Yorkshire & Humber Regional Family Network

Notes of the meeting held on 11

th
September 2014

Attendees:
Jean Riley (Scarborough)
Maggie Kellie (York)
Gillian Payne (Scarborough)
Barrie Warner (Wakefield)
Dave Barker (N Lincs)
Lucy Horobin (Wakefield)
Barbara Thompson (Sheffield)
Kate Chapman (Sheffield)
Faith Ridgwick (Barnsley)
Belinda Blackburn (North Yorkshire
- Selby)
There were apologies from:
Ian Parkinson
Mike and Kath Spinney
Rosie Tozer
Lynn Murphy

Welcome and introductions
Lucy welcomed everyone to the meeting. She explained why she was
supporting the network today and not Sam, who was doing important
work looking at telecare and teleheath projects.

Actions from previous meeting
A letter was sent out to Lincs/NE Lincs/Hull regarding engagement but
no response has come back as yet. Dave offered to attend carer
meetings in region about engagement.
Dave is happy to continue as rep for the time being.
Not much engagement around advocacy. Inclusion North are starting
work with the National Forum about self-advocacy and the spread of
self-advocacy.
Dave talked about the employment project workshop.

Whats Going Well?
Dance Syndrome
Dance Syndrome came to tell us about their work around inclusive
dance, and to give us the chance to sample it in action!

FLASh group family survey
Barbara Thompson and Kate Chapman from the group came to tell us
about the work they have done with families in Sheffield, finding out how
the cuts are impacting their lives, and the lives of their family.
You can see the results of the survey here
http://bit.ly/1ppQrEC
Barbara and Kate are particularly keen to find out if any other areas are
facing the same issues. Dave agreed to take this to the NVFF. The aim
is to ensure that processes are right and to demonstrate shortfall and
ask for fairness.
We need examples of claw back and changing goalposts that do not
reflect support plans. eg mobile phones ruled out by finance.
Suggestion made that other regions consider this approach to finding out
how cuts are impacting the lives of families, or share similar feedback.?




National & Regional Update
National Valuing Families Forum
Dave gave an update of the last NVFF meeting Philippa Russell talked
to them about the Care Act. One year further funding has been agreed
for the NVFF and the National Family Carer Network are now
responsible for holding the money. There still remains big concerns
across all areas of lack of investment in carers, concerns around
information and advice and a feeling that Valuing People never
happened.

Winterbourne View and the JIP
Headlines
Of 2,601 patients 577 have a transfer date (increase from 257 at
March 14)
1614 patients do not have a planned transfer date due to a clinical
decision preventing it
524 patients are in high or medium secure services and most (332)
are subject to Ministry of Justice order

In June a number of different organisations and people wrote a joint
letter to The Telegraph expressing concern at the lack of progress 3
years on from the closure of Winterbourne View.
In July Bill Mumford resigned as Director of the JIP. The future
leadership and governance is currently being reviewed with
announcements expected soon.
Further updates are available from http://bit.ly/1CG63fF



The Yorkshire and Humber Leadership Group meeting
The last meeting focused on employment including sharing information
and learning on co-working, supported employment, the families guide to
employment and helping a family member get a job.
The next meeting will include a focus on quality checking led by people
and families. It is on 22nd October in York.

Regional Round up
The network members present shared their views on what the key
issues are locally, good things happening in their area and other
information.
Whats going well?
York - No Partnership Board but they have new Director of Social
Services who wants to re-invent it.
Scarborough - Key Ring Mapping all things happening to share and
join up. Its going well. Also Rolling out Personal Health budgets.
North Yorks - Also has new director, so they are hopeful
Barnsley - Engagement team, carers strategy linked 2 grants for small
organisations and now available to individuals. The parents and friends
group is not exclusively Learning Disability.
Wakefield - Partnership Board has not met since May. Inclusion North
talked about the Carers Act. They now have a chair from the clinical
commissioning group. The carers contract has gone to an existing
provider, so there is continuity.
Sheffield - Good, well attended meetings from carers, partly as a result
of new head of Social Care. There is engagement with the elected
members, which helps. Good presentations on Care Act.
Selby - New carers support system, Clover Leaf. Not top heavy so good
looking forward.
Big Issues
York - 300k has been spent on the transition hub and the service is no
better. Nobody knows whats happening. Individual budgets there are
different criteria and no continuity. Getting carers involved it is almost
impossible to get people to raise their head above? younger people
dont have the fire in the belly.
Scarborough Nobody knows what they are doing, staff have been
moved again, there is a lack of communication. The Care Plan has been
thrown out (with new Commissioning Support Unit) and they have
revamped Jeans. Agreement with CCG on personal health budget, Jean
made alterations and has been agreed.
Sheffield Reassessment process, change management staff,
everything is money led, there is a new commissioning strategy and no
real consultation.
Selby Border provision (difficult for people who are on the border
between two areas), struggling with partnership working and transport
provision
Wakefield The implementation of the Care Act is more work for social
services with less money, personal budgets Supporting People money
is finished but accounting processes are still including supporting people
money?


The big shared issues that will go in the regional report to the NVFF
are:
1. Lack of information, reaction to concerns and loss of expertise.
2. Health are behind social care in the way they work.
3. Co-production and consultation being confused.

Winterbourne View issues in danger of dominating to the extent of not
looking at everyday issues for other people.
Any other business
Lucy shared 2 bits of news.
Thinking Ahead Christine Towers from the Foundation for People with
Learning Disabilities developed a planning for the future resource
Thinking Ahead. She has a small amount of money to try this model out
with older family carers and would like to work in 2-3 local areas with
someone who is supporting older families and is interested in developing
this to find out what would help older family carers to use the guide e.g.
what support is helpful. The money she has would pay for her time and
could also pay for venue, refreshments, travel for family carers etc. but
shed ask the organisation to contribute the time of a person and then
together would work with families. If anyone is interested in this Lucy can
put them in touch with Christine.
Making Citizenship Real for Everyone Lucy explained that Inclusion
North are looking for good practice examples from across the region of
supporting people with the most complex needs to lead good lives. They
want examples against key areas such as housing, health, workforce
etc. Further details are in the bulletin or via Lucy

Date of next meeting:
11 December 2014 from 10.45am to 3.00pm
Folk Hall, New Earswick, York