Future Shape – Reminder to complete your questionnaire
We are currently busy sending out questionnaires to all our members on Future Shape. We have provided a Pre-paid envelope. Please take some time to complete and return.
You can view questionnaire here online
http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/Future_Shape_Consultation_pack.pdf
Future Shape – The Leaders view
“For Barnet, the real prize is in re-shaping public services across the borough, which is why we are looking at ambitious proposals for the future shape of the council itself.”
“There have been many voices encouraging us to jump to conclusions too fast over the last six months, which would result in either poorly thought through recommendations or insufficiently radical thinking.”
For those of you not wanting to read the whole document scroll down to page 81 to 87 for details on Barnet
Future Shape – “IBM likely to fire 5,000 US workers; India to benefit”
Many of our members watched the ITV West documentary made last year about the IBM take over of Public Services in
“IBM likely to fire 5,000
To view full story click on the link
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB123799610031239341-lMyQjAxMDI5MzI3NjkyOTY2Wj.html
Future Shape – Essex Style
News just in from Essex UNISON.
Pensions black hole looms for 6,500 Essex Council staff who are facing wholesale sell off of the enitire council workforce. To read the article click here.
http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/essexcc2_1.pdf
Pictures from Putting People First march in central london
Sheltered Housing – More Choice or Budget Saving?
Residential Options for Older People in Barnet with 24hr cover – a summary
At home with Life Line or Telecare
Lifeline is a pendant alarm. The alarm is worn round the neck. The wearer presses the pendant to raise the alarm. The control centre takes the call and can communicate with the wearer and/ or contact relatives, friends or the emergency services. For someone to have a lifeline they must be able to understand what an emergency is and they must be able to know they press the button in an emergency. They must also be able to physically able to activate the pendant.
For people who have difficulty using a Lifeline there is telecare alarms. The person must wear the equipment which may be an alarm attached to a belt or may be a pendant. The alarm is merely dependent on the wearer radically changing position from vertical to horizontal to be activated. The change in position could indicate the wearer has fallen. This alarm also connects to the control centre. Once the alarm has been raised a similar procedure follows as with the Lifeline.
People can have these systems and be in warden controlled or sheltered housing.
Care packages can also supplement these forms of support.
Warden Controlled.
The warden does not live on site and so is not accessible 24/7. In all other respects this form operates the same as sheltered housing. The resident should not expect the warden to carry out aspects of care, and certainly not routinely. Nonetheless the warden contributes to a very smooth support network for the resident e.g. helping the resident settle back in home following a stay in hospital. The warden has contact with each resident at least once/ day to make sure they are ok. Referrals are dealt with by Housing department (except where privately owned).
Care packages can also supplement this form of support.
Sheltered Housing
The warden is lives in the sheltered accommodation or is accessible 24/7. The warden can provide valuable information on the habits and background of residents which also contribute massively to OT and social work assessments – probably health-led assessments also. Again the warden is not expected to contribute to provision of individual care routinely but definitely contributes in many ways to the smooth support for a resident to remain in an independent setting. The warden has contact with each resident at least once/ day to make sure they are ok. Referrals are dealt with by Housing department (except where privately owned).
Care packages can also supplement these forms of support.
Extra Care Housing
This form of support is new. Residents have flats within the unit as with sheltered housing. As a minimum they have 24hr support available similar to that provided by wardens. However, there are care workers who can be used to provide care and personal care support day and night. The idea being to enable someone to remain in a home setting as long as possible. The need for care during the night does not place someone at risk of having to move to residential care in this setting. Referrals come through social services or are made direct to the scheme.
The care package would be assessed by a social worker but is provided within the extra care housing.
Residential Care
The resident would have a private room possibly with ensuite shower and toilet. This is 24hr care. All residents in this setting would be very dependent on care workers for most aspects of their daily living and be at risk at night. Increasingly the referrals to these units are for adults with dementia or high risk of falls. Referrals are through social services unless someone makes a private arrangement. Extra Care Housing is promoted as being a superior form to Residential Care which is why residential care will increasingly have the “heavier end” of the care spectrum.
Nursing Care
The resident here would have a private room possibly with ensuite shower and toilet. This is 24hr care. The staffing ratios are higher here than for residential homes and there are more nurses available throughout the day and night. Residents here have complex and intense care needs 24/7. An element of the care provided is nursing care e.g.: people needing 24hr oxygen and not being able to operate it independently; people requiring assistance of 2 to mobilise and/ or needing a hoist to get in or out of bed; people who are at high risk of developing pressure sores due to their dependence on others for moving at all.
