Provider Engagement Event. Winter 2010 Issue 02. introduction and I will be engaging with you further in the coming weeks.

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1 Winter 2010 Issue 02 Welcome to the second issue of Essex County Council s Provider Engagement E-Newsletter. This E-Newsletter is designed to keep you up to date on Social Care issues and topics that affect you and your workforce. We hope you will find it informative. Foreword from Liz Chidgey Deputy Executive Director Adults, Health & Community Wellbeing It is now well publicised that the Social Care sector and the provider services market will be, in some shape or form, effected by the central government Spending Review. This will present a number of complex challenges in the next three years and more. As I stated in issue 1 of this newsletter, ECC has already began to make a number of changes to its services that will enable us to reach our 300M+ efficiency target in the next 3 years - but we cannot do this alone. Both myself and Will Patten, AH&CW Commercial Director, were able to engage directly with a number of you at the Provider Engagement and Collaborative event which took place in October. This day was great example of how engagement and partnership working will enable both Essex County Council and providers to meet the pressing challenges of the future. Throughout the event, I enjoyed hearing your innovative ideas of how we can transform services together, and via a number of provider stalls, I was able to see a wide range of different services and products to support the Essex citizen. You can read more about the event in the article following this introduction and I will be engaging with you further in the coming weeks. One of the key areas for development in the market is how we utilise Assistive Technology to enable vulnerable people to live with increased independence and to improve efficiency within the market. I have asked colleagues, as well as partners, to write a series of special Assistive Technology articles around the use of Assistive Technology and how Essex is looking to support providers to use these resources. I hope that this will give you a flavour of what Essex County Council, as well as other partners are doing to help to move the Assistive Technology agenda forwards. You will also find in this newsletter articles relating to the Nursing Contract, Safer Recruitment and the Provider Training Consortia. I encourage you to read this publication and to get involved with us here at Essex to meet the challenges ahead. Provider Engagement Event The provider engagement event, at 5 Lakes in Maldon, provided an opportunity to outline the national backdrop, local challenges and the Essex strategic direction. Your feedback from the event was valued and below are the next steps summarised under 5 key themes: Past Relationships and Trust It is recognised that there is a need to develop sustainable positive partnerships where there is shared risk and benefit. This will mean different things to different organisations and we recognise

2 that a one size fits all approach will not achieve the required improvements in quality, choice and efficiency. We are therefore developing a range of communication and engagement channels to share information and encourage ideas, innovation partnerships and to build back the trust in the market. Initial channels developed are outlined below: Website: Commercial.team@essex.gov.uk Telephone: Write: Commercial Team Essex County Council A7, County Hall Market Road Chelmsford CM1 1QH Face to Face - Contact the commercial team to book a meeting Newsletter Engagement event - Annual event Training Consortia - 92 Consortia across the county. To join contact the commercial team. Provider of Care working group - Quarterly working group. To join contact the commercial team. Financial Savings We have to achieve significant financial savings over the next 3 years. To achieve this will require doing things differently and not doing certain things in the future. Some of this work is already underway through the retendering of the Home Support Service and Nursing contacts where we are introducing a framework contract and ranked lists based on 60% quality and 40% price. This will encourage competition within the market to ensure best value for the service user. We are also looking at where we can strip out duplication and non added value process. We are working on a range of concessions to support this journey where we can offer support or products that will help reduce overhead costs. This is however, a two way process and we encourage you to come forward with your innovations and ideas on how you can work with us to achieve the savings levels. We will publish further details shortly on concessions and how you can access them. Planning As the new Target Operating Model within the council emerges, we will be publishing the timelines and implications. We will also look to publish our commissioning intent to support your own strategic planning. Communication and Engagement We are committed to improving the communication and engagement channels, and as described above. We are looking to develop this via a range of different mediums. We will develop through these channels and commit to regularly informing the market of any structural changes. Markets We recognise that there is a requirement to improve universal information, advice and guidance to service users including financial advice and planning. As part of the Target Operating Model work, we are looking to the most appropriate way of achieving this. To support the market to respond to changing requirements and needs we are committed to sharing relevant information to support you to undertake business planning. The historical relationship of Essex County Council as the commissioner who dictates the market requirements is however, changing. With the shift to service users having Cash Payments and making their own choice requires the market needs to develop its provision to cater for the individual. Through our communication channels, we will be regularly sharing market information and signposting to relevant national and regional information.

