Maidstone Weald Locality Planning and Monitoring GroupFriday 11th November 2011 at 10:15amKingswood Community Mental Health Centre, 180-186 Union Street, Maidstone ME14 1EY |
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Present |
Initials |
Organisation |
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Alan Heyes |
AH |
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Emma Crawford - Minutes |
SAM |
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Cate Bowland |
CB |
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Mike Fitzgerald |
MF |
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Liz Tredget |
LT |
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P Warnett |
PW |
Voluntary Action Maidstone V-Team |
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Shaun Neaves |
SN |
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WE |
WE |
Service User – Maidstone Mind |
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Bob Ditchburn |
BD |
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Aileen Davis |
AD |
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MI |
MI |
Voluntary Action Maidstone V-Team |
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Michele Mcloughlin |
MM |
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Maggie Bowman |
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DS |
DS |
Service User |
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Andrea Norley |
AN |
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Susan Iverson |
SI |
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RN |
RN |
Service User |
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Merryl Chesher |
MC |
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Apologies |
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Organisation |
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Jill Martin |
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Medway PCT |
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Alan Heyes |
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Mental Health Matters |
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Theresa Hughes |
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Kent Carers at Home |
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Justin Morris |
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Voluntary Action Maidstone |
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Maureen Belcher |
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Neil Bunker |
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Voluntary Action Maidstone |
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Paul Absolon |
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KCC Mental Health Commissioner |
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Charlotte Osborn-Forde |
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Rachel Turpin |
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KMPT |
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Andrea McNally |
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In Touch Support |
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Jan Prior |
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Blackthorn Trust |
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1. Welcome, Introductions and Apologies The Chair welcomed the attendees to the meeting and all of the attendees introduced themselves. Apologies noted above.
2. Kent LINk Presentation from Cate Bowland CB introduced herself as one of three Kent LINk (Local Involvement Network) Project Development Workers working in the County, with responsibility for Ashford, Maidstone & Swale.
Although LINK is a statutory service it is independent of health and social care providers. It provides a network for individuals and organisations to influence the services they use. The LINK is open to everyone who lives, work or plays in Kent. It supports improvements to Health and Social Care Services in Kent by providing people and their communities with a voice.
The LINk works in partnership with the NHS and KCC involvement teams to involve local people in a range of projects. A project report will make recommendations of the findings and will be shared with partners for factual accuracy before publishing.
LINk is a very flexible structure with many opportunities for involvement: people can get involved with LINk by raising an issue to the Priorities Panel or by signing up as participant. For more information go to www.thekentlink.co.uk
In 2010, a series of workshops were suggested to develop Kent and Medway LINkÕs network focused around mental health. Four themes of workshops were highlighted by participants where further information was required:
All the workshops were completed in partnership with Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust. As a result of this work the Kent and Medway LINks published their report at a Community Engagement Event in October. At that event experts by experience were invited to monitor aspects of mental health services and support the involvement opportunities written within KMPT new Community Engagement Strategy.
Action – SAM to circulate documents from Cate Boland – completed
Action CB – to feedback to Kent and Medway Networks that Information updates need to be more regular to participants who have raised an issue to the Priorities Panel
Due to time constraints at the meeting, CB asked the group to take the report away and feedback any comments or suggestions they may have directly to her at cate@kentlink.org reiterating the fact that Kent LINk have the ability to increase leverage with statutory agencies and can try to effect change when needed. CB suggested that they could try to build on relationships with KMPT to then help improve the services and fill the gaps once identified. She also noted that when necessary Kent LINk have the ability to take issues of concern to the Kent Health and Overview Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) and the Department of Health (DOH)
Concerns as to the effectiveness of Kent LINk and their ability to communicate, feedback and apply pressure were asked, to which CB responded that they do what they say and can effect real change.
Action – CB to redesign the layout of LINkÕs mental health action plan for future LPMG meetings. CB said she would be happy to return to the group next year to update on the achievement of the action plan. She reiterated that if people being a LINk member then they are just kept updated on changes, actions and on-going matters, it does not necessarily mean a large amount of involvement if they do not want that.
AH thanked CB for her informative presentation and for attending.
3. Fusion Healthy Living Centre MF introduced himself and began by describing that the purpose of the centre is to improve local general health and wellbeing whilst complimenting and developing the local health initiatives and building up partnership working. Parkwood joined together with multiple agencies to form an alliance to encourage better health and wellbeing amongst young families and this developed into the Healthy Living Centre. More details of the history can be found here.
The centre is now run by a multi-agency partnerships and has facilities such as an internet cafˇ as well as having lots of agencies such as a housing trust, Citizens Advice Bureau, Kenward Trust etc, offering their services from the centre. It employs a handful of full and part-time time staff, and the rest is run by volunteers. The turnover of people through the door, to both the Centre and to Heather House, a linked community centre, is approximately 1500 people each per month but they are always looking to increase these numbers.
MF explained that they try to work alongside local heath initiatives, challenging and improving the inequalities in this particular area in Maidstone, and as such offer services such as weight loss help, smoking cessation, road safety, self harm awareness, a health clinic and so forth. However, he also added that the greatest challenge they face is actually trying to get local people involved and as such welcomes any partnership working and support by any local individuals and agencies who may have clients who would benefit or those who could offer his current clients a service. Links to further documents on current work at the centre etc are shown below;
Update of major changes in Park Wood
AH thanked MF for his good work and informative presentation and hoped that some joint working would progress following the presentation.
