The deadline for nominations has been reset to 30th March 2012. Now that the date of the Awards Celebration has been fixed to 21st May, we can extend the nomination period by another month. Despite the new cost of the nomination packs, orders for them are piling in, and so are the submissions. To date we have received nominations from 223 groups of residents, such as the one on this photo, sent by the residents of Westmead, Barnsley, an extra care scheme managed by South Yorkshire Housing Association Ltd.

Wondering when Art Awards 2012 will be launched?

Wondering if they will run in 2012?

WATCH THIS SPACE in the New Year, when we hope to provide you with some long-awaited answers!

01 December 2011, Austin Court, Birmingham

by the National Housing Federation

Older people’s housing and support is everyone’s business, and anyone interested in housing has an interest in older people. Join us at this conference to discuss the important issues that housing associations will face in an ageing society.

More information on the National Housing Federation's website at

http://www.housing.org.uk/events/find_an_event/general/breaking_the_mould_–_supportin.aspx

The Care Quality Commission has published the results of its 2011 survey of people who use community mental health services

Key findings include
 
“The vast majority of participants said:

•that they were listened to carefully, treated with respect and dignity and that they had trust and confidence in the health or social care worker they had seen most recently.

•that they could contact their care co-ordinator if they had a problem, and that their care was well organised.

•they had an out-of-office contact number they could call for emergencies.

The results showed that people needed to be more involved in some aspects of the provision of their care.

•Around a quarter of those who were prescribed new medication said that they were not told about the possible side effects.
 
•There remains a proportion of respondents who said that they did not know who their care co-ordinator or lead professional is.

•A tenth of those with a care plan said that they did not understand it. ”
Cynthia Bower, CQC chief executive commented on the survey:
“The new cross-government strategy for mental health outcomes, “No Health Without Mental Health”, was launched in February. One of its overall aims is to improve outcomes for people through high-quality services that are accessible to all.
“The results of the community mental health survey this year and in the future have been identified in the strategy as one of the key sources of information to assess progress in improving people’s experience of care and support.
“I think it’s fair to say that those who took part in this year’s survey were positive about some aspects of the services they received but many found that some of their needs were not fully met.
“I know we are entering a period when resources may be stretched even further than they have been before. But I urge all those who provide community mental health services to strive to maintain, and where possible raise, the levels of care. I also call on commissioners of services to study the survey results and use the levers that are available to them to improve outcomes for people who use these services.”
More information is available on the Commission’s website
http://www.cqc.org.uk//newsandevents/pressreleases.cfm?cit_id=37515&FAArea1=customWidgets.content_view_1&usecache=false
http://www.cqc.org.uk/aboutcqc/howwedoit/involvingpeoplewhouseservices/patientsurveys/communitymentalhealthservices.cfm

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has launched a new initiative “Acting Together” that will allow the commission to call on people who use health and care services to advise on and contribute to its work. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of all health and adult social care in England. “Acting Together” will allow people who use health and social care services to be involved in the Commission’s inspections and in visits to monitor the use of the Mental Health Act. 
More information is available from CQC’s website:http://www.cqc.org.uk//newsandevents/pressreleases.cfm?cit_id=37489&FAArea1=customWidgets.content_view_1&usecache=false

The Department for Works and Pensions  is consulting on proposals to change the way Housing Benefit assists those living in supported housing (including sheltered housing) within the social and voluntary sector. Further information is available on the department’s website;
 
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/consultations/2011/supported-housing.shtml

The Equality and Human Rights Commission is conducting research into how well the home based care and support system in England protects the rights of people over 65. The full report will be published in November 2011 however the Commission has published emerging findings which highlight many cases of inadequate care. Problems that have been brought to the Commission’s attention include:

• Inadequate time to deliver care
• Lack of control over timing of care visits
• Failure to deliver adequate homecare
• Lack of staff awareness and training
• High staff turnover
• Lack of complaints and low expectations

Baroness Greengross, a commissioner for the Equality and Human Rights Commission said

"Many older people up and down the country receive good quality care from committed, respectful care workers. But our evidence suggests that in some places care workers are faced with too much to do, in too little time, sometimes without proper training. This is causing standards to slip and is placing older people's human rights to privacy, autonomy and dignity at risk, sometimes in very serious ways.'

Source ECHR press release 20th June : http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/news/2011/june/inquiry-reveals-failure-to-protect-the-rights-of-older-people-receiving-care-at-home/

The audit commission has published a report on improving value for money in social care. They found that councils have looked at many ways to provide better and more efficient services. These include: better procurement, improved back office arrangements and providing community based rather than residential care where possible. However the commission concluded that the speed and scale of change must increase if councils want to lower the costs of services as well as improve care for people. The report is available on the commission’s website.

http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/nationalstudies/localgov/Pages/vfmadultsocialcare.aspx

Early news about Art Awards 2012 will be posted here over the Summer.

The Law Commission has published its recommendations for reviewing social care law. One of their recommendations is that the government should introduce a single statute and code of practice to consolidate and simplify the existing law. The full report is available at:

http://www.justice.gov.uk/lawcommission/publications/1460.htm