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Feedback on the usefulness of this bulletin is very much appreciated, such as whether you find the content useful, if anything is missing, or whether more (or less) detail is needed. Please email any feedback to SocialCareCommissioning@coventry.gov.uk
In this issue:
Welcome to the July edition of the Adult Social Care Provider Bulletin! We are now in the second half of 2024 - where has the time gone!
This month should see hotter days to enjoy - remember to drink lots of water and wear UV protection, as July is UV Safety month.
This month also features the 'International Day of Friendship' on 30 July; if you know anybody who may be feeling isolated or lonely, why not consider directing them to organisations in the community for befriending? You can find them on the Coventry Information Directory.
We hope you find this bulletin useful. If there is anything you would like to see in the next edition, please contact Mae.Fletcher@coventry.gov.uk.
3rd The Feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle (Christian)
7th Al-Hijra/Muharram (Islamic New Year)
9th Martyrdom of the Bab (Baha’i)
11th World Population Day
11th Birthday of Guru HarKrishan Sahib Ji (Sikh)
14th International Non-Binary People’s Day
15th World Youth Skills Day
16-17th Ashura (Islamic)
18th Nelson Mandela Day
21st Dharma Day (Buddhist)
22nd Feast Day of Saint Mary Magdalene (Christian)
24th Pioneer Day (Mormon Christian)
28th World Hepatitis Day
30th World Day against Trafficking Persons
30th International Day of Friendship
Webinars and events
Deputy manager networks
Our deputy manager networks provide a safe space for deputies, including team leaders and aspiring leaders, to connect with their peers, to share experiences, challenges and solutions and to learn with others. The networks help reduce or address feelings of isolation, offer valuable peer support and a safe space, as well as building and sustaining a community of peer contacts.
Find a deputy manager network near you
Our local networks for managers offer another opportunity for managers to come together in their local area to share knowledge and hear from a range of guest speakers including local CQC inspection teams, commissioners and Integrated Care System (ICS) representatives
Managing people webinars
We’ve delivered a series of webinars which provide you with support for managing people including topics such as leading effective teams, effective supervision and keeping your team motivated.
Find out more and watch the webinars
Support for leader and managers
Moving Up – next programme starts 16 October 2024
Our Moving Up programme supports Black and Asian minority groups who are managers or aspiring managers and have the desire and drive to progress in their career but are facing blockages preventing them from doing so. The programme gives participants an increased understanding of who they are, their strengths and weaknesses and a variety of techniques to help overcome any personal challenges. Register by 27 September.
Find out more and register
National learning exchange for delegated healthcare activities
Wednesday 10 July | 10:00 – 11:30 | Zoom
Join us at our next virtual learning exchange event for delegated healthcare activities. You’ll be able to ask questions and hear from organisations that have been testing the voluntary guiding principles and resources. The session will be of interest to managers within care providers, as well as commissioners and those working as part of their Integrated Care Board (ICB).
Find out more and register your place
Resources
Introductory modules for managers
Based on the Manager Induction Standards, the 11 eLearning modules cover topic areas including supporting and developing teams, regulation and governance, making decisions and personal development and wellbeing. The modules include real-life examples of good practice that learners can connect with, relate to, and learn from. They’re interactive; keeping people engaged throughout using activities, videos and providing time and encouragement to reflect and a cost-effective way to support your development.
Each module costs £15 or you can purchase the full suite at the discounted price of £130.
Find out more about the introductory modules for managers
People performance management
Successful people performance management benefits include a valued, supported, and engaged workforce which can lead to job satisfaction and higher quality of care, supporting you to keep the right people in your teams. Developed in partnership with NHS Employers, the toolkit provides practical support enabling you to develop the skills needed to confidently deal with different areas of managing people, including how to review performance on an ongoing basis; what to do if a member of your team is underperforming and how to support staff who are high achieving.
Access the People Performance Management Toolkit
Creating a positive culture
A positive workplace culture leads to a happy healthy workplace with staff who enjoy their work and are more likely to stay. This toolkit will support you at different stages of your workplace culture journey to establish, maintain and improve your workplace culture so that it’s inclusive, compassionate and collaborative.
Explore the positive culture toolkit for adult social care
Developing new managers and deputies
Succession planning is an effective way of strengthening your team, supporting your existing managers and future proofing your service. It’s a key part of ensuring services continue to provide well-led, consistent and quality care. Our developing new managers and deputies guide supports succession planning for the next generation of managers and includes practical examples and checklists. It can be used with your own team members to support succession planning but there are tools within the guide that you could use with your own manager to support your own development.
Access the developing new managers and deputies guide
DBS checks
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are an essential tool when recruiting safely and fairly. Employers are obliged to fulfil vetting requirements but with various different checks available, it can be difficult to know which one is the right choice. This series of videos can support you to understand the DBS process and how to know which check is right for you.