3 To receive copies of the presentations from the event, please Assistive Technology Special Articles Introduction from Lorna Lorna Chun Assistive Technology Consultant I am a passionate believer that Assistive Technologies can not only transform the life of a vulnerable person, but can also transform the way organisations work in a time of both economic and demographic pressures. Applying Assistive Technology strategies to the Adult Social Care (ASC) Sector presents an ideal opportunity for organisations, including local authorities such as Essex County Council, to work in strong partnership with others to introduce radical reform which will meet the expectations of the customer and will decrease both present and future demands on the service. Here at Essex, we have been communicating the many positives of Assistive Technologies to the ASC workforce for some time via newsletters, direct s and training. We have also been working with partners, such as Tunstall, to invest in specialist Assistive Technology resources for advice, guidance and support to ensure that the customer receives the highest level of services to enable those in the community to remain in the community. I also think that is important that Assistive Technologies are used to support those who currently reside in a care setting to help maintain and improve the quality of life. Essex County Council colleagues have also been championing the many positives of Assistive Technologies throughout the county by organising specialist events and attending others, such as the Occupational Therapy Expo, with purposebuilt informative displays. The Essex County Council organised Provider Engagement and Collaborative Event was a great success by bringing together numerous partners at a central point to share ideas of how we can move forward together. It is important that we continue to develop Assistive Technology solutions and strategies by sharing best practice, efficiency working and product design to truly make Assistive Technology the first option when supporting vulnerable people. We must also continue to share ideas to face present and future challenges head-on to truly make a difference to the lives of Essex citizens. I hope that you find these Assistive Technology related articles interesting and informative if you would like to know more about Assistive Technologies, please do not hesitate to contact: Lorna.Chun@essex.gov.uk Working in Partnership for Better Outcomes Words from Lorna Chun Assistive Technology Consultant Adults, Health & Community Wellbeing I want to work closely with providers throughout the county to look at how we can work together by using creative strategies to meet the future challenges. I also want to work with providers to effectively promote Assistive Technology solutions to help transform the lives of individuals and support them to live independently.

4 To achieve this goal, I want providers to contact me directly but what are the benefits to the provider from this approach? We are working closely with a leading Assistive Technology provider, Tunstall, to ensure that the best resources are available plus, it will enable all partners involved to access resources more efficiently and effectively. Working with Essex County Council (ECC) has a number benefits: ECC has secured preferential rates for technology infrastructures ECC has negotiated favourable rates to support access to financial arrangements that support early intervention ECC has negotiated a basic training resource with Tunstall in addition to ECC standard Assistive Technology commissioning and awareness training provision Access to Tunstall for remote Assistive Technology technical support, advice and guidance ECC has made an investment in a specialist Assistive Technology resource for advice, guidance and implementation support. As you can see from the above, by working with us here at ECC we can co-produce positive and effective shared outcomes: We can together compare and review opportunities for a shared vision We can together align strategic objectives for cost efficiency We can together develop new and creative technological approaches to service delivery We can together build and develop sustainable models for the population of Essex. I want you to contact me with your creative approaches to Assistive Technology commissioning, the effective use of staff and the delivery of care services and financial implications. I also want you to submit flagship model proposals; ECC will then review and commence discussions on how these can support the implementation most effectively. This truly is a great opportunity to get involved with us here at ECC, so don t hesitate to contact me via my , lorna.chun@essex.gov.uk, and lets start working together. Telecare Case Study A service user with multiple health conditions such as asthma, cataracts and a cardiac history, was placed in residential care in mid-may This followed a time spent in hospital following a heart complaint that resulted in the person not being able to live in his home environment soon after. The individual does have a high level of care needs that impact on his ability to cope with daily living tasks, for example; there is a high risk of falls. Following an assessment and an agreed care plan, the individual wanted to live independently in his own home but was aware of his own health risks. By working with Essex County Council ASC frontline Teams, it was suggested that Assistive Technology was to be put in place to manage his 24 hour health needs. This was also an important factor as the individual did not want extra care support and did not want to live in residential care. An ASC frontline employee assessed what Assistive Technology equipment was required to enable the individual to stay in his home and to meet needs. It was decided that the best equipment to use was a pressing portable trigger that linked to the telephone and could raise the alarm to emergency services when required. Technology was also put in place to detect falls which works in the same way.

