News
Message to all colleagues from
Martina Peattie, Chair of Trustees
I am delighted to announce that Rachel Robinson has been appointed as The Care Forum's new Chief Executive. Rachel has been working for South Gloucestershire Council as both the Children's Fund Programme Manager and as part of the Integrated Working project.
Rachel has said, "I am really excited to be taking up this appointment within the voluntary sector at such an important time for both The Care Forum and the sector. I look forward to championing the health and social care voluntary and community sector, as well as taking forward the excellent services that The Care Forum delivers".
The Care Forum staff and Trustees would like to congratulate Rachel on her appointment and we look forward to her starting work with us on Monday 22 September.
Nominations invited for a voluntary sector rep on the Breast Care Services Review
Bristol PCT, North Somerset PCT and South Gloucestershire PCT are undertaking a comprehensive review of the breast care services in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. The three Primary Health Care Trusts have agreed the terms of reference for the review which will be led by Professor Robert Mansel from University of Wales, Cardiff.
Copies can be downloaded here and here of the summary of the process and structure including for the terms of reference for the following two groups for which The Care Forum has been invited to nominate a representative
- Steering Group (which will manage the review under the leadership of Professor Mansel)
- Public Involvement and Communications Group (which is responsible for public and patient involvement and the communications work for the breast care services review )
The PCT is still in the process of arranging the meetings. One meeting of the Steering Group has taken place in July. The following dates agreed to date relate only to the Steering Group:
- August - under consideration
- 10.00 to 12.00 19 September
- 10.00 to 12.00 17 October
All the above meetings are in King Square House. Stakeholder involvement will be a key and ongoing priority throughout this important review. Should you require any further information about the review please contact Janet Smith, Project Manager, Bristol Health Services Plan, ( 0117 900 2646, Janet.Smith@bristolpct.nhs.uk
If you would like to become the rep on the Breast Care Services Review please read and consider the rep agreement and complete the nomination form which you can download here and return it to Phil Morgan, philmorgan@thecareforum.org.uk by 5pm on Monday 1 September. Or you can post it to Phil Morgan, The Care Forum, The Vassall Centre, Gill Avenue, Bristol BS16 2QQ.
For further information on this election please contact Phil Morgan or Kate Oliver at The Care Forum, ( 0117 965 4444.
Consultation - Draft B&NES Older People's Strategy
The Key to Independence, (Draft B&NES Older People's Strategy) is currently out for consultation. This strategy outlines a vision for how housing and housing-related support for older people should change. The closing date for comments is 31 July. For more information or to make comments contact Rebecca Potter, Acting Supporting People Manager, Tel: 01225 477972 email Rebecca_Potter@BATHNES.GOV.UK
Legislation up-date
The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill, which includes provisions for establishing LINks has recently completed its Committee stage in the House of Lords. Parliament has now adjourned for summer recess, but when it reconvenes in October, debate on the bill will continue. It is expected to have been passed by both Houses of Parliament by November, after which it will become statute. Transcripts of the debate can be found online on the Hansard Website under the debates that took place on the 23rd July: http://www.parliament.uk/publications
On the 31 July The Audit Commission published their report "Hearts and Minds; commissioning from the voluntary sector". The report looks at the extent and nature of the voluntary and community sector's (VCS) delivery of public services, the locally perceived impact of government efforts to build capacity and the current state of commissioning and procurement practice.
Neighbourhood Conversations - Bath and North East Somerset
Improving Health Ambitions for the Southwest has been published by NHS South West. It forms the basis of how they would like to improve health in the region over the next 3-5 years.
The B&NES Adult Health and Social Care Partnership (that includes B&NES Primary Care Trust and B&NES Social and Housing Services) wants to develop local plans and ambitions for the next 3-5 years.
These events are a chance for anyone who is interested in health and well being in Bath and North East Somerset to look at the ambitions for the South West and help shape local plans and ambitions and the way they can be delivered in B&NES.
