2014 > ISSUE 1

care network news

Community Transport Community Transport has suddenly become political. Cambridgeshire County Council‘s Business Plan and Budget Proposals for 2014/15 included cuts to community transport. Care Network was involved - writing a letter expressing our concerns about the cuts and the impact they will have on older and vulnerable people. We sent this letter to every county councillor across the county and we received a favourable response from a number of them.

At the budget debate there was a lot of discussion on community transport and an agreed extra £500K pot of funding for public transport, where this goes is to be worked out by a cross-party committee. Although the cuts will not affect most of ―our‖ car schemes too much, as an organisation we will continue to raise the voice of the older and vulnerable people we support and for whom community transport is so important.

Twitter Care Network Cambridgeshire is now in the 21

st century. We are on Twitter! This

enables us to follow people such as MPs and councillors and raise our profile and concerns with them and others. We hope that it may also attract volunteers in due course. Follow us @CareNetworkCamb We have over 70 followers already – I wonder how long it will take us to reach 100?

The Help at Home Challenge Managers and Trustees are thinking how Care Network can improve in 2014. One big challenge we have set is to increase the number of Help at Home clients by 50% by the end of the year. This is a big ask, but we know there are many older and vulnerable people out there who do not know about the service. We have engaged Lynnette to promote Help at Home, but we cannot leave it all to her. If you can promote Help at Home in any way, please do so. Hilary and her team can provide leaflets, speakers etc. as well as an excellent service.

Ideas always welcome Please keep the ideas coming in. Trustees and Managers wish to remain open and innovative and do whatever we possibly can to support and promote older and vulnerable people. Whatever your idea is let us know about it – although we can‘t promise we will be able to do it, all suggestions go into the melting pot. Even better is if you know someone who wants to do something innovative and needs a bit of support from Care Network to get their idea off the ground. We want to do things with people and communities and not to them.

Ruth McCallum, Chief Officer

Calling all Volunteers! Please come to an afternoon tea with live music on Wednesday 14th May 2pm - 4pm at the Ely Beet Club to enable us to say ‗THANK YOU for all the

hard work and time you put into work with vulnerable people or community groups.

Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you

Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you

Community Development

News from Fenland Good news for Leverington Lunch Club. After being ‗homeless‘ for some time Leverington have found a new venue at the Woodmans Cottage in Gorefield, just down the road. The pub is under new management and they are very pleased with the meals. Gorefield Lunch Club also meet there and have attracted a number of new members. I joined them at the beginning of February and had an excellent lunch. It was lovely to see everyone again and catch up on local news. In the next couple of months I am looking forward to visiting all the lunch clubs in Fenland.

I am currently working on setting up two choirs aimed at people with dementia, one in Wisbech and one in March. Plans are quite well advanced and the aim is to start in May. More news next time.

Sue Beel, Fenland Community Development Officer

News from South Cambs It‘s been a busy time in South Cambridgeshire. We have two workshops planned, one for the Mobile Warden Schemes at the new Hub in Melbourne in mid-March, and one for the Community Car Schemes which will be held at the Village Hall in Bar Hill mid-April.

A new ―Ideas Group‖ got under way in Cottenham on Monday the 24

th of February, bringing people

together to decide on, and then engage in, the activities and pastimes of their own choice. This group will continue to meet every second Monday at 2pm.

Bar Hill is now very close to having its own Bar Hill Community Car Scheme. We currently have two volunteer drivers and a co-ordinator and this scheme will be operational for hospital, GP and other medical journeys from 17

th of March.

Last, but certainly not least, is our Cambourne inter-generational event planned for April 3rd

at Cambourne Village College. This will be a tea party based on a 50‘s theme hosted by the children of year 7 at the school with the older generation of Cambourne as their invited guests. Darwin Manor, one of the Sheltered Housing complexes, are helping us along by hosting a fund raising coffee morning to raise awareness and help pay for pictures and decorations, while the children are busy menu planning and making posters and invitation cards. Morrissons are donating all the ingredients for the tea party menu and the Parish Council have joined in with further funding to make the day sparkle. Timebank are supporting the event with volunteer helpers and the local Community Car Scheme have also stepped in and offered transport on the day. Truly a community project in every sense of the word!

