Tapestry HüBs an Introduction

Tapestry Care UK limited

Registered Office: HOPWA House, Inskip Drive, Hornchurch, Essex, RM11 3UR

Registered Company No: 3942243 Registered Charity No: 1079969

Rebuilding Community Resilience Post Covid 19

The role of Tapestry HüBs

A HüB is a special place where people can eat, meet with others and enjoy experiences, with others, whatever their disability or age. It is a safe place where those living with dementia can do all this and experience reminisce and sensory experiences that can stimulate interaction and communication with those around them.

Tapestry Care UK Limited

Who are we?

Tapestry is a social business and charity working for adults, predominantly, historically older adults, and since 2007 for individuals of all ages living with disability and dementia and their Carers.

Our mission is to provide all adults with services and opportunities to enable them to live connected, healthy and fulfilled lives.

We do this by providing affordable services that offer real value for money and deliver important social outcomes for our clients and society as a whole

We provide high quality personalised, integrated care, health and wellbeing services, and services that tackle social isolation, all with healthy food at their heart. Everything we do is focused on the individual and we ensure that, where care plans are necessary, they are driven by the individual.

We focus on prevention:

• By the providing activities/services working to prevent, where possible, deterioration of mobility, physical and mental health.

• By providing access to heathy affordable, food preventing malnutrition or obesity.

• By providing transport and events bringing people together to prevent loneliness and isolation

Currently over 500 people benefit from our services across Havering and Barking and Dagenham

Tapestry HüB’s

We deliver our mission through stand alone, replicable HüBs.

These HÜBs are financially self-sustaining social businesses.

The social businesses and the delivery model are designed to be:

1. Replicable and self-funding models that can be delivered anywhere there is a community need.

2. Established within communities to meet and compliment geographical needs, in association with the Local borough council and other local voluntary sector organisations.

3. Flexible in their service provision so as not to duplicate services or provide unnecessary competition. (If they are new to a geographical area, they will work to identify current service provision and seek to compliment those services and work with the organisations, providing those services. They will also work to grow existing service provision and/or establish new services to ensure that the greatest number of people who require the services can have access to them).

4. Flexible to utilise existing buildings and work locally to find innovative solutions to deliver services that cannot normally be delivered because of a building’s limitations.

We want to enable many more people to benefit from our services as the need is growing year on year.

The role of Tapestry HüB’s - Providing solutions

What do we want to do?

• To build on existing support services to tackle the issues facing the community, in the post Covid world, and build community resilience and resources to better manage a similar situation, should it occur again in the future.

• To create, with local people, the local voluntary and the public sector HüBs providing care and support wherever they are required.

A HüB is a nerve centre, at the heart of the community, focusing on care and support service for older people and adults with care needs, a wellbeing centre and a place of advice and practical support. It builds on and extends the specialisms of existing voluntary sector organisations, businesses and the local infrastructure.

As a pivot of community activity and planning it will be a resource to harness the knowledge, skills and interests of local people to cultivate additional ways to support people to live their lives as they wish.

Why is this plan necessary?

Older people and adults, with complex needs in our communities, had become viewed as liability and challenge, in short costly. Access to care and support had become difficult to comprehend and what is offered more disengaged from people’s concerns that they have for themselves and their families.

The Covid 19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerabilities of this forgotten part of our community and created a series of new challenges that need addressing If we wish for our communities to be a place where all can thrive and live healthy fulfilled lives, we must work differently to meet these new challenges that will, if we do not address them, have a negative impact on the health and wellbeing of the whole community.

Covid 19 has also put an enormous strain on those who care for people in our community. We need to establish accessible support and advice alongside much needed opportunities for respite for carers within the HÜB network. Key to this will be identifying the local nature and size of those who are unpaid carers. How best to support these people will be a vital aspect of the development of the HÜB

We believe a radical rethink and a change in approach is required to reconnect care and support with local communities.

This plan seeks to address these challenges.

Tapestry HüB’s will bring together Local Voluntary Sector Organisations (VSO’s), local people and the local public, private and voluntary sectors, to create a more comprehensible and relevant approach to care and support. The approach will contribute to building a more cohesive community of people and businesses to provide care and support for those that face daily challenges due to a disability and/or living with dementia and those that are lonely or isolated, or at risk of being lonely or isolated due their age, disability, mental health issues, sexuality, ethnicity, or culture

By working with local people, we can gather and review management information that will inform community and business decisions. The HüB can then provide people with the knowledge that they need to make their own decisions and support them as they live as they wish. By adding a variety of neighborhood support and care the HÜB can, not only address the immediate post Covid challenges but, most importantly, create early intervention activities that will prevent or delay the deterioration of the health and wellbeing of the community and reduce the prevalence of illness and loneliness in the community in the future.

It is possible, and we will explore this possibility, to consider the HÜB as being a HÜB of knowledge (for and about the neighbourhood) and as learning HÜB developing the skills of the community and extending to being a focus for qualification such as through the Kickstart scheme for apprentices.

