Community Care Forums in Argyll & Bute

Now in Highland Health Board area

Contact: Job title:		Elisabeth Johnston Chairman
Address:		5 Kerrycroy Rothesay Isle of Bute PA20 9LW
Telephone: Fax: Email: Website:		01700 502409

Key aims of the forum

• To maintain contacts with voluntary/statutory bodies to keep community informed
  
  
• To provide informed representative members of the public who can attend meetings of various SW/HA committees and feedback information to the public

Membership/management structure

• Chairman and small (4/5) management committee who all represent BCCA on other voluntary /statutory groups
  
  
• The size of the Bute community precludes the setting up of a larger more structured management
  
  
• Many of our original members now work in paid employment as development officers etc for various groups set up to contribute to community care eg Healthy Living Initiative/Elderly Forum

Key achievements 2004/2005

• Launch of information booklet for Cowal and Bute carers ‘Nobody Told Me!’.  This format is now being extended to cover the four other areas of Argyll and Bute funded by Carers Networking Board monies.
  
  
• Continues supply of information to the public through local paper and public meetings with invited members of Public Consultation team during progress of NHS Argyll and Clyde consultation on the paper ‘Shaping the Future’
  
  
• Involving local groups to set up their lobbying on particular aspects ‘Shaping the Future’ and ?? their views to send in a concise and constructive response.  Also encouraging all local groups to each contribute individual responses.

Focus of work for 2005/2006

• Keeping flow of information to public using allocated monies eg Better Neighbourhood Services and connected projects.
  
  
• Setting up therapy services for carers in conjunction with Health Living Initiatives.
  
  

Services Forum has helped set up and develop

Have enlarged membership of Kidney Patient Support Group by bringing in representative and the group now operates on a stand alone basis with experienced representatives on national and statutory committees.

Features that demonstrate Good Practice

Maintenance of local representative waiting lists for particular group concerns eg carers, MS sufferers so that they can be contacted to contribute to discussions on their particular interest.

Features that demonstrate user/carer involvement

See previous paragraph

Key Issues of concern

• Continuing involvement in reprovisioning of local health/social work services to adjust to current changes in ways services are now provided.
  
  
• Holding meetings to inform public on specific changes in the reprovisioning from the original OBC consulted on 4/5 years ago

Now in Highland Health Board area

Contact: Job title:		Irene Edwards Development Worker
Address:		Lagarie Cottage Torwood Hill Road Rhu Helensburgh G84 4LF
Telephone: Fax: Email: Website:		(01436) 821988 (01436) 821988 ireneedwards@cowalccf.fslife.co.uk

Key aims of the forum

• To build the capacity of service users and carers to have a full voice in consultation on and planning of services
  
  
• To support the development of new initiatives in community care
  
  
• To work in partnership with all agencies to promote public involvement in the planning of services

Membership/management structure

• The Forum has a management committee of 3 office bearers and 2 ordinary committee members
  
  
• The Forum meets every 6 weeks
  
  
• Membership is free and open to all service users and carers in Cowal

Key achievements 2004/2005

• Cowal CCF played a key role in bringing the major NHS Argyll and Clyde Clinical Strategy ‘Shaping the Future’ to individual users and user groups who would otherwise not have been included.
  
  
• Hold a conference at which service providers and users had an opportunity to discuss future services in Cowal at a round table discussion. The conference also was an opportunity for people to talk about Direct Payments to Pay for Care, Transport issues and carers’ issues.
  
  
• Produced a postcard in cartoon format, which will be sent to medical professionals who set patient appointments to highlight the difficulties encountered by people in isolated communities in getting to very early appointments and home from late ones.  There is a matching sticker for GP’s to attach to their referral letters.

Focus of work 2005/2006:

• To continue Cowal CCF’s commitment to promoting partnership working and understanding between service users and providers (eg representing users and carers on the Health and Well-Being of Cowal Group which is designing health services for the next 15 years)
  
  
• To continue to build the capacity of service users to be full partners in community care provision.  CCCF has organised a training day called ‘Living the Life you want’ which aims to enable users to plan the care which suits their individual needs.

