure that real improvements are made. By measuring what is important and then publishing the results, I believe we can enter a new era of high quality NHS care for patients.

“In the future, I want our proposals for local HealthWatch organisations to be able to carry out unannounced independent inspections and hold local services to account by drawing on experience from patients and their families.”

- ends -

A Scottish hospital has been severely criticised over the care of an 80-year-old woman with dementia.

The woman was admitted to a hospital ward with a chest infection which meant she had difficulty swallowing.

Before her death, she was given dozens of sedative doses over 16 days in ways the Mental Welfare Commission watchdog deemed distressing and unnecessary.

Both the woman, known as Mrs V, and the hospital have not been named to protect the identity of the woman's family.

Mrs V was admitted to a ward for the elderly in the general hospital in December 2008 after she developed a chest infection. She also had dementia.

Over 11 days she was given no food and became increasingly agitated because she could not understand why people around her were eating.

She was given sedatives rectally 57 times and by injection 29 times, an amount described in a report as "astonishing".

Eventually, when she was allowed to eat small amounts, she became calmer and did not need as much sedation. The woman later died in hospital.

The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland, which examined the case, said her treatment was degrading, unnecessary, and may have breached her human rights.

The commission's report, Starved of Care, said Mrs V was given repeated, uncomfortable and undignified administrations of sedative medication.

'Not typical'

Dr Donald Lyons, chief executive of the commission, said: "We found this to be a wholly inappropriate way to treat a person with severe dementia and life-threatening physical illness.

"Our investigation revealed that nursing attitudes, medical decision-making and monitoring of medication were poor, and that there was a complete lack of a shared view on the best way to manage people with dementia who become physically ill."

Several recommendations for improvement and better training have been made and subsequent visits to the hospital found care had been improved.

The recommendations to the NHS board involved included training on the management of delirium and use and misuse of medication, along with risk assessment guidance and triggers for advice from mental health specialists.

The commission added that visits to a range of general hospitals suggested the case was not typical of the care which people with dementia receive.

A Scottish government spokesman said the care given was "unacceptable".

He said: "Many of the issues the report identifies are already being addressed through the national dementia strategy published last summer. Work is well under way at national and local level to make these improvements and we expect that to continue over the coming months.

"For example, the strategy - Scotland's first ever for dementia - was clear that general care in acute hospitals needs to get better at identifying and supporting people who have dementia."

Standards of care for people with dementia are due to be published next week.

A spokeswoman from the Scottish Human Rights Commission said: "The possible infringements of core human rights principles as highlighted in the report - the right to dignity and to be free from degrading treatment - need to be taken seriously and lessons learned by all."

The cost of caring for the elderly could treble by 2050, according to a report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The body, which represents the most industrialised nations, estimates that 10% of people in OECD countries will be more than 80 years old by 2050.

That is up from 4% in 2010 and less than 1% in 1950.

The OECD report said member countries are spending 1.5% of GDP on long term care.

It predicts spending as a share of economic output will double or even triple in the next forty years.

The report said countries must face up to the challenge of caring for ageing populations. It said a vision of long term care was needed and that "muddling through" was not an option.

Angel Gurría, OECD Secretary-General, said: "With costs rising fast, countries must get better value for money from their spending on long-term care.

"The piecemeal policies in place in many countries must be overhauled in order to boost productivity and support family carers who are the backbone of long-term care systems."

However, the report warns against relying too heavily on family members. It says low pay and hard working conditions result in a high turnover of care workers and that many countries were struggling to meet demand.

It says Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden had all increased retention by boosting pay and improving working conditions.

The OECD also said there was likely to be an increased need for migrant workers.

DIARY MARKERS FOR MEMBERS – FREE EVENTS FOR MEMBERS

Calling all nurses – FREE workshops to support nurses in the independent sector.

FREE Care Homes Nursing Group Workshops – 8^th and 15^th June 2011

A new training network for nurses in the independent sector. Dates for the workshops are 8^th June – City Hall, Cardiff and 15^th June, Conwy Business Centre, Conwy.  To book click here.

WALES’ new Health Minister has spoken of the “massive challenge” ahead of her as she pledged to target poor ambulance response times and flagging waiting lists.

Lesley Griffiths, the first North Wales AM to hold the health portfolio, said she would listen to and act on the concerns of frontline NHS staff.

Speaking during her first ministerial visit to the University Hospital of Wales, in Cardiff, where she toured the emergency department, Ms Griffiths said her immediate priority would be to deliver Labour’s key manifesto commitments.

These include extending GP opening hours in the evenings and on Saturday mornings and introducing free health MoTs for the over 50s.

She said: “My priorities have to be those that were set out before the people of Wales – better access to GPs at weekends and in the evenings and introducing health checks.

“We have a shrinking budget from Westminster so we will have to look at priorities and where we can save money but we are not going to go the way of the UK Government – we don’t want to see privatisation.

“I also want to look at ambulance response times, which is something I’ve picked up from my own advice surgeries and I need to look at waiting times. We have met these targets but I don’t want to see them slip.

“Priorities have to include taking forward things like an organ donation bill and in terms of access to GPs, I need to look at the GP contract to make sure we can negotiate these issues.”

Asked why she will not reconsider Labour’s flagship free prescriptions policy to save money – a manifesto pledge put forward by the Welsh Conservatives – she said: “People really value free prescriptions. It keeps people in work and we know that worklessness leads to poor health.”

Ms Griffiths is Wales’ fourth health minister, taking over from previous incumbent Edwina Hart, who has been appointed Business Minister in the new Labour administration.

Like previous health ministers, she has been quick to say she will listen to frontline staff, saying: “By going out and meeting frontline staff I can pick up things that can be taken forward.

“I have a lot of friends in the NHS – they are so dedicated and committed. You rarely find anyone who hasn’t gone into it without that commitment and I don’t just mean doctors and nurses.”

Ms Griffiths, a former medical secretary who worked in the NHS for 20 years, assumes political control of the NHS at a time when it is facing an “unprecedented” financial situation – 10 years of growth in the health budget are now over.

The NHS faces three years of a real-terms reduction in its budget at the same time as demand for its services is increasing as a result of an ageing population blighted by long-term chronic ill health and by rising patient expectations.

Orthopaedic waiting times are continuing to breach the Government’s 26-week target in South Wales, although Mrs Hart had previously pledged extra money to reduce waiting times.

Ms Griffiths will be responsible for delivering the Government’s long-term vision of a world-class health service, which treats more patients closer to home.

Her tenure as Health Minister will also coincide with a series of tough decisions about what services the NHS provides – and where.

A series of controversial clinical reviews questioning the future of emergency and consultant-led services at hospitals in North Wales has already been opposed by patients and health professionals. Those reviews are expected to recommence following the elections.

Other health boards are likely to follow suit as they look for ways to save money while still providing core services.

Ms Griffiths, AM for Wrexham, said: “Some people have said you will never win and I suppose it’s true you can never have enough money.

“The NHS is something that people in Wales hold dear to their hearts – all of us use the NHS; all of us will have an experience and something to say about it but I think we have an NHS that we should be immensely proud of.

“It is a massive challenge but I’m hugely privileged and this is something I am looking forward to.

“As the First Minister said, it’s about delivering and I know I have to deliver.

“We have to make sure the policies going forward are the right ones. We will be judged very much on what happens this term, which is why we have to get it right.”

Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/05/18/new-wales-health-minister-s-massive-challenge-91466-28713262/#ixzz1MhTbTSVd

Care Forum Wales has launched a manifesto which calls for the 'renewal' of social care services in Wales - and for social care to be put at the top of the new Welsh Government's political agenda.

According to CFW, the challenges facing newly-elected AMs include:

* listening to people in Wales who use services and respecting their choices about where and how their needs are met

* recognising the value of the social care workforce by promoting workforce training initiatives

* ensuring public sector agencies recognise the contribution and role of the independent care sector

* making sure 'value for money' takes into account the quality of care being delivered

It's all change at the department for health and social services at the Welsh Assembly Government following First Minister Carwyn Jones' announcement of his new cabinet today (May 13).

He announced former health minister Edwina Hart would move to the business portfolio - making way for former skills minister, Lesley Griffiths, as Health and Social Services Minister.

Labour AM for Wrexham Ms Griffiths was born and raised in north east Wales and spent 20 years working in the NHS for Wrexham Maelor Hospital before embarking on a career in politics. She was elected as AM for Wrexham in 2007 and was appointed as Deputy Minister for Science, Innovation and Skills in December 2009.

Gwenda Thomas has been reappointed as Deputy Minister for Children and Social Services, a role she held in the last Assembly.

For full details of Mr Jones' new cabinet follow the link: wales.gov.uk/newsroom/firstminister/2011/cabinet

For more about the new Health Minister, follow the link: www.lesleygriffiths.org/about

ends

CLEARER information on fees and contracts is now being given to potential care home residents and their families, according to a new report by the Office of Fair Trading (report of May 6).

In its report, the OFT compared the quality of information being given now to would-be residents with that in 2005. It found that more care home users are now being given a contract with terms and conditions and that it was easier to get a detailed breakdown of fees.

The research, carried out by GHK Consulting, was based on interviews with care home residents, a survey of care homes, a mystery shopping exercise, and a survey of local authorities. 

It revealed:

• 94 per cent of care homes say they provide residents with a contract or statement of terms and conditions, compared with 82 per cent six years ago
• 90 per cent of mystery shopper callers were able to obtain information on fee levels, and 79 per cent of care homes surveyed now report that they provide detailed price lists to prospective residents 
• following an OFT recommendation to establish a 'one stop shop' for information, the First Stop Care Advice service was set up which, alongside the Care Information website and helpline in Scotland, has seen high rates of satisfaction.

Care Forum Wales' Mike Kemp, who contributed to the research, said: "We aim to promote best practice among our members who run care homes and care homes groups - and this includes providing clear information to would-be residents and their families. I am pleased to have been able to help contribute to this research and that the picture is improving across the country."

To read the full report: www.oft.gov.uk/news/carehome_information

ends

A free course offering an introduction to health and social care is up for grabs for care sector staff. The course includes modules on making care safer and different care settings - and would be ideal for newcomers to the sector or as a refresher for experienced staff to build confidence and skills, and provide a career boost.

The course which is delivered by the Open Unisersity, is described by the organiser, the Community Lives Consortium in Swansea, as "broad, interactive and practical".

It says, "This course takes you into the lives of care workers and care service users by using the latest interactive study techniques delivered by the Open University. You will complete frequent activities to set you thinking – drawing on your own ideas and experience to deepen your learning and help you understand the essentials of good practice."

The course, normally costing £650, is being sponsored by the Open University and Unison and is open to non-union members* (*although Unison members get priority). To sign up contact Karen or Nicola on 01792 646640.

• making care safer
• diverse communities and resources for care
• people and places: care settings
• the shaping of care services in the UK
• who cares? the sensitivity of care situations
• working with life experience: care needs
  

DIARY MARKERS FOR MEMBERS – FREE EVENTS FOR MEMBERS

How to make your organization a Dignity Champion.

FREE Dignity in Care Workshops – 5^th, 17^th, 19^th & 26^th May 2011

Time - 9.30 - 3.15

Care Forum Wales is being supported through the Welsh Assembly Government Dignity in Care initiative to provide members with an important FREE training opportunity. Please see newsletter and booking form for further details.

The deadline for nominations for the Wales Care Awards has been extended to April 29 - so you have just under a week to nominate some of the unsung heroes of the care industry.

The Wales Care Awards 2011, which will take place on Friday October 21 at City Hall, Cardiff, are the brainchild of Care Forum Wales which aims to raise the status of the social care profession - and emphasise the value of the many thousands of social care workers who provide such an important service across Wales.

Short-listed nominees will receive either a bronze, silver or gold Wales Care Award, invitation for themselves and a guest to the Gala Award Ceremony including free overnight accommodation at a 5* hotel.

To nominate, and find out about the many awards categories, please click to download form:

Mary Wimbury joins Care Forum Wales as senior policy advisor.  She takes over from Barry Latham who retired recently after 13 years service with Care Forum Wales.

Mary Wimbury joins Care Forum Wales from the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust, an educational charity, which she was director for just over five years.  She has previously worked in London, undertaking a variety of lobbying and communications roles, for the BBC and local government organisations.  Mary moved to North Wales in 2010 following her husband’s  appointment to a job based in Colwyn Bay.

Mary can be contacted at enquiries@careforumwales.com

Barry Latham, senior policy advisor for Care Forum Wales retired in April after 13 years' service with Care Forum Wales.

Mr Latham, from Abergele won the Lifetime Achievement Award at last year's Wales Care Awards in Cardiff. He started his working life as a chartered civil engineer.  He retired from local government after 20 years in 1996 and became a CFW policy adviser in Ocotober 1997.

"It's been a very interesting and rewarding job," said Mr Latham. "I am a civil engineer by profession but I've had a lot more satisfaction out of this role."

Mario Kreft, honorary chief executive of Care Forum Wales, paid a heartfelt tribute to Mr Latham, thanking him for his "immense contribution" to the independent care sector in Wales. 