Two other village schemes are also in the pipeline. One in Swavesey and the other in Great Shelford. Watch this space for more detailed information about those in the next newsletter.

Jane Johannessen, South Cambridgeshire Community Development Officer

First meeting of the Cottenham Ideas Group at Cottenham Baptist Church

Woodmans Cottage, venue for Leverington and Gorefield Lunch Clubs

Community Development Community Development survey, 2013 Firstly, a big thank you to those groups who either completed this survey, either on-line, by paper copy or over the phone. It really does help us to improve the way we work and to keep our funders happy. If you want further information about the outcomes of the survey, please get in touch. Here are some highlights.

We asked about the benefits for people being involved in community groups. This is what you said:

Over half of the responses came from our Community Car Schemes – not surprisingly they see getting people to essential services as the most important benefit for the users of their service.

We also asked about the main concerns our groups had for the future, our Community Development Officers are available to work with groups throughout Cambridgeshire to support them with any issues or worries they have.

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Important benefits to users of group

Getting to Use Essential Services

Peace of Mind for the user

Peace of mind for the family

Staying Independent

Social Contact

Potential problems identified early

Feeling of safety and security

Don't have to cook a hot meal

Convenience

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The most important benefit for scheme users

Getting to use essential services

Social contact

Staying independent

Peace of mind for the user

Feeling of safety and security

What are the main concerns of groups or scheme

Financial Sustainability 15%

Insufficient Helpers, Volunteers or Organisers 31%Unsuitable Premises 1%

Lack of people using your group or scheme 13%Increased Bureaucracy 19%

Other 21%

Community Development

New advice kiosk in Melbourne,

others planned for Gamlingay and Cambourne People needing help with common problems connected with money, benefits, relationships, employment and housing can now find advice and have a cup of tea at the same time. Melbourn Hub is the newest Advicehub point, with Gamlingay Eco-hub next in line and venues being explored in Cambourne. The Advicehub kiosk is provided by Cambridge CAB, who offer free, independent, confidential and impartial advice. The kiosk offers answers to common problems on these issues through its website, which has been specially adapted by the CAB to give local advice information wherever possible.

We know that technology can be daunting, so we are also training volunteers to support others to use the kiosks. If you‘re interested in volunteering, please contact Lynne McAulay at Care Network on 01954 211919. Additionally, if you live or work in South Cambridgeshire and want to find out more about free advice for your community, please call Lynne to see if she can help.

Lynn McAulay, Community Development & SCAN Manager

Community Development Team Lynne McAulay Tel:- 01954 211919 Community Development Manager and SCAN project co-ordinator

Sue Beel Tel: - 01945 589953 Officer for Fens, Community Transport expert.

Kathy Bowles Tel: - 01480 423085 Officer for Huntingdonshire.

Susan Bates Tel: - 01480 423085 Officer for Hunts and Fens Looking at evaluation and encouraging people to be involved in our work. Look out for more information on this project in future newsletters.

Barbara Law Tel: - 01223 300460 Officer for Cambridge City.

Jane Johannessen Tel: - 01954 211919 Officer for South Cambridgeshire.

Whilst we don‘t have a dedicated officer in East

Cambridgeshire, if you are based there and need

support please do get in touch and we will see

how we can help.

Community Navigators The popularity of Community Navigators continued to grow, and we completed 2,451 navigations (information given) by the end of December 2013. These continue to increase month by month so we are pleased that people are getting to know about the help that is available to them, and happy that we are able to respond. We manned the phones over the Christmas period, but things were fairly quiet.

There is a coordinator in each district (Cambridge City, South Cambridgeshire, East Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, Fenland) supporting a team of volunteers and organisational partners. The team are friendly and approachable and will do their best to resolve your query, so please don‘t hesitate to contact them on the numbers below.

If you want to do more, there are three ways to link with the project:-

By inviting a Community Navigators District Coordinator to meetings, they will be able to explain

what the project does and how it can help;

By becoming a navigator, you will receive training to help you provide people with information,

with support from the local Community Navigators District Coordinator;

By passing on the contacts below (or taking a poster or leaflets) you will enable people to find

help.

To find out more about how you can link with the Community Navigator project please get in touch with County Manager Nikki Soyza on 01954 212100.

Supporting Care Network One of our ex-trustees, Carolyn Douthwaite, is taking part in the Macmillan Cycletta Bedfordshire 2014 sponsored bike ride for Care Network. This year‘s Macmillan Cycletta will again be at the seat of the Duke of Bedford, Woburn Abbey should you wish to join in. You can donate directly to Carolyn‘s Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/Carolyn-Douthwaite1 or by using the Care Network Just Giving page www.justgiving.com/care-network

Local Drop-ins We have Community Navigators at local community venues so you can drop in and see them for an informal chat without needing to make an appointment. These sessions may change over time, if you are making a special journey please call the District Coordinator (see page 6) to check. The venues and times that Community Navigators are currently available are as follows:

District Where Day Time

Cambridge

Please contact Jigna on 01223 300460

various venues including Mandela House Grafton Centre Horizon Centre

Whittlesey Whittlesey Library

Wednesdays & Fridays morning

Linton Linton Health Centre

Second Wednesday of every month

10:00 to 12:00

Bar Hill Bar Hill Library First & Third Monday of every month

12:00 to 2:00

Great Shelford Gt Shelford Free Church coffee morning

Second Tuesday of every month

10:00 to 11:30

Community Navigators

Carers At Community Navigators we often get queries from friends and relatives calling on behalf of an older person. Often the friends and relatives would not imagine that they might need help too. if someone is providing unpaid care for another person with an illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction who cannot cope without their support, they meet the definition of a carer, and are entitled to support to allow them to stay healthy and well and continue their caring role.

Financial Support 6.5 million people in the UK are carers – that‘s 1 in every 8 adults. Carers providing support for 35 hours a week or more may be entitled to carer‘s allowance, depending on their circumstances. There is more information at www.gov.uk/carers-allowance/overview or call the Carer‘s Allowance Unit on 0845 608 4321.

The ‗Help With Money‘ page on the Carers UK web site has details of other financial support options www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/help-with-money or call their advice line on 0808 808 7777. Also see the iCare4 money map www.icare4.co.uk/moneymap_4.php.

Citizen‘s Advice have lots of help about changes to the benefits system, and managing money difficulties at www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/debt_e.htm or contact Community Navigators about what advice they offer in your district.

Carer’s Assessment and ICER For carers who feel they need some support in their caring role, Adult Social Care enquiries are the contact point for assessments and enquiries, on 0345 045 5202. This gives access to individual or group support, practical help with equipment, carer‘s magazine, information and advice. After completing a Carer‘s Assessment, the carer can use the Individual Carers Emergency Respite (ICER) scheme. This has been set up to help unpaid carers plan for a situation where substitute care may be needed, such as the carer going into hospital.

Looking after Yourself Carers often neglect their own health and wellbeing as they focus on the person that they are caring for. Carer‘s Trust can help with services such as a Carer‘s Prescription which will give you access to a specialist worker who will help you design a short break that works for you, and will provide support for this break to happen.

The Carers Support Team run drop in sessions and provide a wealth of advice. Contact 01480 377616 or e-mail CarersSupportTeam@cambridgeshire.gov.uk to find out more. See Care Network passes on news from other organisations.... for more information.

Peer Support Bursary Cambridgeshire County Council have set up a bursary scheme for start-up costs of up to £250 to encourage local Carers to establish social groups to enable them to get together, relax and offer mutual support. The scheme is flexible and encourages Family Carers to establish groups to suit their individual needs and interests. The Carers Support Team offer advice and guidance on getting your group up and running and Care Network‘s Community Development Officers can also work with volunteers to develop ideas, produce marketing materials and attend help with any start up issues.