Services that the Forum has helped set up and develop
The Forum has not helped to set up any services as yet but does actively support a number of local groups eg CCCF is hosting a training event about Arthritis to support the work of the local MS Group in pain control.

Features that demonstrate Good Practice

• Commitment to reaching as many users and carers as possible has lead CCCF to use a range of communication methods suited to working with diverse groups (eg Graphic Illustration)
  
  
• The Forum enables users who would otherwise be excluded from consultations (eg housebound people) to be involved by taking the consultations to individuals and groups in their own localities.

Features that demonstrate user/carer involvement

• The Forum seeks to be as inclusive as possible by making all meetings and events open to all users and carers
  
  
• The Forum involves isolated and/or vulnerable individuals and groups in the consultation process by taking focus groups and individual meetings out to users.  The Forum is expanding the methods of communication it uses with users and carers eg produced a single sheet for quick reference, of the Forum’s workplan, with graphic illustration overleaf.

Key Issues of concern

• Future health services
  
  
• Transport issues
  
  
• Emergency (Blue Light) Ambulance Services

 

 

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now in Highland Health Board area

Contact: Job title:		Jim Procter Convenor
Address:		Creagmhor Arrochar HELENSBURGH Dunbartonshire G83 7AR
Telephone: Fax: Email: Website:		01301 702650 01436 677558 JmsProct@aol.com

Key aims of the forum

• To promote the interests of community care users within the Helensburgh and Lomond area of Argyll and Bute Council.
  
  
• To support users and carers in having a meaningful input into service planning.
  
  
• To work in partnership with statutory authorities, voluntary and independent providers to improve the quality of community care services.
  
  
• To respond to consultation ensuring users and carers have an input.

Membership/management structure
Membership is open to all those interested in community care issues, representatives from voluntary organisations, independent providers.  Representatives from Local Authorities can attend but do not have a vote.  Office bearers and management committee are re-elected annually and meet 4 times a year when required.  The Forum holds monthly open meetings advertised in the local press, all interested in community care issues are welcome.

Key achievements of 2004/2005

• In the forefront of the fight to retain local health services, especially for the most vulnerable, users, carers, elderly, disabled.  Member of local delegation that met with the Minister of Health to discuss local health issues.
  
  
• Forum representative on Joint Future and strategic planning committees on health and community care and the Argyll and Bute Carers Networking Board.  Setting up meetings between users/carers and authorities and having key speakers so that users and carers voices can be heard.
  
  
• Through reports from Forum representatives on various committees and meeting attendance that information is as widely spread as possible and improving communication between groups.  Forum members are on management of local, regional and national organisations. 

Focus of work 2005/2006

• To co-ordinate and give users and carers input into service planning, raise unmet need, support them in efforts to get people community care support. 
  
  
• To continue to fight for better services and lessen the huge shortfall in care packages and lack of respite and other care. 
  
  
• To keep our independence and thus be able to speak up fearlessly on behalf of users and carers.

Services that the Forum has helped set up and develop

• The local Carers Group and Carers Project
  
  
• Disability Access Panel Group
  
  
• Citizen Advice Scheme for this area
• Care and Repair
  
  
• Improved transport for elderly, disabled, disadvantaged

Features that demonstrate Good Practice

• Open monthly meetings in barrier free premises
  
  
• Communication of information by monthly newsletter
  
  
• Giving chance to hear and question key speakers
  
  
• Responding for requests for representation at meetings, committees and responding to consultation documents and public involvement.

Features that demonstrate user/carer involvement

• Users and carers are members of Management Committee
  
  
• Represent Forum on strategic planning committees
  
  
• Consulted on response for Forum to consultation documents and papers
  
  
• A cross section of different types of carers are members of Management Committee and relevant groups eg mental health, elderly consulted on issues affecting them.

Key Issues of concern

• Transfer of users from NHS care into social work care with inadequate care package and funds. 
  
  
• Lack of respite care, lack of funding to allow users to attend day care services
  
  
• The cutbacks in hospital and medical services likely to lead to deaths
  
  
• Recruiting enough volunteers to cover the work load and core funding.

now in Highland Health Board area

Contact: Job title:		Jane Gallagher Secretary
Address:		1 Hutcheon Court CAMPBELTOWN PA27 6TE
Telephone: Fax: Email: Website:		01586 552294 (after 3.30pm)

Key aims of the forum

To promote welfare of all community care users and carers in Kintyre

Membership/management structure

Open to all adults in Kintyre.  Office holders – chair, vice chair, secretary and treasurer

Key achievements of 2004/2005

• Through Healthy Living Centre employed part time worker to provide breaks for families with young learning disabled adults
  
  
• Started updating Directory of Community Care Services.  
• We cannot claim all the credit but we campaigned for crossing in Main Street – it is now being built
  
  
• Again cannot claim all credit but through Conferences in previous years and research into unmet need we campaigned for better services for families with children with special needs and respite care for elderly carers, both now being provided through Better Neighbourhood Services.

Focus of work 2005/2006

• Employ a second worker through Healthy Living Centre and extend service to 8 families
  
  
• Try and complete Directory

Services that the Forum has helped set up and develop

Healthy Living Centre as above, support for carers, Better Neighbourhood Services

Features that demonstrate Good Practice

We concentrate on areas brought to us as problems by members of the public

Features that demonstrate user/carer involvement

Our Chair has multiple sclerosis as does another committee member.  Another member has learning difficulties.  Many of our members are also in other voluntary groups and report to both.

Key Issues of concern

• Cuts in beds at local hospital
  
  
• Closure of Argyll and Bute Hospital, Lochgilphead, particularly Alcohol and Drugs Rehabilitation Ward.
  

Now in Highland Health Board area

Contact: Job title:		Roy Ferguson Flatt Chair/Co-ordinator
Address:		Bishopton House Bishopton Road LOCHGILPHEAD Argyll PA31 8PY
Telephone: Fax: Email: Website:		01546 602315 01546 602519 Dean.sedati@virgin.net

2006 update not yet available

Now in Greater Glasgow & Clyde Health Board area

Contact: Job title:		Barbara Barnes, or Mrs L Kennedy, MBE, Treasurer and Chair
Address:		Benview Resource Centre Strathleven Place DUMBARTON G82 1BA
Telephone: Fax: Email: Website:		01389 725865 01389 725865 Bbarnes@toucansurf.com wdccf@btconnect.com

Key aims of the forum

To relieve the suffering, distress, disadvantage and advance the education, further the health and promote the benefit of people within West Dunbartonshire, who are users, carers or providers of community care.

Membership/management structure

• Membership – representatives from numerous local groups and forums concerned with Community Care issues
  
  
• Management – Chair, Treasurer and 6 other members  (at present we do not have a Secretary)
  
  
• We hold monthly open meetings alternating between Dumbarton and Clydebank

Key achievements 2004/2005

• Networking Day for disability entitled ‘Ability’ and concentrated on illustrating how disabilities should be turned into ‘abilities’ by focussing on the positive aspect.
  
  
• Short Breaks pilot project has now become authority-wide service
  
  
• On-going campaign to maintain hospital services locally

Focus of work 2005/2006

• To retain services at a local hospital. 
  
  
• Better consultation with Health Board

Services that the Forum has helped set up and develop

Bathing and Short Breaks service, which is now authority-wide is monitored by the Forum.

Features that demonstrate Good Practice

Our continuing working relationship and participation in local authority committees and groups eg Planning and Implementation Partnership, Carers Strategy Group, Disability Strategy Group, Dementia Interest Group, Vale of Leven Hospital Services Forum.

Features that demonstrate user/carer involvement

Forum members are all users and carers and affiliated groups are all involved with meetings where their views are sought by the Forum in order that they can be passed on in consultative groups.

Key Issues of concern

The closure and reduction of services at our local hospital are a major concern for us.