South Tyneside Carers Strategy
Second Local Action Plan
2015-17
Think Carer!
Carers Strategy Update – 2015 to 2017
Our Carers Strategy and first Action Plan were developed in 2012 in response to the Government’s National Carers Strategy, Recognised Valued and
Supported in 2010. The government have recently launched the Second National Action Plan to 2016.
This is the second Carers Strategy Action Plan developed for South Tyneside. It shows our commitment to continually improving services and
support for Carers, and sets out key actions for the next two years
Our achievements resulting from the Carers Strategy 2012-2015 have been highlighted in an update available at www.southtyneside.info/Carers.
Consultation with Carers
This Action Plan is based on consultation with Carers, including three annual Carers Surveys, and group consultation based on a national resource,
‘Think Local Act Personal – Making it Real for Carers’, made up of 6 themes:
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Information and Advice : having the information I need when I need it
Active and supportive communities: keeping friends and family in place
Flexible and integrated support: my support, my own way
Workforce: my support staff
Risk enablement: feeling in control and safe
Personal budgets and self funding: my money
We will use these themes to focus on the right actions and deliver personalised support for Carers. Some of the changes identified in 2012 in the
original action plan were long term and complex. These have been brought forward to ensure they continue to be monitored.
We have been working more closely to consult with Young Carers to identify the key issues and priorities for them which will inform a separate
Young Carers Delivery Plan for 2015 – 17.
South Tyneside Carers Strategy – Second Action Plan – February 2015 V1
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What will this Action Plan do?
The Carers Strategy Action Plan 2015-17 will provide a framework for the work of the Carers Strategy Group and two main Workstreams (Carers
Operational Group and Young Carers Delivery Group) for the forthcoming two year period. We will focus on issues affecting Carers locally, as well as
following updates within the wider National Carers Strategy.
The Carers Strategy Group will continue to work in partnership to continuously improve support and services for Carers, informed by the actions
included within this Plan. We will be robustly monitor this action plan, which will enable us to be accountable to deliver on our plans. It will be our
key way of measuring achievements and making progress for Carers.
Recent major changes in legislation have provided great opportunities to improve support for Carers. The Care Act and Children and Families Act
both strengthen entitlements for carers of all ages, and provide duties for Local Authorities and NHS services to work more closely through
integrated services. Our plans will focus strongly on embedding Carer support into these developments, which offer the greatest opportunities for
improvements for Carers. Integrated Care Plans and implementation of new legislation will be monitored by South Tyneside Partnership’s Health
and Wellbeing Board.
For more information on Think Local Act Personal - Making it Real for Carers, go to www.thinklocalactpersonal.org.uk, and
The Care Act – The Law for Carers : Factsheet 8 from Department of Health website: www.gov.uk
South Tyneside Carers Strategy – Second Action Plan – February 2015 V1
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1 Information and Advice : having the information I need when I need it
What we will do
Date
Lead/key partner
Review Carers Assessment processes
and documentation to ensure
compliance with the Care Act, and
ensure information is available on
Carers Rights and Eligibility Critiera
April 2015
Adult Social Care
Improve promotion and access to
advocacy services available which
support the general population
April 2015
Care Act
Implementation
Group
Develop Social Media networks for
Carers to promote support, services,
activities and events
Streamline information directories to
provide 1 trusted source
Provide simple information guides to
inform carers, service users and
professionals on individualised options
Develop and promote PA information
and guidance available, for anyone
wishing to employ personalised care
and support
April 2015
April 2015
April 2015
April 2015
Adult and
Childrens Social
Care
Care Act
Implementation
Group
Care Act
Implementation
Group
Care Act
Implementation
Group
South Tyneside Carers Strategy – Second Action Plan – February 2015 V1
Progress
New Carers Assessment is finalised and will be printed for release
during May 2015. An on line version will be updated to reflect
changes.
Council website updated to provide details of Carers Rights and
Eligibility Criteria.
Commissioners are reviewing advocacy provision to ensure support is
available in line with Care Act requirements
Social Care Assessment tools and systems will be updated to indicate
advocacy has been offered
Communications Plan in development with Marketing and
Communications Team to include service and events updates on
Council social media sites.
Care Act Information and Advice Working Group have developed the
Council website to ensure all relevant care and support information is
up to date.
This includes financial support, and details of national eligibility
criteria.
Further work will be ongoing, to include personalised case studies as
examples and details of support available to employ personal
assistants.
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Improve awareness and promotion of
local services, including Telecare, by
holding regular ‘service update
sessions’ to promote services
Adult Social Care
April2015
South Tyneside Carers Strategy – Second Action Plan – February 2015 V1
Telecare Services are working on a series of presentations to key
organisations and groups to provide demonstrations and case studies
to raise awareness of the availability and benefits of assistive
technologies. Groups include all ASC frontline teams, Carers
organisations and Healthnet.
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2 Active and supportive communities: keeping friends and family in place
What we will do
Date
Lead/key partner
Progress and Status
Ensure Carers Support Services
support and encourage Carers to
access groups and activities across
a range of services. Make clear
what is available for Carers
outside of individual services,
particularly highlighting one to
one support, advocacy and
counselling services.
April 2015
Carers Operational
Group
Some carers organisations are developing a care planning approach
to ensure individualised support is developed for each person.
Commissioning
Teams
Organisations will ensure clear information is available to highlight
the support and opportunities on offer.
Investigate and promote issue of
Get active cards free of charge,
and other leisure and library
discount opportunities for Carers
June 2015
Carers Operational
Group
Young Carers
Delivery Group
Offers available to Carers such as cut price IT access at Libraries
need to be confirmed and promoted for access by all Carers.
Leisure and Community Service Managers invited to attend future
Operational Group meetings to discuss.
Ensure Social Prescribing models
address 'short break' options for
Carers as well as meeting the
needs of the cared for person
2016
Integration Projects
Staff and volunteers will be aware of Carer issues, rights, services
and support to provide an opportunity to identify Carers and meet
their needs whilst signposting the cared for person.
Social navigation roles are being developed through newly formed
integrated teams.
South Tyneside Carers Strategy – Second Action Plan – February 2015 V1
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Improve brokerage through
community hubs including support
for Young Carers and whole family
service planning
Consider Peer Mentor schemes to
support brokerage and share
knowledge and experience
2016
Integration Projects
Carers Trust Service Audit and Think Local Act Personal provide
good practice examples to provide improved support for people
accessing services and their Carers. Brokerage support which
includes whole family service planning and peer mentor support
should be considered in plans for community hubs.
Improve identification of people
who would have particular
difficulty in leaving the home in an
event of a fire and signpost to
Community Fire Safety Team.
2016
Adult Social Care
Fire Service offer a Community Safety service to provide
preventative advice and equipment particularly for vulnerable
groups. Adult Social Care service users could be identified and
signposted to the service to ensure they have accessed the service.
Work towards Citizen Advocacy
for Carers in South Tyneside
2015
Commissioning
Teams
Advocacy provision is currently under review in line with Care Act
requirements.
Work with Local Business Forums
and larger organisations to
encourage carer friendly
employment policies
-Introduce Employment Toolkit
and Carer Charter
-Ensure policies focus on Young
Carer employability/training for
18-24s
Ongoing
Operational Group
Young Carers
Delivery Group
Carers Strategy Group organisations and Job Centre Plus working
towards adopting a ‘Carers Charter’ through carer friendly
employment policies and awareness of issues within organisations.
Work with Job Centre Plus to
promote PA Opportunities
Re-establish Carers and Young
Carer Leads
April 2015
Operational Group
Young Carers
Delivery Group
Job Centre Plus to be approached to ensure job seekers are aware
of options to take up care skills training and consider employment
as Personal Assistants
April 2015
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Consider Young Adult Carer issues
Autumn 2016
Work with schools and colleges to
ensure they take responsibility
and provide adequate support to
ensure young carers fulfil
attainment potential
Ensure all schools have a Young
Carer Lead identified
Ongoing
Young Carers
Delivery Group
Co-ordinate a 'Time Bank' which
promotes Carer support and
breaks, and provides Carers with
an opportunity to offer other
types of support to develop
community networks in local
areas
2016
Integration Projects
Operational Group
Department of Health will support
local partners to make use of BCF
to develop carer identification
approaches, and maintain focus
on breaks through delivery of BCF.
2015/16
Adult Social Care
South Tyneside Carers Strategy – Second Action Plan – February 2015 V1
National pilot scheme to be established for LAs and partners to
support carers to maintain paid employment (DWP/D of H/Equality
Office)
Young Carers Project are engaging with all schools to encourage
improved support to Young Carers, identification of YC Leads in all
schools (already established in all Secondary Schools) and use of
Pupil Premium to pay for activities and groups.
