COUNCILLOR MARGARET MEAD

CABINET MEMBER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE

Cabinet Member’s item considered at 12 FEBRUARY 2007 CABINET meeting 1. SOCIAL SERVICES PHYSICAL DISABILITY – SENSORY IMPAIRMENT: A WAY FORWARD Cabinet considered a report outlining a plan for the future of services for people with physical disability and/or sensory impairment in Croydon. The report addressed the challenge made locally from the Physical Disability/Sensory Impairment (PDSI) Partnership Group who are committed to the Social Model of Disability and the challenges set out in the Government’s papers, ‘Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People’ and more recently, ‘Our Health, Our Care, Our Say’. The vision for services in Croydon is to maximise the independence of individuals providing targeted help and support and best value for money. At the heart of this proposal is a further development of the relationship between the voluntary and statutory sectors and creating an environment which maximizes sources of funding for the people of the Borough who have physical disability and or sensory impairment. These proposals will place a support service into the independent service – closer to individuals and to the community. Cabinet resolved: (1) that the working arrangements for the Community Access Service, Physical

Disability and Sensory Impairment Services should be restructured; (2) that a contractual arrangement should be made with a Voluntary

Organisation to deliver this service giving emphasis to timely and intermittent support to achieve the goals of an ‘ordinary life’ for the people of Croydon who have a physical disability and/or a sensory impairment; and

(3) that work should be undertaken across all Council provided/universal

services (such as to allow greater use of leisure centres), to maximise accessibility for people with a physical disability and/or sensory impairment.

Cabinet Member’s item considered at 26 MARCH 2007 CABINET meeting

2. MEETING WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT OMBUDSMAN Cabinet considered a report outlining the outcome of a meeting on 2nd February 2007 with the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) to discuss further two complaints. Cabinet had previously considered reports by the LGO on two complaints and rejected their recommendations. In relation to complaint no. 05/B/00246, the LGO had found maladministration, recommending the Council to review its resources, targets and procedures with a view to ensuring that cases can normally be allocated to an occupational therapist (OT) within three months of referral and that the Council pay the complainant £1250. The LGO had not responded to an earlier invitation by the Council to discuss the draft findings and recommendations in relation to this complaint. However, subsequent to Council’s rejection of these recommendations, a meeting took place on 2nd February 2007 to discuss further this complaint and a second complaint (no. 05/B/00679) where the deadline for the referral of a housing transfer applicant for medical assessment had been considered. The meeting was attended on behalf of the Council by the Directors of Housing and Social Services and Deputy Council Solicitor, and the Local Government Ombudsman and his deputy. The LGO has now written to confirm the outcome of the meeting including his response to the Council concerns and proposals for moving forward in relation to these complaints. Cabinet noted the outcome of the meeting of Officers with the Local Government Ombudsman and agreed, in relation to complaint no 05/B/00246, to reverse its earlier decision and a payment of £1250 be made to the complainant. The letter of the LGO and the full report can be found at www.croydon.gov.uk . Cabinet Member’s items at 5 February 2007 NEW FOR OLD CABINET COMMITTEE 3. NEW4OLD: CONTRACT AWARD AND POST CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS The Committee has considered and noted a confidential report providing details of the terms under which the New4Old Contract was finalised. It was agreed that the Director of Finance and Resources should be requested to establish a PFI Affordability Account, incorporating full project savings, interest and costs and to take the necessary steps to ensure New4Old Funds are appropriately ring fenced to maintain project affordability. The Committee has also noted the arrangements for the next phase of the project through to service commencement.

It was also agreed that the New for Old Cabinet Committee should be renamed as the `Homes for the Future` (New4Old) Cabinet Committee, so as to reflect the transition into the next phase of the project. Cabinet Member’s JANUARY 2007 BULLETIN 4. COMMUNITY RESOURCE BASE PROJECT UPDATE The Community Resource Base on Whitehorse Road continues to progress steadily. Although the outside of the building remains the same, there have been some major developments internally. The contractor requested that the work continued over the Christmas and New Year break to meet milestones due to the construction currently being 3 weeks behind schedule. The building is now nearly watertight with the roof installed (please see picture above), external brickwork completed and the external cladding 90% completed. All underground drainage is complete with the exception at the final connection to the Thames Water main sewer. The contractor is still forecasting completion by the end of April 2007. For further information please contact William Salder on 020 8726 6000 ext 62622 5. NEW4OLD PROJECT REACHES FINANCIAL CLOSE The New4Old Project has now reached a successful financial close and work on the new facilities has begun. The new Coleby Court and Heavers Farm developments will come on stream in 2008 and New Addington Heights and Langley Oaks in 2010. The contract term is 30 years and costs of the building for its life duration and the cost of replacement for furniture, fittings and equipment are included. The Council will receive in excess of £38 million from Central Government to fund the building and maintenance programme. The facilities will set the standard for the care and support of older people and their carers. As well as staff from the Social Services Department the contribution from others in the Council, the New4Old Stakeholder Board, Trade Unions and partners has been immeasurable, and the successful achievement would not have been possible without this. Pictorial Progress Reports will soon be available regularly on the Croydon Council website. For further information please contact John Duggleby on 020 8760 5489 6. LAUNCH OF SELF ASSESSMENT FOR SERVICE USERS The pilot project for self assessment for Equipment and Minor Adaptations is being launched on Wednesday the 14th of February 2007 in the Mayor’s Parlour between 11.00am and 1.00pm. The launch will include a short presentation from the Disabled Living Foundation on the Croydon customised version of the web-based questionnaire and the event will also see

the launch of the on-line equipment sales facility and the opening of the Aztec Centre to the public allowing drop-in at least one day each week. The event is open to key stakeholders. For further information please contact Pam Bennett on 020 8726 6000 ext 62976 7. CROYDON INFORMATION PROJECT Croydon is one of five local authorities that has been successful in making a bid for a pilot project to look at innovative ways to improve the accessibility of local information for disabled people. A small amount of funding is being provided from the Government Office for Disability Issues http://www.officefordisability.gov.uk/projects/projects.asp for the Croydon project and we plan to work closely with our local disability networks and user-led organisations to: • develop a web based tour of an independent living centre, displaying a range of

useful gadgets and equipment that the user would not otherwise be able to view. • look at providing a consistent range of accessible information on local services,

working with our local health partners in the Primary Care Trust, Mayday University Hospital, and the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust

• develop a more detailed communication strategy as part of Croydon’s Disability Equality Duty Scheme.

The first meeting with the Office for Disability Issues is taking place this month to take this forward. This project will link directly to other current initiatives in Croydon, in particular the Self Assessment pilot project for Equipment and Minor Adaptations and the on-line equipment shop, which we plan to launch in February 2007. For further information please contact Pam Bennett on 020 8726 6000 ext 62976 8. CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S PLAN Croydon’s first Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP) was launched in April 2006. All Members of the Council should have received a copy of the plan which provides an accessible overview of the priorities for improvement across services provided for children, young people and their families. However, the Plan itself is backed up by a lengthy and detailed action plan. The Action Plan is regularly reviewed and progress reported to the Children and Young People’s Partnership Board (CYPPB) at their quarterly meetings. At the last meeting of the CYPPB, good progress was noted across most areas of the plan. The CYPP is a “rolling” three year template for improving outcomes for children and young people in Croydon. The action plan is primarily concerned with the goals to be achieved within the year 2006/07. Work has now commenced on a review of the plan in order to produce a revised version for 2007/08. This will involve consideration of the progress made against targets within the current year, whether or not some developments need to be continued into the next year and the identification of new priorities for 2007/08. There will also be a focus on a revision of the “needs analysis” that underpins the CYPP. The current needs analysis will be revised and developed in

the light of the implementation of the commissioning strategy and the formation of six partnership and commissioning groups. The revision of the needs analysis will also provide a good baseline for the preparation for the Joint Area Review of Children’s Services, due to be undertaken in Croydon in January 2008. For further information please contact Steve Liddicott on 020 8760 5550 9. PARENTING GUIDE Croydon Children’s Services is changing the way that services work with children, young people and their families. Through the development of integrated services and strengthening networks of support with parents/ carers, extended families/communities, more will be done to support all children and young people to experience a better quality of life. Parenting Early Intervention Pathfinder Programme Croydon has been designated as a Pathfinder Area for Early Intervention with children and young people aged 8 –13 years at risk of negative outcomes. The Project is funded by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) for 18 months to deliver preventive services in partnership with parent/carers and extended families. A total of 15 Local Authorities (LAs) are taking part in the Pathfinder. The Pathfinder Programme is funded by the DfES as part of the Croydon Respect Action Plan 2006-08 to deliver evidence based parenting intervention based on the Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities Parenting Model. The aims of the Pathfinder are to investigate the gap in service provision for children and young people in the middle phase of childhood, (8-13 years) and explore creative ways of identifying the needs of parents experiencing significant challenges with parenting issues. This will involve supporting parent/carers to access information, parenting courses and community resources for children and young people. The Croydon Programme Croydon will roll out the Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities (SFSC) Parenting Programme for parents of children and young people aged 8-13 years who are:

• At risk of early involvement in youth crime and offending, • At risk of becoming subject to an Anti-Social Behaviour Order, • At risk of exposure and involvement in Substance misuse, • At risk of disengagement in school including:

- Low attendance - Unauthorised absence from school - Temporary, fixed term and permanent exclusion - At risk of becoming a teenage parent

The programme will be open to any parent/carer with at least one child in the 8-13 age range. The intake of children and parents will be Borough wide, with delivery through local access points in neighbourhood partnership areas. There will be a total of 10 pilot programmes delivered over the next year starting in April through to March 2008. SFSC providers will work within a framework of early intervention community services, supported by an evidence based parenting programme. Ongoing linkages to specific

resource services for children and young people and family/parenting work will be important. By enhancing existing services to incorporate locally accessible parenting support, the project provides an opportunity to focus on the needs of children and young people at an early stage, provide support before unmet needs develop into more complex difficulties that affect parental capacity and the wellbeing of children, including ability to participate in education and school. Further details of the local programmes will be available on the Council website and through a new Family and Parenting Support Guide due to be published and launched in April 2007. For further information please contact Liz Fajemisin on 020 8726 6000, ext 62472 10. INCREASE IN UNIVERSITY TAKE-UP BY CROYDON’S LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN In 2002 (the first year of Leaving Care and Independent Service provision) the Leaving Care Independent Service (LCIS) assisted six young people to go to university. Three of these were sponsored by the Buttle Trust in return for taking part in a survey which formed part of a published piece of research - all six of these students graduated. In 2003 LCIS doubled that and 12 young people entered university and all graduated in the autumn of 2007. This number has been sustained in 2004 and 2005, and in 2006 the service aided a further 15 new starters in the autumn. The successes however have not come easily. Some Universities will not accept asylum seeking young people unless they have Indefinite Leave to Remain but have stated that they will defer their place until this is received. Some young people in this situation have applied for the Maintenance Grant and have been accepted anyway. Where the Maintenance Grant is not enough this has been and is still ‘topped-up’ by LCIS, this minimises the risk of debt for the young person at the end of the course. Currently LCIS are evidencing 85% of care leavers in full time further education (FTFE) at 19 and this figure includes 30% of young mothers (which is a Local Area Agreement target). The service has set up an Employability Scheme, which now includes several Croydon employers and small businesses and 90% of the young people who have had placements with these organisations have gone on to permanent employment. Adult Services is also aiding this process by providing work experience for students doing BTech Higher National Diploma in Care. Recent research suggests that a lot of our graduates plan to become social workers. For further information please contact Eileen Harkess on 020 8726 6000 ext 13435 11. ACHIEVING ACCESS FOR ALL It is widely accepted that disabled people have fewer opportunities and a lower quality of life than non-disabled people. The social model of disability worked out by disabled people, drawing on their own experiences, demonstrates that in reality most barriers to inclusion are a result of the way society is organised rather than caused by disabled peoples’ impairments. The Council also recognises that disabled people can be excluded further due to their ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation and/or age. The Council in working towards achieving equality for disabled people has published guidance (which is based on the

Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and 2005) to help Croydon Council staff to understand and implement best practice for disabled people, whether they are job applicants, staff, users or carers. The guidance also aims to raise awareness and give practical advice about many aspects of communication, both in daily life and in the work place, with and for people with physical, sensory and learning disabilities. For further information please go to Achieving Access for All. 12. SOCIAL SERVICES RECOGNITION & QUALIFICATION AWARDS The Social Services Recognition and Qualification Awards are to be held on 17th January 2007 from 4pm to 6pm in Arnhem Gallery, Fairfield Halls. The award categories are:

• Employee of the Year. • Team of the Year. • Manager of the Year. • Best Individual Performer of the Year (non-operational divisions). • Equalities and Diversity Innovation Award. • Outstanding Service Award.

The nominations process closed on Midday 9th January 2007 and the panel are currently considering the winners and finalists. This year’s recognition awards will be momentous because it will be the last recognition awards where children’s and adults services will be together celebrating the endeavour of staff and teams who have gone the extra mile for users and carers. For further information please contact Evey Henderson on 020 8760 5495 13. ‘MEET THE TEAM’ This Bulletin aims to convey and provide information on the work being conducted within Health and Social Care in Croydon. The services being delivered to the residents of Croydon are consistently improving and there is a ‘strive’ by all professionals within this field to keep this impetus going. As most readers will appreciate, a service is only as good as the person/provider delivering it and for Health and Social Care this means its staff. The Health and Social Care Bulletin now contains a new section ‘meet the team’, which introduces and provides a closer insight to Croydon Social Care teams, at all levels. These profiles of key officers within the service will be provided every quarter and will span all of the services within the Department. January’s edition presents a brief insight into the working life of Noel Mulvihill who is the Business Manager for Older People, Physical Disability and Sensory Impairment Services (OP/PD/SI). Noel Mulvihill – Business Manager OP/PD/SI Background Noel Mulvihill has now been in post for almost 4 months and therefore is a relatively new face in the Department. Noel comes from the position of In-house Homecare Manager at Wandsworth Borough Council. He was at Wandsworth for over 13 years in various positions before he joined Croydon. Noel has many achievements in his career but one of the more notable is the fact that he played a major role in turning around the

in-house homecare service at Wandsworth. The service moved from operating at a loss to working in profit, which was achieved through the re-arrangement of working patterns, reduction of Agency staff and Downtime and introducing more efficient working processes. Noel’s move to Business Manager in Croydon, in his words is a “challenge he’s looking forward to”. Work and Personal Objectives The Business Manager’s primary objective at this point is to ensure the success of the transformation projects for learning disability and physical disability, sensory impairment divisions. This will involve putting clear systems in place to ensure performance and budgets meets set targets and to also ensure the systems provide a firmer control on managing performance and expenditure. Pros and Cons of working at Croydon from a Newcomer

Friendlier culture present in Croydon

Open discussions present in Croydon meetings

The hierarchy is not used as a work tool, everyone is treated equally regardless of position or status.

There is a positive trend for change and this has been welcomed and worked

on by all.

Systems need to be more joined-up which is currently being worked on by the divisions.

Increased awareness required on how lack of systematic approach can

negatively impact on various areas of work.

Look forward to the introduction of detailed organisational charts for information.

Cabinet Member’s FEBRUARY 2007 BULLETIN 14. ADULT & CHILDREN’S SERVICES SPLIT On the 1st February 2007, Peter Wylie (formerly Director of Education) was appointed the new Director of Children's Services and Hannah Miller (formerly Director of Social Services) was appointed the new Director of Adult Social Services. The appointments come as a result of the Children Act 2004 which requires councils to co-ordinate and deliver all children’s services from within one department. Peter Wylie will be responsible for delivering the authority’s education and social services functions for children and young people whilst Hannah Miller will ensure that all the social care needs of adults are met and that the Council plays its full part in ensuring the health and well being of Croydon residents. The relationship between these two posts will be crucial in ensuring that the needs of both adults and children in families are met through seamless, joined-up services.

