LINk Executive

The LINk Executive will be meeting at 6 to 8.30pm at the Best Western Lodge Hotel 52-54 Upper Richmond Road, Putney SW15 2RN.

Amongst the 12 items down for discussion, will be the updates from the five sub-groups. Three papers set out matters for discussion/ decision. The executive members will be discussing the topic of democracy and the LINk, followed by looking again at the options on payments for volunteers and finally they are asked to agree the new Wandsworth LINk strapline.

The agenda as well as all the papers can be found via our LINk meeting minutes page.

The Members of the Primary Health and Social Care Sub Group would like to hear comments and get views from anyone who has attended one of the South Wandsworth Health Consultation meetings recently.

Did you think the main questions were put over clearly? Did they address the main issues? Did you manage to have your say? Do you think you were listened to?

Even if you put your own points directly to the NHS Wandsworth at the time, the LINk is here to take the representations made by individuals and use them to strengthen our submission to NHS Wandsworth on this important development in health services.

Susan Wheeler-Kiley at the LINk Host Office will pass what you say to us on the sub-group.

She can be reached at the usual address:

Wandsworth Care Alliance, Bedford House, 215 Balham High Road, Balham SW17 7BQ.

Phone: 020 8682 7263.
e-mail: freechoice@wandcareall.org.uk

or just leave us a comment by clicking on the blue comment link at the top of the news item and Susan will see this.

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This is the Agenda of our Executive Committee meeting on Monday 20th July 2009, 6.00-8.30pm at Atheldene Resources Centre,  305 Garratt Lane, London, SW18 4EQ.

We look forward to seeing you there and there is a link to all the meeting papers after the Agenda

Agenda items

1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Chairs announcements
3. Declaration of Interests
   To be declared
4. Minutes of the previous meeting on Monday 8th June 2009
   To be agreed
5. Matters arising from minutes not covered on agenda
6. Presentation and discussion:
   Dawn Warwick, Director of Adult Social Services, Wandsworth Council – Transforming Adult Social Care
7. Updates from Sub Groups:
   - Chair’s group
   - Resources & Governance
   - Communication & Participation
   - Primary Health & Social Care
   - Secondary Health & Social Care
   Matters for discussions/decision:
8. Wandsworth LINk strapline
   To agree the strapline
   Matters for information:
9. Financial Report
   To note expenditure
10. AOB
11. Dates of next meeting:
    Monday 28th September 2009, 6.00pm, venue to be advised.

    LINk members/members of the public are welcome to attend and participate in the meeting and informal discussions and refreshments will be available.

All the meeting documents are available to download from the LINk Meeting Minutes page.

The next LINk Executive Meeting will be on 20th July at 6pm at

the Atheldene Resources Centre

305 Garrett Lane SW18 4EQ

On the agenda will be a presentation from Dawn Warwick, Director of Adult Social Services, Wandsworth Council on the Transformation Agenda. There will be an opportunity for you to ask questions and comment on what she has to say.

The Council has been working on the Transforming Social Care and Personalisation Programme for a while now and if you have time before hearing from Dawn in person to do some background reading, take a look at a progress report submitted earlier this year on the Council website.

A meeting of the Secondary Health and Social Care Sub Group will be held on Monday 13th July, at Putney Library, 5/7 Disraeli Road, Putney, SW15 2DR, from 6.00pm to 8.00pm.

If you want to come and have any transport or other support needs, please contact Susan Wheeler-Kiley, Wandsworth Care Alliance, Bedford House, 215 Balham High Road, Balham SW17 7BQ. Phone: 020 8682 7263.
e-mail: freechoice@wandcareall.org.uk

The full summer newsletter is now available to read here (opens in Adobe PDF).

News in Brief

Jeremy Ambache sets out the four Wandsworth LINk priorities selected out of the 29 suggestions received. Jeremy writes “It was not an easy decision for the Executive. The debate we had at the open meeting was heated and vigorous- but that is good as we had difficult choices to make.”

The four priorities are:

1. Transforming Adult Social Care
2. Health Consultations
3. User and Carer Engagement
4. Hospital Discharge and After Care.

The newsletter also updates you on the consultations on Polyclinics, news about the Springfield Developments and the response made to Adult Services Department of Wandsworth Council on their Service User and Carer Engagement Strategy. A new opportunity to participate has come with an invitation for the LINk to send a representative to the steering group for widening access to psychological therapies.

The next meeting on Wednesday 8th July will be held at Putney Library, 5/7 Disraeli Road, SW15 2D from 6.00pm till 8.00pm. Please contact Susan Wheeler-Kiley or Simonne Reid at the LINk office for further information. They can be reached on:

Email: enquiries@wandsworthlink.org.uk or
Telephone: 020 8696 170

Wandsworth Local Involvement Network (LINk) is wanting to recruit a Project and Outreach Worker.

