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In this month's edition...
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Ministerial appointments
Prime Minister David Cameron has confirmed that Jeremy Hunt MP will continue as Secretary of State for Health. The ministerial team also comprises: Alistair Burt MP, Minister of State; and Parliamentarian Under Secretary of State Ben Gummer MP, Jane Ellison MP, George Freeman MP, and David Prior. Jeremy Hunt said: "My biggest priority now is to transform care outside hospitals - just as we have dramatically improved the quality of care inside hospitals in the last few years. All of us want every single older and vulnerable person to be treated with the highest standards of care - so we need a step change in services offered through GP surgeries, community care and social care." Find out more here
Protecting the rights of people who lack mental capacity
The Care Quality Commission want to understand better the experiences of people who are, or have been subjected to The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, to inform their reporting for 2014/15. The Safeguards are part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, and are used to protect the rights of people who lack the mental capacity to make certain decisions for themselves. They are calling for examples which will tell them about the experiences of the person at the centre of the process, and whether the Safeguards worked well for the person and cases where they did not work so well. To submit your examples, email engagementandinvolvement@cqc.org.uk
Understanding the Care Act
The Care Act came into force in April 2015, meaning local authorities are now responsible for meeting the social care needs of those in prisons and approved premises in their area. National Prison Radio recently interviewed Ian Anderson from the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and Rupert Bailie from NOMS, to find out what the Care Act means for people in prison and how to access support. The recording provides an accessible introduction to help your staff and service users understand the changes. Listen to the interview here (free registration required)
Specialist mental health support expanded
On 1st April 2015, 16 new Liaison and Diversion schemes went live, expanding the provision of specialist mental health teams in police stations and courts. The Liaison and Diversion programme aims to help break the cycle of offending by making sure people with mental health problems and vulnerabilities such as addictions or learning disabilities get the support or treatment they need. Clinks members Together for mental wellbeing are working in partnership with local NHS trusts, delivering the scheme to West, North West, and Central London. Read their press release here
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Mental health awareness and safeguarding
The Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime, and Metropolitan Police Service are offering a two-day Mental Health Awareness & Safeguarding Training course [various dates from 1st June, London boroughs, free] to frontline practitioners working with young people in London, including youth justice and gang projects. The training aims to promote the safety of young people by helping practitioners to support them when there are signs that they may be suffering mental ill-health and/or emotional trauma. Find out more and register your interest here
Health leadership conference
The NHS Confederation Annual Conference [3rd - 5th June, Liverpool] is the largest meeting of senior health and care leaders, decision-makers, partners and stakeholders following the 2015 general election. The event aims to provide the first opportunity to question and gain insight into the finer details of the new government’s vision for the NHS. The three day programme is structured around five conference strands which contain a mix of plenary sessions, panel discussions, debates, seminars and workshops. Speakers include Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health, and the CEOs of all six NHS national bodies including NHS England, Health Education England, Public Health England, Monitor, Care Quality Commission and NHS Trust Development Authority. Find out more here
Building community capacity
Think Local Act Personal (TLAP) is running a series of regional events [2nd - 14th July, London, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham] on the topic of 'Empowering and engaging communities'. They will be an opportunity to come together with local representatives from Health & Wellbeing Boards, NHS England and the voluntary sector, to discuss building community capacity to achieve sustainable health and well-being. The events will aim to: build an understanding of the key research, evidence and practice that supports building community capacity; provide the experience of co-producing a community capacity building action plan based on local priorities; and reach an agreement on further support for embedding the action plan. Find out more here
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Deliver health care interventions at a larger scale
The Health Foundation's Scaling Up Improvement programme will provide £500,000 each to up to seven project teams to take successful health care improvement interventions and deliver them at a larger scale. Projects should aim to improve health care delivery and/or the way people manage their own health care, and the Foundation is interested in projects that can be sustained beyond the life of the project and have the long term potential for wider adoption across the UK health service. The deadline for the first stage of the application process is the 2nd June. Find out more and apply here
Improve health and wellbeing in Wiltshire
Grants of up to £4,000 are available from Wiltshire Council's Public Health and Wellbeing Fund to combat loneliness and isolation, reduce childhood obesity, encourage people to adopt a healthier lifestyle, support older people, or reduce drug and alcohol abuse. The grants are available to small community-based groups, whose income does not exceed £50,000, to start or develop projects and activities which offer new or innovative approaches. The closing date for applications is the 19th June. Find out more and apply here
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Voluntary sector survey report
