STAFF GUIDE ACCESSING SERVICES FOR VULNERABLE ADULTS IN THE NORTH WEST LEICESTERSHIRE DISTRICT

Transcription

1 STAFF GUIDE ACCESSING SERVICES FOR VULNERABLE ADULTS IN THE NORTH WEST LEICESTERSHIRE DISTRICT

2 What is Signposting? A single gateway to a range of services designed to help people remain safe and independent in their homes. Who is the service for? The service is for any vulnerable person who is 18 years old or over who is a resident in the North West Leicestershire District Council area. How does it work? When a Partner agency is in contact with a vulnerable person aged 18 or over they complete a simple Checklist form. The form collects basic contact details and then about 20 simple yes/no questions are completed either by direct questions or as a result of observation. The form is then sent off to The First Contact Team, Room 500, County Hall, Glenfield, Leicester, who processes the data and make the appropriate referrals to other partner agencies. Can a person be signposted more than once? Yes. As a person s situation changes there may be very good reasons for the person to be re-signposted. What are the benefits of signposting? The whole scheme is designed (though joined-up working) to improve the health and wellbeing of older people across Leicestershire, whilst empowering individuals to remain living safe and independently in their own homes. First Contact enables and encourages take up of services through trusted and known professionals and volunteers advising on appropriate services within the person's home. Of particular relevance for older customers - where they often do not access services due to lack of information, an assumption they would not be eligible, or because that they would be seen as not being able to cope. Who signposts? At present, signposting is only done by professional people who have been trained in completing the form. Professional is used here to describe any person working for or with Partner agencies What s the signposting form like? The form is two sides of an A4 sheet. It asks only basic questions about the person plus the yes/no questions. It can take less than five minutes to complete. What is important is that the person who the form is about has the consent statement relayed to them and is aware that they will be contacted directly by any agency they are referred to. What if the person refuses? The person has a right to refuse the Signposting Service and this should be respected and the person should be reassured it will not affect any future service take up.

3 Who are the partners? The Fire and Rescue Service, Adults & Communities, Trading Standards, North West Leicestershire District Council, NHS Leicestershire County & Rutland, Leicestershire Constabulary, Victim Support, Pensions, Disability & Carers Service, Age UK, Citizens Advice Bureau, Community Voluntary Services, East Midlands Housing Association, SSAFA, Royal British Legion, Papworth Trust, Probation Service. What services are available? Home fire safety checks (fitting smoke detectors, and giving advice & information on fire safety); Welfare benefits advice this includes assisting people to claim all the state benefits to which they are entitled by helping to complete claim forms and then challenging any decisions that do not appear to result in appropriate awards of benefit. Grants, advice and practical assistance to overcome fuel poverty/heating difficulties; advice on affordable warmth; Grants and assistance with minor home repairs and adaptations to help people remain safely in their own homes; Adult Social Care Services where people meet local eligibility criteria; Home security/crime reduction advice and assistance, including door and window locks and security chains, peep-holes, etc; Risk assessments and advice to minimise the dangers from falls; Advice and information on local voluntary and community groups and clubs Information on different types of accommodation that may be available Is there a cost for the services? Agreeing to a referral will not incur any cost at all, and the majority of services are also free. If there is likely to be a charge the client will be made aware of it and given a free quotation. A referral will not commit the client to buying anything. Where are the services delivered? All services are delivered in the person s own home, through an appointment made at a time to suit the individual being visited. These appointments are usually made by telephone. All services are therefore equally available wherever the person lives within North West Leicestershire District. How soon are services provided? Each partner agency providing a service has its own response time, so the speed of delivery will depend upon which services are required. However we anticipate that the user will be contacted by the partner agency within 7 days and notified of an appointment within 28 days.

4 A Brief Staff Guide to Partners Services Adult Learning Service With hundreds of accredited and general interest courses on offer the Adult Learning Service can help clients on their way; gain the qualifications they need to change their career, make new friends, or learn a new craft or skill. Adults & Communities Adults & Communities provide a range of services for adults and their Carers including: Home care Day care Meals at home Residential and nursing care Discharge from hospital assistance Equipment and adaptations in the person s home Charges vary for services dependent on type of service and income Age UK Leicester, Shire and Rutland They offer practical help, advice and services for older people including: Advocacy Befriending scheme Daycare service Handyman scheme Home Help service Minority Ethnic Service Citizens Advice Service Helps people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free, independent and confidential advice in the following ways: By booking an appointment at the bureau or at an outreach centre with an advisor By telephoning the general advice line By telephoning the Money Advice Service and speaking with a specialist money advisor Advice can also be given by and in writing Environmental Health The Environmental Health Service at NW Leics District council deals with a wide range of public health issues including: Housing disrepair, improvement and adaptations Nuisance such as noise, smells, drainage and pest control

5 Energy efficiency improvement grants, incentives and discount schemes Housing Provider - East Midlands Housing Association Housing Providers have landlord responsibilities to repair and provide some adaptations to their homes. EMHA also provide accommodation for over 55 s and Sheltered Accommodation. They can also assist in looking for alternative accommodation. Also see Adult Social Care Services who assess for adaptations Environmental Health who deal with housing disrepair and improvement Leicestershire Constabulary - Crime Prevention Leicestershire Constabulary provides advice on crime prevention and home security, including door and window locks and security chains, peep-holes. Library Services This FREE service can deliver books, CDs, DVDs (special interest only), and talking books to your home on a regular basis by registered volunteers. They will visit you to discuss your choice of books and deliver them to your home. NW Leicestershire Community & Voluntary Service The Community & Voluntary Service, based at the Marlene Reid Centre, provides support to the community. This includes: Advice and practical help to voluntary and community groups Providing information on voluntary groups Transport help for groups and Creating networks with and between the sectors The Volunteer Centre helps in providing details of volunteering opportunities and advice on all aspects of volunteering NW Leicestershire Older Peoples Service The Home Alarm service provides a 24 hour emergency link for anyone in the Borough who is considered to be vulnerable, at risk or has a disability, and enables access to advice and reassurance at the press of a button. In an emergency, either personal or medical contacts or an appropriate emergency service will be asked to attend. The cost of the service will vary depending on financial circumstances. Papworth Trust - Home Improvement Agency Home Improvement Agency, can help with a number of jobs around the home, including adaptations such as stair lifts and repairs such as rewiring or guttering. Depending on their circumstances, people may be eligible for funding to help with the costs. The team can also offer free practical advice and support on topics including finances, security and keeping homes warm.

6 Pension, Disability & Carers Service Poverty and inadequate income is a major barrier to independence and well being. The Pension Service provide a home visiting service to help older people who need it with: Full benefit take up Forms completion Advice and information Probation Service; Community Payback - Leicestershire and Rutland Probation Trust Supervised work parties of offenders who have received an unpaid work requirements from the Courts. Work carried out by these groups is for the good of the community and include the clearance of gardens for older residents in the local area. Each group is supervised by a paid employee of the Leicestershire and Rutland Probation Trust and all offenders are risk assessed to ensure that the right people are sent to the right project. Royal British Legion The County Welfare team is part of the Royal British Legion's extensive Poppy Support services. They can help people who are serving, have served or are the dependent or carer of someone who has served in the UK's Armed Forces for at least 7 days (including the Territorial Army, Military Service and Home Guards) Poppy Support welfare services fall into the following categories; Poppy Advice - advice on war pensions, compensation claims, benefits and money matters, careers for those leaving the Forces Poppy Funds - emergency funding, assistance with loans for property repairs etc Poppy Homes - their Poppy Homes around the country provide short and long-term care for ex- Service people and their dependants Poppy Breaks - those who need a break can visit one of their four Poppy Break Centres, located in some of the country's most popular, traditional seaside resorts Poppy Travel - specialists in Remembrance and battlefield tours worldwide, each designed as a relaxing and informative holiday. Customised tours can be arranged for groups and schools Poppy Calls - a free dedicated handy person service to those unable to carry out small repairs and minor alterations in their own home SSAFA Forces Help SSAFA Forces Help has been serving the Armed Forces and their families for well over a 100 years and our work is as vital today as it has ever been. Our continually evolving support services are driven by the current needs of the Service community. They are particularly relevant in today's high pressure military environment, where our contemporary veterans and serving personnel alike often experience different problems from the soldiers, sailors and airmen of earlier conflicts. Reservists too, heavily engaged in current operations, have equal call on our services. From the provision of Health and Social services, to supporting the ex-service community; from

7 running a Forces line, to delivering holidays for children with additional needs. We cover a very broad spectrum of issues as you will see on What we do or download our general fact sheet. We try to bring our solutions to the widest audience possible - anybody whose life has been touched by time in the Armed Forces. Trading Standards Service, Leicestershire County Council Provides help and advice to residents who have been victims of doorstep crime and scams, including: Bogus callers Unacceptable sales practices Rogue traders cold calling offering unnecessary work and/or charge extortionate prices Distraction burglary Scam letters, including fake lottery wins and prize draws Scam telephone calls asking for money or bank details Victim Support We are the national charity giving free and confidential help to victims of crime, witnesses, their family, friends and anyone else affected across England and Wales. We are not a government agency or part of the police and you don't have to report a crime to the police to get our help. Victims can call us any time after the crime has happened, whether it was yesterday, last week or several years ago. We have offices throughout England and Wales and we run the Witness Service in every criminal court. For further details on the First Contact Leicestershire Scheme contact: Debbie Preston, First Contact Leicestershire Scheme Manager debbie.preston@leics.gov.uk Lisa Manley, First Contact Leicestershire County Coordinator (Charnwood, Hinckley & Bosworth and North West Leicestershire) lisa.manley@leics.gov.uk