5 By using Assistive Technology, the outcomes for the individual are as follows: The person is pleased to be living back in his own home The Assistive Technology has enabled the person to feel safe in the home Independent living can be fulfilled as emergency services can be alerted via the 24hour monitoring service from the Assistive Technology The individuals Carers and GP can also be alerted by using the Assistive Technology equipment As you can see, Assistive Technology has enabled the individual to remain in the community and has vastly increased his quality of life. For more information regarding Assistive Technology, please click here. Essex County Council Telecare Champions Essex County Council Telecare Champions are nominated by their Managers to increase the knowledge and understanding of Assistive Technology on behalf of a team, in particular, its potential to improve independence and choice for service users. The Telecare Champions role is to guide and support their team colleagues to identify and commission Assistive Technology for their service users and carers where applicable. The Telecare Champion role is a new one for Essex, and the Champions that have been nominated already have a wide range of knowledge and skills covering both Health and Social Care. It is anticipated that the increased knowledge and understanding of Assistive Technology can also be cascaded to other areas and partner organisations. Case studies are currently being collated to share good practice, as well as to contribute to future planning around Assistive Technology. Essex County Council has identified over 32 Champions across the County and the numbers will only grow as the Assistive Technology strategy gathers further pace. Sunnyside House Supporting Service Users Before the Move to Independent Living Sunnyside are working with Lorna Chun and Essex County Council to establish an innovative process for meeting service user needs with Assistive Technology. This is whilst ensuring that risks are being managed appropriately to support the new care delivery and enabling approach that Sunnyside are committed to achieving. Sunnyside are also working with other local authorities and have put ideas forward in various think tank groups with other providers present. Sunnyside believe that Assistive Technology will enable service users to become less dependent on their carers - be that in a care home or in the family home. They support service users to become familiar with the technologies in the their training home so that when they move on to independent living, it will make the transition easier as they are already used to using the technology. Each user will also have an Assistive Technology assessment to review their needs so that a personalised support plan can be implemented to help their transition into independent living. A Sunnyside representative spoke about the specific subject of savings, In regards to savings, it is quite simple really - if your staff need to provide less 1:1 support then this should result in

6 less time required with each service user, and therefore less costs per person. This could be savings in night and day staff depending on particular service user needs. More important than just the savings though, is the enablement of each individual and the assistance the technology can provide in helping people with learning disabilities to live more independently. Adopting Assistive Technologies in the current financial climate is focusing Sunnyside in providing an enabling, high quality service that is cost effective and takes into account efficiencies that providers and local authorities are keen to make - Assistive Technology solutions are helping to meet these goals. A Word from Tunstall Established in the UK in 1957, Tunstall Healthcare Group is a leading provider of telehealthcare solutions. Operating in more than 30 countries and employing over 1000 people, Tunstall supports 2.5M people around the world, empowering them to manage their own health and wellbeing. Tunstall's philosophy is simple - to protect, support and care for people - by providing healthcare technology and services that enable anyone requiring support and reassurance, such as older people or those with long term needs, to lead an independent life with dignity and reassurance. Tunstall has long been associated with quality and innovation and is committed to developing groundbreaking new products and services that will work on a single platform, with reduced costs and increased capability. The company invests 4-5% of its revenue into Research and Development, and regularly undertakes customer focused events designed to gather feedback to inform the future development of its products and services. Tunstall s philosophy is that of a partner, rather than supplier. The company ethos focuses as much on developing support and services as it does on technological innovation. In the immediate future, we will continue to share our experience of best practice in telecare with our customers, gathering and disseminating evidence of the benefits and helping them to create efficient, successful services to improve the quality of life in their communities. Our work developing tools and resources to support the implementation of large scale telecare and telehealth projects will also continue as we strive to bring the benefits of telehealthcare to as many people as possible. We will also work with our partners to embed telecare and telehealth into health and social care delivery, contributing to integrated working and enabling a preventative approach. In the longer term, we will extend our range of solutions to offer increased support to people with conditions such as dementia and those with learning and physical disabilities. We will also continue to align our service and support authorities like Essex to deliver more for less by driving innovation and inspiring new ways of thinking and models of working. Click here to visit the Tunstall website. Maldon Community Assessment Team 4 Week Pilot Essex County Councils Community Assessment