This Bulletin will no longer be covering Children’s Social Care Issues but will report on the ‘Health Issues’ related to Croydon’s Children, but predominantly the Bulletin will now focus on Adult Social Care. 15. LEARNING DISABILITY SUCCESSES Any change occurring in a persons life can be cause for anxious times, but for people with learning disabilities the change could be traumatic and a negative experience, especially if it isn’t appropriately planned and carried out. These were just some of the concerns the Learning Disability Services had in implementing their transformational plan for modern, empowering services. A rigorous approach in planning and implementation of change, as well as thought through initiatives has led to a more satisfied client group. Here are just a few examples of how the transformational plan for learning disability services is making a positive impact: Paul (not his real name) is a young man in his mid 20s who suffers with mild cerebral palsy, a moderate learning disability. He had been living in Supported Lodgings since 2001 under the supported lodgings scheme where he remained until last year. Paul has a talent for organisation and computers. He also enjoys theme parks and music. Although Paul’s carers had supported him well, he felt there were too many restrictions on his life. To counter this, Paul was supported into a job working for a firm dealing in electrical and computing products and his Care Manager also supported Paul’s application for a flat in South Croydon, which with the help of his parents he has decorated to his liking. Paul is also supported by Council in managing his bills and paying his rent. These developments have changed Paul’s life, provided him with greater freedom, choice, empowered him to be more independent and improved the quality and emotional well-being of this now happy individual. Maurice (not his real name) is a man in his 50s who had always lived with his mother and stepfather. He has a moderate learning disability and a hearing impairment. After the death of his step father Maurice’s relationship with his mother suffered and he became quite demanding and angry towards his elderly mother to the point of physical violence. The Care Manager and Community Nurse worked together with Maurice and his mother, helping Maurice to deal with his anger and setting up some outreach support to help Maurice, to learn some domestic skills. The aim was to enable Maurice to be able to live more independently and be less dependent on his mother. He was also supported into a shared living option in a house with staff support. After a year or more of successfully managing the shared tenancy, a self contained flat became available and with staff support Maurice decided he would prefer to live on his own. He was helped to move and Maurice now lives very successfully on his own with a small amount of ongoing support from staff. He now enjoys a positive relationship again with his mother when he visits her. The vacancy he has left in the shared tenancy is now being used to enable someone else to become more independent. Nick (not his real name) is a young man in his early 20s. He has a severe learning disability and requires support with all aspects of daily living. Nick is physically fit and requires active carers to meet his needs. Nick also communicates his frustration and upset by screaming. He had been living in a residential placement, but his specialised needs were not being met and his screaming upset other residents disabling Nick to join in with group activities. The placement broke down.

Supported living was seen as the way to provide Nick with a service that would meet his individual needs. The care manager and care provider together found a suitable property to rent. Nick was supported into a tenancy agreement and he was provided with a small number of carers who were keen to work with him on a 24 hour basis. He can now do the things he likes to do without having to take account of activities planned with other service users in mind. His carers can take him out when he wants to go out. Nick’s screaming has stopped and he is clearly much happier. The house has space for a second person to live there. Nick’s younger sister has similar needs and may be able to join him when she is older. For further information please contact Kay Murray on 020 8726 6000 ext 86711 16. PEOPLE NOT PAPER The third edition of the Older People, Physical Disabilities, Sensory Impairment Division Newsletter relating to the Division’s transformation plan is available to download from the intranet via the hidden link above. 17. CROYDON’S INFORMATION PROJECT Councillor Mead, Janette Davies (Chair of Croydon Disability Forum) and Pam Bennett (Older People, Physical Disability and Sensory Impairment Project Development Manager) recently attended and successfully presented at the launch of the first project that has been funded by the Office for Disability Issues – Improving Information for Disabled People. The initiative which has a national profile has only four local authorities (Cheshire, Croydon, North Tyneside and Surrey) chosen to work with the Government’s Office for Disability Issues to develop a project that will help disabled and older people have the information they need to properly access services and the support available to them. The project will look at how the various organisations across the Borough, including the Primary Care Trust, Mayday, South London a Maudsley and voluntary sector organisations can jointly make information for health and social care, housing, learning and leisure easily accessible to people with disabilities. Croydon’s project, in three parts will see the implementation of an Independent Living Centre Website, the development of a communication strategy and cross partnership information. Janette Davies, the Chair for Croydon Disability Forum found the experience invaluable as it was her first experience of long distance travelling and of Crewe, where the launch took place. The journey was most enjoyable for Janette who for the first time had been aboard a train and the Journey to Crewe and back was an experience she has told us was ‘enjoyable and carefree’ and one she will not forget. For further information please contact Pam Bennett on 020 8726 6000 ext 62976 18. WORK BEGINS ON NEW4OLD (HOMES FOR THE FUTURE) No time has been lost in providing for the future for older people in Croydon following the signing of the £38 million New4Old Contract with Caring4Croydon Ltd. The bulldozers have moved into the Heavers Farm and Coleby Court sites and demolition of the buildings is well on the way.

