Healthwatch Calls for Public Input on Supported Living Services in Leicester & Leicestershire

Supported Living services enable adults with diverse conditions, circumstances and support requirements to maintain independence and actively engage in their communities. Healthwatch recognises the importance of these services in promoting individual well-being and social inclusion.

Through this initiative, we will gather valuable feedback from people who use supported living services, their families and caregivers. We would also like to hear from other stakeholders to better understand the strengths and challenges of supported Living services in Leicester and Leicestershire.

Harsha Kotecha, Chair of Healthwatch Leicester and Healthwatch Leicestershire, said

“We want to hear the voices of those who directly engage with supported living services. By sharing your experiences and perspectives, you can help to ensure that the service meets the needs of individuals and ensures equitable access to care. Feedback will help identify areas for improvement and inform future efforts to enhance the quality and effectiveness of these essential services.”

Healthwatch encourages individuals to share their feedback through various channels, including online surveys, face-to-face conversations and written submissions.

How to get involved

Complete a survey or share your feedback directly with our team.

The person receiving supported living survey – https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/HWSupportedLiving1/

Relative/ carer survey – https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/HWSupportedLiving2/

If you would like an Easy Read paper copy of the survey, please contact us at enquiries@healthwatchll.com or call 0116 257 4999.

Call us on 0116 257 4999 if you would like to talk to our team to share your feedback. All responses will be treated confidentially and personal information will be kept secure under data protection regulations.

About Healthwatch

We are the independent champion for people who use health and social care services. We exist to ensure that people are at the heart of care. We listen to what people like about services, and what could be improved, and we share their views with those with the power to make change happen. We also help people find the information they need about services in their area.

We have the power to ensure that people’s voices are heard by the government and those running services. As well as seeking the public’s views ourselves, we also encourage services to involve people in decisions that affect them. Our sole purpose is to help make care better for people.

www.healthwatchll.com

Healthwatch Leicester and Healthwatch Leicestershire is provided by Voluntary Action LeicesterShire.  

New grants awarded to support Service spouses and partners

Access to knowledge and information relevant to employment opportunities

Voluntary Action Leicestershire will offer employability support and volunteering opportunities to Armed Forces partners and spouses via their Supporting Partners – Education, Employment and Development (SPEED) project.

This one-year initiative has secured a grant for £64,348 to facilitate positive strides towards new opportunities. The project aims to increase awareness of the skills, experiences and potential of partners and spouses among local employers and stakeholders within the Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland (LLR) cluster area.

Sector Support Lead, Doctor David Arron Cliffe, said:

“Voluntary Action Leicestershire is thrilled to have been awarded funding for our Supporting Partners into Education, Employment and Development Project to support partners of Armed Forces personnel across Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland.

This funding will allow us to provide direct employability support to local people who are partners of Armed Forces personnel, but also allow us to undertake some targeted work to raise awareness of some of the locals’ challenges and to explore some solutions and the possibilities for partners to be supported to realise their personal career goals. We already have a strong partnership with other local organisations but look forward to building stronger connections through this new project.”

Find out more and read about the project and fund here.

             

Ashby Emergency Services Day

If so you are invited to showcase your organisation as part of a volunteering village to those attending the Emergency Services Open Day at Ashby Bath Grounds on Saturday 1 June 2024.  

Coalville Emergency Services Open Day attracts thousands of visitors, and we expect the first of its kind for Ashby in the Bath grounds to be a huge success.    We expect this to be a packed event with lots of families and residents of Ashby and further afield.

Leicestershire County Council, North West Leicestershire District Council and Voluntary Action Leicestershire are working together to deliver this opportunity for groups to showcase their organisation, encourage membership, and most importantly recruit new volunteers.

If your organisation would like to take part, please email VAL’s helpline helpline@valonline.org.uk and register your interest by 30 April 2024. Explaining how you would like to showcase your work, fundraise, and give people a taste of what it is you do.  

Charnwood Forest Geopark Project

The Charnwood Forest Geopark Project is working with Voluntary Action LeicesterShire (VAL) to host some sessions to explore support needs of local community groups.