7 Team in Maldon undertook a 4 week pilot project regarding Universal Services. Using creative practice, employees worked with service users and carers in deciding the level and range of services that would be required. The main emphasis was to ensure that service users were able to exercise their choice within the commissioning of services to support needs. For most service users, sustaining a life style that retains the key elements of choice, being able to participate in what is happening around them, feeling safe in their own community and receiving local support to maximise independence is crucial. The results from the pilot were interesting - 30% of service users benefited from using universal services during the pilot, annual indicative reduction in sourcing statutory services exceeding 240k based on the outcome of the 4-week pilot. Putting service users, carers and families in contact with local community based resources had a positive impact on the department in that there were no enduring dependence on either workers or the department itself. In regards to Assistive Technology, employees at Essex are being informed to keep this at the forefront when undertaking assessments and reviews. Sharing knowledge and expertise of not only what is available, but giving true accounts of how Assistive Technologies have impacted on service users lives and also being mindful of the preventative element in using this technology is also highlighted in communications and training. Manufactured by Invacare. Affected wheelchairs were manufactured between January 2008 and June XLT wheelchairs with a backrest height of less than 40cm are not suitable for use as a seat in a vehicle. Occupants will be at increased risk of injury in the event of a vehicle impact. Invacare has issued a Field Safety Notice (FSN031) with warning labels to be affixed to each wheelchair but have been unable to trace all users. All XLT wheelchairs were supplied with wheelchair tie-down labels on the frame, implying that all configurations were suitable for use as a seat in a vehicle. In addition, the instructions for use did not provide clear guidance on the limitations for those with a backrest height of less than 40 cm. Invacare revised the instructions for use, which are available from the company s website (external link), and has produced warning labels to fit to existing wheelchairs to cover the tie-down label. All new XLT wheelchairs supplied with this configuration of backrest are now supplied with warning labels on the frame. Equipment Information All XLT manual wheelchairs with a backrest height of less than 40cm.

8 Nursing Contract Tender The initial tendering round is now nearing completion with the clarifications drawing to a close and contracts currently being prepared and signed. For those providers where we have reached agreements, the ranked lists are set up and are operational. The benefits of this more consistent approach are already being realised by both Essex County Council and the top ranked providers. The next opportunity for providers to participate this month when tenders will be issued ready for new providers to be considered when the ranked lists are reviewed in January Safer Recruitment Although it is recognised that care providers have in place safe recruitment polices, concerns have been noted when care providers employ agency workers from a care agency. Below are some reminders of areas to consider when recruiting via an agency: It is a requirement that care providers have in place the same safe recruitment procedures for all types of employment including care workers employed direct from a care agency Although care providers may assume that the care agency has in place the required recruitment checks, it is the responsibility of the care provider to ensure procedures have been followed, such as CRB checks, appropriate references etc. The care provider should not assume that the care agency has correctly followed procedure and should engage with the care agency to ensure the required procedures have been followed for each agency worker who may be potentially employed If someone receives a trace on their CRB check, then this does not automatically mean they cannot work in the care sector. It would be expected that the employer would make a decision on their suitability and, if they employ the individual, they would have an appropriate risk management plan in place. As well as the CRB checks, there is an expectation that suitable references would be obtained which would highlight any areas of concern It is recommended that the care provider should check references obtained by the care agency in accordance with their own safe recruitment procedures. Historically, Essex County Council required two references when recruiting staff, however this did not always highlight any gaps in employment. Essex County Council has now changed its recruitment policy and requires references to cover 5 years previous employment. This allows any gaps in employment to be verified To prevent assumptions and to ensure the safeguarding of vulnerable adults, it is recommended that care providers obtain evidence from the care agency to ensure safe recruitment polices have been followed. Supporting Providers Essex County Council has put together a new programme to support Care Providers who provide care to Essex residents with their staff training. The programme is called The Provider Support Programme. The Mission

9 This programme represents an innovative new approach to supporting care providers in Essex to access training. Essex County Council values your input and wants you to have more control, a direct influence and ultimately more training. This initiative is designed to ensure that all care providers get the best value to increase the amount of training. The Objectives: Promote excellent learning outcomes across Essex Support your input and cooperation for greater levels of development and learning Provide and support more training and make it available in your local area Ensure the highest quality, most efficient and best value for money training We want to work in partnership with you to develop the availability of funded training. The purpose of the Consortium is to ensure that all staff within the Consortium have access to training which imparts knowledge and skills pertaining to their specific role within their organisation. Each Care Provider within the Consortium will work together to share training resources and best practices for their service. Essex County Council will facilitate access to training organisations that have been assessed as a provider who can supply training which meets both quality and best value in terms of delivery. By sharing good practice and knowledge between the Consortium members, staff will have better access to resources that will enable them to attain up - to - date knowledge and skills in line with current legislation for the care sector. This will include free access to each of the members own in-house or bought-in training by other Consortium members as and when places are available. As Consortium members share training resources with each other, there will be an improvement in the ability to access and make best use of available resources. Training costs money. Costs include the trainer, venue and travel. This cost often makes training difficult as funds are limited, and staff find it difficult to access travel solutions through either cost or availability. The Consortium approach can deliver a more effective way to achieve your desired learning outcomes. Be Prepared! As we enter the winter season and have already been hit by several bouts of inclement weather conditions, we cannot over-emphasise the importance of ensuring we are well prepared for the challenges and pressures that it brings. We would like to urge all social care providers to particularly consider your capacity and contingency plans to ensure they are robust in the face of the challenges we anticipate. We will expect that the majority of social care providers will need to activate their business continuity plans over the coming weeks in order to effectively manage the diverse situations and the risks that come along with the season. Remember: For the latest traffic and travel updates phone the Traffic Control Centre on Monday to Friday, 7am to7pm; Listen to local radio for the latest weather and travel information; Or check the internet: Shortcut to: st_warnings.html

10 Subscribe to ECC s twitter Travel; Finally, we would like to urge all to work together to ensure that we sustain high and improving quality services and service continuity through the coming months. Thank you for your anticipated co-operation and the valued effort that has already gone into ensuring service continuity through this period. Last Minute News Essex County Council Employees Receive National Awards Essex County Council employees achieved notable success in the Great East of England Care Awards. The Service Placement Team won the Care Team Award and Steve Knight, Quality and Development Officer, was awarded the Care Innovator Award for the development of a Universal Supervision Guide. This is great news for the team and recognises the dedication of those involved. Personalisation & Building Community Capacity Networks. Social Care Institution of Excellence is hosting Personalisation and Building Community Capacity networks through this website, instead of DH Care Networks Feedback This E-newsletter is for your information on the Adult Social Care agenda, aiming to ensure that our providers are kept up-to-date and in the know of all developments within the Directorate. If you have any feedback or suggestions of topics for consideration in future editions of the Provider Engagement E-newsletter then please contact us by commercial.team@essex.gov.uk Useful Links Dignity Champions for advice on person centred quality care services dignitychampions@dhcarenetworks.org.uk Supplier Portal is a simple, secure and efficient means for managing tenders and contract negotiations. Look out for future tender opportunities help@bravosolution.co.uk