helping you care for others

 
 
info / policies / updates

We hope that you find these items and links most useful. If there is any information, or policies or updates which you would like to see included on this web-page, please could you forward them to -

cornwallpic@btconnect.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The NCF Weekly Update (25th July 2007):

Please click on the below link to download

NCF Update No 29 (25 July 07)1.pdf

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) and the University of Bradford have developed a tool entitled “Guidance for inspectors:  Short Observation Framework for Inspection”.  Please click on the link below to access/download the Word document (SOFI_guidance.doc).

http://www.csci.org.uk/professional/default.aspx?page=7865&key

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CCC Care Policy Insights

CCC has published on its website a CCC Care Policy Insights paper, Paying for Care: Third-party top-ups and cross-subsidies, which summarises CCC’s concerns and explores the issue from the points of view of a policy adviser, a care-home owner, a local authority commissioner of care, a lawyer, a specialist financial adviser and a provider of charitable funding to those seeking care.
CCC seeks an extensive development of policy on funding for and access to care, on the principle that the provision of care is based on the needs of the individual rather than the method by which an individual’s care is funded, or their ability to pay. Only those who have genuinely exercised choice should expect to pay "top-ups".
We know that the issue is of great concern to members, so please feel free to circulate and/or publicise this paper as you wish. CCC does not have a publicity budget for this, so any help from members and contributors and their press/pr colleagues will be very much appreciated. Please also feel free to add links to your website. 

Quick link to overview: http://www.ccc-ltc.org.uk/publications/thirdparty.php (with links to the various chapters)
Latest news: http://www.ccc-ltc.org.uk/news (all downloading options, including pdf of full report)        

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DH announces National Framework for NHS Continuing Care

DH’s press release is given in full below, but the guidance itself does not yet appear to be on DH’s website. 

It is likely to appear at:
What’s New: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/News/DH_4015576
Or
Continuing Care Policy: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Organisationpolicy/IntegratedCare/Continuingcarepolicy/index.htm

Tuesday 26 June 2007 09:37
Department of Health (National)
Streamlining the system for NHS continuing care

Thousands of people in England are likely to receive more help towards their care costs, said Care Services Minister, Ivan Lewis, today.
The new National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare, published today, has been developed in close consultation with voluntary groups, professional bodies and patient/user groups and will make funding decisions on who is eligible for NHS continuing care fairer, faster and easier to understand.
It will create consistent access to fully funded care with clear national policies for deciding eligibility. It also abolishes different nursing bands for free nursing care - freeing up more time for nurses and cutting down on repeated patient assessments. The Framework will be put into action by the NHS and Local Authorities from October this year, and is expected to cost up to £220 million in the first year of operation.
Care Services Minister, Ivan Lewis, said:
"We understand that families do have to make difficult and emotional decisions when someone has to go into residential care and this can be made worse by having to consider how this will be funded."
At present, people with identical care needs can receive different decisions on whether they are eligible for fully funded continuing care, based purely on where they live.
The new system will address these anomalies and will introduce one national system for everyone needing this type of care in England.
Ivan Lewis continued:
"To make the system fairer for everyone, we have produced new national guidance. It will not solve all the problems at once but over time we expect there to be a real improvement that will lead to fair and consistent access to NHS funding across England, irrespective of location, diagnosis or personal circumstances.
"This will make the system faster and more convenient for both patients and professionals. In particular, it will be of help to those who previously been excluded, such as younger adults with long term neurological conditions and older people with dementia or other mental health needs."
Currently, nearly 31,000 people receive NHS continuing care, and around 70 % of care home residents already have some or all of their personal care costs paid by the public purse.
The NHS already provides all registered nursing care free for approximately 123,000 people.
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. NHS continuing care is a fully-funded package of health and social care. If individuals are not eligible for continuing care, they may be eligible for NHS registered nursing care provided in a nursing home. Currently, this funding is a tiered system based on the level of input required, but the Framework proposes to streamline this so that the NHS provides the same contribution to everyone receiving this type of care.
2. When individuals do not receive NHS funding, social care provision is subject to means-testing by the Local Authority. In addition, individuals who own their own home are usually able to enter into a deferred payment agreement with the Local authority to delay the sale of their home
3. The current nursing band rates are, are £40, £87 and £139. The new single rate is projected to be £101.
[ENDS]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Activity Group is working with the Care Sector to help increase staff awareness of the effective use of computers.

The ECDL certification training is designed for novices of all ages and abilities and will get you to a high computer literacy standard. It is the fastest growing IT user recognised qualification in over 125 countries. By gaining ECDL your staff in your company will become more confident and efficient in using computers, greater employee motivation, provides staff with recognition of their competence and literacy in computer skills, increased productivity and reducing time wasted on solving computer related tasks.

Everything you need in one pack for just £39.99!

ECDL Foundation Approved Syllabus 4 Curriculum containing all 7 ECDL learning modules.

ECDL CD-ROM

Up to 50 hours of multimedia-based interactive training courseware

No manuals or books required

Easy to follow modules and lesions, with sound and text

Study anywhere at anytime

ECDL Syllabus 4 Special Offer

For a limited period of time ECDL CD-ROMs access can be purchased for just £39.99. For further information contact our ECDL sales team on:-Tel: 0845 257 2390 or Email ecdl@activitygroup.co.uk or visit or website to try out our ECDL demo www.activitygroup.co.uk