Find out more about DBS checks
If you need to get in touch with the organiser, contact Skills for Care Locality Manager C&W, Rachel Shaw:
Email: Rachel.Shaw@skillsforcare.org.uk or Mobile: 07971 078309
As part of the Enhanced Health in Care Homes (EHCH) work being undertaken in Coventry, we are looking to create a directory for all care home staff to be able to access, hosted on the ICB website.
This directory will provide useful links to training, referral pathways, information and key contacts. Please see example from Integrated Care Northamptonshire (icnorthamptonshire.org.uk) which we are hoping to replicate.
We are really keen to hear the voice of those working in care homes to know what would be most useful and are looking for volunteers to join a task and finish group.
The ask of you would be to attend the task and finish group meetings and participate in discussions around content for the site, as well as feeding back on pilots of the site, and to trial using them in the care home. The meetings would be once a month for an hour and there would likely be between 4-6 meetings in total.
We are really passionate to have your voice in this work. If you are keen to be a part of the project or if you have any questions, please contact sophie.meszar2@nhs.net.
This section of the bulletin is for highlighting community organisations providing support to adults in Coventry. Knowledge of support in the community enables a holistic approach from practitioners, providers and other professionals to effectively signpost individuals to relevant organisations.
Central Support Carers Group
Central Support Carers Group
First session: Tuesday, 2 July 12pm - 2pm
Where? Central Library, Smithford Way, Coventry, CV1 1FY
What is it? A safe space for carers who support an adult with a learning disability, to come together and enjoy a cuppa, a chat, advice and support.
The group will meet on the first Tuesday of each month at the Central Library Coventry 12pm - 2pm For more information please contact carergroups@carerstrusthofe.org.uk, or call 024 7663 2972 option 1.
Memory Lane Cafe
Memory Lane Cafe is a group run by Good Neighbours that provides companionship, activities, occasional entertainment, and socialising. It is a relaxed, informal drop-in providing support for people with memory difficulties and their carers.
When/where is it?: Every Friday 10.30-12 at Lawrence Saunders Road Baptist Church, Radford, Coventry, CV6 1HH or fortnightly at Woodside Avenue South Methodist Church, Finham, Coventry, CV3 6BE.
Who can I contact? carol@hopecoventry.org.uk or 07552 496661
Men's Social Groups - preventing isolation and loneliness
 A group run by good neighbours for men to chat, share, eat cake and meet new people.
When/where is it?
- Tuesdays 2-3pm at ICC Kerseley CV6 2FJ
- Thursdays 6.30-8pm at St Pauls Foleshill CV6 5AJ
- Fridays 1-2.30pm at St Martins Finham CV3 6EA
Contact: dave@hopecoventry.org.uk or 07715 405111
 When can I apply for the grant?
The grant window begins on 1 July, 2024
What is it?
Funding to support CQC registered Adult Social Care providers to adopt various technologies that can help you to transform the care you provide.
Who is the Grant available to?
Grants are available to CQC-registered Adult Social Care providers in Coventry and Warwickshire. This includes providers of Residential and Non-Residential Services. For example:
- Care homes with or without nursing
- Domiciliary Care
- Extra Care
- Supporting Living
- Shared Lives
How much is available:
Grants of up to £7500 are available for the implementation of Digital Social Care Records. The amount of grant allocation will be determined on completion of the online application form and provided as match funding to successful applicants.
Can I get help with completing my grant application form?
Yes. If you need help you can e-mail digitaltransformationfundenquiries@coventrygov.uk
For more information, please visit our commissioning website.
Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) Reminder
The Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) is a self-assessment tool that allows organisations to measure their performance against the National Data Guardian 10 data security standards. All organisations that have access to personal and sensitive data must use this toolkit to provide assurance of practicing good data security and that personal data is handled appropriately.
If you require any advice and support to progress this, please contact Mae.Fletcher@coventry.gov.uk
You can also check your DSPT status from the NHS ODS public portal by searching your unique ODS code or service name. Some providers will need to renew their compliance soon after reaching 1 year of compliance.
The reasons for you not achieving compliance may be:
- You have registered but not completed the checklist
- You have not renewed a year after achieving compliance
- You have not registered for DSPT compliance
The Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) is an online assessment that must be completed annually by all care providers who access NHS patient data or systems. DSPT compliance is also a mandatory requirement to access all existing and future NHS Digital platforms such as NHSmail, Remote Monitoring, Proxy Access, and Digital Social Care Record (DSCR).
Next steps
To begin the process, the first thing you will need to do is to register for a DSPT online account. You will need your unique NHS ODS Code ${Accounts.NHS ODS Code} and your email address. We recommend using a generic email account such as info@, manager@ rather than a personal email.