4. Minutes of the Previous Meeting The minutes of the previous meeting were approved.
5. Matters Arising MB reiterated the need for all organisations to register with the South East Business Portal at www.businessportal.southeastiep.gov.uk for information on how to put forward a tender, how the tender process works and what services are out for tender and other information is also available. This new tender process is not yet in full operation but will be evolving during the coming months.
6. Service User and Carer Issues DS voiced concerns over the lack of carer representation at the LPMG and hoped that they are being fully represented. The group observed that there was usually representation from Maureen Belcher from Maidstone and Malling Carers Project but she was currently on annual leave.
MC raised continuing concerns over the Kent Card. There is still confusion as to where people need to go for assessment and who is eligible and just a general lack of clarity on the entire process. There has also been an issue over statements that are being sent out to people using the card; they are finding them confusing and it is causing anxiety as people think they are being sent bills or being charged. The group agreed that they would like more information and clarity on these issues. SAM noted that Katie Bell from Signpost UK would be visiting the LPMGÕs in January and would be able to provide more information and take questions people may have.
MC also noted the problem with the lack of information sharing and support for people upon discharge – an issue the group are still addressing as part of the working group. MC also raised a concerns regarding individuals thinking they were going to receive a personal budget for which they could pay for their current residential housing, but who have recently found out that this is unlikely and as such they may have to go into supported housing, all of which is causing concerns and anxiety. MC continued to query a rumour she had heard regarding specialist social workers moving to work for the NHS as opposed to KCC (Kent County Council). BD confirmed that he had not heard of this and MC said she would try to find out more information. Lastly MC noted that there was confusion for a client of hers, who had been told that the long term support she had been assessed as needing for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder through Step 4, was suddenly coming to an end as funding had ceased. The group agreed this seemed unusual and it was suggested MC contact Nicky Otham for clarification. AD also offered her advocacy service to support the individual if she required, MC was to pass on her contact details.
7. KMPT Service Redesign BD reported that there was little more to report since the last meeting. He reiterated that the new format began on 1st June 2011 with the Recovery Team based at Kingswood and the Access Team based at Pagoda. Both teams are getting there but they still have patients who are yet to be transferred to their correct team, for example they still have 40 people based at the Pagoda who should be with the Recovery Team. This is just a process which they are working on but it will take time, especially given the continuing problem of being short staffed. Chris Beech is currently recruiting and the Access Team is currently approaching full capacity. At present, BD, noted that the Access Team receive up to 50 new referrals per week.
BD went continued to explain that as the service evolves as he envisages teething problems with the way they will be forced to provide due to pressures forced upon them when the new clusters are in place. There will have to be much more focus on the processes concerning service delivery and as such there will be much more specialist services in place, but this will mean that all areas are far less flexible as they will not be able to do any work that they cannot guarantee they will be paid for. The payment by results system will force professionals to ensure they assess each case thoroughly to ensure they are able to help and that they should not be referring them on to other services, for example PCPTS step 4. BD also explained the role of the CRHT (Crisis Resolution Home Treatment) team as an Ņout of hoursÓ service who work on behalf of the Access team during the evenings and at weekends.
MC relayed some good experiences with the mental health teams, however, she also noted problems arising when people are trying to re-access the service.
8. Service Round Up Voluntary Action Maidstone (VAM) All going very strongly at present and currently to full capacity with a waiting list. The team are currently doing a variety of things such as gardening, decorating, laying patioÕs etc. Some of the volunteers are moving on to become V-Team associates and are now supporting the new volunteers. The Gateway project has been temporarily put on hold. They have a new project worker starting at the end of the month and they have 1 person going back into work.
Susan Iverson – Winfield The service is currently supporting a number of people. Three quarters of the clients are through the one stop shop contract and one quarter of the places are available for Primary Care clients.
Shaun Neaves – Stonham Homegroup Will be moving to a new site in April 2012 and they will then have 7 self contained units as opposed to the current 6 units.
Merryl Chesher – Maidstone Mind In the process of getting 4 new trustees on the board. The Wellbeing for the Heart starts in December and there will be 3 blocks running. Soon to have Healthy Lifestyle groups starting as well as a new smokeless minds and heart support group. Healthy Hearts and Minds groups were due to start December but will now be in January 2012
Aileen Davis - Rethink They are very busy, getting lots of new referrals, continuing to maintain and build on the networks and links.
Swan House Currently very busy and at full capacity and working on implementing lots of changes and changes to staff.
9. Working Group Continuing work on improving the smoothness and quality of discharge by trying to work with the trust and educate and inform GPÕs.
10.Joint Commissioning Board (JCB) The group decided following the issue raised by MB regarding the lack of carers assessments, that they would raise this issue at the next JCB (Joint Commissioning Board) in November.
11.Any Other Business There was none.
The next meeting was set for 10:15am on Friday 13th January 2011 at the Kingswood Community Mental Health Centre, 180-186 Union Street, Maidstone, ME14 1EY
The Chair thanked everyone for attending and the meeting closed.
LPMG administration
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