There are three meetings:
St Luke's Church Hall, Wellsway, Bath - Wednesday 16 July, 2 - 4.30
Key Centre, Keynsham - Tuesday 22 July, 10 - 12.30
Somer Centre, Midsomer Norton - Thursday 24 July, 10 - 12.30
Book a place http://www.thecareforum.org/events/events_diary.php
Engagement on Long Term In-patient Mental Health Facilities
B&NES Primary Care Trust mental health commissioners are asking for your views at their very early stages of thinking about the best way to provide in-patient mental health services in B&NES into the future. Your views and those of mental health service users and carers, alongside the views of staff, clinicians and managers, will be an important test of opinion on which to build and shape their ideas and eventual proposals. Even though any change will not take place for at least 2 years previous feedback from the B&NES community has shown that in order to make sure services succeed in meeting future needs, it is important to work together right from the beginning and before ideas and solutions are generated. This questionnaire is the start of that process. The questionnaire and information see here is for voluntary and community groups and for service users and carers. Please make sure as many service users and carers see it and fill it in as possible. Your feedback and questionnaires should be sent to: Andrea Morland, Mental Health Change Programme Manager, Trust HQ, St Martin's Hospital, Clara Cross Road, BA2 5RP or by e-mail to andrea.morland@banes-pct.nhs.co.uk
What is expected from the VCS
The report makes it clear the each partner has responsibilities in improving the designing and delivery of local services. The VCS have to be better at understanding their costs and submit bids that are of a high quality and are fully costed. They should be informed of commissioners service objectives and ensure that their bids are appropriate to these objectives. VCS organisations have got to be much more self aware, be clear about what makes them special and why they offer ‘value for money'. It is important that VCS organisations are able to work with public bodies, regulatory organisations and improvement agencies to develop a consensus about how to measure value for money.
Intelligent commissioning
A great emphasis is put on what the report describes as ‘intelligent commissioning'. Commissioners should be part of a consultative regime that seeks to understand what their users need. They should recognise the expertise of the VCS and involve them in identifying those needs. Commissioners should understand the need for having sustainable services, balancing the need for short term efficiency with the longer term outcomes of community projects. Value for money measurement should shift from the current focus on inputs, outputs and unit costs towards more long-term measurement of outcomes and effectiveness. Public bodies should engage with VCS in the planning of services and in the design of the commissioning process.
Government help
The report quotes from the HM treasury report; ‘The future role of the third sector in social and economic regeneration' (2006) that ‘the government wants to ensure that the third sector is at the heart of reforms to improve public services as contractors delivering services, as campaigners for change, as advisors influencing the design of services and as innovators from which the public sector can learn'.
In order that this is not just a worthy statement, the Audit Commission includes recommendations that regulatory bodies and central government play their part in making this happen. They should ensure that commissioners are given access to guidance and best practice around procurement and are assessed for the effectiveness of their commissioning and procurement. The government needs to ensure effective communication of their aims and ensure that initiatives such as the Local Area Agreements (LAA) are used to improve relationships between the VCS and local bodies.
Further information and the full audit commission report can be obtained from http://www.theauditcommission.gov.uk/
To order a paper copy call (0800 502 030 (stock code GNR3400))
To view the new Strategy for Smoke Free Homes in Bristol document click
Mental Health Bill
Charities and groups representing health professionals have warned that the government faces a bitter fight over its mental health bill. The new bill will introduce supervised treatment in the community to ensure that patients comply with treatment when they are discharged from hospital and enable action to be taken to prevent relapse. There will be a new definition of ‘mental disorder' and the treatability test will be removed. There will be new rights and extra protection for people with serious mental disorders not covered by existing legislation. However the Mental Health Alliance, which brings together 78 organisations including charities, the Law Society and the Royal College of Nursing, declared the measure "flawed and profoundly disappointing". See the bill at http://www.dh.gov.uk/
Bristol Community Engagement Report
The Bristol Community Engagement Report produced for the Bristol Partnership is now on the Publications Page. View Report
Disability Equality Scheme (DES) helps to break down barriers.
Avon and Somerset Police are launching a new scheme this week aimed at ensuring disabled people are treated equally. The Disability Equality Scheme (DES) will be officially launched this Wednesday, November 29 by Deputy Chief Constable Stephen Otter at police headquarters in Portishead. The scheme has developed from the introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, which comes into effect this December. This places a disability equality duty on organisations such as the police, to ensure people with a disability have an equality of opportunity in both the services the organisation provides and as employees of the force. View this story on their website >
Strong and Prosperous Communities
The new White Paper is the latest step in the Government’s agenda for the modernisation of local government.
It has new proposals for devolving power and significantly strengthening local government’s leadership role in local areas. The paper also outlines plans for improving partnership working as well as providing a major expansion of opportunities for local people to influence local decision-making. The White Paper explicitly recognizes the importance of the relationship local government has with the voluntary and community sector.
You can see the white paper at www.communities.gov.uk
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