The new development at Coleby Court will be ready in July 2008 and will provide an extra care sheltered housing facility with day care services to promote the care and independence of frail elderly people by delivering care to them in their own home. The development of the Heavers Farm site will provide nursing, residential and day care facilities for older people with mental frailties. The centre, which will include specialist clinics, day centres and office accommodation for the administration of related services, will be the first of its kind in the country in providing a ‘one stop shop’ for older people and their carers and relatives. It will open in September 2008. Two further facilities at Addington Heights in New Addington and Langley Oaks in Sanderstead are planned to open in 2010. All facilities will have hairdressing/barbers, fitness suites, healthy living facilities, internet technology and much more. The designs for the buildings have been developed with the Country’s leading expert in designing for dementia. All the buildings have been designed around landscaped courtyards that will provide a safe external environment allowing residents to take part in gardening and other activities outdoors and will form a natural and level extension to the indoor area. For further information please contact John Duggleby on 020 8726 6000 ext 65489 19. HELP IS AT HAND IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE From Wednesday 14 February, anyone will be able to complete an on-line self-assessment of their needs which has been developed by the Disabled Living Foundation in partnership with the Council. The process will involve completing a questionnaire, which will ask a series of questions about daily life and the difficulties people are having. Anyone who is unable to complete the questionnaire, or does not have access to a computer, can ask for one-to-one support in their own home, from a mobile support worker with a laptop. Where a person’s situation is not complicated and the disability is not severe, the self-assessment will offer information and advice to help the person manage their disability needs. They will receive information about minor adaptations, services and equipment that can help with mobility and independence. The client may wish to view a range of equipment and order items direct from a new on-line sales service, or they may wish to visit the Aztec Centre, seek more advice from a specialist, and try equipment before making a decision to buy. The online equipment service will stock more than 250 products ranging from non-slip mats to recliner chairs. The range has been selected by occupational therapists and health professionals and forms possibly the largest selection of online products, nationally. All products have been tried and tested, are robust and offer value for money. The Council will be selling them on a not-for-profit basis. In addition to being available online, the full range of products will be on display at The Aztec Centre, 28 Boulogne Road, Thornton Heath for people to try and test. The centre opened to the public for the first time on Wednesday 14th February. For further information please contact Trevor Mosses on 020 8726 6000 ext 65489

20. SOCIAL SERVICES RECOGNITION & QUALIFICATION AWARDS

The Social Services Recognition and Qualification Awards held on 17 January 2007 were a resounding success. You can see a feedback presentation, which is now available on the intranet by following this link to Event Feedback. The winners were:

• Employee of the Year – Paula Tapper-Gordon. • Team of the Year – Croydon Careline (see their article in Your Croydon). • Manager of the Year - Charles McArdle. • Best Individual Performer of the Year – Tessa Danton. • Equalities and Diversity Innovation Award – Velma McClymont and Lola

Brown. • Outstanding Service Award – Andy Barnard and John Duggleby. •

Congratulations to all our nominees and to everyone who supported and attended the awards. 21. SOCIAL SERVICES STAFF ACHIEVEMENTS Staff development is crucial for any organisation who wants to excel. In knowing this the Council continues to develop and invest in staff and also our partners and their staff to promote excellence. Please see below the development, training and qualifications received by Social Services Staff. Certificate in Management Studies Yasemin Aray Yvonne Green Anthony O'Farrell Robert Archer Barbara Hogan Anthony Pallett Paul Barnard Diana James Anita Patel Kaye Carter Alison Kennedy Michelle Rivers James Collis Annette McPartland Chris Shields Elaine Cousins Lorette Muirhead Elaine Turner Jennifer Daniel Stella Odeleye Vicky Waldock Robert Egwea Diploma in Management Studies Jo Brennan Kathy Grafham Su Parmenter Maureen Brooks-Spence Norma Graham Claudine Reid Sue Cooke Sarah Hornsey Joyce Sealey Jane Donson Caroline Kaiser Edmund Fallon Kevin Mitchell Registered Managers Award Amanda Ashman Montgomery Glasgow Edward McCauley Rakesh Audit Susan Guyon Clemencia Olsem Christine Ball Randall Harrison Jo Passe Karen Blackburn Moyra Hillman Atika Perez Dionne Brown Kalyani Kalaiyalagan Seacash Poonith Kimberley Burgess John Kimmitt Kishnama Shunmoogum Jeremy Burrows Janet Lawal Patrick Umerah

Ann Denman John Lockwood Lynne Wilkinson Brian Fitzgibbon Ann Madden Garmit Wright Gillian Fullerton Rosemary Magee NVQ Level 2 – Health & Social Care Adults Kalavalii Aboosalih Caroline Day Pamela Muhendo Edward Abura Gillian Dellaway Kevin Muzangaza Gifty Annan-Odai Kay Farrell Rosemary Ntege Nalumansi Grace Acheampong Daniella Follen Emeline O’Rielly Regina Asamoah Lorraine Hawkes Kathryn O'Toole Elizabeth Asare Joanne Hayter Margaret Peck Alyse Atherton Ali Irumekhai Tracey Scott Vivien Britton Malcolm Johnson Priscillia Solomon Susan Campbell Christiana Joseph Christian Ssenyange Pauline Campbell Yeshamush Kebede Janice Wootton Christina Cleaver Christine Mashuta Rhonda Yuzbasioglu NVQ Level 3 – Health & Social Care Adults Florah Abdul Pamella Clarke Chipo Mutepfa Elizabeth Gbenga Alabede Lisa Ann Isted Rosemary Sundaram Cassandra Bedward Sinda Mookhith Bamie Thomas Maria Boho Bonaba Julie Mpofu Patricia Uche NVQ Level 3 – Health & Social Care Children Claudette Blake Barbara Howe Beverley Moyston Roxanne Carrington Stephen Kennedy Laura Smith Dawn Crauford Taylor Ian Mclauchlan NVQ Level 4 – Health & Social Care Adults Deborah Ashby Gillian Fullerton Michele Martin Amanda Ashman Diane Gordan Clemencia Olsem Karen Blackburn Edward McCauley Seacash Poonith Vanesha Boolakee Susan Guyon Sharon Smyth Jonna Brodersen Randall Harrison Joy Toms Dionne Brown Moyra Hillman Patrick Umerah Nalini Burford Kalyani Kalaiyalagan Arnie Williams Cynthia Cawley Sarah Knapton Cook Garmit Wright Ann Denman Sandra Law Kim Yeoman Sabina Eze Janet Lawal NVQ Level 4 – Health & Social Care Children Tessa Connolly PQ1 Adult Care Maryline Bowyer Janet Handy Deborah Powell Vincent Docherty Zobida Mohammed Carol Farrow Segun Ologbenla