He said: "The detailed policy work that Barry did for us has played a vital role in supporting people in the front line of social care. We wish him and his wife Andrea a long and happy retirement."

Mr Latham plans to hitch up his caravan for some serious home and abroad touring in retirement - happy travels!

A campaign has been launched to give government care inspectors greater powers to stop local authorities flouting statutory guidance.

According to Care Forum Wales, there are numerous examples of “irrational behaviour” when councils commission services to look after elderly and vulnerable people.

The organisation, which is the main representative body of the care sector in Wales, is calling for stricter enforcement of official guidelines..

The plea to the new Welsh Assembly Government is contained in a manifesto published by Care Forum Wales.  Click here to download the CFW Manifesto.

Honorary Chief Executive Mario Kreft explained: “The important part of the manifesto is putting service users and social care workers at the heart of all we do in Wales.

“We’re seeing still some quite irrational behaviour by social service departments as they try to balance budgets without fully involving service users, care providers and the social care workforce.

 “The new Government needs to give the Care Standards Inspectorate for Wales greater powers to ensure that they follow statutory guidance when they are commissioning services.

“One of the most important aspects is that the people who are affected by change are being consulted and that primarily is service users.

 “A couple of years ago we signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)and the other signatories included the Welsh Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Social Services Cymru.

“It was a ground-breaking agreement in the UK to provide a framework for working together but already there is little evidence in some areas that it’s worth more than the paper it’s written on.

“We want to go back to those basic principles on which good partnership working is based..

“At the moment we seem to be faced with departments obsessed with cutting budgets but they don’t seem to have the wherewithal to understand the problems and get a much better service with the providers they’ve got.

“There are authorities that have changed their arrangements without working with providers and consulting with service users and their families.

 “There is an irrational approach to tendering. Social care is different to buying a widget for a car or something that can be easily imported from another country in Europe.

“We don’t have to go down the route of compulsory competitive tendering. We have agreed and accepted in Wales that the market alone should not be the determining factor in commissioning services.

“A tendering process driven by purely market forces is contrary to the public service ethos.

“The bottom price will almost certainly not provide the level and quality of services of the reliability and sustainability that we want.

“Under European legislation, there is an opportunity to work with existing providers  and others to bring about a new way of working.

“What we’re seeing in far too many local authority areas is this irrational behaviour playing out and closing off the opportunities for innovation we would like to adopt.

“We need to streamline the commissioning process so that we can deliver better and more cost-effective services for Wales.

“There’s a lot to be said for spending the Welsh pound in Wales. We don’t necessarily need to bring in multi-national companies to provide a first class service.

“We can work with very good small and medium social care enterprises that  already exist and do a damn good job.

“There is lack of understanding in social services departments that they can get the outcomes that they want as a local authority by working through local partnerships as agreed in the MOU.

“We have rising demand and scarce resources. We don’t need to follow a one size fits all tendering process – we can be imaginative.

“How can it be right that a voluntary or not for profit organisation offering a fantastic service can be excluded from the tendering process if they are not part of an approved list which is effectively a closed shop over a fixed term.

Sadly, our experience suggests that unless, the Assembly gives the Care Standards Inspectorate greater powers including sanctions we may well be having the same discussion in 10 years’ time when many of Wales’s social care enterprises have been consigned to history.

“What we want to ensure that local government is made to follow the law and comply with statutory guidance. 

“We all have to abide by the law and we expect best practice in terms of commissioning social care services..

“It seems to me unforgiveable that, in a country that was the first in the world to appoint and Older Person’s Commissioner, that the people affected by changes are not being consulted about them.

“The inspectorate is already looking into the situation in Cardiff where service users were not engaged and we are now urging the new Government to look into a similar situation in North Wales.

“We have the highest proportion of older people in the UK and it is now time to show leadership and an understanding of the medium to long term effects of policy.

“Something has to be done and we are hoping the new Government is going to get a grip of the situation.”

DIARY MARKERS FOR MEMBERS – FREE EVENTS FOR MEMBERS

Planning for Success - Is your business well placed to meet the challenges of the next 5 years?

FREE Commissioning Workshops - 19^th , 20^th and 28^th April 2011

A series of three FREE events on commissioning guidance are being organized in April. Please see newsletter for further details. To book – complete the application form.

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Keeping at the forefront of information and how to use it.

FREE Essential Update Seminars – commencing June 2011

The seminars will be held in partnership with the Care and Social Services Inspectorate for Wales (CSSIW), Care Council for Wales (CCW) and include CFW policy advisors presentations. Further details to follow.

Charities to launch 'toolkit' to help safeguard elderly people from abuse

Age Cymru and Age UK are to launch an 'elder abuse awareness' toolkit in Cardiff on May 5.

Designed to help Third Sector organisations develop and promote good practice among staff and volunteer teams when it comes to safeguarding elderly people from abuse, the toolkit is being launched at a series of workshops in England and Wales.

Louise Hughes, elder abuse programme manager at Age Cymru, will give a keynote speech on the importance of identifying and preventing abuse. 

And a local government member of staff will explain how Third Sector organisations can make a valuable contribution to 'safeguarding' in Wales.

The workshop will take place in the Marriot Hotel, Cardiff on May 5 starting at 12 noon, with registration and networking opportunities over lunch. 

Speeches and activities will begin at 1 pm and finish at 4 pm.  Reasonable travel expenses to the event, in excess of £30, will be reimbursed.

For more information and to book a place email ffion.jones@agecymru.org.uk or visit http://www.ageuk.org.uk/cymru/professional-resources/elder-abuse-resources/

A report by the Old People's Commissioner in Wales, Ruth Marks, has hit out at the "shocking" care some elderly patients with dementia receive in Welsh hospitals.

Ruth Marks said: "The treatment of too many older people in Wales is shamefully inadequate,". She went on, "What I found really shocking was the difference in experience that older people have in hospitals in Wales."

The report, Dignified Care, was released today (March 14, 2011). Among its 12 recommendations, the report calls for stronger leadership on hospital wards and better training for staff especially on caring for people with dementia.

The Commissioner has called for ‘fundamental change’ to ensure that older people are always treated with dignity and respect when they are in hospital - and reminded health organisations that she has legal powers to bring about change if necessary. 

While it highlights good practice in some Welsh hospitals, the report also includes distressing testimony from patients, their families and from an independent panel of inquiry.

www.olderpeoplewales.com/index.php?id=504&L=0

Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/health-news/2011/03/14/damning-report-blasts-the-care-of-elderly-in-hospital-91466-28329549/#ixzz1GaDidEY9

THE legal battle over the fees paid by Pembrokeshire County Council to four local care homes has cost council taxpayers more than a quarter of a million pounds, according to figures released under the Freedom of Information Act.

The figures, obtained by the Western Telegraph last week (March 9, 2011), show that the case which ended after a High Court judicial review, has cost £278,000.

This figure includes legal costs, a back payment of £69,506 ordered by the court, plus an interim payment of £24,784 made during the case, according to the paper.

The judicial review in December 2010 followed fears that four Pembrokeshire care homes could be forced to close - they said the weekly fees paid by the council were too low.

However after the review the council was ordered to increase its payments to care homes and a weekly fee of £448 per resident, per week was set for 2010 to 2011.

Care Forum Wales today (March 1) celebrates its 18th birthday.

Honorary chief executive of Care Forum Wales, Mario Kreft, said, "It's happy birthday to St David and happy birthday to us.

 "We look forward to continuing to serve the independent care sector in Wales for another 18 years, working to improve standards across the sector so we can ensure all those who need it get the best possible standards of care."

Mario Kreft, chief executive of Care Forum Wales, has welcomed the Welsh Assembly Government's proposals which will see councils team up in future to deliver social care.

Speaking to the Western Mail after the launch of the new framework, Sustainable Social Services For Wales: A Framework For Action, Mr Kreft hailed the new plans as "a victory for common sense".

The document, launched by Deputy Social Services Minister Gwenda Thomas yesterday (February 17, 2011), recognises that 22 separate council departments can no longer deal with a rising demand and tackle a national postcode lottery in care unless they work together.

Local authorities have until the end of the year to outline proposals to the Assembly Government as to how they will work together in future. Officials have made it clear that the status quo is not an option.

Mr Kreft added: "We, like many other organisations, have been stressing that we simply cannot sustain 22 different ways of commissioning services with different eligibility criteria.”

A new blueprint for looking after vulnerable people and children in Wales has been hailed as a victory for common sense.  To download the guidance click here.

The Welsh Assembly Government’s White Paper on social care will help to slash red tape and concentrate resources on front line services.

The document, Sustainable Social Services for Wales: a Framework for Action, was unveiled in Cardiff today (Wednesday, February 17) by Gwenda Thomas, Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services.

The aim is to create three regional hubs to take over responsibility for commissioning services from the 22 local authorities in Wales.

The White Paper was welcomed by Care Forum Wales (CFW), the main body representing the independent social care sector in Wales.

According to Care Forum Wales, it was particularly pleased that plans for a national approach to assessing the needs of vulnerable people would help to end the postcode lottery in care and help to reduce pressure on the NHS.

The White Paper was published against a backdrop of cash-strapped local authorities paying “unrealistic fees” to independent care providers and a “lack of partnership working” from them.

CFW believes a better integration of the independent sector will help to reduced bed blocking in hospital by providing more appropriate and more cost-effective care in the community.

Chief Executive Mario Kreft said: “Care Forum Wales would like to commend the Deputy Minister, Gwenda Thomas, for the leadership she has shown and her commitment to the dignity in care and partnership agenda.

“Mrs Thomas and her colleagues have done an exemplary job in devising a new and coherent vision for the future.

“It’s been based on a wide-ranging consultation through an independent commission and it’s an opportunity we must seize.”

“We’re delighted with the White Paper because it’s a victory for common sense.

“It recognises that at a time of increasing need; with dwindling resources, this is a blueprint for action.

“The White Paper will enshrine in law the importance of the contribution of the independent sector in providing social care.

“In a couple of weeks Care Forum Wales will be coming of age when it celebrates its 18th anniversary.

“This is the only organisation that represents the whole of the independent sector in Wales and the independent providers who are going to have a place at the partnership table.

“According to the Welsh Assembly Government, we will be able to play a full role in developing provision and shaping the commissioning process – and this is music to our ears.

“At a time of austerity, this is about doing things better and more cost-effectively.

“We, like many other organisations, have been stressing that we simply cannot sustain 22 different ways of commissioning services with different eligibility criteria.

“In the case of social care, we also have local health boards to deal with so you can be a provider in Wales with 29 contracts. It flies in the face of the current financial reality.

“This new approach will mean that resources can be focused on the sharp end where they need to be.

“The changes will also mean more people can remain independent at home and those who need 'step-up' or 'step-down' facilities don’t need to go to hospital but can find another more appropriate service.

“Equally, those in hospital will be able to be discharged more promptly and more safely and supported in an appropriate community setting.

“The most damning failure of the current system is the lack of a national eligibility framework and portable assessments of need which led to a postcode lottery of care and huge, unnecessary pressure on the NHS.

“At Care Forum Wales, we have been calling for the proposed national framework since 1993 and we are delighted that this is a central plank of the new policy.

“The idea of having a single set of eligibility criteria that are transferable has to be right. It defies logic to have so many different contracts when we can streamline the service.

“This blueprint sets out a new approach and the ways of working in the past are no longer acceptable or fit for purpose.

“We need a new start and this provides us with a direction of travel. The fact that this is policy and that we are looking seriously at having three commissioning areas means that we can bring together the energy, experience and innovation that will be needed for the services of tomorrow.

“It’s right that social services is left within the sphere of local government as the delivery arm but it surely has to follow national policy in relation to provision and commissioning guidance.

“It’s essential that local authorities work in partnership and, importantly, within the legal framework.

“Another important element of the White Paper is the commitment to the development and professionalisation of the workforce which certainly chimes with our priorities.

“As the Health Service Ombudsman in England pointed out earlier this week, some of these issues are not about resources – they are about compassion and treating people with dignity and respect."

It was revealed yesterday that Fron Yw, a nursing home in Llandyrnog, in Denbighshire, is closing.

Meanwhile, the Southern Care Group, which has nine homes in Wrexham, Abergele, Prestatyn and Colwyn Bay, went into administration last year and Cardiff City Council is cutting the number of agencies currently providing care at home services to the elderly and infirm from 56 to 11 as part of a “fundamentally flawed” process.

A recent High Court judgement in relation to four care homes in Pembrokeshire found that the County Council there had acted unlawfully because it had not followed Assembly guidance.

The judge made it clear that this can no longer continue and councils will have to show compelling reasons if they deviate from that guidance.

ends

Britain faces a “dementia catastrophe” unless Alzheimer’s is tackled with the same 'aggression' deployed in the fight against Aids, charities have warned today (Feb 9).

The Welsh Assembly Government is calling for care providers to sign up for its free online 'care needs projection system'.

It wants providers to sign up for the web-based system (called 'Daffodil') by February 11, 2011 so that it can complete its roll-out of the system by April 1. 

Daffodil covers children and young people, adults and older people and will be of use to planners, commissioners and service managers. It provides data on an all-Wales basis, on an individual local authority basis and on a regional local health board basis.

