Here's your November Poole LINk update !
Poole LINk celebrates extra council funding to support local people
A working party of Poole Councillors is supporting the LINk’s report recommendations and proposing £50,000 a year is made available to the voluntary sector, to support vulnerable people in Poole. Earlier this year, Poole LINk was commissioned by the Borough of Poole to interview people who had their social care services cut last year. The Borough of Poole wanted to understand the real impact of last years social care changes. As a result of the LINks report, local people have been able to influence the council and extra money will soon be available to support people in Poole who are no longer eligible for council services. The working parties recommendations will now go the full council meeting in December. The LINks report and further details are available at http://bit.ly/o070xt
What do YOU think of the NHS Obesity Campaign?
The NHS has revealed its latest solution to the obesity crisis – a £1,500 talking plate. The Mandometer is a scale which monitors the rate at which food is disappearing from your plate. If users are eating too quickly – research has shown that fast eaters are 84 per cent more likely to be overweight – a computerised voice tells them to slow down. A small screen also flashes up helpful messages like: "Are you feeling full yet?" Around 600 families with at least one obese parent and child, aged from just five, will be targeted in the project by Bristol University in conjunction with GPs and nurses.
Tell us what you think by replying to this email: Will this initiative help to reduce obesity? Or, is it a waste of NHS money……..
LINk Community Grants
The LINk has allocated £5000 as community grants this year, supporting 11 local projects. The LINk grant of £500 to Broadstone Access Group (BAG) will help to promote disabled access issues in Poole, see the attached BAG article for more details. Our £350 grant to Poole Old Town Youth Club will improve the health and wellbeing of young people in Poole. To find out more about this years LINk Community Grants go to: http://www.makesachange.org.uk/cms/site/news/poole/poole-community-grants.aspx
LINk Youth Survey
We want to gather feedback from young people in Poole. If you’re 25 or under and you live, go to school/college or work in Poole - please help us by filling in our survey.
All the comments we gather will help to improve health and social care services in Poole. Our youth survey is available online and only takes a couple of minutes to complete: www.makesachange.org.uk/cms/site/news/poole/poole-link-youth-survey.aspx
To find out more, or to request paper copies of the survey, contact Louise on Tel: 0300 111 0102, email: contact@makesachange.org.uk, or tweet @poolelink
The Big Plan for adults with learning disabilities
The Big Plan is now out for consultation (closing date 10/2/12). It explains how Bournemouth and Poole will work together to provide health and social care services for adults with learning disabilities. In 2010, the population of people aged 18-64 living in Bournemouth and Poole with a learning disability was estimated at around 4,600 with over 1000 people requiring specialist Health and Social Care support and/or services. Tell us what you think of the Big Plan: www.boroughofpoole.com/thebigplan/ or you can attend the Poole Big Plan Meeting on Tuesday 13th December 2011, 10:00 am – 2.30 pm, Cattistock Room, Civic Centre, Poole, BH15 2RT. To book please call Jannie Bowen on (01202) 633646, or email j.bowen@poole.gov.uk
Local Hospitals Discuss a Merger
Poole LINk received a letter from Poole Hospital chair, Angela Schofield on 25/11/11 which states: ‘We are writing to inform you of a decision made this week by the Boards of Directors at Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to progress to a formal and public phase in a merger process. These decisions are made in recognition of the unprecedented challenges that lie ahead and of our responsibility to ensure that first class health services can continue to be provided and developed over the coming years. Our focus remains on delivering the best healthcare services to our patients.’
Tony Spotswood, chief executive of the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals, told the Daily Echo: “There will continue to be busy, viable hospitals on both sites.” A full public consultation is due to start in January and if approved, it will be the first merger of two hospital foundation trusts.