NAVCA has published the findings of the 2014-2015 Health and Care Voluntary Sector Survey. The survey was conducted by NAVCA and the Health and Care Voluntary Sector Strategic Partnership, of which Clinks is a member, and finds that local health bodies need to do more to engage with charities. Respondents were asked questions about their own organisation, their relationships with local statutory health bodies and key national health initiatives. See the key findings, and download the report, here
Substance misuse and mental health in prison
Clinks members RAPt have published three research and policy papers based on evidence they have compiled into what works in reducing drug and alcohol related crime. Briefing 2, 'Substance misuse and mental health in prison', describes the worrying extent of mental health problems amongst prisoners, and the close correlation between mental health conditions such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorders, and substance misuse. Their research shows that prisoners with drug and/or alcohol problems tend to have even higher levels of mental health problems than the rest of the prison population, and that symptoms of depression are associated with higher rates of reoffending. The briefing looks at the key issues and makes recommendations for change. Download the briefing here
Primary care and the voluntary sector improving young people's health
The Association for Young People's Health has published a 'GP Champions Toolkit for General Practice' designed for use by GPs, practice nurses, practice managers and other health professionals to improve young people’s health. It demonstrates how primary care can work with the voluntary sector to increase capacity, provide innovative methods of care and new referral pathways. The toolkit also sets out how to make a case for getting your Clinical Commissioning Group to fund services for young people, using local data and voluntary sector expertise. It lists the areas all GPs should address to make their practice better for young people, including access, confidentiality, feedback, and patient participation. Download the toolkit here
Barriers to health access faced by minority groups
A new briefing paper from the Race Equality Foundation looks at internalised stigma as a barrier to access to health and social care services by minority ethnic groups. Despite the availability of research and subsequent interventions, stigma remains a constant risk factor for ill-health and wellbeing amongst vulnerable groups, particularly minority ethnic communities in the UK. This briefing examines the issue of internalised stigma, that is, the individual’s own sense of devaluation and discrimination. It is informed by existing literature and findings from a pilot qualitative research study involving HIV positive immigrant Black African men and their families living in London. The paper concludes with policy and practice suggestions to tackle health issues relating to stigma. Download the briefing here
Exploring peer support
National Voices has published 'Peer support: what is it and does it work?', a report showing the results of a literature review that analysed over 1000 research studies on peer support from around the world to find out who is involved in it, the type of support provided and why. The findings showed that peer support can take many forms, such as informal telephone calls, group get-togethers, online forums or structured training. It also shows that peer support is worth investing in as a way of tackling long-term health conditions, but knowledge of the service could be strengthened by commissioning more robust and detailed evaluations of the impacts and reasons why peer support works better in some contexts and for some groups. Download the report here
Improving the quality of services in health and social care
NHS Improving Quality has published its prospectus for 2015/2016. The prospectus offers information about tools, networks, programmes, training and publications to help improve the quality of services across health and social care. It is aimed at a wide range of colleagues working across the health and care system, including frontline professional staff, commissioners, academics, statutory and national bodies, voluntary organisations and charities. Access the Prospectus in e-book or PDF format here
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Tool to identify people with a history of brain injury
The Disabilities Trust Foundation has developed the Brain Injury Screening Index (BISI) to identify people with a history of brain injury. This short screening questionnaire has been developed for use by all levels of practitioners and is a key tool for people working with offenders and those at risk of homelessness. The BISI is freely available to use, subject to signing a Copyright Licence. Find out more here
Volunteer management toolkit
The Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG) and National Care Forum (NCF) have launched a volunteer management toolkit to support the management of volunteers in the care sector. The toolkit addresses key questions raised by frontline service managers, including: Where and how can we find volunteers with the right skills and values? What support do volunteers require? How do we go about demonstrating the impact and value of volunteering within our services? Download the toolkit here
Getting young people involved in developing better services
The Young People’s Health Partnership has put together a toolkit for organisations which are considering taking part in Takeover Day 2015. Takeover Day is the national event where public, private and voluntary sector organisations give young people the opportunity to be involved in decision making about issues that affect their lives. Taking place on 20th November 2015, and coordinated by the Office of the Children's Commissioner, it is a chance for organisations to engage directly with the young people who access their services. This means young people can be involved with decision making and influence policy and practice, to develop better services. Download the toolkit here (link near the end of the page)
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About Clinks Offender Health Bulletin
This regular bulletin provides Clinks members with the latest news for voluntary sector organisations involved in the health and care of offenders. It currently has 2,528 subscribers.
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Designed, composed and circulated by Ben Watson, Clinks.