End of jargon? –YES PLEASE!
End of jargon? –YES PLEASE!
This Press release from the Local Government Association is to be welcomed to those of us who sometimes feel that we need to have one of those United Nations translators when reading public sector reports.
To view the press release click on link here
Join the G20 march – Put People First
On 28 March thousands will march through London as part of a global campaign to challenge the G20 ahead of their summit on 2 April.
Even before the banking collapse, the world suffered poverty, inequality and the threat of climate chaos. The world has followed a financial model that has created an economy fuelled by ever-increasing debt, both financial and environmental.
Our future depends on creating an economy based on fair distribution of wealth, decent jobs for all and a low carbon future.
There can be no going back to business as usual.
People from all over the country will join the march on March 28.
Be one of them.
Listen to UNISON General Secretary on why members need to turn up and support the rally on Saturday 28 March.
click here http://www.unison.org.uk/video/video.asp?did=8381
For more information on the march go to Put People First website http://www.putpeoplefirst.org.uk/
The ASSEMBLY point for the march is now confirmed. Barnet UNISON members should gather (look out for our banner) from 11am on Victoria Embankment by Temple tube station on March 28th. The postcode is WC2R 2 PP. This is a link to a google map.
The nearest tube is Temple, but Embankment, Blackfriars and Waterloo are short walks away.
Future Shape – How YOU can get involved?
What we need from you?
We understand that our members have busy lives and unable to make time to attend more meetings. So we are conducting consultation through the internet and ‘traditional’ (by post).
We have devised Four Groups
1. Strengthening democratic government and community participation
2. Community need for public services
3. Improved coordination and shared services
4. Harnessing technology to improve service delivery
We have Common questions for all groups
1. What are your ideas for the future of your service or group of services, taking account that you will not have access to significant additional resources in the near future?
2. What is the key change which will get your proposals implemented – is this better use of existing resources, pooling of budgets, changing the management of service delivery, greater operational freedom for staff and/or organisational change – or something else?
3. What changes are needed in the Council’s organisational structure?
4. Consider the inputs, processes, outputs and outcomes for each proposal.
Group 1
Strengthening democratic government and community participation
1. Do you have specific proposals to improve democratic accountability in Barnet to increase community participation in decision-making processes?
2. What should be the main elements of a Community Charter to increase community participation in Barnet?
3. What effect will the Future Shape organisational structure have for democratic accountability and community participation?
4. How can existing arrangements and legislation (for example the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment – PCT and Council and the Local Government Act 2007) be used to improve community participation?
Group 2
Community need for public services
1. What effect will a long recession have on the need and demand for public services in Barnet (both Council and other services)?
2. Is there a need for new services which are either not currently provided or provided on a small scale?
3. What are the key improvements that community organisations and the voluntary sector are demanding from the Council?
4. Are there any services or functions which the Council or other public bodies in Barnet do not currently provide but should do so
5. Are there any services or functions carried out by the Council and other public bodies in Barnet which could be reduced or terminated?
6. What is the community experience of services which have already been outsourced or externalised to arms length organisations by the Council or other public bodies in Barnet?
Group 3
Improved coordination and shared services
1. What is the scope for better coordination of service delivery between the Council and other public services in Barnet (such the Primary Care Trust, the NHS, Barnet College, the Police, Middlesex University, Jobcentres?)
• Identify the services – are they limited to ‘back offices services’
• What is the scope for better coordination and integration?
• How can this be achieved and implemented
• Identify the improvements/benefits which can be achieved
• Are there any costs/savings?
• Are organisational changes needed?
2. Is there scope for more formal shared service delivery between the Council and other public services in Barnet?
3. Do you think there is scope for Barnet Council to establish shared services projects with other London Boroughs?
4. What are the political and economic advantages and disadvantages of shared services projects?
Group 4
Harnessing technology to improve service delivery
1. What is the scope for introducing new technology to improve service delivery?
2. What impact will these changes have on the organisation of work, working practice, staffing levels and accommodation needs?
3. Do you think the ideas for the application of new technology being discussed in the Council’s Future Shape group are workable?
YOU decide which Group and questions you want to contribute to.
You can send in your views, contributions by email to contactus@barnetunison.org.uk or return your comments in the pre paid envelope provided in the letter you received from the branch.