SIBS – supporting young people
SIBS is a support group and youth club for young people aged 5 - 17 who have a sibling with a learning or developmental disability, who live in Bournemouth, Poole and East Dorset. SIBS is run by Community Nurses from the Children's Community Learning Disability Service (provided by Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust). Volunteers Needed – SIBS needs more volunteers to help run their support sessions. If you have experience of supporting young people and you can spare some time during school holidays, please get in touch with Louise on 0300 111 0102 or contact@makesachange.org.uk
BCHA's Alternative Gift Shop
BCHA provide the vulnerable people within our community with the support they need to access the right housing, health, learning and work opportunities. By looking through this website and selecting a gift you will be able to make a real difference to someone’s life. Whether you purchase a hot meal for a homeless person or a starter kitchen kit for a mother and baby, these items will allow BCHA to continue helping people to find a way forward with their life: http://shop.bcha.org.uk/
Learning Disabilities Research Project
This video about a wellbeing research project with people with learning disabilities is great: http://www.makesachange.org.uk/cms/site/news/poole/learning-disabilities-and-wellbeing-new-video.aspx
CQC November Newsletter
The latest CQC newsletter includes their report into the standards of care that elderly people receive in NHS acute hospitals in England: http://cqcnews.org.uk/?ofP5tCET.wscAqDwxo9EpE2oSTwSV42Jo
Footprints
The Footprints Project is based at Parkstone Christian Centre and has been running for seven years to help people leaving prison to reduce the risk of re-offending. Here’s a great article about the project printed in the Daily Echo and if you want to find out more email jane@footprints.co.uk:http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/features/9356824.Following_Footprints_to_a_more_settled_life/
Plymouth
Universitye-health programmes
Plymouth Uni are running e-health programmes which enable health service users and health professionals to anonymously discuss the benefits and barriers of technologies such as email, forums, video calling, online medical records etc. The aim is to raise awareness of various online methods, facilitate communication & gather stakeholders' views. Each programme is run online over the course of a week and their next 5 topics are: Pulmonary fibrosis, Mental health, Allergy, Adult diabetes and Carers. Anyone interested can learn more about the programmes and register to take part via this website: www.stakeholdersonline.org.uk
BREATHE - Chance for disabled people to perform at the Olympics
Double Act, Dorset’s only disability theatre company, is looking for new adult members to join them for an exciting international arts project. Double Act are looking to recruit new members for the BREATHE Project, and also for two current community & education shows, Labelled and Can I Be Frank With You? Creative adults with a learning disability or physical or sensory impairment living in Dorset are invited to audition to join the company. For further information, contact Tony Horitz on 01202 882740 or 07584 163 876. Email:Tony.horitz@talk21.com
NEW DEBT COUNSELLING CENTRE OPENS IN POOLE
LOCAL people struggling with overwhelming personal debt are set to get free help from an acclaimed charity opening a new centre in Poole. Growing debt counselling charity Christians Against Poverty (CAP) opened 37 new church-based debt centres around the UK in October, including one in Poole Christian Fellowship, Lagland St, Poole. CAP offers people a uniquely in-depth, caring service to people with spiralling personal debt. Poole Christian Fellowship, in partnership with Poole Vineyard Church, are running the Centre in Poole and are open for business now: visit www.capuk.orgor call 0800 328 0006.
Acting Together – ‘Experts by Experience’
The Acting Together programme enables people to take part in Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection activities and Mental Health Act visits. They are called ‘Experts by Experience’. They accompany CQC inspectors and Mental Health Act Commissioners on visits where they talk to people who use services and their family carers. The Expert is then required to write a brief report on their findings which is used to support the inspector’s judgement on the service and can also be included in the inspection report. Living Options Devon is currently hoping to recruit the following Experts: People with Learning Disabilities / Autism; People with Physical and Sensory Impairments; People with experience of Detention under the Mental Health Act; People with Mental Ill Health. If you are interested in becoming an Expert by Experience in the South West area please complete this profile application form and send it to Ian Curtis at Living Options Devon, Isca House, Haven Road, Exeter EX2 8DS or contact the office on 01392 456528 for more information.