Wednesday 24 January, 9am – 3pm (venue TBC)

A free day-long workshop that gives your organisation the opportunity to return to your cause and purpose and learn how to garner support from your audience through effective communication, including increasing donations, volunteering and committee recruitment.
To book, contact Ali – abrand-barker@nationalforest.org

Thursday 1 February, 10am – 1pm, online

A free, online workshop about how to get involved in green and social prescribing, including a chance to meet link workers and other key individuals in the nature and wellbeing sectors, as well as an overview to a variety of mental health and nature engagement training options.
To book, contact Ali – abrand-barker@nationalforest.org

Have your say on draft budget plans 2024- 2028

Have your say on our draft budget plans 2024- 2028 click here

Consultation closes: Wednesday 17 January 2024

What issues are driving budget pressures?
Spiralling social care prices, growing service demand and inflation are driving up costs. The Government’s autumn statement last month didn’t include any extra funding for councils which has ramped up the pressure for local authorities.

How bad is the situation? 
Nearby councils, such as Nottingham City, have declared that they do not have enough resources to continue to deliver services by issuing a section 114 notice, and others, such as Leicester and Derbyshire, say they are being pushed to the brink.

We are not in crisis territory. We’ve successfully managed better than most by not forgetting about the financial realities of local government when delivering services. But we do have a significant budget gap and need to deliver services differently.

Find out more here

Southampton University National Study on Long Term Conditions

This new approach involves the use of NHS data to group (or ‘cluster’) people together who have similar health conditions and sociodemographic factors, to predict social care needs.

The aim is to use these clusters to develop an intervention to help people get support with their social care needs (e.g. from community groups, charities and self-management etc.)

They are currently doing exploratory interviews with people living with long-term conditions, and also anyone who is involved in the care of people with long-term conditions (including health care professionals, social care professionals, people working within community groups or charity sectors, database managers and people who are carers). This is the study they are currently recruiting to, to find people views on the new approach and how this relates to their experiences of multiple long-term conditions.

They have two websites:

One for people living with multiple long-term conditions – https://southampton.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cUVqjqvnSkPuGAC  

And one for health and social care professionals – https://southampton.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_beftuZrABBjGtGC

Empowering Communities through Property Education in 2024 webinars

Join us for Ethical Property Foundation for their 21st Year Webinar Series – new online property topics designed to empower local voluntary organisations to manage their premises, owned or rented, with property knowledge and confidence.

Webinar Series Highlights

1. Title: Negotiating & Managing Your Lease – BOOK YOUR PLACE HERE

Date: 8th February 2024
Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Venue: Hosted via Zoom by EPF

2. Title: Everyday Premises Management – BOOK YOUR PLACE HERE

Date: 14th March 2024
Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Venue: Hosted via Zoom by EPF

The webinars, delivered by experienced property professionals and with follow up guidance and resources, are tailored to help voluntary organisations across the UK with practical know-how to manage their premises sustainably.

Timing
This engaging webinar is offered at no cost to participants and features a dynamic 1-hour session.

The content includes a 45-minute presentation followed by an interactive discussion to address participant queries and insights.

Bookings
EPF will handle all bookings, either through its management system or via agreed-upon platforms like Eventbrite.

Event details can be found on there website at https://propertyhelp.org/learning/

Park Lodge Project – Service Manager

Job title: Service Manager

Scale: Adopted: PO2 – £36,648.00 starting salary

Park Lodge Project is seeking an experienced service manager to lead its Clarendon Park Hub.

You will be responsible for delivering excellent accommodation and support services to young people impacted by homelessness.

You will do this by leading a team of dedicated support workers to deliver person centred support. Acknowledging that many of the young people who live with us have suffered traumas within their lives, you will be inspired to develop a psychologically informed environment and strive for continuous improvement in the services we can offer young people.

You will see the potential in young people and the staff team and be motivated to develop service delivery to ensure excellence for the young people we support.

You will be a skilled communicator, forming good relationships with stakeholders, staff and young people alike.

You will lead an accommodation hub, where approximately 40 young people live and are supported, across a range of properties by your team of support workers. You will be capable of supervising, supporting and coaching staff teams to deliver high quality supported accommodation services.

The successful candidate will be an experienced manager within the health, social care, housing, or youth work sectors.

Once in receipt of your CV, we will arrange for you to complete an application form should we wish to pursue your application further.
Please send a CV in the first instance to eddie.bailey@parklodgeproject.org

Friendly Connected Communities of Leicestershire

Details of the Friendly Communities approach at that time can be found here: https://valonline.org.uk/how-to-start-a-friendly-community/

Using the feedback from the consultation, VAL has assisted LCC colleagues to look at how this approach can be implemented by meeting individually with a number of VCSE organisations who completed the consultation.