Personalisation and TLAP resources provide examples of Time Banks
which should be considered for development in South Tyneside,
providing an innovative form of ‘volunteering’ based on mutual
support, promoting active citizenship and the growth of social
capital and community empowerment.
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Flexible and integrated support: my support, my own way
What we will do
Work in partnership to ensure
feedback from events, forums and
surveys are used effectively and
transparently. Improve methods
of recording change as a result of
involvement.
Develop a Carers Support Plan
Carers supported to make
decisions which suit their needs
and lifestyle choices without
feeling guilty.
Hospital Care Plan and clear
communication re. continuation
of care needed
Consider developing a service to
carry out routine telephone calls
to all registered carers, to prevent
a crisis developing and to check
changing circumstances and
provide updates on events and
support available.
Review Carers Support Fund and
Carers Emergency Service to
provide a whole family service
Date
Lead/key partner
August 2015
Carers Operational
Group
Young Carers
Delivery Group
Progress and Status
Carers feedback from 2012-2015 Strategy is being prepared to
feedback at a Carers Celebration Event May 2015. Information from
this and Carers Surveys will be prepared for Carers Groups to be fed
back by Voluntary Sector Organisations.
Care Act
Implementation
Group
April 2015
Carers Operational
Group
Integration
Projects
April 2015
April 2015
Adult Social Care
Adult Social Care
South Tyneside Carers Strategy – Second Action Plan – February 2015 V1
Carer Annual Reviews will be developed as a standard process for all
assessed Carers from April 2015.
Care Act provides for Personal Budgets for Carers which may impact on
how funds are managed.
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Commissioning
Teams
Extend Befriending and Sitting
service options to provide
community based respite which
allows Carers to have a break
April 2016
Extend short break provision to
meet the needs of minority
groups:
Young carers
Dementia
Autism
LD
Mental Health
April 2016
Integration
Projects
Commissioning
Teams
South Tyneside Carers Strategy – Second Action Plan – February 2015 V1
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7 Workforce: my support staff
What we will do
Develop training programme for Care
staff in community, including Personal
Assistants(PAs), and
residential/nursing provision, to
ensure they support and involve
Carers.
Training that provides staff with a
good understanding of how to work
with people with different specific
needs. This should include:
-personalisation and direct payments
-specific conditions, particularly how
to support people with Mental Health
problems and Dementia
-basic skills such as cooking and meal
preparation
Work with STFT to raise awareness
and develop hospital discharge
pathways which:
- identify Carers and treat Carers as
partners
- recognise transition and life
stages/end of caring role and issues
for Carers
- provides for assessment of their
needs
Date
Lead/key partner
Progress and Status
2015/16
Adult Social Care
Commissioning
Team
A Level 2 Carer Training programme is available and has been delivered
to ASC staff. This has been discussed with TWCA to consider delivery to
Care Staff but no plans in place yet.
Adult Social Care
Commissioning
Team
Carers report issues with Care Workers having limited skills and
knowledge of particular conditions, but also some basic skills such as
food preparation. Suggested that Care Workers should have a minimum
of NVQ Level 2. Care staff are themselves vulnerable if not
appropriately trained
Integration
Projects
Carer feedback is that professionals including Health staff and Social
Workers don't always involve Carers or use their knowledge to develop
appropriate plans. The Carers survey asked if they had been involved in
discussions and consulted, over a third (37%) said that there had been
no discussions.
2015
2016
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- provides suitable information,
advice and equipment to enable them
to continue caring safely and
understand how to maintain their
own wellbeing
Deliver Level 2 Carer Training
Engage GP practices and support to
develop good practice based on
RCGP/Carers Trust Guidance
Review care visit allocation times to
ensure visit times are personalised to
meet the needs of the service user
and Carer. Review verification
process for recording actual visit
times and explore use of technology
to support accurate recording
Improve perception of repercussions
if poor quality care is reported by
Carers. Check provider complaints
policies and information given to
users. Promote provider led service
user surveys through Provider Quality
Forums
Develop standards and improve
contract quality monitoring for all
commissioned services to ensure local
priorities for Carers are met
Review selection processes within
provider organisations to ensure
Carer needs are considered
Ongoing
Integration
Projects
Ongoing
Adult Social Care
Commissioning
Teams
April 2016
Commissioning
Teams
April 2016
Commissioning
Teams
South Tyneside Carers Strategy – Second Action Plan – February 2015 V1
CAST will engage with 1 GP surgery per month using RCGP guidance, and
will co-ordinate engagement with other voluntary organisations as
necessary. Formal training started with practice staff.