Reaching Communities – bid training
This training course is being run by Lyn Pullen, Funding Advisor at Poole CVS. Lyn has helped four groups locally with bids to Reaching Communities over the
last few years, with 100% success rate. The training session is on Monday 12 December,1.30 – 4.45 pm at Bearwood Community Centre (If you want to do the course but the date is wrong for you, please let them know, so they can consider running it again). Cost is £5 per person and places must be booked by Tues 6 December. To find out more, please contact Lyn Pullen or Roland Robinson at Poole CVS: 01202 682046 lyn.pullen@poolecvs.org.uk/ roland.robinson@poolecvs.org.uk
Monitor – consultation on proposed licensing
If current proposals set out in the Health and Social Care Bill become law, Monitor is likely to need to license providers relatively quickly - by October 2012 for foundation trusts and April 2013 for all other providers. They are therefore starting to think about the shape and content of the proposed licensing regime. This consultation will run between now and March 2012. During that time Monitor will publish papers on different parts of the proposed licence and encourage comments & suggestions from stakeholders. The consultation document is available here:http://www.monitor-nhsft.gov.uk/home/news-events-and-publications/our-publications/browse-category/consultations/live-consultations-0and you can sign up to receive alerts when a new consultation document is published. Complete the online engagement form, complete the Word response form or email your responses to licensing@monitor-nhsft.gov.uk
Compass Christmas Event
This Christmas event for isolated older people in the Rossmore area will include lunch, information stands (including Poole LINk), entertainment and craft activities – flyer attached. It’s on Thursday 8th December, 11.30 to 3pm at Rossmore Leisure Centre and spaces are limited so call 01202 304004 to book your place.
This is a partnership event between Faithworks Wessex, St Aldhelm’s Academy and the Borough of Poole – with help from a Poole LINk Community Grant.
Dorset Healthcare Website needs Your Help
As part of Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust’s transformation agenda, they are improving their Website to make it easier to use and more informative for service users/patients, carers, members, staff and referrers. They would like to invite you to take part in a focus group, these are drop in events taking place on Thursday 15th December 10:30am – 4:00pm at Victoria House, Princes Road, Ferndown, Dorset, BH22 9JR or Friday 16th December 2011 1.30 pm – 3:30 pm at Forston Clinic, Herrison Road, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 9TB. If you would like to attend a focus group event please RSVP to Gail Taylor (gail.taylor@dhuft.nhs.uk/ 01202 443266). If you would like to contribute but can’t make these events, please contact the project lead for website development – Claire Higdon: claire.higdon@dhuft.nhs.uk.
New Venue for Local Meetings
Poole & District Fibromyalgia Support Group and Poole Disabled Club will now be meeting in PARKSTONE CHRISTIAN CENTRE (URC) Commercial Road Ashley Cross, next to Poole Day Centre and opposite TYRELAND. The groups are using the main church so entry is through the front door (there are 2 or 3 steps, but ramps will be provided). Meetings take place every two weeks on a Tuesday evening from 7.30 pm until 9.30 pm and the next meeting is on 13th December. They look forward to welcoming old and new members to their meetings, to find out more contact Sally Speck by email: sally.speck@btinternet.com
Prostate Cancer Survey
You can help by telling the Prostate Cancer Charity what quality care means to you by taking part in this survey. Anyone with experience of prostate cancer is welcome to take part, whether you have been diagnosed with the disease or are a friend or family member of someone who has. To take part in the survey and read more about this quality care project, please visit www.prostate-cancer.org.uk/qualitycare. If you would like a paper copy of the survey please ring 0208 222 7182.
Thanks for your help, the LINk can't work without you!
We're always looking for volunteers to get involved in LINk projects and your comments direct the LINks work - so tell us what you think about local health and social care services. Contact Louise Bate, Poole LINk Development Officer: