Maidstone Locality Planning and Monitoring Group (LPMG)
Friday 13th May 2011 at 10.15am
Kingswood Community Mental Health Centre, 180-186 Union Street,
Maidstone, Kent ME14 1EY
|
Present |
Initials |
Organisation |
|
Alan Heyes - Chair |
AH |
|
|
Emma Crawford - Minutes |
SAM |
|
|
P Warnett |
PW |
|
|
Justin Morris |
JM |
|
|
DS |
DS |
Service User |
|
WE |
WE |
Service User |
|
Bob Ditchburn |
BD |
|
|
Chris Beach |
CB |
|
|
Paul Absolon |
PA |
Kent County Council (KCC)Social Care Commissioner for Mental Health |
|
Maureen Belcher |
MB |
|
|
GB |
GB |
Carer |
|
YL |
YL |
Carer |
|
Theresa Hughes |
TH |
Kent Carers at Home |
|
Brian Johnson |
BJ |
MCP |
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Maggie Bowman |
MBo |
Kent County Council (KCC) Mental Health Commissioning Team |
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Aileen Davis |
AD |
|
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Susan Iverson |
SI |
Winfield |
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Merryl Chesher |
MC |
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Jan Prior |
JP |
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Rachel Turpin |
RT |
|
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Jean Low |
JL |
Carer |
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|
|
|
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Apologies |
Organisation |
|
|
Neil Bunker |
Voluntary Action Maidstone |
|
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Mary Harding |
Homegroup |
|
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Shaun Neaves |
Homegroup |
|
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Charlotte Osborn-Forde |
Voluntary Action Maidstone |
|
|
Jill Martin |
Medway PCT |
1. Welcome, Introductions and Apologies
The Chair welcomed the attendees to the meeting and all of the attendees introduced themselves. Apologies noted above.
2. Presentation from Heather Woodward – Health Trainers
The service is provided by Health Trainers working within the community at venues such as ChildrenÕs Centres, GP surgeries, and Healthy Living Centres. The Health Trainers can help with any individual who wish to change their behaviour in order to improve their health. This could be stopping smoking, losing weight or doing more exercise, although we could help with any health issue. It is a very client-centred service, with the client deciding what changes they would like to make, it is also a holistic service, addressing all aspects of individual's health. The HT may make suggestions as to what can be changed but does not offer 'advice'. The main tool of their trade is Motivational Interviewing techniques. Clients are offered 6-8 sessions for each health issue.
All of our HT's have the Royal Society of Public Health - Understanding Health Improvement qualification, and have also achieved City & Guilds Level 3 in Health Training. Part of their role is to have resources to hand about all the local services, which are either free or accessible through referrals schemes at preferential rates.
The other part of their role is to signpost people to other services, when deemed appropriate. This could be as well as working with them ourselves.
3. Presentation from Stephanie Clark on New Horizons and Personalisation
SCÕs role over the past 12 months has been to roll out the new Personalisation scheme which aims to offer clients more choice and control over their wellbeing. The idea being that people will be able to look at what is on offer to them, for example, within the community and use their allowance to determine what their needs are and how best to fulfil them. She noted that everyone is currently eligible to be assessed for their social care needs and following that assessment a monetary value of their needs is determined. People can then either choose to have their social care needs met either through traditional methods or through Personal budgets and this can then be spent in more practical ways which will help them individually. She noted that there has been the need for a huge culture shift and much time has been spent training staff to ensure this project works. This change in culture has had to extend to the clients are more responsibility and choice has been given to them where in the past this may not have been so. However, SC commented that although more choice and responsibility has been offered back to the clients, this is on an individual basis and in some cases it is limited depending on the clients wishes and that of the care coordinator, as the Trust still maintains a professional responsibility for duty of care to people and the public. Sc noted that the Personal budgets had been well embraced in Maidstone and this was very positive. SC also noted that now the initial work had been started and that the plan of the next 12 months was to increase the numbers of people using this system and get it more well received in the public domain. She also noted, following a question on means testing, that although uncertain at this time, it was likely that charging would be within the mental health sector from 2012, unless the client was under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act, and this was currently out for public consultation. SC concluded that steps are being taken to review the overall service and design structure and that going forward the aim was to improve on what is currently provided.