Carers report ongoing issues with inconsistent care, quality of service
and examples were provided during consultation.
Carers Personal Budgets and Personal Health Budgets will allow for
more flexibility in services.
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8 Risk enablement: feeling in control and safe
What we will do
Staff have good listening skills and
get services sorted out promptly so
there is no breakdown in care
between services to reduce risk
Develop better recognition of Carer
issues through the Safeguarding
Adults Board and consider
developing ‘Keeping Safe Plans for
Carers’.
Date
Lead/key partner
Progress and Status
2016
Integration
Projects
Carers state that Consultants make decisions which make it difficult
for nursing staff and Social Workers to co-ordinate and plan for
discharge properly.
Care plans aren’t adhered to after discharge. Improve awareness of
care issues and delivery Level 2 Training to all health professionals.
April 2015
Care Act
Implementation
Adult Social Care
Risk Management and Safeguarding Process under review in line
with Care Act requirements.
Carers Risk Assessment will be built into future Carers Assessments.
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Personal budgets and self funding: my money
What we will do
Explore options to provide separate
Carers Personal Budget and Personal
Health Budgets
Date
April
2015
Lead/key partner
Adult and
Childrens Social
Care
Good information and the right
support with direct payments:
Revise training and supervision for
Social Workers to improve
understanding and positive
promotion of Direct Payments
Adult Social Care
Choice in how I receive support:
Improve awareness of flexible
options, particularly through Direct
Payments, to support people in
gaining the best service to meet their
needs, including options for joint
respite breaks.
Adult Social Care
South Tyneside Carers Strategy – Second Action Plan – February 2015 V1
Progress and Status
Personal Budgets will be available for eligible Carers from April 2015
Carers report:
• Limited information from Social Workers about the benefits of Direct
Payments.
 No choice of DP or provider offered to Carer
• Older people often wary of direct payments and prefer someone else to do
the organising for them. Social Workers and Direct Payments officers need
more time to explain and help people to get the right support
• Carer refused Direct Payments as they weren’t explained properly and
seemed ‘scary’ at the time
• Organising the care worker is a concern, as well as payments and cover for
sickness if the care worker was unwell.
• Too complicated and slow to arrange
• Didn’t like being offered application forms with people’s personal
information to find an employee themselves. Would prefer some support
with this
•Personal budget flexibility for respite breaks – should be accessible for
breaks with Carer and cared for to support breaks from routine and improved
wellbeing, rather than just a separate break away
•Scope needs to be wider – providing for wellbeing and not just personal
needs
• Care is imposed, choice very limited
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Managing our performance
The Carers Strategy and Action Plan will be driven by the Integration Board and Health and Wellbeing Board which has strategic overview of the work involved.
The Carers Strategy Group will regularly monitor activity against this action plan to ensure progress is made.
Plans will be linked into other strategic activities, particularly the South Tyneside Partnership work to develop integrated health and care services, and the
implementation of the Care Act.
Outcomes Frameworks for 2015/16 for Adult Social Care, continue to outline measures for Carers, and many indicators are shared across the NHS and Public
Health Outcomes Framework. More information can be found at: Gov.UK/ASCOF
We will use these frameworks to monitor our performance, using the identified key outcomes for Carers, shown below:
Enhancing quality of life for people with care and support needs:
 Carers can balance their caring roles and maintain their desired quality of life - Carer reported quality of life
 People are able to find employment when they want, maintain a family and social life and contribute to community life, and avoid loneliness or isolation Proportion of people who use services and their carers who reported they had as much social contact as they would like
Delaying and reducing the need for care and support:
 Everybody has the opportunity to have the best health and wellbeing throughout their life, and can access support and information to help them manage
their care needs – Numbers of permanent admissions to residential and nursing care homes
 Earlier diagnosis, intervention and reablement means that people and their carers are less dependent on intensive services – Proportion of people (65 and
over) still at home 91 days after discharge from hospital into reablement/rehabilitation services
Ensuring that people have a positive experience of care and support:
 People who use social care and their carers are satisfied with their experience of care and support services – overall satisfaction of carers with social
services
 Carers feel they are respected as equal partners in the care process – Proportion of carers who report that they have been included or consulted in
discussions about the person they care for
 People know what choices are available to them locally, what they are entitled to, and who to contact when they need help – Proportion of people who
use services and carers who find it easy to find service information.
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