So far only NHS and public sector employees can use the system but the aim is to roll out the system to allow access for care providers by April 1.

If you would like access to Daffodil when it becomes available to providers you should e-mail your organisation's details (by Feb 11) to:

sue.lloydselby@wales.gsi.gov.uk

The information I will need is your organisation’s website address i.e. the part that appears after the www (this part of the address is generally what will appear after the ‘@’ in your organisation's email addresses).

If you have any queries you can contact Susan Lloyd-Selby, senior project manager for 
Value Wales on 07812 601973.

Dear member,
 
CFW is working with Community Care magazine to uncover the true effects of cuts in council budgets on social care providers and their clients. We need your help.
 
Community Care have put together a short survey which can be completed online in about 10 minutes asking questions about the size of the cuts in council contracts you are seeing and what you anticipate in the next year.

You can complete the survey from the following link:
 
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FKC8YYM
 
If you could take the time to fill it out it would be appreciated. Community Care will be sharing data about the social care sector with CFW. The more providers that let us know what is happening on the ground, the better the picture we will be able to paint.
 
The survey will close at the end of Thursday 10th February.

Many thanks.

Latest news from BBC Wales website regarding Pembrokeshire Judicial Review:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-12345482

Further details to follow.

Pembrokehsire County Council says a December court judgement ordering it to pay higher fees to around 30 private care homes will cost it an extra £1.5m this year.

The High Court told Pembrokeshire council to review its fees after four homes said they were not paid enough to meet their costs.

The council is raising its payment from £390 a week per resident to £448.

The High Court told the council in December to review the fees it paid after four homes were successful in obtaining a judicial review.

Pembrokeshire council said the increase would now be back dated to the start of the financial year and applied to all the privately-run care and residential homes in the county.

It will also make an additional one-off payment to reflect the loss of interest which could have been earned if the new fee had been paid since April.

Council leader, John Davies, said: "This new fee means an additional cost to the council of almost £1.5 million."

For more on this story see: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-12345482

It's not just the awards season in Hollywood - Welsh care providers, teams and individuals are being urged to submit their entries for the Care Council for Wales' bi-annual awards, the Social Care Accolades.

The deadline for the awards in on Friday, February 4. The 2011 awards ceremony will be held on June 23 at Cardiff's City Hall.

Led by the Care Council for Wales, the bi-annual awards are a national showcase for excellence and celebrate good practice across Wales.

The Accolades, being held for the fourth time, will see awards for teams, partnerships and organisations who have transformed social care services by investing in the learning and development of their carers.

The winning work is then shared with other organisations in learning workshops helping to raise standards in the sector across Wales.

Winning an Accolade is a recognition of achievement and showcases best practice and the positive contribution the care sector makes to society.

For more information on the awards go to the Care Council for Wales website at: www.ccwales.org.uk/news-and-events/social-care-accolades/accolades-ask

An announcement with regard to Pembrokeshire Councils response to the Judicial Review should be announced shortly. 

Further details to follow......

The home support given to people with dementia and their carers is an "absolute travesty", a charity says.

The Alzheimer's Society study - based on feedback from carers, health workers and patients - said the problem was causing unnecessary admissions to hospital and care homes.

The authors called for better training for staff and access to services in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The government said the charity was right to highlight the issue.

About 750,000 people in the UK have dementia, two-thirds of whom are living at home with support from loved ones and sometimes social services.

We are pleased to let you know that CSSIW Annual Report is now available on their website. Please click on the link below to access this: http://wales.gov.uk/cssiwsubsite/newcssiw/publications/annualreports/annrep0910/?lang=en

Mario Kreft MBE, Chief Executive of Care Forum Wales (CFW), has been appointed as the Welsh representative on the Board of the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), a national organisation based in London.

The announcement’s been made by SCIE Chair of trustees, Allan Bowman, who has given Mario a warm welcome to the board.

Mario has been providing domiciliary and residential care services in Wales for 25 years, and earlier this year he was honoured by the Queen who appointed him an MBE for his services to social care in Wales.

Click here for further details: http://www.scie.org.uk/news/mediareleases/2011/100111.asp

Find out all you need to know about flu for further information: http://wales.gov.uk/topics/health/protection/immunisation/seasonalflu/?lang=en

A Welsh council is being forced to recalculate the fees it pays to four care homes in Pembrokeshire after a landmark legal ruling.

At the High Court in Cardiff, a judge said that the way the fees paid by Pembrokeshire County Council were worked out was both “irrational” and “unlawful”.

It emerged that that council had not adhered to the legal guidance issued by the Welsh Assembly Government.

The council was also criticised because it did not have a strategic plan in relation to providing social care services.

The judgement came at the end of a Judicial Review in December 2010 secured by the homes’ owners who claimed the council were guilty of “chronically underpaying” the fees.

Interim costs of £85,000 were awarded against the council.

Experts say the judgement sets an important precedent for service users and care homes across Wales whose services may be at risk as a result of underfunding by their local authority.

During the case, the council admitted it had made mistakes in the way it worked out the fees which they set at £390 per week for the residents of independently run care homes.

They were also criticised by the Judge for a lack of written records or documentation relating to the meetings when the decisions were taken.

The Judge quashed the council decision to set the fee level at £390 per week and directed them to re-take the decision about the fees for 2010-11, by 31 January 2011. 

The Council will now have to take account of the judge’s rulings on the process used by the council to determine the amount they were originally prepared to pay to Pembrokeshire Care Homes.

Among the key issues in the case were:

1. Whether the Council could pay care homes less than the true cost of providing the care and accommodation

2. Whether smaller homes should be supported financially if their services were needed, even though they cost more to run than larger homes

3. Whether the Council could decide to reduce the standard of care required, in order to save money

4. What factors need to be taken into account, and how much needs to be recorded, when the Council makes a decision about fees

5. How much of that detail must be made available to care homes and even residents (or their representatives)

The four homes at the centre of the hearing were Pen-coed, in Saundersfoot, Langton Hall, in Fishguard, Woodfield Care Home, in Narberth and Woodland Lodge, in Tenby.

All of them have received excellent ratings from the care homes regulator, Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW).

Closure would have meant the 86 elderly and frail residents having to move elsewhere.

The judge has now ordered the council to re-set the fees before the end of January using the Welsh Assembly Government’s official commissioning guidance

The judgement came as a huge relief to Mike Davies and Sue Mason, the directors of the four homes.

Mr Davies said: “Our over-riding concern from the outset has been the need to provide high quality, sustainable services for the people for whom we provide care.

“The judgement has therefore come as a huge relief for all concerned, most importantly for the residents of the four homes involved in this case and the dedicated staff who look after them.

“We would like to thank the relatives of our clients and members of the community who have shown immense support. It was greatly appreciated and helped sustain us throughout this difficult and time-consuming legal process.

“When the council come to consider resetting the fees by the end January, we hope that they are set at a level that enables the homes to carry out essential repairs and to plan for the future, safeguarding high quality care homes for the people of Pembrokeshire.

“In the meantime, we will continue to work hard over Christmas and the New Year to provide the best possible care for our residents whose welfare is paramount.”

The judgement was welcomed by Care Forum Wales, the social care sector’s main representative body in Wales.

Senior Policy Officer Barry Latham said: “We are pleased that the judge has ordered the council to retake its decisions about fees for 2010-11.

“This must come as a great relief to the residents and their relatives who have been extremely concerned about the impact which the closure of the homes would have had on their well-being and ability to keep in touch with their friends and relatives.

“Hopefully, the council will now set a realistic fee that will enable the homes to meet all their legal obligations, maintain and improve services for the residents and attract and retain good staff.”

It also sets an important precedent for service users across Wales whose services may be at risk as a result of underfunding by their local authority.

“It is a matter of great regret that the owners of the care homes have had to resort to judicial review proceedings to resolve this matter which they tried unsuccessfully to resolve by negotiation. In the end they felt that this was the only course open to them to protect their residents from the threat of closure of the homes.

“The Pembrokeshire judgement sets an important precedent with regard to the approach which other Authorities in Wales adopt to fee setting. It is now clear that it is no longer acceptable for authorities to adopt an arbitrary approach to determining the amount they are prepared to pay for care services.

“The Welsh Assembly Government issued statutory guidance in 2003, which it updated and expanded in 2010, and yet local authorities all over Wales have largely ignored the guidance.

“The judgement makes it quite clear that this can no longer continue and councils must do what the Government has said they must do.

“At a time when there is an ever increasing need to provide high quality, cost effective services, we firmly believe that the independent sector is an important partner for local authorities and we hope that the sector can now move forward with a partnership rather than confrontational approach.”

ends

Four care homes which went to court over the fees Pembrokeshire County Council was paying them for caring for elderly residents have won their case in the High Court in Cardiff today (December 21).

The council will now have to pay higher fees for residents at four private care homes, following the judge's ruling.

The care homes - Pen-coed care home in Saundersfoot, Langton Hall in Fishguard, Woodfield in Narberth and Woodland Lodge, in Tenby - argued that the fees they were being paid were unsustainable.

The court ordered Pembrokeshire council to review the £390 a week it pays for each resident it funds.

For more on this story see: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-12053467

THE owners of four care homes which took Pembrokeshire County Council to court following claims over the "chronic underpayment of fees" will hear the outcome of the case tomorrow (December 21).

In the judicial review, which ran into a fourth day at the High Court in Cardiff on Friday, Pembrokeshire council conceded that errors had been made while calculating the fees it pays to care homes looking after vulnerable and elderly people.

The four care homes - Woodland Lodge, Pen-Coed, Woodfield and Langton Hall - had disputed the amount the council pays them for each resident per week and will be paid £25,000 between them, the amount under-paid during this financial year.

Full details of the case, Forest Care Homes v Pembrokeshire County Council, will be published on this website after The Honourable Mr Justice G Hickinbottom concludes with his judgment tomorrow.

ends

A DECISION on the fees row affecting four Pembrokeshire care homes is expected at the High Court in Cardiff today.

As the severe weather continues, here is the link to information for Wales on keeping well this winter:

Keep Well This Winter: http://wales.gov.uk/topics/health/improvement/index/winter/?lang=en;

Weather: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/

A Time To Shine - Launch of Social Care Accolades 2011

The search is now on for high performing teams and organisations in the Welsh social care sector to have their work recognised by entering the 2011 Social Care Accolades.

Led by the Care Council for Wales, the biennial awards are a national showcase for excellence and celebrate good practice across Wales.

The Accolades, which are now being held for the fourth time, will be awarded to teams, partnerships and organisations who have transformed social care services by investing in the learning and development of people.

The winning work is then shared with other organisations in learning workshops helping to raise standards in the sector across Wales.

Care Council for Wales Chief Executive Rhian Huws Williams said, “This is the social care workforce’s time to shine and we would urge teams, groups and organisations from across Wales to take advantage of this opportunity to highlight the good work that they do in providing vital services to so many people.

“The aim of the Accolades is to uncover, acknowledge and celebrate good practice that has helped transform social care services.

“Winning an Accolade is not only a recognition of achievement but enables best practice to be spread to others which in turn improves services for users and carers across Wales.”

Around five per cent of the total workforce in Wales is involved in some form of social care, equivalent to a workforce of around 88,000, working with people of all ages who have different needs.

The Social Care Accolades have nine categories and are open to all teams, groups or organisations across the whole social care sector in Wales; private, voluntary or statutory agencies.

Services can be residential or community-based, large or small; working with children or adults.

Entries that support the aims of the Welsh Assembly Government ten year social care strategy to modernise services and provide more accessible, personalised care for people are encouraged.

The nine categories for 2011 are;

· Effective recruitment and retention

· Learning together

· Maintaining independence

· Supporting effective intervention with children and their families

· Career of choice

· Users and carers shaping services

· Social workers for tomorrow

· Improving Welsh Language provision

· Supporting people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds

Gwenda Thomas AM, Deputy Minister for Social Services, who supports the Accolades said, “We know that high quality social care services can transform people’s lives for the better, through working directly with individuals and families and in their communities.

“They are indeed making a real difference to the quality of life for many vulnerable people and they deserve to be recognised and commended for the work they do.

“The Social Care Accolades bring the very best of this work to the attention of everyone and I would urge those providers of care from all over Wales to seriously consider submitting an entry for these prestigious awards."

Application packs for the Social Care Accolades are available from the Care Council for Wales website www.ccwales.org.uk or by contacting Denise French on 02920 780687.

The deadline for entries is February 4, 2011 and the winners will be announced in a special ceremony in Cardiff City Hall on June 23, 2011.

*For further information, please contact Alison Watkins on 07854 386054 or e-mail Alison.watkins@ccwales.org.uk  or info@alisonwatkinscommunications.com

Changes are planned to introduce more consistency in local council’s charging for homecare and other non-residential social services. A government consultation is seeking views on changes that will apply to those who receive services from their local council and those who enter into a Direct Payments arrangement with their council to purchase services themselves. The consultation seeks comments on draft regulations and guidance to local councils needed to implement a “First Steps Improvement Package” by 4th February 2011.

http://wales.gov.uk/consultations/healthsocialcare/?lang=en

The Social Work Reform Board (SWRB) today set out to social workers what working conditions they should expect from their employers, as they published proposals to put social workers on a greater professional footing and reform their education.