4. Minutes of the last meeting
The minutes were approved, subject to one minor typo change and some additions to the action table
5. Matters Arising
PA noted with regards to Neil BunkerÕs current role that due to other commitments that Neil was wishing to reduce his hours. As such, PA asked the group whether there was any element of the work that Neil did that needed to be fulfilled by someone else, that was currently not able to be picked up by the current services on offer. After much discussion, the group decided that Fusion and coffee meets that Neil offers were invaluable and would continue and MC offered people to join the MH forum bi-monthly as Maidstone Mind, however, the work Neil carries out, accessing the more rural communities was something which needed to be continued and he should continue work there and at Fusion. As part of the discussions, it was noted that concerns over people from the more rural communities not wanting to access local services due to the stigma surrounding mental health and as such it was suggested whether there was a possibility of getting money put on peopleÕs Kent Card to use for taxi transport to be able to attend meetingÕs etc in the town, where they could do so without others in local communities knowing.
A discussion also arose out of the use of the word recovery and some members expressed a dislike of the term as they felt that this was not necessarily a fair reflection of the expected outcome for suffers. PA noted that the belief is and research shows that people who suffer from mental health issues do have the ability to recover and thus not spend their lives being defined by their illness in most cases, and that the decision to use the word Recovery was something which the LPMGÕs had come up with. It was resolved that people have different expectations and interpretation as to the use of the word ÒrecoveryÓ.
6. Service User Issues
DS raised the issue that he was concerned as he was unable to use the Kent Card for what he wanted, for example reflexology. PA noted that currently the personalised budgets are for determined social care needs and not healthcare needs and as such unless he has had his social care needs assessed, a monetary value of this care cannot be determined. It was further discussed that people were unaware how to request a social care assessment and MC noted that she was looking into this and would assist with this process where possible. JP queried whether the social care needs eligibility criteria was a public document, PA noted that this was and can be found on the KCC website.
7. KMPT Service Redesign
á CB informed the group that he had recently attended 2 consultation meetings
á The new team have been decided and structures are being put in place and hopefully working by 1st June 2011
á Access teams will now be based at Pagoda and Recovery at Kingswood
á Aware of implication for Service Users with change of venues for care but doing all they can to ensure smooth transitions
á BD noted that they are still deciding which doctors are doing what and be based where – hope to have this resolved soon
á The Access team still plan to retain lots of enhanced cases as there is not big enough timescale to transfer people in time and trying best to minimise disruption
á They are working on reduced staffing levels and are under-resourced but are hoping that a Kent wide redistribution of posts over the coming months will help to ease this
á Overall doing all they can to maintain as much as they can for clients during this transitional time
8. Service Round Up
Alan Heyes – Mental Health Matters
á The helpline has been 24/7 since 1st April 2011 and all going really well
Merryl Cheshire – Maidstone Mind
á Mind week is w/c 16th May and have lots planned such as workplace discussions, ladies pampering, British Heart Foundation healthy living, health promotion, Nigerian day with traditional food and clothes etc.
á Currently looking for extra relief workers and generally very busy
á Have put a bid into the British Heart Foundation and Santander to enable them to continue their counselling for the under 50Õs. May only enable them to help a small number of people but better than none
á Hope to run support and wellbeing groups for those quitting smoking – if successful with a funding bid with the British Heart Foundation
Susan Iverson – Winfield
á Have 5 new referrals and are very busy
Aileen Davies – Rethink
á Numbers are on the increase
á Have lots of self referrals
á Have done 21 postal drops to local GPÕs
á Have done informal talks with VAM recently and have planned talks with Bi-polar and Manic depression groups next month
Maggie Bowman – KCC
á Now part of Families and Social Care directorate
á Have improved KCC website to be more user friendly
á Restructure in Kent County Council - Due to the ongoing restructure that is happening in Kent County Council, The Mental Health Commissioning Team has been moved from Kent Adult Social Services into the newly formed Families and Social Care Directorate. This will not have any effect on services.