GSCC Mental Health Social Work Penny Collins James Lanlokun PQ2-4 Critical Thinking Skills Unit Martha Noah PQ - Adult Care Award Michael Durnin James Lanlokun Christine King-Giddings Martha Noah Practice Teachers Award Henrietta Delalu Joan Raccagna Vilma Waldron Sandra Leonard Costa Terzopoulos Tracey Young Janette Nixon Giovanna Tutton British Sign Language Level 1 Tracey Hawks Dawn Service Sarah Thompson Prince II Overview Course Evey Henderson Prince II Foundation Course Kalpna Chauhan Marjorie Edwards Antoinette Nottidge-Everest James Collis Salma Ismail Prince II Practitioner Course Salma Ismail Part Financial Qualifications Henrietta Williams ACCA Professional Part II: Financial Management & Control Anne Ikobayo ACCA Professional Part II: Financial Management & Control Financial Reporting (GBR) Maiyani Henry Hercules ACCA Professional Part III: Strategic Business Planning & Development Advanced Corporate Reporting * These qualifications were achieved between March 2006 and January 2007 Roll of Honour: Supporting Learning & Development Interventions

NVQ Assessors Natasha Athanassiou Practice Assessors Alison Strang Katrina Irving Giovanna Tutton Paul Baker Bill Baker Jenny Duncan Gifty Kangoma Martha Noah Paul Brooks Vincent Docherty Brigid Sheehan Patricia Adams Susanne Cocker Patricia Junor Vilma Waldron Lisa Ryan Joan Raccagna Henrietta Delalu Christine Wheeler Jan Eubanks Dawn Haughton Sandra Leonard Jan Saines Christine Rickells Shauna Lineham Winnie Lacey On-site Practice Supervisors Maggie Dunn April Sanford Jennifer Burrowes Joy Cooney Dennis Murray Dawn Howell Jan Baldwin Lesley Roberts Diana James Annette McPartland Eunice Thornton Rosalyn Heaton Peter Gamble Karen Page Knudage Christensen Jenny Butler Cynthia O’Connor Robert Nuzzani Kay Murray Steve Dent Janet Patrick In-house Trainers Lola Brown Evey Henderson Dennis Murray Joy Cooney Sandie Macaskill Andrew Slegg Gloria Eveleigh Charles McArdle Diane Wadsworth Peter Hayward-Brewer 22. CROSFIELD EMPLOYMENT & SUPPORT SERVICE UPDATE Since the closure of Crosfield Industries, the Employment and Support Service which consists of Mencap Pathway, Status Employment, Welfare Benefits Advice and Care Management have been working with 76 people from Crosfield Industries. The service has successfully supported 21 people in to paid employment and the positive outcomes have enabled the service to take referrals for people that were not part of the Crosfield Scheme. The Support Service also provides support and access into training, benefit advice and person centred work preparation courses. For further information please contact Karl Von-Buen on 020 8688 9305 23. COMPLAINTS PROCEDURES The Complaints Procedures used to be part of the Croydon Social Services Management Manual, as this document is no longer current, please note that a new Complaints Procedure has now been provided on the intranet under Social Services Complaints Procedures. This newly created version has been revised from the old Section 9 of the Management Manual following changes to the statutory complaint procedure which came into effect

from 1 September 2006 (please see the November Bulletin for more information) and is currently the procedure governing the complaints process. For further information please contact Darren Shuster on 020 8760 5685 24. CROYDON APPLIANCE RE-USE CENTRE & CHERRY ORCHARD

FURNITURE PROJECT The above joint project offers a variety of services, including a very well stocked re-use furniture shop and extra discounts are given to people receiving benefits. All services are available to the general public. They undertake general light removal and house clearance work and have been doing removal work for the council for the past few years. There is a charge for this service to cover costs, but any costs incurred by individual departments stays within the council budget and is not lost to outside contractors. This is an advantage to the council finances. For further information please contact Dave Ward on 020 8689 2625 25. ANDY BARNARD A fond farewell to Andy Barnard, Departmental Budget Manager for Social Services, who had been with Social Services for over 42 years. We wish Andy a great bon voyage on his scheduled 10 week trip to Australia and thank him for his tremendous work, especially over the past few very difficult financial years. He will be missed. 26. HEALTHY CROYDON PARTNERSHIP The Healthy Croydon Partnership met on the 24th January 2007. The keynote speaker, Martin Gibbs, from the Department of Health, set out national policy initiatives and legislation that will impact on health and social care in Croydon over the next few years. Martin was followed by presentations giving practical examples of how we are delivering Croydon's Sustainable Community Strategy. Maggie Ioannou, from Croydon PCT, outlined how the multi-disciplinary Virtual Community wards were supporting adults needing care. Lois Curtis talked about the work of the Active Lifestyles to help people live longer, healthier lives. Lloyd Burgess and Charles McArdle told the Partnership how the Better Understanding Group had trained Contact Centre staff in communication skills in order to improve access to services for people with learning disabilities. For further information please contact Steve Morton on 020 8726 6000, ext 61600 27. HEALTHY COMMUNITIES PEER REVIEW As reported in the October 2006 Bulletin the council will be working with the Improvement & Development Agency (IDeA) to pilot a new Healthy Communities Peer Review process. Council leadership have agreed to go ahead with a pilot peer review. These reviews normally cost £8-10K but we will receive their input free of charge. The review will help us identify our strengths and areas for improvement in this increasingly high profile area. The review team will be visiting Croydon on the 24th to the 26th April 2007. Councillors will have the opportunity to take part in group discussions with the team. For further information please contact Steve Morton on 020 8726 6000, ext 61600

