LINKED UP NEWS April 2011
“Growing Stronger Communities - by joining together, many whispers become one voice”
Merseyside LINks Look to the Future
worked, and what lessons we need to learn for the transition to Local Members of the LINk Board and HealthWatch. Support Team, along with several Around 200 delegates attended the active LINk members, were in event, including a large contingent attendance at a major regional LINk from the Wirral who made their way event at Aintree Racecourse at the across the water. Feedback was on end of January. the whole very positive (apart from The event, entitled ‘LINks to the a few issues with the sandwiches!) Future: LINks and the Transition and the consensus seemed to be to HealthWatch’ was organised that valuable information had been jointly by the Host organisations shared between the region’s LINks. for several Merseyside LINks, Diane Hill, Wirral LINk Chair, including Wirral LINk. It was billed said in her speech to the conference as a day for all Merseyside’s Local that “it is important to stress the Involvement Networks to look hard work and achievements of at what has worked, what hasn’t the region’s LINks over the last
Issue 10
By the LINk Support Team
Wirral Mums & Midwives Team Wins Top Award By Elaine Evans LINk Support Team The ‘Mums and Midwives’ Shop project in Birkenhead, Birkenhead Community Midwife Team from from Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, has won one of the UK’s top midwifery prizes at the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) Annual Awards. LINk members visited the project before Christmas, and were extremely impressed. A copy of their report is available for download on the LINk website. The shop is staffed by a team of community midwives to provide local women with advice on pregnancy and postnatal issues.
Linda Birch, head of Wirral midwifery, said that “the shop has firmly established itself and has proved to be very popular.” The team were rewarded with the Innovation in Midwifery Award for their efforts. The award, sponsored by Philips Avent, was presented at the Ninth Royal College of Midwives Annual Midwifery Awards at a ceremony in London on 19th January 2011.
Enter & View Visits
been submitted to the relevent homes. As soon as the official The LINk has started a new responses are received, the reports programme of Enter and View visits, will be published on the LINk focussing initally on care homes. website, shared with the Care The Enter & View Team has met Quality Commission and sent to to agree their working methodology, Wirral Council. and to agree services to visit. The programme of visits to care There are now 11 Authorised homes will now continue over the Representatives, a list of whom can next several months - nine visits are be found on www.linkwirral.org. being planned for April and May. uk. Visits to Arrowe Park are also being The first three visits to care homes planned for the next few months, took place over a day on the 9th with four wards and A&E likely to March, and the visit reports have be visited in the near future. By the LINk Enter & View Team
LINk members & VCA Wirral staff with NHS and Wirral Council staff and Councillor Brian Kenny
three years, and to make sure that the opportunities presented by the change to local HealthWatch are recognised and embraced”, a sentiment that was widely applauded by the delegates. The key note speeches for the day were given by Richard Caulfield
from Voluntary Sector North West and Radio Merseyside’s Roger Phillips, both of whom praised LINk volunteers and the contribution they have made, and urged delegates to “keep the faith”. For more photos from this event see our Picture Special on page 3...
By Phil Davies LINk Support Team
that they have a chance to influence the changes. The LINk will continue to offer this opportunity, and will be endeavouring to help keep people up-to-date about the changes, as well as offering them the opportunity to say what they think. A major part of this will be a relaunch of the Dignity in Care feedback campaign, which will run until the end of 2011 and ask Wirral service users whether they feel that their care services are treating them with Dignity and Respect. Part of the Bill that will affect the LINk specifically is the proposal to replace the LINk with ‘Local HealthWatch’. For more on this, see page two. We will do our best to keep the LINk website updated as the Health and Social Care Bill progresses.
Major NHS Changes The Government plans for what Prime Minister David Cameron has called “fundamental changes” to the NHS continue to be developed. The LINk is obviously working hard to stay informed about what these changes will mean, nationally but more particularly locally. LINk board members and support staff recently attended an event organised by NHS Wirral and VCA Wirral (the LINk Host), which aimed to inform local community and voluntary groups about the potential opportunities for engaging with the new NHS. In a period of uncertainty and change, it will be even more vital for the voices of patients and the public to be heard, and for people to feel
New LINk Coffee Mornings By Elaine Evans LINk Support Team Following requests from LINk members, we have reintroduced the popular LINk coffee mornings for 2011. The first two events took place in February and March, and were wellattended and well-received. Both were held at Willow Bank Court in Wallasey. The main topic of the first morning was Infection Control and was run in conjunction with Wirral University
A nice cup of LINk tea...