• 21-28 hours per week by arrangement
• Salary in range £25000-£30,000 p.a. pro-rata dependent on hours, qualifications and experience

The Local Involvement Network for the London Borough of Wandsworth area has an agreed list of priority health and social campaigns with which we need support.

The core of the job is to provide research and analysis skills to support the work of the voluntary LINk Executive.

You will therefore need a very good understanding of health and social care services and the proven ability to undertake relevant research, analyse findings, draft clearly written reports and make oral presentations.

Our members are impatient to achieve improved services without delay so you must be able to deliver high quality work to agreed timetables.

You will be self-sufficient in relation to Information Technology and be able to deliver high quality results with the minimum of support and guidance.

You will come with excellent references from either a previous employer or somebody who can vouch for your relevant skills and abilities.

If you are interested and want to know more please contact the Wandsworth LINk Chair, Jeremy Ambache on 07828 132 814 or the Director of our HOST team Wandsworth Care Alliance, Jason Edgington on 020 8696 1709.

For an application pack please email enquiries@wandsworthlink.org.uk or telephone 020 8696 1709.

Closing date for applications is Monday 13th July 2009.

Wandsworth Care Alliance is an equal opportunities employer and a registered charity No. 1110178

Jenny Weinstein has responded on behalf of the LINk Executive Committee and members and we reproduce below what she has written to Dawn Warwick Director of Adult Services, Wandsworth Council. You can see the Council’s consultative document here (filed under Resources | Health & Social Care on the navigation menu at the top of the page).

LINk

Wandsworth LINk has a role within the borough to enhance the involvement and engagement of service users, patients and the local community in decisions about the development of NHS and local authority social services (not child care).

Wandsworth LINk welcomes the initiative of the Adults Services Department to begin a dialogue about how to extend involvement and engagement of service users and is keen to work in partnership to implement the proposals. Wandsworth LINk is fully in support of the values and philosophy underpinning the Adult Services User Engagement and Involvement Strategy.

The Consultation

Time Scale

The time scale for this consultation was the month of April in which Easter fell. This meant effectively 3 weeks. LINk requested an additional month but, in our view this was really not long enough to consult on such an important issue.

Extent of user/community participation

The Council’s own consultation was undertaken through a series of open meetings attended by a total of 83 people. In our view, consultation would have been more effective had it been possible to organize – with good notice – more visits to resources where users are likely to be.

In order to consult our service user and carer constituency, LINk set up two meetings at which Council officers were invited to engage with users about the strategy. A total of 30 service users/carers were involved. Unfortunately, making the necessary arrangements for transport, finding suitable dates and venues meant that these meetings did not take place until early June and there were only two meetings – hence this response did not meet the Council’s deadline and only represents the views of 30 users

LINk appreciates that the Community partners group of users and carers played a key role in the development of the strategy under consultation. It would have been helpful if the document had explained their involvement and given a direct voice to their views on the proposals. They were still referred to (P25) as `being given more of an understanding…` rather than being acknowledged as experts who give professionals an understanding…

What users and carers want

Overview

From the growing and extensive literature and research (refs available), Wandsworth LINk is aware that the majority of service users want the following from the services they receive:

• To be listened to
• To be treated with dignity and respect
• To have access to a named person with whom they can build a trusting relationship
• To be able to rely on services – i.e they do what they say they will do at the times agreed
• To be kept fully informed of developments
• To be alerted in advance about changes and, ideally to be asked their view
• To have access to responsive out of hours emergency support for crisis

Feedback from LINk meetings

All of the above issues were raised by users attending the LINk meetings where the following points were also made:

• User involvement in decision about when to withdraw services – not based on pre-ordained criteria i.e records should indicate service users’ and carers’ views about the absolute essentials that they perceive they need in order to live independently/support recovery
• Regular reviews of services to ensure that they continue to be adequate/relevant
• Need for a more consistent system and data base for consultation – not random or `just the usual suspects`
• Need to ensure that users do not have to `tell their story` again and again when their circumstances change and they need to reapply for services – passport system – use of service user’s own assessment of their needs?
• Improved recording so that as information is passed between professionals/agencies, errors do not arise
• Self assessment should really mean self assessment – not people telling users what their needs are
• More seamless working across health and social care
• More consultation about service closures – let people know exactly what is proposed in the full project plan; improve communication and use simple understandable language (e.g Atheldene service changes)
• Extension of advocacy services to ensure users` views represented
• Significant improvement needed in communication between services, service users and carers.
• Need to consult and listen to carers (especially people in fear of violence from user)
• Need to safeguard vulnerable isolated housebound people whose voices are not being heard and who are unlikely to challenge decisions that they are not eligible for services.

Consulting and engaging users – need for a local neighbourhood approach.

Many adult service users, either because of age or disability prefer to remain in their local vicinity. Even if transport is provided, they do not usually want to travel for more than 20 mins each way and some are reluctant or unable to travel.

