Agenda and minutes
PDF 131 KBVenue: Civic Centre, St Stephens Place, Trowbridge, BA14 8AH
Contact: Penny Bell (Democratic Services Officer)
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10.30am |
Chairman's Welcome & Apologies - Councillor Graham Payne Minutes: The Chairman, Councillor Graham Payne, and Bob Brice of Trowbridge Community Area Future, welcomed everyone to the special meeting of the Trowbridge Area Board.
The theme for the special meeting was ‘Senior Citizens’ and there were a number of exhibition stands and organisations offering support and advice for older people. |
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Declarations of Interest Councillors are requested to declare any personal or prejudicial interests, or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee. Minutes: There were no declarations of interest. |
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10.40am |
Warm Up to Music Sally Evans, Fitness & Friendship – Age UK. Minutes: Sally Evans, Fitness & Friendship – Age UK, demonstrated an interactive warm up to music which incorporated gentle exercises and stretched that could be carried out in the home.
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10.50am |
Councillor John Thomson - Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member with responsibility for Adult Care, Communities and Housing To talk about issues relevant to senior citizens in the Trowbridge Community Area. Minutes: Councillor John Thomson, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet member with responsibility for Adult Care, Communities and Housing, gave an update on the Council’s blue badge scheme.
Recent changes to the way the blue badge scheme was administered had affected how some groups, such as the Link Scheme, could apply. Councillor Thomson was pleased to announce that Wiltshire Council encouraged Link Schemes to get in touch because the Council was supportive of blue badges being issued to Link Scheme drivers.
Further information was available from the Blue Badge Team:
Tel: 01225 713002 Email: BlueBadge@wiltshire.gov.uk . |
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11.00am |
U3A Emie Haysom U3A will give an introduction to what U3A is and what activities it provides locally. Minutes: Emie Haysom provided information regarding the ‘University of the Third Age’ (U3A).
U3A provided access to education for older people who were retired or semi-retired and not seeking employment. The West Wilts U3A had over 600 members.
Further information was available from:
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11.10am |
Staying in Touch Through Technology Natalie Luckham, Wiltshire Council’s Social Media Officer, will explain what social media is and give a demonstration of how it can be used. Minutes: Natalie Luckham, Wiltshire Council’s Social Media Officer, provided information on how social media, being internet and online based communication channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Skype and Youtube, could help people to stay connected with friends and family across the globe.
Further information on social media was available as follows:
Tel: 01225 793349 Website: www.wiltshireonline.org Email: digitalinclusion@wiltshire.gov.uk Twitter: @wiltshireonline . |
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11.20am |
Help to Live at Home Andrew Osborn, Wiltshire Council Programme Manager, will explain what Wiltshire Council is doing to help older people to live at home. Minutes: Andrew Osborn, Wiltshire Council’s Programme Manager, provided information on what the Council was doing to help older people to live at home.
The Help to Live at Home Service had been created by Wiltshire Council with, and for, older people and others who require support, including families or carers. These services all aimed to ensure that people received the help they needed, when they needed it and, as far as possible, people were encouraged to be as independent as possible.
From talking to people, the council knew that older people wanted support that would help them to live interesting, stimulating, and fun lives whilst remaining safe and secure in their own homes. Help to Live at Home had been designed with this in mind.
Further information on the Help to Live at Home service was available from:
Tel: 0300 456 0111 Email: careathome@wiltshire.gov.uk . |
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11.30am |
South West Seniors Network Brian Warwick, Chairman of South West Seniors Network, will talk about the network and how it will benefit older people in the Trowbridge Community Area. Minutes: Brian Warwick, Chairman of the South West Seniors Network, provided information about the network and how it would benefit older people in the Trowbridge Community Area.
The South West Seniors Network promoted the needs of older people and talked to Government and regional decision makers on behalf of older people at grassroots level.
There were 62 senior forums in existence in the south west at present. There was not currently a forum in the Trowbridge Community Area, but it was hoped to develop one in 2013 in partnership with Trowbridge Community Area Future, the Area Board and other local partners. |
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11.40am |
"Ask the Panel" - Your opportunity to ask the experts Minutes: The Chairman thanked all of the speakers for coming along and talking about their individual projects and services.
The Chairman welcomed the speakers to form a panel and answer questions that were arising from their presentations.
The following is a summary of the questions and comments that arose from the floor:
· Wiltshire Council was an active user of social media. Accounts were monitored Monday to Friday and responses were sent throughout the day with an average response time being approximately 2 ½ to 3 hours. · Care at home funding was not ring-fenced now to allow more flexibility within budgets. · All organisations providing care were open to inspections from the Quality Care Commission, but Wiltshire Council also had its own Inspections Team which had the power to remove care provider’s contracts if services were unsatisfactory. · Wiltshire Council encouraged service users to play an active park in monitoring the quality of care provision, and people were urged to contact Wiltshire Council if they had any concerns. · With regards to the proposed Primary Care Centre, it was noted that Dr Steve Rowlands would be attending the Area Board meeting on Thursday 17 January to provide an update. · It was suggested that any future, similar events needed to have an NHS representative at the top table. · Councillor Thomson suggested that the delivery of the Primary Care Centre might be assisted if a Community Group was set up, as this was the case in Malmesbury Community Area where a PCC was achieved.
Councillor Thomson asked everyone in the room to give some thought to issues regarding delayed discharges. He reported that there was an increase in the number of hospital admittances, and there were also a lot of delays occurring when hospital patients had finished their treatments but wanted to be transferred to somewhere other than where was available/being offered. This was resulting in delays and valuable hospital beds being taken up.
In response to this, the following comments arose:
· It was important to know why people were refusing the post-hospital accommodation that was being offered to them. · This was suggested to be a common problem across the country. · It was often thought to be the family and not the patients themselves that influenced the decisions regarding post-hospital care and accommodation. · The NHS was free at point of need, but social services was means tested, and this was likely to concern people upon leaving hospital. · In response to the comment above, Councillor Thomson announced that Wiltshire Council had taken the bold step to fund up to the first 6 weeks post-hospital care free of charge, for those who meet the council’s eligibility criteria. This was also available to people not in hospital, where it could prevent an admission. · Wiltshire Council was commended for this decision and it was suggested that this needed to be advertised and communicated more effectively as it may help the situation with delayed discharges. |
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12.00pm |
Plenary and Close The Chairman will close the meeting and summarise the main points of the meeting. Minutes: The Chairman thanked all of the speakers and exhibitors for attending the event and for making it a success.
The Chairman also thanked the organisers, Rachel Efemey, Penny Bell and Trowbridge Community Area Future, particularly Tracy Sullivan.
Finally the Chairman thanked everyone who had attended the event, and welcomed them to browse the exhibition stands.
The next meeting of the Trowbridge Area Board would be held on Thursday 15 November 2012, 7pm at the Civic Centre, Trowbridge. |