28. CROYDON STOP SMOKING SERVICE Croydon's Stop Smoking Service has helped more than 1,000 people a year to stop smoking since it was set up 6 years ago. Last year it helped over 1,400 people give up using a combination of support from trained advisors and free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). NRT with trained support has been shown to be one of the most effective ways to give up smoking. Despite its impressive track record, a recent survey showed that many local smokers did not know about the Stop Smoking Service. They also didn't realise that the support and the NRT was free for people registered with a Croydon GP. Cllr Margaret Mead has taken up the challenge and agreed to champion the Service. She also wants to encourage other Councillors and council officers to do the same. The Stop Smoking Service is gearing up to the implementation of the ban on smoking in enclosed public places on the 1st July 2007. They will work alongside council enforcement officers to provide advice and support to local businesses and employers. They will also help staff and customers who want to quit.

o The Croydon Stop Smoking Service helpline 020 8666 0370 For further information please contact Paul Nethercott Cabinet Member’s MARCH 2007 BULLETIN 29. DIRECT PAYMENTS SUPPORT SERVICE UP FOR TENDER Direct Payments play a crucial role in increasing choice, control, independence and empowerment for service users and their carers. The Community Care (Direct Payments) Act 1996 gives local authorities the power to make cash payments to any service user or carer – child, young person or adult, enabling them to purchase their own services to meet their needs. The purpose of a direct payment support service is to ensure that eligible service users are given direct payments, in accordance with current legislation. This service is now in the course of being tendered. The chosen provider will work in partnership with the Council to help eligible service users and carers to receive a range of support services such as advice and information on recruitment of personal assistants, practical assistance, completing financial returns, ongoing support, training and advocacy for users. For further information please contact Janet Powell on 020 8726 6000, ext 62470 30. ADULT PROTECTION NOW SAFEGUARDING ADULTS The Adult Protection Committee decided at its January 2007 meeting that it will be called the Safeguarding Adults Board in line with the Association of Directors of Social Services document ‘Safeguarding Adults – A National Standards Framework’. The words ‘Safeguarding Adults’ will replace ‘Adult Protection’ throughout the procedures. For example, an Adult Protection Investigation will now be called a Safeguarding Adults Investigation, and an Adult Protection Conference will now be called a Safeguarding Adults Conference. The revised multi-agency policy due to be launched formally on 1st May will be called ‘The Croydon Multi-Agency Safeguarding Adults Policy and

Procedures’. If you would like to know a bit more about what is happening within this area please see the new Safeguarding Newsletter via this link. For further information please contact Gloria Eveleigh on 020 8726 6000, ext 65790 31. CROYDON SIGNS £38 MILLION DEAL TO DELIVER THE HOMES FOR THE

FUTURE (NEW4OLD) PROGRAMME Following months of negotiation, the Council has recently signed a groundbreaking deal that will provide new first class facilities on four sites across the Borough. The deal signed with Caring4Croydon consortium on the 8th December will transform the delivery of care for the frail, elderly people in Croydon. The consortium formed solely to deliver the ambitious New4Old programme, comprises of contractor Geoffrey Osborne, Eldon Housing Association and UME Investment Co Ltd. Geoffrey Osborne acted as consortium bid manager and will also be undertaking the construction. The proposal achieved contract signature after only 28 months, making it the fastest housing PFI procurement and the first third round scheme to sign according to the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). The scheme has been made possible thanks to the Council securing financial support from central Government. In total, £38 million of Private Finance Initiative Credits will fund the developments. The new centres will provide 150 residential and nursing places, 40 extra care flats and 128 day care places. For further information please contact Andrew Maskell on 020 8726 6000, ext 13327 32. COLEBY COURT LOSES POWER Power was lost at Coleby Court on 26th February 2007 when an electricity cable was cut. EDF cut through a live power cable during building works at the Homes for the Future (New 4 Old) development. Time scales for resumption of power could not be obtained from EDF. As a result the Adult Social Services Department took the decision to evacuate the seven Coleby residents and staff team to Cheriton House, another of Croydon’s elderly mentally frail residential homes, situated in Thornton Heath. The decision to evacuate was taken due to there being no electricity supply for the lighting, heating, security and fire alarms system at Coleby and therefore the welfare and safety of the residents was being put at risk, as a result of the complete loss of power. The Coleby residents will remain at Cheriton until the Council is satisfied that it is safe for them to return. Meetings have been held with relatives, advocates, residents and staff regarding the ongoing situation at Coleby and Cheriton and the Council has also kept the Commission for Social Care Inspection and the Council’s legal services fully briefed. For further information please contact Peter Houghton on 020 8726 6000, ext 63503