Teaching Hospital (WUTH). Alison Quinn (Senior Prevention and Control Nurse from WUTH) delivered a presentation on her team’s role within the hospital, and Story Continues on Page2
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LINKED UP NEWS
April 2011
Coffee Mornings a Great Success a similar format, but the focus was on Personalisation, with a talk from about the NHS placing the highest Christine Beyga (Interim Head of priority on protecting the public Care Services at Wirral Council). from infection. Alison’s presentation Christine spoke about the principles lasted around 10 minutes and the behind Personalisation, and how audience has the opportunity to ask Wirral Council intend to achieve questions at the end. this, in a presentation entitled The second coffee morning was ‘Transforming Adult Social Care in
Wirral - Making it Personal’. More information about Personalisation can be found in the info bar below right. More detail on these two events, including reports and the slides of the personalisation presentation can be found by visiting the LINk website.
Royals Support Cruse
What is Personalisation?
continued from page one...
By Karen Prior LINk Support Team
Wirral-based charity Cruse Bereavement Care have been personally selected by Prince William and Catherine Middleton to benefit from their Royal Wedding Charitable Gift Fund. Cruse has been chosen on the strength of its work with the Armed Services. The charity has recently developed specialised training for its volunteers so that they can recognise and respond to factors specific to military deaths that can further complicate the grieving process. This allows them to provide appropriate, high quality care to the military family whenever necessary, whether in the immediate aftermath of a death or months or even years later. This support is vital and has been proved to be of huge benefit to
those affected by a death in service: as one widow explains, “nobody wants to admit they need help but I needed help. Cruse did really help me. For the first year I don’t think you can ever see yourself rebuilding your life or having a life - but you can”. Cruse, which has over 50 years’ experience in supporting bereaved people, also provides a telephone helpline, email support and a range of publications useful to the Armed Services and their families, including a military section on its website. Prince William and Miss Middleton have asked that anyone who might wish to give them a wedding gift consider giving instead to a charitable fund. This fund can be donated to via the website www. royalweddingcharityfund.org.
HealthWatch
Transition Group Continues Work as Transition Guidance Published By the LINk Transition Group As part of the Government’s proposed NHS reforms (see page one for more on this), it is proposed that LINks will be replaced by organisations called Local HealthWatch. Local HealthWatch will be establised from April 2012 to be the chamption of patients, people using services, carers and the wider public. The roles of Local HealthWatch could include ‘influencing’, ‘signposting’ and ‘advice’. A Transition Plan has been published by the Department of Health describing the proposed process for setting up Local HealthWatch. A link to this document is available from the LINk website. In her introduction to the plan, Joan Saddler, National Director for Patients and the Public wrote that “Local HealthWatch will also
have an important new focus on supporting the diverse needs of individuals, helping them to find the information they need so they can make the most of the wide range of choices available to them. And, as sometimes happens, if people do not have a good experience of NHS care, Local HealthWatch will also be the place they can go to get help if they need it to make a complaint.” Locally, this process is being monitored and managed by a Transition Stakeholder Group made up of LINk members and representatives from Wirral Council, NHS Wirral, Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology, Cheshire & Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. If you would like more information about the work of the transition group, please contact the LINk Support Team.
These coffee mornings will continue throughout 2011, and there has already been great interest from people wanting to present or attend. If there is a topic that you would like to see covered at a coffee morning, please contact the LINk Support Team.
Personalisation
means starting with the individual as a person with strengths and preferences who may have a network of support and resources, which can include family and friends. They may have their own funding sources or be eligible for state funding.
Personalisation
reinforces the idea the individual is best placed to know what they need and how those needs can be best met. It means that people can be responsible for themselves and can make their own decisions about what they require, but that they should also have information and support to enable them to do so. In this way services should respond to the individual instead of the person having to fit with the service. This traditional service-led approach has often meant that people have not received the right support for their circumstances or been able to help shape the kind of help they need.
Personalisation
is about giving people much more choice and control over their lives. Taken from a presentation by Christine Beyga, Interim Head of Care Services at Wirral Council. For more information visit: www.wirral.gov.uk www.scie.org.uk/adults/personalisation.asp www.puttingpeoplefirst.org.uk
NHS News Events By the LINk Support Team
By the LINk Support Team
As noted elsewhere, we are currently seeing major changes to the NHS, both nationally and locally. A couple of snippets of local news: Wirral Community NHS Trust The new Wirral Community NHS Trust came into being on 1 April 2011. The Trust provides a wide range of community health services to people in their own homes, and was previously part of NHS Wirral. They will be seeking to become an NHS Foundation Trust. For more information visit www.wirralct. nhs.uk. Appointment of PCT Chair James Kay has been confimed as Chair of NHS Wirral until 31 March 2011. James has been Acting Chair of the Primary Care Trust (PCT) for several months.
It’s been a busy few months for LINk Active Members, Board, and Support Team. As well as the coffee mornings, regional event, enter and view visits, and regular meetings covered elsewhere in this issue members have also been seen at the VCA Wirral / NHS Wirral ‘Future of the NHS’ event (pictures opposite), and at various training courses and other events. Notable amongst these training events was the Media Skills and Interview Training course completed by LINk members Audrey Meacock, Debbie SmithAnderson and David Seal, along with the LINk Support Team’s Elaine Evans, who said “the training was really informative and good fun - the members and I got a lot out of it.”
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It’s Back! Dignity & Respect Campaign to Continue By the LINk Support Team After the success of the LINk Dignity in Care Campaign last year, the Dignity and Communications SubGroups, with the help of the LINk Support Team, are preparing to relaunch the campaign for 2011. Diane Hill, LINk Chair, said “thank you to everyone who contributed to the survey last year. We’re hoping for an equally good response from the local community when we relaunch in June”. The response cards have been redesigned, and again will be free to complete and return. If you would like to be involved in this major piece of LINk work, please contact the Support Team for details. Full details will be sent out soon!
LINKED UP NEWS
Picture Special
April 2011
A few pictures from LINk events so far this year...
LINk Coffee Morning, February 2011
Attendees take part in a workshop
Alison Quinn’s Infection Control Presentation
LINk Coffee Morning, March 2011
Tony Excell on Equality Impact Assessments
Christine Beyga talks about Personalisation
Future of the NHS Event, Hulme Hall Delegates network over coffee
March 16th 2011
Recent news from linkwirral.org.uk By the LINk Support Team • Department of Health: Modernising Care Services • Wirral Community NHS Trust • Transition to HealthWatch • NHS changes • CQC - standards of care to expect • Update on Respite and Care Home provision from Wirral Council • VCA Wirral achieves quality award • NWAS Foundation Trust application
John Lancaster, Head of Provider Services NHS Wirral
Regional LINk Event, Aintree - January 2011 Diane Hill’s Presentation
Roger Phillips, Radio Merseyside
Delegates listen to Diane Hill
A&E Survey
By the LINk Support Team The LINk is carrying out an A&E Survey. If you or anyone you know have had an experience (positive or negative) in Arrowe Park Accident & Emergency Department, please contact Elaine Evans at the LINk Support Team on 0151 203 2111 ext 21 or elaine.evans@ vcawirral.org.uk. Your contirbution is vital to this survey, and any feedback you give us will be kept strictly confidential.
Wirral LINk members, VCA Wirral and Wirral Council staff and Esther McVey, MP for Wirral West
LINKED UP NEWS
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Classifieds and diary dates By the LINk Support Team & the LINk Board LINk Board Meetings in Public Friday May 6th 9.30am start at the St Saviour’s Parish Church, Oxton. Some Sad News Sadly, Wirral LINk Board Member Les Makin passed earlier this year. Les was a well respected, trustworthy and completely honest man who it has been a privilege to know, and he will be sadly missed by the LINk Support Team and his colleagues on the LINk Board. Dignity in Care Working Group This group will now meet after the Enter and View Sub-Group. The next meeting will be held at Birkenhead Fire Station on May 23rd, starting at
1pm. Please note this meeting is yet to be confirmed. Please contact the LINk Support Team for details. NHS Wirral Issues Group The next meeting of this group will be on DATE DATE at Birkenhead Fire Station, starting at TIME. If you would like to attend, please contact Elaine Evans or Lisa Phillips. Communications Sub-Group The next meeting of the Communications Sub-Group will be held on Wednesday 4th May at Birkenhead Fire Station, starting at 10.30am. The Well-Being of Wirral Thursday 26th and Friday 27th May, Floral Pavilion, New Brighton. This event is being run by the Older
People’s Parliament - contact 0151 666 2220 or email parliament@ aceconcernwirral.org for details. The LINk will have a stand at this event on both days - if you are available to help out on the stand, please contact the LINk Support Team. Christian Cancer Friends Together Meets twice monthly in West Kirby, all welcome. Contact Marie on 0151 625 8775 or Pat on 0151 638 6370 Do you have responsibility for your grandchildren aged under 18? Age Concern Wirral want to know more about the issues that grandparent carers face - contact Ian Bourbonneux on 0151 653 4404
April 2011
Letters
The current charges for dental care are excessive and are a disincentive to maintain one’s teeth. Are there any plans to review the charges that we have to pay? Name and address supplied
How will my regular visits to my neighbourhood GP be affected by the Government’s changes to the structure of the PCT in Wirral? Name and address supplied
I’d like to say how helpful the Home from Hospital service that is provided by VCA Wirral in Liscard is, the volunteers could not be more helpful and considerate - nothing is too much trouble for them. Name and address supplied
Send your thoughts, queries and letters to info@linkwirral.org.uk.
Extraordinary Meeting - Plans for 2011 By the LINk Board Following the announcement that the LINk will be replaced by Local HealthWatch from April 2012, it was proposed that the majority of the LINk Board continue in their role, and that four new members should be added to the Board. This is to provide continuity during the transition year whilst ensuring that fresh ideas and expertise is brought onto the Board. In line with the LINk Governance, an Extraordinary
Meeting of the LINk was called on Thursday 24th February 2011 at Bebington Civic Centre, Bebington Suite at 4:30pm to vote on this proposal: To create a Transition/Caretaker Board to assume all the powers and responsibility of the current LINk Board from April 1st 2011 to March 31st 2012. 22 people attended the meeting and the proposal was agreed by 13 votes. There is a seat available on the Board for a representative for
Coffee Mornings St Saviour’s Church, Oxton Thurs. 19th May, 10am to 12noon
Dying Matters Week
Featuring a talk from Dr Murray Freeman End of Life Lead for NHS Wirral
All Welcome! The Pavilion, Birkenhead Park Thurs. 16th June, 10am to 12noon
Dignity and Respect
If you’d like to attend, it would help us if you could let us know (so we have enough coffee!) Please call Lisa on 0151 203 2111 ext 209
the LGB&T community - if you are interested in taking up this opportunity please contact the LINk Support Team.
2 new co-opted active members: David Seal and Tricia Harrison 2 co-opted inclusivity members: Raza Moula from WMO (Wirral Multicultural Organisation) representing BME community, and a representative for the LGB&T community (TBC)
LINk Board Members - 1st April 2011 to 31st March 2012 11 current members will continue: Diane Hill, Audrey Meacock, Keith Heller, Barbara Moody, Peter Walton, Joyce Hayward, Murdo Kennedy, Jean Maskell, Diane Morley, Robin Eley-Jones and Stanley Mayne
Wirral LINk and the LINk Support Team would like to thank all the past and current Board Members and Active Members who have worked so hard on the LINk.
Contact Details Wirral Local Involvement Network (LINk) c/o VCA Wirral, Fire Station, Exmouth Street, Birkenhead, CH41 4NF Tel: 0151 203 2111 Fax: 0151 666 5300 Email: info@linkwirral.org.uk www.linkwirral.org.uk
LINk Support Team
Karen Prior, LINk Manager (part-time) Ext. 203 Elaine Evans, LINk Support Officer Ext. 211 Phil Davies, LINk Comms & Information Officer (part-time) Ext. 207 Lisa Phillips, LINk Admin Support Officer (part-time) Ext. 209 To contact LINk staff call 0151 203 2111 (+ Ext)
Office Hours 9.00am - 4.30pm
Editor: Phil Davies Design: Phil Davies To subscribe or change your contact details, phone 0151 203 2111 LINKED UP NEWS is published on behalf of Wirral LINk by: VCA Wirral, Fire Station, Exmouth Street, Birkenhead, CH41 4NF Copyright © 2011 Wirral Local Involvement Network (LINk)
LINKED UP NEWS If you have articles, events or features that you would like to see in the next edition of LINKED UP NEWS, please contact Phil Davies. The deadline for the next edition is 1pm on Friday June 10th 2011.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided in this newsletter is accurate, but we cannot guarantee accuracy and our articles do not constitute legal or professional advice. Opinions expressed in the newsletter are not always to be taken as expressing the opinions of Wirral LINk or VCA Wirral. Advertisements, products or services listed are not necessarily recommended by Wirral LINk or VCA Wirral.