á Also as part of the restructure Tracey Clark, our business office has moved into the finance directorate. Tracey still sits with the team and will be still working in the same role as before.
á Live It Well Website - The Live It Well website has been updated and given a new look as well as the information on the site being made more current. It is part of an ongoing project to add more information onto the site specifically relating to Kent and Medway. The site is still hosted by Sevenoaks Area Mind. We are encouraging everyone to look at it and give us your feedback and any suggestions for the future development or articles info@liveitwell.org.uk
á KCC Families and Social Care Contract Re-Lets - The following contracts are going to be re-let over the coming year, with a more generic service agreement with these re-lets not just being in Mental Health but are to include other areas such as Learning Disability and Older Persons.
o Carers Support
o Carers Assessments
o CSS
á And in the following year Advocacy – PA noted that this re-bid will be different to the others as this will stay specific to Mental Health
á To keep updated on these re-lets we are suggesting that providers register on the South East Business Portal
Maureen Belcher – Maidstone Carers Project
á Currently very busy supporting over 240 carers
Justin Morris – V-Team
á Has a new post as team assistant
á Looking to support volunteers more in mental health, with social activities, work and other volunteering
Rachel Turpin – KMPT
á Promoting the following;
á Mind the Gap – http://www.artunitingpeople.org.uk/links.html
á Switch 2 Art – www.switchcafe.co.uk
9. Working Group
The group decided that they would like to work on better local GP involvement and AH noted that the engagement days/speed dating events in East Kent had proven very popular and successful. AH, MC and JP agreed to arrange to meet next month to think about if something similar could be done in the Maidstone area.
10. JCB
The group agreed to take the issue ÒWhat transport provisions are there for access to services in Maidstone for those living in the surrounding rural areas?Ó. MC agreed to see if she could find a SU and advocate living in one of the rural areas to take this to the JCB.
11. Commissioners Report
The group are awaiting the last set of minutes from the JCB.
12. Any Other Business
á The group resolved that they would like a speaker from the Gateway to do a presentation
á It was noted that there was a new Aspergers steering group being led by Anne Tidmarsh
The Chair thanked everyone for attending and there being no further business the meeting was closed. The next meeting was set for the 15th July 2011 at 10.15am at Kingswood Community Health Centre, 180-186 Union Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1EY.
Action Table
|
Minutes |
Action |
Responsibility |
Status |
|
All |
Ensure minutes are send out 2 weeks after the meeting where possible |
SAM – Sevenoaks Area Mind |
Ongoing |
|
All |
Circulate Agenda 2 weeks prior to Meeting, in draft, and request any Additions |
SAM – Sevenoaks Area Mind |
Ongoing |
|
All |
Circulate JCB Minutes |
SAM – Sevenoaks Area Mind |
Ongoing |
|
05/11 |
Circulate Heather Woodward, Health Trainer contact details and referral forms |
SAM – Sevenoaks Area Mind |
Completed |
|
05/11 |
E-mail AH, JP & MC regarding working group decision action to work on GP involvement days |
SAM – Sevenoaks Area Mind |
Completed |
|
05/11 |
Arrange Gateway presentation |
SAM – Sevenoaks Area Mind |
TBC |
|
05/11 |
Circulate information documents from Stephanie Clarke |
SAM – Sevenoaks Area Mind |
Requested |
|
05/11 |
Circulate eligibility Criteria document from PA |
SAM – Sevenoaks Area Mind |
Requested |
|
05/11 |
Inform West Kent JCB of issue being raised and who is representing |
SAM – Sevenoaks Area Mind |
Requested |
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