33. GOODBYE AND GOOD LUCK… A fond farewell to John Duggleby, Divisional Director, Change Management who leaves us on a high after 23 years in Croydon Social Services. John joined us in 1984 as a Team Leader at the New Addington Office. After a succession of management posts in Children’s Services he joined the newly created Inspection Unit in 1991 and became Chief Inspector in 1994. Subsequent posts included the Divisional Director for Community Care and the same for Adult Services before moving to his current Change Management role in 2001. This role provided the unique opportunity to work with a wide range of people from across the Council and his negotiation and business skills have ensured a better future for the older people of Croydon. He admits that helping to bring the New4Old Contract to a conclusion has probably been one of the most challenging roles he has had since joining the Council. We are very appreciative of his hard work and commitment over the years and wish him well for the future which will be spent for some time at his home in Ibiza taming his large garden! We also say goodbye to Anthony Macaulay or ‘Mac’, as he is known to everyone, who left at the end of February. He is missed for his never ending patience and experience in sorting out accommodation and a host of other matters. In the past Mac has been responsible for the Initial Contact Service for the Department and the Travel Service, both of which have transferred to the Contact Centre, and Buildings Management, which has now gone over to Interserve. We wish Mac all the best in his new ventures. Brian Thomson, Business Manager in the Children’s Resources Team, leaves at the end of March. Brian has worked for Croydon for over 20 years and his total service within local and central government spans 34 years in total. We wish Brian well for the future and thank him for his invaluable contribution to Children’s Services over the years. After almost 13 years working for Croydon Social Services we are saying farewell and bon voyage to Sammy Forbes, Service Manager for Fostering and Adoption and Access to Resources whose work has been invaluable to Children’s Services. Not least for his work on the “Every minute is important to a child” campaign which we still utilise and which turned around the Fostering and Adoption Service to give it an excellent rating from the Commission for Social Care Inspection in the last inspection. Sammy is heading back to his native Grenada for a well earned rest before deciding what to do with his boundless energy and enthusiasm, which will be sorely missed. We wish Sammy well for the future and thank him for all his hard work and dedication. 34. COUNCIL AWAITS A NEW WEBSITE The Council is set to launch its new website on 26th March. The new website will bring us inline with other London Borough Councils (LBCs) in the use of a new structure which will make it much easier for users to find the information they need. There is much more focus on self serving and there will be many ways to find information, including an enhanced search function. Of course there will be some teething problems as people use old links to find information and items may not be where they were previously but overall the new website will be a vast improvement on the old. This website is also AA compliant, which means it will have much greater accessibility. When viewing the new web pages you will notice gaps at either side of the page, which you may think is a waste of space. This has been built in to increase accessibility, follow these simple instructions to see why:

Step Mouse actions Keyboard actions

1 On the Internet Explorer menu bar: · Select View. · Point to Text Size.

On the Internet Explorer menu bar: · Open the View menu by pressing ALT+V. · Select Text Size by pressing X.

2 In the Text Size list: · Select the text size

that best meets your needs.

In the Text Size list: · Move to the text size option that best meets

your needs by pressing the UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW key.

· Press ENTER. To help with ironing out any initial problems with the website, the web team have imposed a content freeze until 10th April with only essential items being published, for instance price changes, contact details and key decisions. For further information please contact Evey Henderson on 020 8726 6000, ext 63312 35. WALK ON WEDNESDAYS! WALK ONCE A WEEK! ‘Walk On Wednesdays!’ (WoW) the incentive scheme to encourage children and parents to walk to school regularly in order to promote a healthier lifestyle, was launched in Croydon in October 2005, during International Walk to School week. To date some 125,000 London pupils take part in the ‘Walk on Wednesday’ campaign, approximately 5223 of those pupils are at Croydon Schools. The scheme is growing in popularity each month with five new schools signing up to the scheme this month (Picture: pupils with WoW t-shirts at a Croydon primary school). Approximately 80% of schools participating in ‘WoW!’ in the Borough had increased numbers of pupils ‘Walking on Wednesdays’. Of the schools that had increased numbers walking - the average shift for each school was between 5% and 25%. WoW! can therefore be seen to be encouraging, approximately, an average of 15% more pupils and parents to get out of their cars and walk to school on Wednesdays - hopefully setting a trend for the remainder of the week. To add to this accomplishment, WoW is also contributing to the environment by planting trees in two of Croydon’s schools (please see 2nd picture above). WoW! Badge Design Competition Pupils who walk to school each Wednesday receive a collectable foot shaped badge at the end of the month. This year the badges were designed by pupils from London Schools who entered the WoW! badge design competition. There were well over 5000 entries. One of the eleven winners was Nadia Stradis (aged 9) from Broadmead Junior School in Croydon. Her design, shown here, features a Ladybird pattern, and is to be the April 2007 WoW! badge. Winners have been invited to attend a special reception on the ‘Rain Forest Floor’ at the Rain Forest Café on Shaftsbury Avenue, on the morning of 27th September 2007, to receive their prize and eat lunch together. For further information please contact Elsa Galley on 020 8726 6000, ext 62236

36. PRIMARY CARE STRATEGY CONSULTATION Croydon Primary Care Trust is consulting on plans to modernise primary care services in the Borough and to provide a greater range of services in the community. Members of the public and key stakeholders are being asked to give their views. The consultation lasts until 25th May 2007. Copies of the consultation document and an invitation to submit a response are being sent to all Croydon Councillors. You can also download a copy of the consultation document in Word format from the Primary Care Trust website at www.croydon.nhs.uk For further information please contact Steve Morton on 020 8726 6000, ext 61600 37. HEALTHCARE FOR LONDON NHS London has commissioned Professor Sir Ara Darzi one of London's most eminent clinicians and academics to lead a review of the capital's healthcare services. Over the next three months, Professor Darzi will be looking at healthcare systems around the world, at what works and what doesn’t and at best practice in the United Kingdom. Healthcare For London: A Framework For Action will focus on patient pathways rather than buildings or institutions. It will develop a series of illustrative models of care and care pathways. It will draw on international examples of service delivery and evidence-based best practice. The review will look at six key stages in a person’s life and the type of care and assistance they may receive at those times. They are:

• Birth • Staying healthy • Sudden severe illness • Long term care • Planned care • End of life care

For more information about the review and how to comment visit the Healthcare for London website http://www.healthcareforlondon.nhs.uk For further information please contact Steve Morton on 020 8726 6000, ext 61600