District Contacts Contact your local co-ordinator for more information. Call: 01954 212100

Cambridge City Jigna - Tel: 01223 300460, city.navigators@care-network.org.uk

South Cambridgeshire Rob - Tel: 01954 212100, southcambs.navigators@care-network.org.uk

Huntingdonshire Bea - Tel: 01480 423065, hunts.navigators@care-network.org.uk

East Cambridgeshire Anne Marie - Tel: 01353 659639, eastcambs.navigators@care-network.org.uk

Fenland Nigel - Tel: 07436 263347, fens.navigators@care-network.org.uk

Direct Services Info@GPs – Isle of Ely Health Care Consortium

As you will have read in our last edition the Info@GPs service will close at the end of March 2014. Our Information Officer Nigel Hart told me of a recent case where a significant difference had been made to someone‘s life:

Mr Z is 30 years old living in a village with his mother. He has been deaf since birth; and has developed his own communication methods with his mother. Mr Z has had occasional work locally but this has diminished and he is now getting socially isolated. He is able to use a PC, but not to read or write confidently. Mr Z‘s mother asked if we could try to help as the situation was not improving and she was concerned about her son‘s future.

Contact was made with the Sensory Team and they engaged with Mr Z, visiting him within a week, since when they have:

¤ Arranged installation of aids

¤ Applied for a free bus pass

¤ Enrolled him on BSL courses

¤ Invited him to social events

Nigel recently met Mr Z‘s mother who told me his life had been transformed and he was happier than she had seen him for years.

Help at Home Our Help at Home weekend service is now being used, we are regularly getting referrals at a weekend and thanks to all the volunteers who have kindly said they are willing to help out with this service.

Marketing Help at Home We know that it‘s really easy to access our Help at Home service – it just takes a phone call.

One of the biggest challenges we have at Care Network is ensuring that as many people as possible know about our services.

In order to try and reach as many parts of Cambridgeshire as possible we have employed Lynette Prince as our Development Coordinator for one year. Her post is to ensure that everyone who needs us has the opportunity to find out about what we do and that way we can offer help to as many people as possible.

Lynette is looking for any opportunity to market the service and for people who are willing to put up posters and ensure leaflets are available in public places in their local area. We think this will take very little time — just checking once a month to see if leaflets are needed and keeping a watchful eye and letting us know if new opportunities for publicity present themselves.

We wondered if you would consider helping in any of the following ways- by:

Delivering leaflets to your local library, café or village centre, day centre etc.

Ensuring posters are put up in relevant places such as GP surgeries

Letting us know details of any clubs or societies who may accept a speaker about

Care Network (we will follow up with a phone call to see if they would accept a speaker).

If you do have any spare time Lynette would be most happy to hear from you, please call her on 01954 211919. Hilary Johnys, Direct Services Manager

Lynnette Prince, Development Coordinator,

Direct Services

BSL Sign for Happy Hands at right angles come

together and part again twice

To contact us about our events or any issues in this Care Network News, please ring our main office on 01954 211919 or e-mail admin@care-network.org.uk. You can also write to us at the address below.

If you would like to volunteer with us, or suggest an idea for a new community group, please ring the same number and we‘ll link you up with our office nearest to you. If you can help us by making a donation, we‘d be very grateful! Cheques to Care Network Cambridgeshire, or log onto www.localgiving.com and type us into their search box. This is an easy way to give on-line.

We look forward to hearing from

Registered in England at 18 Broadway House, 149-151 St Neots Rd, Hardwick, Cambridge, CB23 7QJ Registered Charity No 1120693, Company Limited by Guaranttee No 6297277

Dates for Your Diary

Thursday 3rd April 3:00pm - 5:00pm Intergenerational Tea Party at Cambourne Village College

Tuesday 15th April 10am-2:30pm Community Car Scheme Workshop for volunteers from Community Care Schemes at Bar Hill Village Hall

Wednesday 14th May 2:00pm - 4:00pm Volunteer Thank You Tea with the Wississippi Jazzmen at Ely Beet Club. Care Network and Community Group volunteers all welcome

Tuesday 1st July 10am-2:30pm Visitor Training for volunteers from Help at Home and Community Groups that make home visits.

Wednesday 17th September 10am-2:30pm Visitor Training for volunteers from Help at Home and Community Groups that make home visits.

Tuesday 23rd September 10am-2:30pm Community Car Scheme Workshop for volunteers from Community Care Schemes

The closing date for articles for our External News Sheet is Wednesday 14 May 2014