• making sure the right number of social workers with the right level of skills and experience are available to meet the level of demand,
• managing workloads and caseloads so that social workers are not overworked,
• giving social workers the practical resources they need to do their jobs
• creating development opportunities for social workers to give them greater experience and skills.

Social work education should also be reformed to improve the quality of social work degrees, with more rigorous selection criteria. The Reform Board recommends that the design of social work courses should involve people who have experienced social services, so that the training properly reflects the real life reality of the job.

“Social workers perform an invaluable job that all too often gets overlooked and taken for granted. They need all the professional support and advice possible so that they feel confident they are making the right decisions.

 “I thank Moira Gibb and the Reform Board for all the work they have done over the last year. This strongly supports the changes that Professor Munro is advising and will ensure social workers can progress in their careers and feel proud of the vital job they do every day.” 

 Paul Burstow, Care Services Minister said:

 "I welcome the first anniversary report of the Social Work Reform Board's progress in implementing the recommendations of the Social Work Task Force. This is an important step towards achieving the necessary fundamental and long term reform of the social work system.  I encourage the social work profession to respond positively to the proposals set out in the report." 

1. Building a Safe and Confident Future: First Detailed Proposals from the Social Work Reform Board is published today at  www.education.gov.uk/swrb  
2. The report, Building a Safe and Confident Future – One Year On, proposes five key improvements:

•  

  An Overarching Professional Standards Framework – setting out for the first time the standards expected of social workers at very point of their career, from their degree to advanced social work roles;
• Standards for Employers and a Supervision Framework – setting out employers statutory responsibilities to help and support social workers and challenge them to develop their skills;
• Continuing Professional Development Framework – the principles that help social workers develop specialist knowledge, improve their practice and progress in their careers;
• Developing social work education so that student social workers receive high quality preparation for joining the profession;
• Better partnership working between employers and higher education institutions to provide practice placements for degree students and continuing professional development (CPD) for social workers.

3.The Social Work Reform Board brings together social work educators, employers, practitioners and service users from across the sector to guide and monitor the implementation of the 15 recommendations of the Social Work Task Force made in December 2009. Information about Reform Board membership is available at www.education.gov.uk/swrb/membership

4.The Reform Board was convened in January 2010 and is chaired by Moira Gibb CBE, Chief Executive of the London Borough of Camden.

5.This report sets out proposals in five key areas of reform. Progress is being made across the breadth of the Task Force’s recommendations and further reports and proposals will be presented by the Reform Board in the future.

A JUDICIAL review into the funding of care home places in Pembrokeshire has begun in the High Court today (Dec 14, 2010) which will help decide the future of dozens of elderly and vulnerable residents.

Four homes in Pembrokeshire claim they could close within weeks because of underfunding. The homes affected are Pen-coed in Saundersfoot, Langton Hall in Fishguard, Woodfield care home in Narberth and Woodland Lodge, in Tenby.

Care home managers say the funding they receive is not enough to meet their costs so the money Pembrokeshire council pays care homes to look after residents is being challenged in the High Court.

The council pays for half the residents and says their payments are set fairly.

Pembrokeshire council says other local authorities in Wales pay less to some care homes and says the financial problems with the four homes in the court case are nothing to do with how fees are set.

The judicial review is expected to last for three days.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-11987808

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED TODAY IN RESPONSE TO 'FROM VISION TO ACTION' REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION.

Independent providers in Wales have welcomed plans to end the “post code lottery” in social care.

A wide-ranging report, From Vision to Action, says that common eligibility criteria for social care should be introduced to ensure fairer provision of services across Wales.

The development is one that Care Forum Wales, the main representative body, of independent care providers, had been campaigning for.

They argued it was it is “unsustainable” to have 29 different contracts and sets of eligibility criteria for people who need care.

According to Care Forum Wales, the current system is expensively bureaucratic and unfair because the availability and cost of care vary from county to county.

The Independent Commission on Social Services in Wales was established by the Welsh Assembly Government to consider the provision of social services and social care over the next decade

According to the Commission, common criteria would be used to carry out assessments in all parts of Wales.

If the new system is introduced, Wales would be the first country in the UK to provide such an assessment scheme.

Honorary Chief Executive Mario Kreft said:  “We very much welcome the findings of the Independent Commission on Social Services in Wales.

“We agree with the main thrust of their recommendations which chime with what we have been saying for some time.

“We definitely need a new vision to bring about a new national approach to social care Wales because it’s quite unsustainable in the current situation.

“We’ve essentially got a post code lottery of social care and I think what people want above all is to know where they stand, what they’re entitled to, how much they have to pay for it.

“At a time like this when we’re facing such challenges on the public purse we really do need to cut any bureaucracy that’s possible.

“It is no longer appropriate that a country as small as Wales has 29 different contracts and 29 sets of eligibility criteria. 

“Worse still, the expense of this bureaucracy is starving vital resources from front line services.

“That means we’re taking away the opportunity for people to receive care, people who really need that support.

“It is important that we work in real partnership and that really means people coming together and putting aside some of the differences that separate them and working on those things that they can unite in the national interest.

“We welcome the fact that the Commission has recognised the need for growth in the social care sector and the increasing importance of the role played by private care providers.

“Strengthening the links with the independent providers will be vital as we can provide a network of professional expertise across Wales.

“I think fairness and equal access to services are fundamental principles that we should be working towards.

“We need to grasp the nettle and do things in a way that’s fitting for the new economic reality.

“This is the time to do things differently and do things better for people who need care in Wales because providing the best possible public service is the reason we exist.

“Care Forum Wales is pleased that the Commission recommended that we are to be a partner with regional and local commissioning bodies in order to improved the appropriateness and quality of service to the people of Wales.”

Around 150,000 people receive some form of social care service in Wales every day, and more will become dependent on such services, or have a relative that relies on them, as the numbers of older people and looked-after children increase.  The challenges from demography changes will have serious impact on the context within which social services will operate over the next decade.

Among the other recommendations of the Commission are:

•  

  That integrated social services for children, adults and older people remain part of the local government ‘family’ of services.
•  social services should form consortia based on the ‘footprint’ of Local Health Boards, reducing their number by two thirds and creating better co-operation with health services to address concerns about the large number of partnerships that currently exist;

•  

  a review of transitions and transfers to address concerns of poor handover between children’s, adults and older people’s social care services;

•  

  private and Third sector providers to be more engaged in planning, designing and meeting the needs of service users to encourage more personalised models of support to be provided; and,

•  

  a renewed focus on recovery and self-directed support to ensure that people are well-supported to regain their independence.

Summary of Welsh Assembly Government's Draft Budget changes:

* Health and social services has been protected from any cash reductions in its budget in 2011-12 and 2012-13 and receives a small cash rise in 2013-14. This level of protection reflects our commitment to ensuring the provision of frontline services across Wales.

* This protection also provides a solid platform for the NHS to take forward its 5-year service plans following the 2009 reforms. We are also protecting the social services element of the Health and Social Services budget.

* Revenue funding for 2011-12 and 2012-13 remains at the same level as the budget for 2010-11. This means that all unavoidable cost increase (including pay awards inflationary pressures) will need to be self-funded by savings. In 2013-14 the budget increases by £13.8 m or 0.2%.

The Capital budget to 2013-14 has decreased by £83.5 m or 27.5% with the largest reduction (-12.6%) occurring in 2911-12.

click here to read full summary.

The Cardiff Domiciliary Care Provider Association has voiced its opposition to proposed changes by Cardiff Council with a video on YouTube.

The Council plans to shake up domiciliary care in the city, cutting the number of independent firms it uses to provide 80 per cent of its home care from 56 to 11 by March next year. It says this will save an estimated £1.5m.

However care providers have joined forces to make the 10-minute video in protest against the plans which will involve awarding a smaller number of firms tenders lasting three years, rather than appointing firms as a need arises.

The Cardiff Domiciliary Care Provider Association, which calls the proposals "unworkable, unrealistic and cruel" in the video, hopes it will persuade councillors to think again on the plans, ahead of tomorrow's committee meeting about the proposals (on November 19).

So far 347 people have viewed the video. For the full story see: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/11/17/youtube-video-voices-opposition-to-care-changes-91466-27667689/#ixzz15exihuA4

To view the video see: www.youtube.com/user/tsavoury

A High Court judge has granted permission for a judicial review of how Pembrokeshire council sets the amount it pays in care home fees.

A hearing in Cardiff heard that the weekly £390 it pays per resident is not enough to cover costs.

The owners of four homes claim they face closure without more money and that the fees structure is unfair.

The council's legal defence claims the homes' financial problems are not a consequence of how the fees are set.

At the hearing, the homes - which are trying claim extra payments of £90 per resident per week - were refused a temporary increase in fees until the judicial review.

For further information click here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-11712480

See live interview with Care Forum Wales, Senior Policy Advisor, Barry Latham on BBC Wales News this evening at 6.30pm to get feedback from this judgement.

The owners of four care homes in Pembrokeshire are going to court in a bid to force the county council to increase the fees it pays them.

They will tell the High Court in Cardiff they will have to close as the income does not cover their costs.

The council said it paid a similar level to many in Wales and more than others, and was confident it would win.

South Pembrokeshire MP Simon Hart said he hoped the "test case" would provide a solution for 86 residents affected.

The High Court will be asked to decide whether the council should immediately start paying more money while the longer term dispute is resolved.

Care Forum Wales, which represents independent care providers, will provide written evidence on their behalf.

Senior policy advisor Barry Latham said: "These cases appear to be symptomatic of wider problem in the social care sector which is causing a postcode lottery in relation to the provision of care in Wales.

For further information visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-11712480

November 22, 2010

Conference Room, Conwy Business Centre

9.30 am – 1.30pm 

**Diary Marker**

National Social Services Conference 2011

Cynhadledd Genedlaethol y Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol 2011

June 21^st – 22^nd 2011  /   21 – 22 Mehefin 2011

Millennium Stadium, Cardiff / Stadiwm y Mileniwm, Caerdydd

The winners of the 2010 Wales Care Awards were announced at the annual Wales Care Awards event at Cardiff's City Hall on October 29.

More than 500 guests attended the evening event to see 49 nominees battle it out for gold, silver or bronze awards in 22 different awards categories. 

The Residential Care Practitioner Award was won by Inti Zirga of Newton Grange Care Home in Swansea and the Nurse Of The Year Award was won by Rachel Kemp of College Fields Nursing Home, in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan.

The Exceptional Newcomer Award was won by Gordon Black of Greenbanks Homecare also in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan.

Other awards categories included the Excellence In Mental Health Care Award, Excellence In Palliative And End Of Life Care Award and the Promoting Fulfilled Lives Award.

For a full list of winners see the awards link in the toolbar at the top of the page!

Care Forum Wales has welcomed a Welsh Assembly Government initiative to
boost the status of staff working in the social care sector.

In a letter to Care Forum Wales on October 20, the Assembly's deputy minister
for social services, Gwenda Thomas, has said that most care home managers
in the independent care sector will need to
register with the Care Council for Wales (CCW) from next June
(2011) as part of the next phase of its plans for professional
recognition of the social care workforce.

Mario Kreft, chief executive of Care Forum Wales, said: "This move is a
precursor to the day when everyone working in social care will be
registered with the Care Council for Wales - a day we look forward to as
this will bring well-deserved professional recognition for staff working
in the independent care sector in Wales.

"This proposal will also mean that nurse managers will have to register
with CCW next year. While there will be some who don't
agree with or fully understand why this is necessary, this is a clear
indication that the Assembly Government is continuing to pursue its aim
of driving up standards in social care and promoting professional
recognition for those working in the sector at all levels.

"Nurses who manage independent care homes make a vital contribution to
the lives of those in their care.

"With this move nurses will be leading the way for all staff to gain
recognition for their hard work. For far too long nurses working in the
independent sector have not had their contribution properly recognised
for their professionalism and the value they bring to services in the
community," added Mr Kreft.

ends

The chief executive of Care Forum Wales, Mario Kreft, has given a cautious welcome to the Chancellor George Osbourne’s planned extra £2bn funding for social care services.

Mr Kreft, the honourary chief executive of Care Forum Wales, said: “It’s early days but it’s encouraging.

“We’re in a situation that is extremely challenging but there are a lot of vulnerable people and our society is based on values of caring for others.”

As to how the funding settlement will affect Wales, Mr Kreft said: “We hope it translates into Wales. It has to be a good signal.”

In his speech, Mr Osbourne said that £1bn of the extra funding would be aimed at helping improve co-ordination between the NHS and local government services. He said he hoped it would stop people “who fall through the crack between two systems”.

Mr Kreft said: “This is exactly where I think the independent sector comes in. We can offer ‘step up’ and ‘step down’ facilities providing dedicated respite care for an elderly person whose main carer, who may be their elderly partner, has a bad bout of flu or needs to have an operation, for example.

“We can also offer a stepping stone for people who are ready to leave hospital but not yet well enough to be cared for at home - helping to stop so-called bed-blocking in hospitals,” added Mr Kreft.

ends

Despite fears that social care would face deep cuts in today's Comprehensive Spending Review plans (Oct 20), Chancellor George Osbourne has revealed that social care will receive a boost from an additional £2bn of funding.