Secondly, you are encouraged to attend one of WMCA’s free workshops: Data Protection in General you can find a webinar to suit you, they run every week.
Or, to understand more about the DSPT, have a look at WMCA’s dedicated resources page you will find details of all the policies and procedures you will need to have in place as well as useful templates, videos and useful links.
Learning Disability Awareness Week took place 17-23 June. As such, we thought it would be a great time to showcase some positive stories from our Learning Disability providers.
JB - Achieving a goal of independent travel
FitzRoy is a nationwide charity which supports people with learning disabilities, autism, and mental health needs. The organisation took on 31 services in Coventry in July 2022, supporting 117 people.
One of those services is home to six people and opened in 2010, with JB one of the first residents to move in. JB wanted to be able to travel independently but didn’t have the confidence to leave the house on his own, even though he only has a small number of hours of support each week. In April 2023, staff started working with him to break the process down into manageable steps.
JB stands out when he goes out – he tends to wear very bright colours, for instance pink leggings with Disney characters on. He also likes to carry a large plush teddy when he goes out. Some of the initial training included discussing with him how to keep himself safe if he attracted unwanted attention
Staff carefully built up the time he felt confident to walk on his own when out with staff, then progressed to him making short trips on his own, before gradually extending the time and distance. By November last year, JB had successfully completed his travel training and was going out every day by himself, steadily going further and further afield.
Transforming MC’s confidence at home and out and about
MC moved into the same service in October 2022, having lived in another part of Coventry before, and it really knocked his confidence. Previously, he had been happily walking to the corner shop just down the road from his old service, but finding himself in a new, unfamiliar area was really daunting for him. He would only go out with staff and wanted them to hold his money for him at all times.
The team worked carefully on building his confidence incrementally, which started off with staff just hanging back a bit when they walked on set routes, so that MC knew exactly where he was going and that they would walk with him again after a short time. They built this up to the point that MC was comfortable going into the shop and paying for items himself. Getting the confidence to hand over his money and get his change back was a huge step forward for MC. The team then started extending the distance, so they would go into the shop across the road and tell MC they would be in there and he could come and find them once he’d bought his item. This meant they were still able to supervise from a distance to check that everything was going OK.
MC’s confidence in going out has grown so much that he’s recently been able to visit his mum a couple of times, having not seen her for four years because he found the unfamiliar area she lived in too daunting. At present, he wants staff to accompany him but is working towards being able to visit her independently.
The huge increase in confidence isn’t only noticeable when he’s out and about, however. When he first moved in, staff noticed that MC would never speak to someone first – he would look at them, with a smile on his face, but always wait for the staff member or his housemate to talk to him. He was also quite vigilant even when in his flat and would be up and down looking out the window – he couldn’t just sit down and relax on his sofa. Since having a consistent staff team and a set routine, so that he knows what’s planned each day, he’s much more relaxed and happier in himself in general. He now actively seeks out the staff to come and chat to them – and asks questions all the time – as well as engaging with his housemates far more.
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Love4Life Coventry helps people learn new skills, form friendships, and find love
Love4Life is a member-led network for people with learning disabilities and autism, which launched in Coventry in May 2023. Love4Life events help members to learn new skills and make new friends, with some friendships developing into romantic relationships.
One Coventry member, James, confided in staff after a workshop about scams that he’d been scammed through online dating. The team supported him to access free “Cyber Bobby” training, which has increased his knowledge of online crime and reduced his vulnerability. James has taken the advice on board and now knows how to watch out for signs of potential scams.
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Two members, Callum and Rebecca, met at a Love4Life event in September last year and became friends instantly. Whilst getting to know each other they decided that they would like to start dating. The pair are delighted with their new-found relationship – Callum said: “If we didn’t go to Love4Life, we wouldn’t have met. Rebecca is a kind, honest, beautiful lady.” Rebecca added: “I’m glad I met Callum at an event because I am happy now.”
Callum and Rebecca were both very shy when they started coming along to Love4Life, but their confidence has grown hugely since then. Callum has really come out of his shell and is now regularly found laughing at joking with his friends at Love4Life. Rebecca was initially accompanied by her mum but is now confident enough to come along to events independently.
Many of the members now catch up regularly outside of Love4Life, having met at one of the events. Four of the members have formed such a firm friendship group that they now frequently go to Coventry City football matches together.
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Awards Season for Green Square Accord!
Green Square Accord have been in the spotlight recently for national awards. They have received a staggering 234 nominations!
Green Square Accord holds awards for all the different parts of the company, there is team of the year, newcomer, collaboration and even more awards!
Arden Grove got to the final 3 for Team of the year. In total there was 234 nominations.
Manager Tracey Wakeling has told us:
"We will find out on the 3/7/24 when we attend the award ceremony so fingers crossed".
Best of luck and well done on all of your nominations!
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