This has led to the initiative being rebranded as Friendly Connected Communities.

The concept of Friendly Connected Communities of Leicestershire is a simple and easy way to help and support communities to be more resilient, and to help individuals to feel welcome, supported, safe and integrated wherever they live in Leicestershire.

A guide to Friendly Connected Communities of Leicestershire aims to support communities around Leicestershire to coordinate this approach, which can be accessed here.

The How to Start a Friendly Connected Communities guide goes into more detail on implementing this approach such as who can be involved and sustaining the approach. The guide can be accessed here.  

In addition a Friendly Connected Communities of Leicestershire Supporting Values and Principles document outlines what the core values and principles are of a Friendly Connected Community, which can be accessed here.   

If your community group or organisation wishes to endorse and support a Friendly Connected Community approach you are invited to commit to those core values and principles and to contact Leicestershire County Council to request a copy of the Friendly Connected Communities logo.

You can contact Leicestershire County Council for this purpose by emailing: leicestershirecommunities@leics.gov.uk

Kevan Liles MBE honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award, as VAL Awards 2023 celebrate County’s Community Champions

Kevan Liles MBE receives his Lifetime Achievement Award by new CEO of VAL, Kevin Allen Khimani. 
[Image by Saul Morgan]

The VAL Awards, originally established in 2019, has become an annual tradition for the Leicester-based Voluntary Action Leicestershire charity ‘hub’ and a chance to shine a spotlight on the invaluable work of volunteers, community groups, and charities that go above and beyond to make a positive impact, and whose dedication and passion make Leicester and Leicestershire a better place for us all to live.

The ticketed event, which was compered by BBC’s Rupal Rajani and CEO of VAL, Kevin Allen Khimani, was held in front of a packed audience of over 230 guests in the Grand Hall at Leicester’s The Grand Hotel.

Speaking for the first time as newly appointed CEO of Voluntary Action LeicesterShire, Kevin Allen Khimani said;

“Tonight we are both humbled and inspired by the many individuals and groups working within our charity and voluntary sector in Leicester and Leicestershire.  Like you, I have shed many tears listening and learning about some of these incredible individuals, who, without their tireless efforts and determination, so many people would live more difficult lives.  I’m immensely proud that the VAL Awards 2023 enable us to celebrate some of these inspirational people and stories that might not otherwise be recognized.”

He continued;

“If you have been inspired by the finalists and winners celebrated in this year’s awards, I’d ask you: “what are you doing to make life better for others?”  At VAL, we support over 3500 charities and grassroots organisations that all need support, so we invite anyone to get in touch with us and, together, we can help connect you to a cause or project that inspires you enough to get involved – and help others lead a better life.”

Lesley Vernon, Chief Engagement Officer at MHBS:

“Congratulations to all the charities and individual winners and nominations who have dedicated their time, resources and passion to help strengthen our communities. Being a mutual Society, this is at the heart of our purpose too, and together we can create a brighter and more inclusive future for all. Your efforts have truly made a difference and will inspire others to join in helping our communities thrive.”

Monies raised by the local sponsors allowed the event to run without charge to all finalists and their chosen guests, so special thanks must go to headline sponsor, Market Harborough Building Society, alongside Aspire Pharma Ltd; Fraser Urquhart Media; PPL PRS; Meesh Consulting and Paragon Sales Solutions.

Winners of the VAL Awards 2023 are confirmed as:

City Charity of the Year
Big Difference Company

County Charity of the Year
Helping Hands Community Trust

Social Enterprise of the Year
Team Hub CIC

Volunteer-Led Organisation of the Year
Feed the Need Coalville

Trustee of the Year – sponsored by Paragon Sales Solutions
Eileen Richards

Fundraiser of the Year – sponsored by PPL PRS
Chris Shaw

Charity & Business Partnership of the Year – sponsored by FU Media
Pedestrian

Kathryn Burgess Volunteer of the Year – sponsored by Meesh Consulting
Jas Kainth

Inspiring Leader of the Year – sponsored by Aspire Pharma
Jaimini Bharakhada

Charity of the Year – sponsored by Market Harborough Building Society
Helping Hands Community Trust

Lifetime Achievement Award
Kevan Liles MBE

Click here to view our VAL Awards 2023 page, view pictures of our winners and find out how you can get involved in 2024!