Here's your September Poole LINk update !
‘Just Another Day Spent on my Own’
Poole LINks research report is now available on our website, along with an easy read summary version and the council’s response: read it on our website here.
The Borough of Poole asked the LINk to carry out this independent research project, evaluating the impact of last year’s changes to social care. Our research report suggests that people affected by these service changes could come back to the council with increased care needs, if they aren’t offered more support. So we’re delighted to see that Poole Council is proposing to allocate an extra £50,000.00 a year to the local voluntary sector, to provide more support for people who are no longer eligible for social care services. This proposal is part of the council’s medium term financial plan.
The LINk report also urges the Borough of Poole to improve their communication, find out more about how the cuts have affected people with learning disabilities/mental health problems and work with local partners to meet social care needs in Poole. We’re looking forward to working with the council to help them meet all of these recommendations.
Follow Us Now On Twitter
Just go to www.twitter.com/poolelink to find out more. Twitter is an information network made up of 140-character messages called Tweets. It's an easy way to discover the latest news and follow the day to day happenings of Poole LINk. If you’re already a Twitter user you can find us by searching for @Poolelink.
Freshers’ Fayre
We held a promotion stand and handed out free fruit to hundreds of students at Poole College Freshers’ Fayre on 15th September. We asked what would make young people in Poole healthier and here’s an example of what they told us: ‘We want healthier options in restaurants & fewer fast food places’, ‘more open access for young people to exercise’, ‘healthier foods in canteens at college and more variety of keep fit activities that are affordable’
Thanks to Barbara Plumbridge for her help with this promotion.
Community Grants
The deadline for applications was 16th September and we held a workshop last week to allocate the LINks funding. 11 applicants have been successful and we will add the full details to our website over the next couple of weeks (www.poolelink.org.uk). Congratulations to everyone who’s been awarded a LINk grant. We will publish regular updates about these projects over the coming months.
Here’s a photo of one of the successful groups accepting their giant cheque! Selby Close Art Club was set up by Ali Mcgrail in a Poole Housing Partnership sheltered housing area in Broadstone. The club regularly has over 20 attendees and Ali encourages the local community to get involved. The art club provides local residents with a chance to interact, build up their confidence and members feel it has a really positive effect on their wellbeing.
Leaving Hospital Survey
Thanks to everyone who completed a LINk ‘leaving hospital’ survey. We are compiling all the data we’ve gathered and writing up a report that we plan to publish next month.
Response from NHS Bournemouth & Poole ref: Carers Breaks
The government have made £400million available to pay for breaks for carers from 2011-2015, distributed to Primary Care Trusts (PCT’s) through their baseline allocation. However, we are aware that these funds have not been ring -fenced, and PCTs can decide locally how to plan support for carers and what resources to allocate to this. Here’s the questions we asked our local PCT and the response we received about carers’ breaks:
1. How much money has NHS Bournemouth & Poole received to pay for breaks for carers?
NHS Bournemouth & Poole has not received any ring-fenced allocation specifically for carers’ breaks.
2.How do you plan to allocate these funds?
NHS Bournemouth & Poole is investing an additional £152,000 into short breaks this year. Details of how this will be invested is being agreed with the carers consultation group.
3.How have you involved local carers’ organisations in drafting your plans for this money?
The Carers consultation group has developed, in conjunction with the Primary Care Trust and Local Authority commissioners, a Carers Strategy and Action Plan. This, as well as further engagement with the consultation group, will shape and inform how the additional investment will be used
Caring for our Future
On 15th September, the Government launched Caring for our future: shared ambitions for care and support – an engagement with people who use care and support services, carers, local councils, care providers, and the voluntary sector about the priorities for improving care and support. Here’s a link to the report: http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_130111.pdf
If you’d like to comment on this consultation, we’d love to hear from you. Contact Louise on 0300 111 0102 or email: contact@makesachange.org.uk
Stop Smoking Service
New figures reveal that an estimated 34000* people in the South West quit smoking and over 1900 in Bournemouth and Poole with the help of the Bournemouth and Poole NHS Stop Smoking Service between April 2010 and March 2011. Mark Harris, Manager of the Bournemouth and Poole Stop Smoking Service explains: “The NHS offers free local support that really works. One in two people who use their local NHS Stop Smoking Service are not smoking four weeks later. That’s double the rate of success than if you are using medication like nicotine replacement alone.” To find out more contact: 0300 3038 038 or visit the website: www.quitwithus.nhs.uk
HealthWatch
Bournemouth Borough Council, Dorset County Council and the Borough of Poole are working together to ensure there will be a smooth transition to HealthWatch in October 2012. All three councils would like you to take part in shaping HealthWatch in this area and would love to hear your views. A short questionnaire has been put together to enable you to do this quickly and simply. It should only take a few minutes of your time. The deadline for taking part is November 30th 2011. The questionnaire can be found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HealthWatchBPD
Equality Delivery System Launch 23rd November
Dorset Race Equality and the local NHS would like to invite you to an Equality event on 23rd November, 12 to 2pm at the Carrington House Hotel in Bournemouth. For more details please see the attached poster.
Vote for Local Projects
NatWest Community Force is a new initiative working with local communities to support the people, projects and charities making a real difference where you live. Please support the local groups who’ve applied for this funding (Hamworthy Money Advice Project, Pramacare & Dorset Blind Association amongst them) they are competing with thousands of other charities, so vote here: http://communityforce.natwest.com/
Race for Equality
The Race for Equality takes place on Sunday 2nd October at 10.00am, starting at Bournemouth Pier and ending at Boscombe Pier. The event is open to all adults, children, disabled and non-disabled people, older people and carers. We are proud to announce that this year’s race will be opened by Geoff Holt M.B.E. Disability Sport Ambassador .
To find out more contact Access Dorset on tel: 01202 771336 or email: Officemanagers@accessdorset.org.uk
Poole Health Information Survey
The Patients’ Association is helping Poole Hospital to review the information that is produced for patients in-house. If you have been a patient at Poole Hospital recently and have received written information from the hospital it would be really helpful if you could complete the survey which is at: www.surveymonkey.com/s/poolehealthinfosurvey
The questionnaire is anonymous and your feedback will help us to understand how the information which Poole Hospital produces is received by patients and make suggestions for improvement. If you have any questions or concerns about this survey, please contact Tina Thompson, Regional Manager South West at tina@patients-association.com or on 07527 334215.
Interpreting in the NHS
How does interpreting work in the NHS? What is the role of an interpreter in a health consultation? Bournemouth Interpreters’ Group, Bournemouth & Poole NHS and
Dorset Race Equality Council would like to invite you to a presentation & workshop on interpreting in national health services. To sign up e-mail: register@dorsetrec.org.uk.
Wednesday, 2nd November 2011, 10:00 am—2:00 pm, Carrington House Hotel, Knyveton Road, Bournemouth, BH1 3QQ
Maternity Group
The Maternity Services Liaison Committee (MSLC) is a Dorset wide group made up of maternity service users, service providers and commissioners (who buy services for the local area). The group meets regularly to discuss how maternity services can be improved for local women, parents and families and Poole LINk is a member of the group. If you’d like to know more about the MSLC go to: http://www.bp.nhs.uk/getinvolved/maternity-liaison-services-committee.htm
Digital Outreach
Digital Outreach and the BBC are working to ensure that older people and disabled people have the benefit of support before the digital switchover from the analogue TV signal is made in February and March 2012. Volunteers and community supporters are needed to spread the word in their local communities and help identify older and disabled people who will need help from the Switchover Help Scheme. The Switchover Help Scheme is run by the BBC and offers people aged 75+ and disabled people everything they need to convert one of their TV sets to digital. If you need more information please contact Gary Finch or Peter Munns at Help and Care, 0300 111 3303 or email contact@helpandcare.org.uk.
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: