A case study - PORTH Supporting People Service

PORTH is a Supporting People service provided by Tai Ceredigion for elderly and vulnerable people through the county.

The service is provided in our Sheltered Schemes and any individual from the community can access the service by arranging an appointment and visiting a scheme which is most convenient to them. Referrals for support can be made by statutory or voluntary services, or by self referral. The advisors can talk through each concern and then work with each person to achieve the desired goals.

The scheme can help with benefit enquiries, financial matters, mobility issues, housing issues and general help with accessing social support and services.

Our client, 'Mrs Neighbour' was referred to the PORTH service from a partner agency with concerns for escalating rent arrears.

The initial assessment identified many areas of need including mounting debts, high rent arrears and potential homelessness, inappropriate and damp private rented accommodation, failing physical health, mental health issues and the inability to manage life on a day to day basis.

PORTH worked with Mrs Neighbour to understand what the personal goals and priorities were and then liaised with specialist agencies where necessary. Negotiations were made with her current landlord to buy time to try and reduce the rent arrears, medical information was supplied and the Environmental agency accessed to maximise the award of points for the housing register to try to move client Mrs Neighbour into more affordable and sustainable social housing.

This was successful, and 'Mrs Neighbour' was able to move into sheltered accommodation some months later and so avoiding certain homelessness.


PORTH supported Mrs Neighbour to successfully:

• Apply for ESA & SDP, PIP and DHP. 
• Also to declare bankruptcy (via a CAB financial specialist)
• To obtain a grant of £700 towards rent arrears
• To manage medication through liaison with the GP and chemist
• To attend relevant medical appointments
• To set up utility accounts
• To open a suitable bank account for direct debits.

Buddug Lewis

Tai Ceredigion Housing Manager

By offering support and guidance, the service assisted with many aspects of Mrs Neighbour's life. It was noted that there was a marked improvement in their mental health, general wellbeing and the ability to sustain an independent life in suitable accommodation.

One Big Housing Conference #chchousing15

Brett Sadler, Assistant Director of Neighbourhoods at North Wales Housing, blogged about our recent One Big Housing Conference... 

I hadn’t been to a Community Housing Cymru (CHC) event for at least a few years, so when I saw the agenda for the One Big Housing Conference, I thought it looked worthwhile attending.

First a bit of background. CHC are the representative body for housing associations and community mutuals in Wales, which are all not-for profit organisations. The venue for the event is the famous Metropole Hotel (trust me – if you have been there, you’d understand why its famous). It’s a sprawling hotel in Llandrindod Wells, often jokingly described in Wales as ‘equally inconvenient for the North and South’. For me personally it was a 2½ hour drive from North Wales to get there – fact. It’s also the only hotel I know where there is no mobile signal within the hotel…..anywhere.

And so to the conference itself. If you have never been to a CHC event before, they are very professionally run. Everything electronic (rather than the usual half a ream of papers given at the start of a conference), screens with the latest tweets up on the wall and clearly signposted rooms for each session.

The first conference session was from Andy Crowe titled ‘I’m a Housing Exec, GET ME OUT OF HERE!’, talking about his experience of working on the island of St Helena and the uphill struggles this entailed, although as I tweeted below, its not all work...

To read more, please visit Brett's blog to read his original post. 

Spotlight on Caring & Repairing

Break-in Britain Series 2 - The Crackdown

So in the middle of January 2015, Tony and I (Lyndon) were invited into Kelly Jones’s office. We were informed that we had volunteered for a special assignment involving the normal day to day work we carry out, but this time with the cameras of the BBC recording our every move!

We of course were naturally overjoyed to be the focal point of such attention, whilst showcasing the burgeoning talents of Swansea Care & Repair and Care & Repair services to the full. So after a discussion on materials and likely job types, and the possibility of one or two other members of staff joining in the fun, and the likelihood of “short notice” warnings of filming, we vacated Kelly’s office and returned to our duties.

A week or so later, the call came from upstairs that Tony and I were to report to a property in the Baglan area to install some security equipment as yet undecided. The BBC film crew would meet us there later. We duly arrived at the property of Dennis and Ann, and discovered the need to install new lockable window handles, patio door locks and the like for Tony, and a couple of security lights and a burglar alarm for me. We immediately set about our respective tasks and the BBC film crew along with the presenter Dan Donnelly soon arrived. They then proceeded to enquire about our work by asking us (individually) to explain to the camera what we were doing, and how the expected completion of our tasks would benefit the householders concerned. This we had to deliver several times as the “mike” was not working, or the wind was too “noisy”, or someone fudged his lines (Dan). They then proceeded to film us actually installing various items, and Dan the presenter even lent a hand (honest). Everything proceeded as planned; all electrical items were tested and certificated as required. Although fitting the burglar alarm sounder box on the outside wall of the property did prove problematic for me on the ladder and the BBC cameraman filming, while the snow was falling! Burglar alarm programmed and tested (with Tony’s assistance), we vacated the property, leaving the householders Dennis and Ann feeling safe in their home once more.

Two weeks later, the second week of February 2015, Tony and I were despatched to the Mumbles area to help Jackie, a single mother who works for the Prison service, after she had been burgled. To this end we installed a wireless alarm system, a security light at the rear and Tony fitted a new lock and some “sash jammers” etc. We were then joined by several more members of Care & Repair when David and Steve and even Raymond turned up to help fit a fence and gate at the rear of the property (this can be seen in the title sequence of the broadcast programmes where I am passing a fence panel to Dan, while Steve holds a drill, and Dave looks busy). In the first episode of programmes in series 2, all members of the Care & Repair team in attendance at the property ended up being shown on TV! Also at this address, we were pleased to encounter an ex-Care & Repair member Lloyd Thomas installing a new UPVC door and window assembly to the rear porch as part of the upgraded security measures for the property. As can be seen on the programme, Jackie says she will now be able to sleep at night knowing that her safety rating is much higher than before.

All in all it was really satisfying to help out in the above situations and, perhaps as it's being televised, it might raise the profile of Care & Repair and show the general public we really are there to help with their comfort, safety, and security.

Kelly Jones, Chief Officer
Swansea Care & Repair

Older people deserve better

The word 'deserve' disturbs me and implies that whoever ‘deserves’ has had to have done something to earn whatever is on offer. This actually implies an inequality for some people. Those people might be you, me, your sister, brother, mother or father. I have always been interested in how the use of language to describe people and practices does tend to influence attitude.

So I want to concentrate on the fact that we need to remove that word 'Deserve' and focus on rights for all people, recognising the humanity in us all.

It is amazing and indeed shameful that older people felt the urgent need in Wales to actually produce an explanation of what Human Rights meant to them.

But we must understand why we still have to use the word ‘Deserve’ when we consider older people's care and support. I think this is because there is still evidence out there of failed care, omissions of services and public inquiries into abuse.

My contention is that we are continually being pushed into lobbying for better services for older people, and using terms such as ‘Deserve’ indicates that society and public services still do not understand ageing or adequately recognise the real cost and benefit to supporting older people to maintain their health and wellbeing.

Similarly prejudicial remarks have long been recognised as inappropriate when applied to, for example, gender or ethnicity. So it seems that older people are still the last frontier and we are still having to use this term to get what older people actually need to enable them to experience a higher quality later life.

The attitudes that fester the lobbying for better services I have just mentioned affect assessments of need and packages of support. The customary diagnostic rigour which, for instance, healthcare professionals have been trained to apply as standard, can sometimes be mysteriously replaced for older people as patients by ageist therapeutic emptiness. In other words, nothing substantial to help them maintain their health. Professional values and training still overly prioritise the acute, the rare, the high-tech and the cure, and need to change to reflect the reality of modern health and social care practice which now is beginning to embrace, in partnership, the work undertaken within housing services for older people.

If we are providing a public service based on need and preventing ill health, and also implementing action on health and wellbeing as equally important, then we must give adequate and full assessments to all the people who actually turn up in the system, rather than for those whom we would find more personally engaging, or those ‘consumers’ who shout loudest.

It's great that the housing sector is championing a change in the approach to support for the older person and I am proud to be a part of that. However, there needs to be much more commitment all through the health system and action undertaken now which recognises the work that we, the housing champions for older people, have done to promote the rights of older people to continue to live independently and to experience a good later life.

Lets get to a situation in Wales where we never have to use the term ‘Deserve’ any more.

Lorraine Morgan
Board Member, Care & Repair Cymru

Safeguarding those who are the most vulnerable

Edmund Burke is quoted as saying "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."  As professionals, as carers, as individuals and as a community we all have a responsibility for safeguarding those who are the most vulnerable and at risk in our communities whether they be at home or in other health and care settings.  

Abuse comes in many forms including physical, psychological and emotional, financial, sexual and neglect.  Almost 40,000 older people are abused in their own homes by people they know and trust.

Institutional abuse has recently gained a higher profile due to press coverage, large police investigations and public enquiries.  Recent examples include North Staffs, the Tawel Fan ward in North Wales, Winterbourne View, and Operation Jasmine just to name a few.  All of these were situations where very vulnerable people relied on the care, treatment and support of others.  They and their families placed their trust in people who were supposed to 'care' and this trust was betrayed.  These cases should never have happened and I would like to think they would never happen again.  We must all learn from what has happened and ensure that history does not repeat itself in another setting.  

I can't believe, because it would be too difficult to make sense of, that those entrusted with the care of others in these cases would have set out to cause serious harm. More likely is that fractured systems, poor leadership, understaffing, lack of training, no one listening to concerns, all contributed to people receiving unacceptable levels of care and in some cases suffering abuse.   As a caring society we cannot allow this to happen again.  We all have a responsibility for safeguarding others, for treating people with dignity and respect, for upholding people's human rights, for believing someone when they tell us what has happened to them or for reporting concerns.  

In April 2016 the Social Services and Well-being Act will be implemented and section seven is about safeguarding.  There will be duties on local authorities and other statutory agencies to make enquiries and undertake appropriate action, to co-operate and provide assistance with safeguarding cases, to share appropriate information and there will also be a duty on individuals to report concerns of abuse.  This is landmark legislation as safeguarding adults will be put on a statutory footing for the first time.  Although it will not resolve all the abuse happening in our society it will provide agencies with improved tools.  We must all support the implementation of this legislation and ensure that we do everything we can to safeguard those in our care.  We must listen, reassure, believe, and act.  We must not assume that others will do something as the consequences could be unthinkable.  

We must all act to ensure that Edmund Burke's quote does not become a reality.

Louise Hughes

Safeguarding Manager

Age Cymru

Resilience during Times of Change

We are often asked in Academi Wales…‘why is change so difficult to lead and manage in our organisations?’ When we consider how we drive whole scale change, we need to focus on the behaviors, the system and the symbols. We may start by considering the system (the way we do things) and focus on changing our tasks, actions and outputs to make the change happen. We may focus on the symbols (the non-verbal message) the brand, the meaning and the image our organisation conveys. We should always link this to behaviour (what I do and say) and this can often be the hardest part of any change.

Last year I contributed to the ‘Developing Resilient Organisations’ book by Strycharczyk & Elvin, in building the case studies I was struck again by how important it is to understand our own behaviour and those of others as a base for our leadership development.  

It is our behaviour that that can be the enabler or disabler for ourselves and others as we experience any change. In understanding our own behaviours we can understand how we have impacted our own experience and the experience of others. Our ability to remain resilient can impact our commitment to any change so it’s important to understand, what does being resilient mean to me? I am fascinated by the why, what and the how of resilience, why do some of us bounce back so quickly, what are the qualities that enable some to thrive whilst others may struggle to cope and how can we understand the behaviours that build or erode our resilience.  

It’s great to be part of #CandRconf15 this week, to offer a taster of development in understanding our resilience, a topic I remain continuously curious about.

Zoe Sweet

keysafe.co.uk
@zvsweet
@AcademiWales

Security and older people

Thankfully, crimes against older and vulnerable people are relatively uncommon. However, when they do occur they can be very upsetting.

As providers of the only security rated key safe in the UK, we are often invited to provide guidance on general household security for elderly and vulnerable people. Key safes provide an easy and secure way of allowing authorised visitors to access your home. They significantly improve security compared to alternatives such as hiding a spare key under the mat, plant pot or in the garden shed and are commonly used by carers, GPs, family members and the emergency services.

There are very simple measures you can take to improve security. Whether you are 25 or 85, the advice for protecting yourself and your home is very similar.

Your first concern should always be your own personal safety. No matter if you are inside or outside your home, you should always make sure you have a means of contacting someone in the event of an emergency.

Today there are various ways to stay connected. Mobile phones are a great way to ensure that you can call for help in an emergency. With such a wide variety available, they can be as complex or as simple as you like. When you are inside your home, personal alarms or telecare devices allow you to alert family members, loved ones or a monitoring centre at the press of a button.

Protecting your home and valuables can be really simple and cost effective. Every once in a while, you should take a look at the various access points of your house and determine if they’re secure enough. It may be necessary to purchase additional locks for windows and doors or install door viewers and chains for extra security and peace of mind.

If you are unable to inspect or install additional security, don’t be afraid to ask for help from friends, relatives or neighbours. Most people out there are more than willing to help, especially when it comes to your security. Alternately, there are charities and organisations, like Care & Repair, who actively work to ensure that older people stay safe and secure in their own homes. It may also be possible to get help to pay for locks and chains.

Valuables should always be kept safe and not put on display. Keep your money in the bank, building society or post office and avoid keeping large sums of cash in the house. Today, most shops and retailers are equipped to deal with debit or credit cards. There is little need to carry large sums of cash to purchase goods or services. However, these changes in payment methods carry their own cautions. Remember to guard your card information and never keep your PIN number with your card. If you need any assistance or advice, your bank should be able to talk you through their own card security advice.

Remember, even the best security equipment is useless unless it is used. Be sure to always lock up properly, even if you are just popping out for a few minutes. You should always ensure that the access to your home is protected. When possible, avoid opening the door without a door chain and always check credentials of unscheduled visitors.

If you do have regularly scheduled visitors, ensure that you are familiar with their schedule and manage their access. You should always ensure that you remain in control of your home. You can do this by remembering to always lock your doors and windows and limiting the number of spare keys available. Preferably, you should always avoid handing out spare keys or leaving them exposed and unsecure. Burglars know that people tend to leave a spare key in a handful of places near their door and will often search these before attempting a break-in. Don’t make their job easier for them by leaving keys where they can easily be accessed. If you must leave a key outside, use a Police approved key safe and only give the code to people you trust.

Following this simple advice, combined with that of your local community Police, you should maintain a secure lifestyle.


Richard Conyers
Digital Executive
The Key Safe Company

www.keysafe.co.uk
@KeySafeUK
facebook.com/keysafeuk