By changing the relationship between those who need care and support, the community and the businesses organising care we also believe that it is possible to positively shift the image of paid employment in care. Thereby overcoming many of the workforce difficulties experienced in social care.

The issues described are not the same everywhere, but we do think that effective solutions always involve and evolve with local participation. The research information provided seeks to set out the scale of the challenge, and some of the issues, currently facing UK communities.

The HÜBs will be partly driven by the views and concerns of local people and it is important that while guiding the debates that we are not seen as imposing their own fixed solutions. So being exact about the services developed at this stage has to be carefully managed however, we are confident that the priority areas are likely to be:

• Loneliness/social isolation

• Dementia

• Nutrition and reducing obesity

• Exercise and mobility

• Carers support

• Bereavement

• Mental health

• Volunteering

Tapestry’s Mission – ‘What we want to do’

Tapestry has been providing services for 70 years. The focus of these services has always been on providing the community with what it needs. It has constantly changed its range of services, over that 70-year period, to ensure that the services provided continue to meet the needs of the community.

The challenges of the 21st century were already varied and without intervention could become acute. The Covid 19 Pandemic and the challenges of a post Covid world and the cost-of-living crisis have added another layer of complexity and challenges.

In response to the challenges pre Covid, and specifically those of an ageing population, increasing loneliness within communities, the adult social finance changes, and the forecast increase in dementia. Tapestry had developed a sustainable, replicable model that can deliver the care and support services and offer the prevention activities and opportunities required to meet those challenges

In response to Covid 19 Tapestry has adapted the model to provide more care and support to people directly in their homes, increase contact with those who are isolated and provide practical support and solutions to those directly affected by the issues of Covid and the subsequent lockdowns.

All these new services will remain in place and integrated care and support services will be developed. These services will be aimed at reducing isolation and loneliness, providing companionship and fascilitating access to enjoyable activities that improve physical and mental health as well as cognitive function.

The model is set at the heart of the community, in existing facilities, and will ensure that adults with care and support needs, and their carers, have affordable and practical access to the personalized care and support they need and deserve, and what our communities strive for.

TAPESTRY HÜB

This is a tried and tested delivery model for Tapestry It is trusted and valued by the communities it serves

HÜBs are delivered through a replicable, social business model.

It is a new innovative model that embraces technology, puts preventative personalised care at its heart and provides unique reminiscence and sensory experiences. It focuses on preventative health care providing access to affordable high-quality food, transport and opportunities to exercise/stimulate both body and mind.

The model achieves this within the community, in partnership with the community, and encourages community integration which then, at the same time, tackles the modern scourge of loneliness and isolation that is affecting so many more people.

The model was developed in partnership with older people, and their carers, the local community, local voluntary sector organisations, the business community, The Borough of Havering’s Community, Quality and Transformation teams, North East London Foundation Trust, external consultants and advice from the UKHCA and the CQC.

A HÜB is a special place where people can eat, meet, and enjoy experiences, with others, whatever their disability or age. It is a safe place where those living with dementia can do all this and experience reminisce and sensory experiences that can stimulate interaction and communication with those around them.

• It is a place where you can attend a yoga session, a pub quiz or spend an hour doing carpentry in the Men’s shed alongside adults of all ages from across the community and enjoy their company no matter who you are.

• It has purpose designed new facilities, and activity areas, for the community, as a whole, to use and enjoy opening the site up to all, whilst, at the same time, tackling loneliness and isolation within the community.

• It is a place for carers, where they can to seek advice and support and that provides opportunities for them to interact with other carers. It is a place where, whilst they work, undertake daily tasks or just take an opportunity for a period of much needed rest they can be sure their ‘cared for’ are enjoying stimulating activities in a safe and caring environment

• It provides new facilities such as reminiscence spaces and sensory rooms that improve care and support to those living with dementia, autism, disability and mental health issues.

• It has a dementia and disability friendly gym that personalised sessions that enable all individuals, whether old and frail or living with a disability or dementia, to benefit from the health benefits of exercise and reduce falls.

• It has a Dementia and Disability Friendly Cinema, a ‘Pub Pod’ and a ‘Men’s Shed’/craft room that are suitable for all including those living with dementia, autism and disability. These spaces are available to all and will enable the community to interact and enjoy shared activities and hobbies with older people and those living with disability and dementia.

• It has a dementia friendly, sensory community garden/outside space accessible to all enabling everyone in the community to enjoy the pleasure of a garden and gardening.

• It provides affordable dining opportunities providing opportunities for everyone to access good food and most importantly to eat with others. The food service will ensure that people have an opportunity to eat well at home as well through a supported food at home service, delivered from the HÜB.

• It is a place for volunteering. Volunteers from all sectors of the community can give their time in a large variety of ways, supporting others and contributing to community cohesion.

Tapestry HüBs include:

Dementia and Disability Friendly Sensory Gardens

A dementia friendly, sensory, memory garden which has features that make it especially appealing to older adults and those living with dementia. It includes seating areas where people relax and activity areas where individuals can interact with objects and audio-visual experiences within the garden. It is a place to meet and spend time with others

Dementia and Disability Friendly Pub Pods

The pub is a safe haven where people living with dementia can reminisce and interact socially with their peers, their carers and others from the community. It looks and feels like a pub, complete with old adverts, games such as dominos and darts, music from the ’50s to the ’90s, and has live entertainers delivering musical reminiscence experiences.

In Association with the UK Men’s shed association a ‘Men’s Shed

’

Men’s Sheds are similar to garden sheds they a place to pursue practical interests at leisure, to practice skills and enjoy making and mending. The difference is that garden sheds and their activities are often solitary in nature while Men’s Sheds are the opposite. They’re about social connections and friendship building, sharing skills and knowledge, and of course a lot of laughter.

A unique Dementia and Disability Friendly Cinema

People affected by dementia/disability often have to give up the things they love due to inaccessible and unsupportive environments. This includes visiting a cinema. Our Disability/Dementia friendly cinema makes cinema a key part of their community experience by providing an accessible, fun and inclusive experience in a safe and welcoming environment,

where those living with disability and dementia can enjoy the experience with their carers and others from their community.

A dementia and disability accessible Gym

Exercise is important for all; it helps improve both physical and mental health. Our Gym will contain specialist equipment that will enable individuals, whatever their age or disability, to exercise in a controlled, safe and supported environment. The Gym will work to reduce falls and obesity and introduce physical activities that will improve mental and physical health and cognitive ability.

Affordable high-quality food

In our HüB’s we provide our customers with high quality fresh 'home style' cooking and have a varied menu including old favourites, such as Shepard's Pie, Fish & Chips and Roast Dinners, and healthy lighter options. All of our meals are made using fresh ingredients, are nutritionally balanced and can be tailored to meet an individual's dietary requirement. Vulnerable individuals are supported at home by our hot food delivery service.

Affordable high-quality door to door transport

We want our HüB’s to be accessible to everyone and to make this possible we offer a fully escorted minibus service.

Impact of Covid

The impact of Covid, on those we serve has been dramatic. We have serious concerns about their longterm health and wellbeing. During Covid, they were locked and isolated from vital interaction with peers, families and the care team at Tapestry. They lost access to important activities and services and to healthy food

Their Carers were isolated for long periods which was damaging to their physical and mental health and their ability to care.

Individuals who have had the virus have new mental and physical health needs that may be temporary or, in many cases, will require long-term care and support.

Families of those who have either recovered from or died from the virus now need support and the evidence suggests that many people will be affected by the psychological trauma of exposure to, or fear of, the disease.

Tapestry exists to support all vulnerable adults in the community, this has been predominantly older, disabled people, those living with dementia and/or other cognitive illness and their Carers.

Covid has changed this.

Many people have had their physical and mental health seriously affected by the virus either directly, having suffered from it and/or from symptoms of long Covid, or indirectly, by the illness/death of a close family or through the phycological trauma, anxiety and loneliness caused by this trauma, or the lockdown itself.

As a result, Tapestry is now working with a wider range of vulnerable people than before and it has refocused and adapted its activities to meet the needs of a changed local population.

We now work with all local public sector stakeholders and local voluntary organisations, to

• Establish a renewed focus on those most at risk such as, those leaving hospital and people from those communities most affected by Covid, such as the local BAME communities

• Tackle loneliness and isolation through facilitating companionship through activities and services

• Provide access to healthy affordable food including hot meals at home and at HüBs

• Provide opportunities for at risk individuals and those excluded from main stream opportunities to exercise for fun and for health

• Identify and contact those, that are currently not known to us, that are most at risk of mental and physical health deterioration

• Provide personalised packages of support measures to these individuals to protect their physical and mental health and wellbeing

• Provide personalised/tailored support packages to those with high needs

• Support carers of those at risk

• Support families affected by the financial impacts of the cost of living

• Provide social prescribing solutions

This will ensure that the health and wellbeing of the most vulnerable, and at risk, and those recently made vulnerable by the pandemic, are supported to continue to live healthy, connected lives in their homes.

By doing this we will also support wider society by ;

• Ensuring that those that are released from hospital, do not ‘bounce back’ due to insufficient support at home.

• Reducing the number of people having to contact their GP’s, attend A&E, be hospitalised and moved to care homes or other statutory services.

• Protect primary and secondary health care services.

The Covid pandemic has changed the profile and number of people we support permanently.

To deliver our mission we are committed to the following key actions in 2023-24

1. A HüB expansion plan funded by Reaching communities’ fund

2. Providing care and support services for clients living with high needs dementia, funded by the City Bridget Trust

3. Increasing access to health food for vulnerable and at-risk groups

4. Increasing access to exercise and improving physical health of vulnerable and at-risk groups

5. Reducing loneliness for vulnerable and at-risk groups