There will be a boost of £1bn by 2014/15 and a further £1bn through funding via the NHS and a key aim is to encourage local authorities and the health service to work together to stop elderly people "fall through the crack between the two systems".

Mr Osbourne said: "Some in local government have concerns about the financing of social care.

"I can announce that grant funding for social care will be increased by an additional £1 billion by the fourth year of the Spending Review.

"And a further £1 billion for social care will be provided through the NHS to support joint working with councils – so that elderly people do not continue to fall through the crack between two systems.

"That’s a total of £2 billion additional funding for social care to protect the most vulnerable."

 For more information see:

www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/spend_sr2010_speech.htm

ends

Planned cuts for poorest older people to equal 'one third of income' says Age UK

The over-75s will be hit harder, relative to their incomes, than any other group as a result of the Government's spending review on Wednesday (Oct 20), according to Age UK.

The new independent research shows the average household with someone over-75 will lose £2,200 worth of public services per year by 2014-15 – equivalent to a sixth (14%) of their household income.

The findings indicate the very poorest will suffer the most from public spending cuts, sparking new fears that far from being ‘fair’ the coalition government’s spending plans are in fact deeply regressive.

In cash terms, the poorest over-75s will lose an average of £2,030 worth of services by 2014-15 – equivalent to a third (33.7%) of their household income. The outlook is only slightly better for the poorest 65-74 year olds, who will miss out on £1,870 worth of services by 2014-15 – just under a third (29%) of their net income.

The research shows that pensioners – who tend to have lower incomes than other groups – will largely lose out as a result of cuts to social care and housing.

Ahead of the comprehensive spending review, Age UK is calling on the Government to recognise that slashing budgets for services that people in later life rely on could have a devastating impact on the most frail and vulnerable, putting thousands of lives at risk.

Michelle Mitchell, Age UK’s charity director, said, ‘In such difficult economic times, it would be naïve to assume that older people will be offered immunity from the government’s spending cuts. But as people in later life are generally poorer and more dependent on public spending than other groups, they risk bearing the brunt of swingeing cuts unless government decisions are taken fairly and cautiously.

‘When the coalition entered government it promised to safeguard age-related entitlements and protect the poorest and most vulnerable in society. With the lives of thousands of older people at risk if essential care services are cut, the Chancellor will not quickly be forgiven if he fails to support the oldest and frailest, who rely on public services the most.’

 For more information see: www.ageuk.org.uk/latest-press/over-75s-lose-thousands-spending-review/

ends

• bring together professionals to make sure there is access to the right person at the time needed;
• co-ordinate communication so people have one key person to guide them through the system and be the main point of contact;
• deliver the right level of response according to how much support is needed at any particular time;
• help people remain independent;
• deliver care in or close to home and avoid unnecessary hospital admissions; and,
• deliver efficiency savings of approximately £1 million per annum.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has ruled (Oct 7) that medications, which cost £2.80 per person per day, are cost effective and should now be available on prescription.

If the draft decision is upheld (after a 30-day consultation period) three drugs - Aricept, Exelon and Reminyl - will be available on the NHS for people in the early and moderate stages of Alzheimer's disease. These treatments have, up to now, been restricted to people in the moderate stages. A fourth drug, called Ebixa, would also be made available to people in the moderate to late stages.

Ruth Sutherland, interim chief executive of Alzheimer's Society, said: "This is a momentous day for thousands of people with Alzheimer's and their carers.

"These drugs can help people have a better quality of life at all stages of the condition. While they don't work for everyone, small but important benefits can enable many people to recognise their loved ones for longer, play with their grandchildren or make vital plans for the future.

"The Alzheimer's Society welcomes the draft decision and will now be campaigning for more people to have access to the treatments from today."

What does the decision mean for your loved ones?  

For more information, see: www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=1465

ends 

INDEPENDENT care providers in North Wales have said they can help save the NHS in Wales around £20m a year – and beat the hospital bed blocking bug at the same time.....click link to read further details  http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2010/10/04/north-wales-care-home-owners-say-they-can-save-nhs-20m-55578-27393942/.

A NEW vision to end the “postcode lottery” in social care is being called for by independent care workers in Blaenau Gwent.

Click link for further information - http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/south-wales-news/blaenau-gwent/2010/09/23/time-to-end-the-social-care-postcode-lottery-says-forum-91466-27312469/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-11450330

We've joined the revolution and joined like-minded folks on Twitter. We'll be regularly updating our Twitter feed with news and events from the care industry in Wales and beyond. So go on, give it a try and follow us by searching on Twitter for

@careforumwales

 Thanks for following!

The Wales Care Awards are just over a month away and the gala dinner which will take place in the glamorous surroundings of City Hall in Cardiff on October 29 is almost a sell-out.

There are just a few spaces left so even if you're not up for an award - nominations are now closed for this year - there is still time to nab one of the few remaining places to attend this prestigious ceremony. It's a great chance to network and mingle with other care sector professionals in a relaxed atmosphere.

If you would still like to book contact:

The number of people with dementia globally is estimated to nearly double every 20 years, according to a report released today (September 21) for World Alzheimer's Day.

The World Alzheimer Report 2010, by Alzheimer's Disease International, estimates there are an estimated 35.6m people curring living with dementia and that number is expected to hit 65.7m by 2030.

According to Professor Martin Prince, of the Centre for Global Mental Health, speaking on the Today Programme, the number currently living with dementia in the UK is 750,000 (a third of these are living in residential care homes) - but that number will follow the worldwide trend and double to 1.5m in the next 20 years.

The report also highlighted the costs of dementia care - both in terms of public funding, private care and family assistance - and estimates that worldwide these are currently 1% of global GDP. According to Prof Prince, "If this was a country it would be the world's 18th largest economy."

The report states that the total worldwide costs of dementia will be US$604 (£400bn) billion in 2010 and about 70% of the costs will occur in Western Europe and North America. The report's authors say: "High income countries are struggling to cope with the demand for services, leaving many people with dementia and caregivers with little or no support.

"Consequently, we urge key decision makers to take notice of this very important document and to work with Alzheimer associations and with ADI to make dementia a national and global health priority."

Click the link - Professor Martin Prince, of the Centre for Global Mental Health, explains the findings:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9018000/9018555.stm

Care staff and social workers are to be asked for their views on new proposals for dealing with professional misconduct.

The Care Council for Wales is consulting with registered practitioners and others on new proposals to streamline and refine the ways in which the regulatory body deals with cases of alleged professional misconduct.

It is asking for the views of social workers and registered social care workers on plans which will include adding to the possible sanctions imposed on practitioners found guilty of misconduct and simplifying how cases are dealt with.

As part of the 12-week public consultation which began on September 6, the Care Council is also seeking the opinions of those people who use the services provided by the workers it regulates.

The proposals aim to provide improved protection for members of the public and fairness for workers. The emphasis is on improving practice, raising standards and helping staff to resolve work-based issues and prevent future occurrences.

Rhian Huws Williams, Care Council for Wales' chief executive, said: "The review of our conduct processes provides the opportunity to ensure that they are effective and fit for purpose.

 "The proposals reflect the experience of running the current procedures over the past six years and are designed to benefit all parties concerned, to streamline current procedures while ensuring we continue to have in place a robust and fair process."

Conference aims to boost status of 'care at home' workforce

The Care Council for Wales is hosting a conference aimed at providing recognition and support for the 'care at home' workforce.

The event, called Care At Home - Moving The Workforce Towards The Vision - is  being held in Cardiff's Marriot hotel on September 28. It follows the recent publication of its study into those who care for the elderly at home.

It will provide an opportunity for all stakeholders to focus on the actions needed to address the five key recommendations of the Care Council study which are to:

• Recognise the value of the 'care at home' workforce
• Enhance the role of this workforce
• Address the workforce implications of developing integrated services
• Support the workforce in delivering people-focused services
• Explore the consequences for the workforce of new service options around self-directed support

The programme will include personal responses to the study from those who have been provided with care at home as well as carers, providers and commissioners. There will also be contributions from the Welsh Assembly Government and health service partners and an opportunity to debate the recommendations and to hear from the care at home research team and other guest speakers.

Whether you are a commissioner, service provider, workforce leader, service user and carer group, senior manager, elected member, planner in health and social care, or education provider - this is an event which will be of interest to you. The event is free of charge.

Places will be limited, so you must register for the event by contacting meilir.thomas@ccwales.org.uk.

Registration will start at 10.00am, with the conference opening at 10.30am and closing at 3.45pm. The event will be held in the Marriot Hotel in Cardiff, near Cardiff Central Station.

The research will study the implications of care home closures, and closely examine the effects of relocation on the health and wellbeing of the older people involved.

The money for the 18-month project has come from the National Institute for Social Care and Health Research.

Vanessa Burholt, director of the Centre for Innovative Ageing at Swansea University, said: "The closure of care homes is an emotional topic for those affected, and therefore the research will also identify the impact of closure on the wellbeing of older people, their relatives and carers.

Finalists for the Wales Care Awards 2010 have now been announced.  Click here to view

 The Wales Care Awards are an annual event run by Care Forum Wales to showcase best practice across the care sector. This year they’re due to take place on October 29 in Cardiff’s City Hall.

Anyone involved in the care industry can nominate an individual or a team for one of 22 awards. So whether you’d like to nominate an outstanding nurse, think your catering team are unsung heroes or you have a hard-working manager whose efforts deserve recognition, this is a chance to have your say.

The awards ceremony, sponsored by Barclays Bank, is open to all who wish to attend. The event costs £70 per ticket – but your lucky nominee and a guest go free and get overnight accommodation at a nearby four-star hotel in Cardiff.  To download table booking form click here.

The Welsh Assembly Government’s deputy minister for health and social services, Gwenda Thomas, will present the prestigious awards which come in three categories – gold, silver and bronze – and are an important part of raising the profile of care workers and educating the public about the vital work we do.

Attending the ceremony is also an occasion to mingle with fellow care sector staff, compare best practice and, of course, to have some well-deserved fun. So come along and enjoy the evening – this is your time to shine.

For further information please contact Sue Thomas: 01978 752500

Is employee ill-health affecting your organisation?

Small organisation employers and their employees can access free professional advice on any occupational, physical or mental health issue. GPs can also access the service for advice and support on issues affecting individual patients including those raised by the new Statement of Fitness for Work. The Health at Work Advice Line Wales is open 24 hours a day with qualified professionals available between 9 and 5 on weekdays. Outside of these hours, a call back service operates. If our advisors aren’t able to help directly, they will put you in touch with someone who can.

You can find the bulletin on the Commission’s website: www.olderpeoplewales.com , along with regular updates on major topics affecting older people in Wales as well as any events or debates the Commission has been involved in.

Following a very successful staff disability training day with Disability Wales, Mencap Cymru, Mind Cymru, RNIB Cymru and RNID Cymru, click here to download the top ten tips from each of these organisations. These tips have been developed with these organisations to identify the most important things that people with disabilities, mental health issues, or sensory loss want us to know, to do and to remember.

For further information please contact:

Denise Puckett, Equality & Diversity Champion, Welsh Assembly Government

Tel: 029 2082 6985 
email: Denise.Puckett@wales.gsi.gov.uk

A Falls Collaborative network supported by the Change Agent Team from the National Leadership and Innovation Agency for Healthcare (NLIAH), will be led by a multidisciplinary steering group chaired by Dr. Jagadish Mallya, Consultant Physician from Aneurin Bevan Health Board. This initiative relates to the NSF for Older People. A "How to Guide" on falls prevention is expected shortly. In the meantime an early flyer about the project is linked below.

http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/documents/829/Multiagency%20Falls%20Collaborative%20for%20Wales%20flyer.pdf.

This consultation is seeking views on proposals for draft regulations to impose specific duties under the Equality Act 2010 on public bodies, including care regulators and local authorites. (Those tendering for council work and regulated by public bodies may like to note these changes in case they have a knock-on effect.)

http://equalities.gov.uk/news/specific_duties_consultation.aspx.

The Care Council in its role as the Sector Skills Council for the social care, children, early years and young people’s workforce in the Wales is inviting employers to respond the following consultations.

·         The Right to request time to Train

·         and a second one on the national minimum wage which could impact particularly on apprenticeship uptake. 

The Care Council is asking employers within the sector to contribute to both consultations thereby providing a Wales perspective on the Consultations. Please ask employers to respond to the briefings attached and return to the Care Council for Wales – information e mail addresses etc are contained in the briefing. This is so that the Care Council can provide the Wales employer perspective within the report from Skills for Care and Development. The addresses of the full consultations are on the briefings if employers also wish to respond directly. 

Click here for attachment 1

Click here for attachment 2

An ICM Poll of 1,500 people of all ages, commissioned by the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, has demonstrated there is overwhelming support for a set of rights for older people to ensure that they are treated with dignity and respect. Separately the Commissioner has met with the Secretary of State for Wales, Cheryl Gillan, to voice the importance of attendance allowance, press for the Equality Act 2010 to be implemented for older people, and call for the new Commission on Long Term Care for England, to consider the effect on devolution and older people in Wales in its deliberations.

http://www.olderpeoplewales.com/index.php?id=484&L=0.