This does not appear to be acknowledged sufficiently within the strategy. In order for these groups to be consulted, there needs to be a system of involvement and engagement that does not require these individuals to attend centrally organized meetings.

Reference groups

While recognizing the value of establishing a reference groups for users and one for carers, LINk would warn of the following difficulties that could arise in the absence of a stronger grass roots user involvement movement being established within the Borough:

• The reference group members may not have a broad constituency – need to include diverse groups including people with sensory impairments and people from different cultural and religious groups and those with diverse life styles
• Reference group members would be used for consultations on every issue and could become burnt out
• Reference group members could become perceived as an extension of the Council if they are not empowered to play an innovative or leadership role rather than a passive role in service development. i.e they need to develop the agenda and be involved from the start.

We appreciate that a great deal of work has gone into establishing the current Community Partners group and existing partnership boards involving users and carers within Wandsworth and can see that individuals from these groups will play a valuable role in the new reference groups. However, it is important to ensure that systems are set up to seek and enable new members to participate.

Existing user networks established by WCA for people with learning disabilities and people with mental health problems and the Older People’s forum are much valued by service users and provide useful forums for user consultation. Service users with physical disabilities were previously supported to meet in the same way but funding for their forum came to an end. Service users with physical disabilities and sensory impairments have told LINk that they would value being supported to meet together and to be consulted as a user group and that, although they welcome the idea of a User-Led organisation, this would not substitute for their forum.

Working with the Voluntary and Independent Sectors

As set out in the document, WCA and the carers’ centre have undertaken some excellent pioneering work of involving and empowering service users and carers. However, the document does not adequately acknowledge the rest of the third sector in Wandsworth and does not mention working with them to facilitate engagement at a local level. The third sector within Wandsworth has access to a wide range of service users, including those from less heard groups and could therefore play a vital role in the engagement strategy.

Summary of Recommendations

1. User involvement and engagement is a long process of relationship building and trust building. There are now a number of successful models being operated in other areas. It may be helpful for those implementing the strategy to have some opportunity to meet active service users in other areas to hear how their involvement systems have been developed.

1. A primary role for the reference groups would be to get out into the community and speak to as many users and carers as possible in order to represent their views.

1. The reference groups might work with officers to develop a strategy to reach seldom heard groups, using existing agencies in the Borough who are building these relationships such as Wandsworth Empowerment Network and BME groups.

1. It is suggested that a Borough wide data base of service user and carer groups and of individual users and carers interested in being consulted should be developed jointly between LINk, the Council and the NHS.

1. From a LINk discussion with the Director of MH Services at Springfield, his understanding is that the Adult Services User Involvement Srategy does not cover his service. Given that MH services are integrated health and social care services, we suggest that a joint strategy for user involvement in mental health be agreed and published.

1. LINk suggests that service user-led training for all staff involved in the delivery of services and a Departmental commitment to the strategy would go a long way to meeting users’ stated requirements for full involvement and engagement.

1. P.25 viii We suggest that the Council should commit to user involvement in specific activities such as involvement in staff interviews, own care plans, peer advocacy, strategic developments, evaluation, tendering process, staff training etc etc.

1. P.27 Suggest that a Newsletter should be published more frequently than annually and that other innovative ways should be developed for the Council to communicate relevant developments to specific groups.

Relationship with LINk.

LINk is keen to work in partnership with the Council on their strategy and to be as helpful as possible. However, users and carers and other groups that we have encountered have also stressed the importance of LINk retaining its independence as an organization.

For this reason, we feel it is important for service users and carers involved in Council consultation bodies to make their own decisions about whether or not they join LINk and that Newsletters and e- bulletins etc need to be separate although, of course, we can make contributions to each other’s publications.

Jenny Weinstein June 2009

(on behalf of LINk)

Your chance to debate directly with senior NHS Wandsworth managers at the LINks Meeting 8th June.

Not just one but two senior managers from NHS Wandsworth are coming to present to us ….. and then listen to LINk member’s  and patients views on important issues for users of health services.

Di Caulfeild-Stoker Director of Provider Services NHS Wandworth  will talk about plans to separate out the community health services from the commissioning functions of NHS Wandsworth. What is the preferred organisational arrangement for the new body? see our news items on provider services posted on 22nd April this year for information on what this is and what it might mean for users of these services. You can see the topic discussed (they call it ‘Externalisation’) in the April 2009 Wandsworth Board papers here

Rachel Miles Associate Director of Strategy will talk about the current plans and public consultation on GP and polyclinic services in South Wandsworth. Do you want polyclinics and if so what services should they provide? For more about this consultation see our news item on 5th June with links to the consultation document and a questionnaire for you to complete after you have heard what Rachel Miles has to say.

Both will give their talks after we have got through the agenda for the Executive meeting

All are welcome to come along and listen and have your say!