Money Talks!          Gwerth dy Arian

Tuesday 23 and Wednesday 24 November 2010

Holiday Inn, Newport, South Wales

Dear Colleague,

The bursaries are available to people with learning disabilities travelling from the following counties: Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Pembrokeshire, Powys (North of Llandrindod Wells), Wrexham, Ynys Mon.

You will need to apply for a bursary and receive confirmation before the conference.

If successful you can claim back travel costs up to a maximum of £50 per person after the event.

41 Lambourne Crescent

Cardiff Business Park

Llanishen, Cardiff CF14 5GG

Tel: 029 2068 1160      Fax: 029 2075 2149

www.learningdisabilitywales.org.uk

ü Please consider the environment before printing

Money Talks! – 23^rd and 24^th November at Newport, South Wales

Visit www.learningdisabilitywales.org.uk/moneytalks.php for full information.

 
Read the latest Public Service Wales Bulletin online here

This fourth bulletin brings together the former Public Services Bulletin and the Local Service Board (LSB) Update. It provides an update on the latest developments relating to efficiency and innovation across the Welsh Public Service including the Public Service Summits and the Efficiency and Innovation Programme and Board. It also includes examples of good practice across the sectors and news on LSB developments.

We welcome your feedback and suggestions on how to improve the Bulletin. Please contact us with news, examples of good practice or facts and figures that you would like to share with colleagues across sectors and we could include them in the next Bulletin or on our website.

Please contact us by emailing meetingthechallengeofchange@wales.gsi.gov.uk. We look forward to hearing from you.

Visitors to the National Eisteddfod (31 July – 7 August) will get the opportunity to portray what social care means to them on a high-tech graffiti wall which is making only its second public appearance in Wales.

The interactive wall, which allows you to draw on it without any kind of paint, will be available at the Care Council for Wales stand. It will also be one of the featured items on the ‘Dragon’s Den’ programme on BBC2 on Monday 2 August at 9pm.

Visitors to the stand will be invited to use their artistic skills and write or draw what care means to them. All the creations will be saved and judged, with the winner being announced on the Care Council’s website (www.ccwales.org.uk) at the end of August. The winner will get an iPod and a t-shirt featuring their winning design. Two runners-up will also get t-shirts with their designs printed on them.

The graffiti wall allows you to create digital graffiti on a large screen using a modified spray paint can. Instead of paint, when the cap is pressed, the can ‘sprays’ infra red light, which is tracked by a computer vision system as it moves across the screen. The digital paint appears wherever the can is sprayed, just like spraying paint on a real wall.

Rhian Huws Williams, Chief Executive of the Care Council, said: “We felt this would be a good way to draw attention to the importance of social care and to get people to convey their impressions of care in a fresh and exciting way. We first used the digital graffiti wall at this year’s Urdd Eisteddfod, where it was extremely popular, with hundreds of different designs being created during the week.

“The wall is a way of encouraging younger people in particular to take an interest in social care and to perhaps consider it as a career. They will be able to find out more about the opportunities to work in this rewarding profession from new films and publications on our stand,” she added. 

ends

If you have any queries, please contact Malcolm Williams on 029 2078 0634 / 07811 253260 (malcolm.williams@ccwales.org.uk) or Charmine Smikle on 029 2078 0626 (charmine.smikle@ccwales.org.uk) 

The Care Council for Wales has noted yesterday's announcement by the Department of Health on the future arrangements of regulation of social workers in England.

Responding to the announcement, Arwel Ellis Owen, Chair of the Care Council said, "This announcement marks a change in the arrangements for regulation of social workers in England.  The Care Council will continue to work with colleagues in England and in Scotland and Northern Ireland  to make sure the regulation of social workers and social care workers is robust in order to maintain a safe and skilled workforce."

He added, "In Wales, the Independent Commission established last year by Gwenda Thomas AM, Deputy Minister for Social Services, is tasked with looking at the future provision of social services and social care in Wales . Its findings will feed into the recently announced White Paper on the future arrangements for social services over the next decade which will be published in the new year. That will include the future arrangements for regulation and improvement of services and  arrangements for the workforce in Wales."

Ends

If you have any queries, please contact Catrin Hughes on 01745 586 862 (catrin.hughes@ccwales.org.uk) or Charmine Smikle on 029 2078 0626 (charmine.smikle@ccwales.org.uk)

Published 27 July 2010

The UK ranks 11th out of 14 countries for dementia drug use rates according to a report published by the Department of Health today (Tuesday 27 July, 2010).

The Care Council for Wales is to consult with registered practitioners and others on new proposals to streamline and refine the ways in which the regulatory body deals with cases of alleged professional misconduct.

It will ask for the views of social workers and registered social care workers on plans which will include adding to the possible sanctions imposed on practitioners found guilty of misconduct and simplifying how cases are dealt with.

As part of the consultation, the Care Council will also seek the opinions of those people who use the services provided by the workers it regulates.

A full meeting of Care Council members agreed a detailed set of proposals for consultation which included:

·         Providing investigating officers with the power to agree an undertaking with registrants who are not being considered for removal from the Register of Social Care Workers. An undertaking would be measurable and time-bound, with the registrant being responsible for producing written evidence of compliance with the undertaking at the end of the period. This process would mean registrants not having to proceed through a prolonged investigatory process.

·         Developing a greater range of sanctions for conduct committees to use, including the new power to review, vary and revoke a sanction, where, for example, new evidence comes to light. The new sanctions would include suspension orders with conditions and being able to impose specific conditions on a registrant who can continue to practice.

Gerry Evans, Care Council Director of Standards and Regulation, said: “The changes we are proposing are born out of six years’ experience of dealing with cases of alleged misconduct by workers registered with the Care Council. They are designed to streamline the processes of the Care Council and minimise distress to registrants who are accused of misconduct and those who have made complaints, while also ensuring our system remains as robust and fair as ever. The changes will help us resolve cases at an earlier stage and make the whole process more effective and efficient.

Ends

On 23 March, the Minister for Health and Social Services introduced the proposed Mental Health (Wales) Measure into the National Assembly for Wales.  The Measure then entered a formal scrutiny process during which it will be considered in detail by Assembly Members.

Stage 1 of this process involved the National Assembly's Legislation Committee No.3 considering and reporting on the general principles of the proposed Measure.  The Stage 1 Committee has today issued it's report on the proposed Measure, which can be accessed via the following hyperlink:

http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-guide-docs-pub/bus-business-documents/bus-business-documents-doc-laid.htm?act=dis&id=189518&ds=7/2010

The Legislation Committee took evidence from a range of witnesses during it's consideration of the proposed Measure.  A link to the homepage of the Committee, where you can access written evidence and transcripts from the oral evidence-gathering sessions is attached here:

http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-legislation/bus-leg-measures/business-legislation-measures-mhs-2.htm

The National Assembly's Constitutional Affairs Committee have also considered the proposed Measure and issued a report, which can be accessed here:

http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-guide-docs-pub/bus-business-documents/bus-business-documents-doc-laid.htm?act=dis&id=189096&ds=7/2010

The National Assembly's Finance Committee have also considered the Measure:

http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-guide-docs-pub/bus-business-documents/bus-business-documents-doc-laid.htm?act=dis&id=190023&ds=7/2010

The National Assembly for Wales will next consider the general principles and the reports of the Legislation Committee, Constitutional Affairs Committee and Finance Committee in a 60 minute Plenary debate to be held in the Senedd.  The National Assembly has scheduled this debate for Tuesday 13 July, and you will be able to watch it via Senedd TV:

http://www.senedd.tv/

Stage 2 of the scrutiny process will begin after the Assembly's summer recess.  You will receive a further email alert in advance of this, but in the meantime, if there are any issues in relation to the proposed Mental Health (Wales) Measure that you would wish to discuss, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Below is a press announcement from the Welsh Assembly:

In his opening address to leaders of public services across Wales at the second Public Services Summit today, the First Minister said:

“The emerging figures from the Budget and messages about the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review are stark and potentially could be devastating in their impact, particularly on the most vulnerable.

“We all recognise that we will not deliver for our communities by working in the same old ways but just doing a bit less by salami-slicing our budgets.  We have to take a radical look at how we work, redesigning the front line services and streamlining corporate functions.

“The best place for us as leaders to learn what can be done with least damage is from those who provide our services and those who use them.  I will be on the road through the summer, in all parts of Wales, meeting staff and users of services.  I want to explain our approach and seek their expertise in protecting services and outcomes.  I will use the authority I have to ensure that this expertise is translated into action.”

The First Minister began his series of events yesterday with a visit to the Gwent Frailty project in Torfaen which works with dependent or vulnerable people with chronic conditions to help them retain their independence.

Convened by the First Minister, the public services summits build on the Team Wales approach adopted by the economic summits which helped Wales through the economic recession.  The summits are held every four to six months and bring together by local authorities, trades unions, NHS boards, police representatives, Assembly Government Sponsored Bodies, other government departments and the third sector.  

Today’s summit was addressed by the First Minister, Health and Social Services Minister Edwina Hart, Budget and Business Minister Jane Hutt and Local Government Minister Carl Sargeant.

The theme for this summit was integrated health and social care and the Health Minister Edwina Hart said that one of her main priorities is  the creation of intregrated services and strong partnerships. She said this could only be achieved if NHS Wales and Local Government in Wales work together to share the challenges and solutions......END

click here to download copy of speech by Edwina Hart

TV presenter and actor Tony Robinson Blackadder and Channel 4’s Time Team will head up an exclusive care sector event in Cardiff on July 12.

Shaping Up for Change, being held at Cardiff City Stadium, will bring together care sector professionals to discuss the future of the sector and how to continue to improve care standards and provision.

Mr Robinson has become one of the leading campaigners for the health and wellbeing of our aging population following his critically-acclaimed documentary,  Me And My Mum, which helped to highlight problems facing elderly people with Alzheimer's and their families.

All care practitioners are invited to attend this free event along with a panel of experts from across the industry. On the agenda will be a range of issues challenging the care sector in 2010. 

Discussion topics will include how we can better meet the needs of those requiring dementia and specialist care as the market grows. We'll also be discussing how investment, resources and regulatory challenges will impact on the quality of care provided in the future.

Our panellists will also share their views on how to create proactive strategies to develop your care business for the future.

For further details, please contact enquiries@careforumwales.co.uk

Results of the ‘Care at Home’ workforce study is now available on the Care Council for Wales’ website:

http://www.ccwales.org.uk/development-and-innovation/adult-workforce/care-at-home

The study, which was commissioned by the Care Council for Wales and conducted by the Welsh Institute for Health and Social Care, the University of Glamorgan, Insight Social Research and the Management Standards Consultancy, looked at: 

• what the workforce currently looked like;
• the vision for the future workforce; and
• what was needed to make the current workforce fit for the future.

The study was supported and directed by a Steering Group with wide representation from our partners. In addition, numerous service users and carers; social care workers; providers; managers; commissioners and other stakeholders gave their time to take part in the research. I take this opportunity to thank all of these contributors for their immensely valuable input.

The agenda for change set out in the final report is challenging and will require a coordinated approach from a range of partners. National and local initiatives will be needed to respond to the recommendations and to develop and implement action plans.

 therefore invite you to consider and to debate the results of the study and to let them have your views. There will be a number of presentations on the study over the summer months, including at the Social Services Conference in July. There will be a major action planning event on 28 September 2010 which will allow the audience to discuss the findings with the researchers and other specialists in the field, and to contribute to determining the next steps.

In the autumn, the study and the response we have received from our partners will be reported to the Welsh Assembly led Social Care & Social Work Workforce Task group whose terms of reference include care at home.

For more information, for a hard copy of the Care at Home Summary Report and to feed in your comments on the study, please contact Sheila Lyons, Manager, Development and Innovation (Adult Services) by email – sheila.lyons@ccwales.org.uk.

 Care Council for Wales

Gwenda Thomas, AM, Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services, attended the ADSS Cymru conference in Venue Cymru, Llandudno on Friday 2nd July.

Click here to view her speech.

A pioneer of social care from North Wales has been honoured by the Queen.

Mario Kreft, the chief executive of the award-winning Pendine Park care organisation and the honorary chief executive of Care Forum Wales, has been awarded an MBE for services to social care.

According to Mr Kreft, the news came like “a delightful bolt out of the blue” especially as the timing of the accolade in the Queen’s Birthday Honours coincides with the 25^th anniversary of Pendine Park.

The organisation employs 500 people in six care homes, in a domiciliary care company, Pendine Park Independent Living, and its in-house teaching care centre.

It is about to open a new centre of excellence, called Bodlondeb (place of contentment) to look after people with dementia at its main site in Wrexham.

There are plans in the pipeline for a similar centre in Caernarfon and between them the two centres are expected to create 200 new jobs.

Mr Kreft said: “I think the MBE is in recognition of the huge contribution made by social care in communities right across Wales, including the teams at Care Forum Wales and Pendine Park.

“We have a great team approach and this is a reward for all the work we’ve been doing together over the years to raise standards in social care and to promote the profession of social care.”

Mr Kreft and his wife, Gill, were inspired by their own personal experience to establish Pendine Park 1985.

They both had elderly grandparents who needed care and the places they went to see didn’t match their requirements - so they set up their own “family care home”.

Mr Kreft is now one of the leading figures in the care sector in Wales and is the founder and honorary chief executive of the private care sector body, Care Forum Wales.

For eight years, he was a Government-appointed member of the Care Council for Wales and previously served for seven years on the Central Council for Training and Education in social work.

Mr Kreft also played a key role in developing the Care Standards Act and in helping to draw up the Welsh Assembly Government’s 10-year care strategy, Fulfilled Lives, Supportive Communities, to safeguard vulnerable adults and children.

In addition, he was one of the main architects of a historic agreement between care providers and local authorities in Wales.

The aim of the Memorandum of Understanding, the first agreement of its kind in the UK, is to come up with a better way of planning and commissioning services while providing added protection for people being looked after in the social care sector.

Among Mr Kreft’s proudest achievements are the creation of the Wales Care Awards to recognise the contribution of staff and setting up a successful pilot project with the aim of developing a professional body for social care workers, the Academy of Care Practitioners Cymru.

It’s believed Pendine Park was one of the first independent care organisation in the UK to employ an artist in residence 14 years ago. A ground-breaking collaboration with the renowned Hallé orchestra led to an award from Arts and Business Cymru last year.

According to Mr Kreft, the values he learned from his grandparents are still his “guiding light”.

The new centre of excellence for people with dementia is dedicated to his grandmother who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease in later life and Bodlondeb is named after his grandparents’ home in St Asaph Street, Rhyl.

Mr Kreft said: “We started out by trying to work out how we would want our grandparents looked after. We are passionate about giving people the best possible care in a home-style environment.”

“Everybody is an individual and should be treated as one. Our guiding principles are dignity, independence, choice and fulfillment. These are the core values that guide us," he added.

VETTING AND BARRING SCHEME REGISTRATION HALTED

Registration of volunteers with the Government's Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) has been halted to allow the government to remodel the scheme back to proportionate, commonsense levels, it was announced today.

Voluntary registration with the VBS for new employees and job-movers working or volunteering with children and vulnerable adults was due to start on 26 July.

This registration has now been stopped.

“The safety of children and vulnerable adults is of paramount importance to the new government.

“However it is also vital that we take a measured approach in these matters. We’ve listened to the criticisms and will respond with a scheme that has been fundamentally remodelled.

“Vulnerable groups must be properly protected in a way that is proportionate and sensible. This redrawing of the VBS will ensure this happens.”

Children’s Minister Tim Loughton said:

“Any vetting system should not be a substitute for proper vigilance by individuals and society. At the moment we think the pendulum has swung too far.

Care Services Minister Paul Burstow said:

"Protecting the most vulnerable people in society is a basic duty of any government. While we must be confident that the systems we have in place are up to the job, we must also be sure that they are proportionate.

The VBS is designed to protect children and vulnerable adults by preventing those who pose a known risk from gaining access to them through their work.

Existing arrangements under the Scheme which will continue include the following:

· Since January 2009, the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) has been making independent barring decisions. It will continue to maintain two constantly updated lists, one for those barred from working with children, the other for those barred from working with vulnerable adults;

· Existing requirements concerning Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Access Northern Ireland checks will remain in place, and those entitled to such checks can continue to apply for them; and

· Employers are still legally obliged to refer information to the ISA if they have moved or removed an individual because they have harmed or there is a risk of harm to a member of a vulnerable group.

The scope of the remodelling process – to be co-ordinated by the Home Office in partnership with Department of Health and Department for Education – is currently being finalised and will be announced shortly.

More than 66,000 employers, charities and voluntary groups are now being informed directly of the change. Up to date information is also available to businesses, other organisations and individuals on www.direct.gov.uk/vetting or www.businesslink.gov.uk/vbs.

Social Care Essential Update Seminars 2010

'MEETING THE CHALLENGE - SEIZING THE OPPORTUNITY INTERACTIVE SEMINARS'

In partnership with the Care and Social Services Inspectorate for Wales, the Care Council for Wales and the Health and Safety Executive.

These important seminars offer Registered Providers, Registered Managers and senior staff the very latest information relevant to the sector.  The events also offer the opportunity to stay ahead of the game for those organisations wishing to participate in the largest quality network in Wales.

The one day seminars commence in June with the second part taking place in November.  CFW member organisations are strongly advised to ensure that at least one senior staff member attend these events.

Draft programme includes workshops / presentations:

• All you need to know about how national changes will affect you and your organisation - CFW Social Care Senior Policy Advisors – Gordon Cole / Barry Latham
• Important changes to the Care Standards Act - CSSIW Regional Director
• Promoting quality and protecting vulnerable people - Care Council for Wales Head of Workforce and Innovation
•  Health & Safety is Good for your Business - Health and Safety Executive Senior Inspector
• How to manage the employment law changes - Peninsular Employment Law Specialist

The ‘Essential Updates’ provide incredible value for money as both an awareness raising and a CPD learning opportunity.  Seminar handouts, refreshments and buffet lunchuded in the cost. 

To book please complete the booking form and return, places are limited so early booking is essential.

New Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) qualifications are in the final stages of their development.

Replacement qualifications for NVQs in Children’s Care Learning and Development, Health and Social Care and Leadership and Management for Care Services will be ready and accredited over the next couple of months. Qualification contents and structures will be placed on our website as soon as the final versions are available.

A decision has been made in partnership with the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELL’s), that the operational or ‘go live’ date for the new QCF qualifications will be January 2011 when learners will no longer be able to register for vocational NQF qualifications. We believe that this will provide all those involved in the delivery and assessment of the new qualifications with the optimum amount of time to become familiar with their contents.

A statement on the roll out of QCF qualifications has been made by Skills for Care and Development and the Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC). Skills for Care (SfC) or the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) should be contacted for further details of roll out plans for England and Northern Ireland.

A report issued today (April 15, 2010) has found that people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s can still achieve a good quality of life.

The report, My Name Is Not Dementia, published by the Alzheimer’s Society, draws on the views of dementia sufferers, including the author Sir Terry Pratchett who suffers from a rare form of the disease.

The aim of the report, which was complied by the Mental Health Foundation, is to break down misconceptions about the impact of a dementia diagnosis by listing simple ways to make life better for sufferers.

The report lists 10 criteria that people with dementia said were important in improving their lives, such as having someone to talk to, or being able to practise a faith.

It found misconceptions about the impact of a dementia diagnosis include:

54% of people think a diagnosis would have a greater impact on them in later life than having cancer or a physical disability;

Only 13% of people think it’s possible to have a good quality of life at all stages of the condition;

and more than half of people (52%) also believe having dementia has a stigma attached to it.

Sir Terry Pratchett said: “Dementia is undoubtedly a cruel and debilitating condition. However a diagnosis does not strip a person of their identity. That person still has a voice and they deserve to be heard. Dementia requires not just care but also understanding. There is an opportunity here to give the lie to some of the clichés of care. We have to learn to be good at it.”

alzheimers.org.uk/mynameisnotdementia

After the White Paper was published by the Department of Health this week (see www.careandsupport.direct.gov.uk), Gwenda Thomas, the Assembly Government’s Deputy Minister for Social Services, said: “Given that much of the social care legislation is on an England and Wales basis, it will be essential that we continue working with the UK Government to establish a new system of paying for care that is fair, affordable, and sustainable in the long term." She indicated that the Assembly's response to its own consultation on paying for care would be published shortly and said "it will be particularly important that the results of that consultation, and further reactions from Welsh stakeholders, are considered during the consultation on the White Paper."

www.wales.nhs.uk/newsitem.cfm?contentid=16035

CSSIW has issued an overview of adult protection in social care in Wales, which alongside a separate report on the NHS has found that local authorities are making good progress on adult protection but need to do more to provide a more consistent response, as thresholds for referrals are not often well understood. A thematic study was also made of care home responses to adult protection. Recommending authorities undertake a review of their arrangements to include partners such as the independent sector in training it also recommends a number of actions for the Assembly. In response Gwenda Thomas, the minister promised action by the end of 2010 on reviewing adult protection arrangements (see www.wales.nhs.uk/newsitem.cfm?contentid=16032)

http://wales.gov.uk/cssiwsubsite/newcssiw/publications/ourfindings/allwales/2010/?lang=en

A strategic and independent review of the UK response to swine flu was announced today by the Government. Dame Deirdre Hine, a former Welsh Chief Medical Officer, will chair the independent review to examine the pandemic response across all four UK nations. Dame Deirdre will report to Ministers with recommendations before the summer parliamentary recess in any of the four nations of the UK. It comes as the access via GP's to the national stockpile of antiviral drugs was officially "stood down". Those with swine 'flu will still be able to access the antivirals but by paying for (if applicable) prescription by their GP.

England and Wales: www.dh.gov.uk/en/MediaCentre/Pressreleasesarchive/DH_114588

Skills for Care and Development has been relicensed as the Sector Skills Council covering social care, children, early years and young people’s workforces in the UK. The decision was announced Business Secretary, Lord Mandelson. The relicensing process included a performance assessment carried out by the National Audit Office. This means the four UK partners, Skills for Care, Northern Ireland Social Care Council, Care Council Wales, Scottish Social Services Council and Skills for Care are all relicensed until further reviews in the future.

http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=412716&NewsAreaID=2&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bis-news+%28BIS+News%29

NEW funding worth £3.4m was announced at the end of last week (March 26) to help champion Wales’ oldest citizens.
The Welsh Assembly Government announced that a total of £1.8m will go towards the running of the Commissioner for Older People’s office.
And all local authorities in Wales and partners in the voluntary sector will share £1.65m to take forward the Assembly Government’s Older People’s  Strategy.
Labour Deputy Minister for Social Services, Gwenda Thomas, said: “The funding is directed at addressing the recommendations made in The Strategy for Older People in Wales to encourage local authorities and the voluntary sector in Wales to take a strategic approach to older people’s issues, tackle age discrimination and plan for an ageing society in our communities."

She added: "Although there are many challenges ahead I am confident that with our hallmark partnership approach further progress will be made this year.”

The Care Council for Wales is beginning a new initiative to encourage more under-25s to take up jobs in social care with a series of events across colleges and schools and new films to be used on websites, including social networking sites, and a DVD that will be shown at jobs fairs. They will be supported by leaflets and there will also be a separate publication aimed at older potential recruits who may be looking to change career or return to work.

www.ccwales.org.uk/news-and-events/12927

The national minimum wage is set to increase by 13p an hour to £5.93/hour, up from £5.80 per hour, the Government has announced (March 25, 2010).

Read more: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=501794&in_page_id=2#ixzz0jkfgGqaw

The new adult rate for workers aged 21 and over will come into effect from October 2010.

The rate for 18 to 21-year-olds will rise from £4.83 to £4.92 per hour, while for 16 and 17-year-olds, the statutory hourly rate will be £3.64 an hour, up from £3.57 per hour.

The Law Commission is undertaking a consultation on Major changes in Social Care Law which is complex because of the large number of statutes which currently exist.  The consultation runs until the 1st July 2010. The full consultation paper can be viewed at:

http://www.lawcom.gov.uk/docs/cp192.pdf

To secure your place click here to download booking form.

Please click here to view current events being organised by Care Forum Wales on your behalf.

To find out more please contact enquiries@careforumwales.co.uk

Social Care Essential Update Seminars

 The JCVI have advised that vaccinations should continue through the summer for:

• those over 6 months old in at risk groups;
• pregnant women; and
• frontline health and social care workers

because they are at particular risk from infection or could expose patients to infection.

The JCVI considered that there is no justification to extend the programme to other healthy age groups of the population including main carers of the elderly and disabled.

For further information please click here

As part of the Framework of Services for Older People, the Welsh Assembly Government has asked Care Forum Wales to arrange a series of events across Wales to inform members of the changes to the Services for Older People.

The Framework of Services for Older People will promote the development of the appropriate range of local services working together to respond to the needs and the preferences of older people and their carers. These services should help them to continue or return to live at home or in a homely environment as independently as possible. Independence means either caring for oneself as much as possible or when practical assistance is required, it is based on the older person’s own choices and aspirations.  This applies equally to those people who fund their own care as well as those whose care is funded by the local authority or NHS.

 The idea behind the Framework is to encourage Local Authorities and their partners to develop a comprehensive range of effective local services designed to support older people at home or in a homely environment.

Older people want local services which are sufficiently robust to help them and their families cope with crises and emergencies with the minimum of disruption avoiding inappropriate admissions to hospital or residential care and facilitating a smooth transition between services.

 Your participation in these events is greatly needed to help shape the services of the future.

 To secure your place at these events click here to download booking form and return as soon as possilbe. We strongly recommend that you attend these very important FREE events.

 Click here to download  information leaflet relating to the Framework and Care Forum Wales response to this consultation.  If you require any further information please do not hesitate to call.

 To download Care Forum Wales reponse to this initiative click here

 To view the full details of the initiative click here

Care Forum Wales has been notified that Conwy Council has recommended a fee increase of 2% across the board and that Flintshire Council has recommended a fee increase of 1% for care homes and domiciliary care providers.  Please note that these increases are only recommended and are yet to be approved by the councils.

If any member has any news of fee level settings in their area please contact enquiries@careforumwales.co.uk

Diary marker: Adult Social Care Consultation

29 March 2010, Cardiff

The Law Commission is reviewing Adult Social Care law and is seeking opinions on its proposals, which are due to be published in February.

The Older People’s Commissioner for Wales is working with the Law Commission and Age Concern Cymru and Help the Aged in Wales to hold an event to discuss the impact of the current law on older people and generate ideas to overcome these challenges. 

This is your chance to influence the future shape of adult social care law.

The event is aimed at anyone with an interest in this area including older people, carers and frontline workers.  We have a range of speakers who will explain the current law, whatever your current knowledge level.

There will be a series of discussion groups so you will have the opportunity to discuss ideas in more depth.

To register an interest in attending, please email Ceri at ceri.gilg@olderpeoplewales.com or telephone 08442 640670.

If you know anyone who may be interested in attending this conference, please forward this invitation to them.

Nodyn dyddiadur: Ymgynghoriad ynghylch Gofal Cymdeithasol i Oedolion

29 Mawrth 2010, Caerdydd

Mae Comisiwn y Gyfraith wrthi’n adolygu’r gyfraith ynghylch Gofal Cymdeithasol i Oedolion ac mae’n chwilio am sylwadau ar ei gynigion, sydd i’w cyhoeddi ym mis Chwefror.

Mae Comisiynydd Pobl Hŷn Cymru yn cydweithio â Chomisiwn y Gyfraith ac Age Concern Cymru a Help the Aged yng Nghymru i gynnal digwyddiad i drafod effaith y gyfraith gyfredol ar bobl hŷn a syniadau ynghylch goresgyn yr heriau hyn.  Dyma’ch cyfle chi i ddylanwadu ar siâp y gyfraith ynghylch gofal cymdeithasol i oedolion yn y dyfodol.

Mae’r digwyddiad wedi’i anelu at unrhyw un sydd â buddiannau yn y maes hwn gan gynnwys pobl hŷn, gofalwyr a gweithwyr y rheng flaen.  Mae gennyn ni amrywiaeth o siaradwyr a fydd yn esbonio’r gyfraith gyfredol, beth bynnag fo lefel eich gwybodaeth bresennol.

Bydd cyfres o grwpiau trafod er mwyn ichi gael cyfle i drafod syniadau yn fanylach.

I gofrestru diddordeb mewn dod i’r gynhadledd, anfonwch neges e-bost at Ceri yn ceri.gilg@olderpeoplewales.com neu ffoniwch 08442 640670.

Os ydych yn adnabod unrhyw un a allai fod â diddordeb yn y gynhadledd, anfonwch y gwahoddiad yma ymlaen atyn nhw.

Dignity in Care Workshops – Academy of Care Practitioners

A number of events for social care practitioners funded by the Welsh Assembly Government.

9^th March – Swansea

10^th March - Cardiff

18^th March – Wrexham

 19^th March – Conwy

To book your place please download booking form and return.

For further information about these events click here.

Wales’ estimated 350,000 unpaid carers are to get greater support and recognition under new proposals from the Welsh Assembly Government.

The Carers Measure will mean NHS and Local Authority staff are required to consult with carers who look after elderly or ill family members about changes to the care services they provide, says Deputy Minister for Social Services, Gwenda Thomas.

Staff will also have to a duty to support carers by providing accessible, relevant and up-to-date information and advice.

The minister outlined the proposals to improve the lives of unpaid carers, including young carers, in the Carers Strategies (Wales) Measure at the end of January.

The proposed Measure covers services including social services, housing and education provided by the NHS and local authorities. It also applies to directly provided services or contracted out services, such as GP services contracted to Health Boards.

Gwenda Thomas said: “I am delighted to introduce this proposed Carers Measure. I know and appreciate the enormous contribution carers make to the people they care for, and more broadly to our communities.

“This proposed Measure addresses some of the most important concerns carers and carers organisations have shared with me over the years,” she added.

Roz Williamson, director of Carers Wales, said: “Carers often have to struggle to get the help they need and have fought long and hard for greater support and recognition.

“The Measure recognises the true value of the contribution that the 350,000 unpaid carers make to society in Wales. It will be an important step in ensuring carers get the practical and emotional help they need.”

Dementia affects 820,000, costing the UK £23 billion each year – Alzheimer’s Research Trust study

A major new Alzheimer’s Research Trust commissioned University of Oxford report, Dementia 2010, reveals that the impact of dementia on the UK’s society and economy is higher than ever. It also shows that dementia research remains severely underfunded compared to other conditions like cancer and heart disease.

We now know that dementia affects 820,000 people, costing the UK economy
£23 billion per year, while dementia research funding is twelve times lower than that for cancer research.

The news comes a year after the government published its National Dementia Strategy. The Alzheimer’s Research Trust, the UK’s leading dementia research charity, warned that “dementia is the greatest medical challenge of the 21st century”.

The Alzheimer’s Research Trust’s Dementia 2010 found that each dementia patient costs the British economy more than the average salary and five times more than the average cancer patient. For every £1 million in health and social care costs for the disease, £129,269 is spent on cancer research and just £4,882 on dementia research.

Rebecca Wood, Chief Executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, said:
"The true impact of dementia has been ignored for too long. The UK's dementia crisis is worse than we feared. This report shows that dementia is the greatest medical challenge of the 21st century."

The Full Report can be downloaded from;

http://alzheimers-research.org.uk/news/article.php?type=News&id=544

The Wales Care Awards 2010 will take place at City Hall, Cardiff on Friday October 29.

Nominations are now invited for social care workers from across Wales, including care practitioners, nurses, managers and specialists in dementia and palliative care.

A very special award this year is the Spirit of Care Award - the winner will be selected from across all categories as a special individual recognised for excellence in their practice.

The prize for this special award, sponsored by Boots, will be £1,000.

Click here to download a nomination form.

Deadline for entries will be March 31, 2010.

HEALTH Minister Edwina Hart has launched a pilot project to help frail older people who’ve been in hospital for minor conditions to return to the comfort of their own homes to recuperate.

The scheme, which began in November, is called the Frailty Fast Track Project and will be trialled at Wrexham Maelor Hospital for six months.

It aims to prevent elderly people from being delayed in hospital after they’ve been treated for a minor ailment, which can result in their ability to care for themselves being reduced.

Instead, frail, older patients will be helped through the hospital care system to allow them to go home promptly when they are well.  When they return home, patients will have access to extra care and support, if needed, to allow them to comfortably resettle into their daily lives.

Mrs Hart said: "This pilot project will be an innovative way to try to streamline care for vulnerable older patients who need hospital treatment for relatively minor conditions but may face unnecessary delays during their stay.

“Often this delayed transfer from hospital is usually against patients’ and carers’ wishes and also means additional cost for the health and social services.  

“If this project can reduce the amount of time a patient needs to stay in hospital,  it will allow older people to comfortably return to their daily routine as soon as possible and continue to live independently in their own homes.”

Chief medical officer for Wales, Dr Tony Jewell, said: “The project will support older patients through their stay in hospital and provide extra assistance to help them resettle into their own homes so that they are able to resume their day to day lives as soon as possible.

“Enabling staff to follow the patient from hospital into the community to improve continuity of care for the frail elderly should improve effective communication between hospital and community services and help patients and families feel supported.”

THE elderly are among those who could be missing out on health alert updates, as well as better deals on goods and services, due to a lack of internet access, a new report claims.

The report, by Consumer Focus Wales, warns that the one in three households in Wales lack internet access – with groups such as the elderly and less well off particularly affected.

It says they could be missing out on food safety alerts, weather warnings and even better deals to cut utility bills, as well as news of political decisions affecting the services they use, because of a lack of web access.

Consumer Focus Wales, formerly the Welsh Consumer Council, wants regulators to ensure vulnerable groups such as the elderly and poor are not forgotten and end up “institutionally locked out”. The Welsh Assembly Government said it was preparing a response to the report.

The report, which drew on 10 years of data for its report, Logged In Or Locked Out?, found 67% of households in Wales have a home internet connection.

But it concluded that there is a risk of a growing digital divide for the 750,000 adults in Wales who either cannot, or choose not to, use the internet.

Sarah Richards, senior policy advocate for Consumer Focus Wales, said personal access to the internet was becoming ever more important.

She said: “The growing availability of information and bargains means that those who either cannot, or choose not to, use the internet are in danger of being locked out from accessing the best deals, and the most up-to-date information.”

Ms Richards added: “The benefits to consumers of the internet are many, but we must ensure we do not end up in a country where people are institutionally locked out from information which may affect them – like weather warnings, finding out information during food scares or looking at what elected politicians are saying on our behalf.”

Families in Wales forced to sell their loved ones’ homes to help pay for care home fees that should have been funded by the NHS have been warned to get their compensation claims in soon.

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Peter Black yesterday hit out at the lack of publicity about the Welsh Assembly Government's approaching December 4 deadline.

Those affected are people whose relatives were placed in a care home – whether a nursing home or residential home – because they needed continuing medical care.

Peter Black said: “Anybody who leaves hospital should receive a continuing care assessment, which establishes their nursing and personal care needs. Any nursing care needs identified by this assessment should be paid for by the NHS.

“Members of the family are entitled to be present at this assessment. The problem is that most do not know about this and are preoccupied by other matters. Often these assessments do not take place.

“The NHS is responsible for paying for nursing care, and councils often pick up the bill for social and personal care. So the outcomes of these assessments can often be significant in determining who pays.

“What is missing here is clarity. It seems to me that there is no clearly-understood definition of nursing care and personal care,” he added.

The Court of Appeal made a judgement in 1999 stating that anyone whose main need for a care home place was based on their medical needs should not have to make any contribution towards the cost of their health care. Instead, the court ruled, this should be paid for by the NHS.

It is understood there are already nearly 900 outstanding claims in Wales alone, and more are expected to come forward by the December 4 deadline.

The Welsh Assembly Government said the relevant bodies (responsible for making known the deadline) were told of the deadline in August

The deadline for restrospective claims is for the period April 1, 1996 to March 31, 2003. Claims relating to later periods are unaffected and should be directed to your Local Health Board.

A citizens’ jury is to be brought together on October 1 in Cwmbran, Torfaen, to discuss how the media affects relations between older people and younger members of society.

The event is one of a number of planned to take place across Wales to mark the UK’s Older People’s Day. October 1 is also the United Nations’ Day For Older People.

The jury, which will meet at County Hall in Cwmbran, will hear evidence about how older people are portrayed in the media and have the chance to cross-examine witnesses about whether this damages the way younger people perceive them.

The opening address at the event, which starts at 10am, will be given by the Welsh Assembly Government’s deputy minister for social services, Gwenda Thomas.

The jury will weigh up the evidence and come up with a recommendation which will be put forward to the Welsh Assembly Government on how to improve relations between young people and the older generation.

The European Campaign on Risk Assessment is hosting two Wales-based workshops in October to promote the benefits of carrying out risk assessments.

One workshop is to be held in Cwmbran, on October 5, and the other is on October 9 in Conwy. The workshops are aimed at staff and employers who need to deal with risk assessments in the workplace.

There will be practical advice on completing risk assessments, a discussion of the main issues surrounding implementing such assessments and a chance to network and find out about best practice.

Workshops:
October 5, 9.30am-1pm, County Hall, Cwmbran
October 9, 9.30am-1pm, Conwy Business Centre

Refreshments and free buffet lunch are provided. For further information, or to book a place, email j.ramsay@media-consulta.com by October 1.

Dementia charity extends helpline opening hours to mark Dementia Awareness Week

The charity, Dementia UK, which helps those suffering from dementia and their families, is marking Dementia Awareness Week next week (from July 4-10) with extended opening hours on its national helpline.

The organisation runs Admiral Nursing DIRECT, a national helpline for people with dementia, their carers, friends, family and professionals.

The service is run by Admiral Nurses, specialist dementia nurses, and is normally available Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11am to 8:45pm and Saturdays from 10am until 1pm.

In recognition of Dementia Awareness Week next week it will also open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11am -5:30pm.

For more information see www.dementiauk.org

For the helpline call 0845 257 9406 or email direct@dementiauk.org

Four national older people's organisations are joining forces in Wales to create a 'senate' to give older people a stronger public voice.

The Welsh Senate, launched today (Oct 1) of Older People will lobby the UK and Welsh Assembly Governments on matters such as age discrimination, housing and health.

It will also work to improve a wide range of services to the elderly in Wales.

The four organisations participating are the National Old Age Pensioners Association of Wales, the National Pensioners Convention Wales, Older People's Advisory Group Cymru and Pensioners Forum Wales.

A spokesperson for the Senate said: "The population of Wales is ageing at a faster rate than any other part of the UK, and in 20 years time one in three Welsh adults will be aged 65 or over.

"Older people's issues have become increasingly prominent in recent years and the creation of the senate is a significant milestone in the journey to unite older people the length and breadth of Wales."

For more information see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-11450330