News from Cumbria Action for Health

The latest news from Jozi Brown, Senior Engagement Officer at Cumbria CVS

Public Health Alliance Update
update from Sonia Mangan, third sector representative on the Public Health Alliance – and formerly the Health and Wellbeing Board
Colleagues may be aware that the current arrangements for the Cumbria Health and Well-being Board in the County have changed in very recent months. This was as a result of a review from the Local Government Association. I am sorry to report that it has been decided that the Cumbria Health and Well-being Board will be reduced to statutory membership only – and that means that the Third Sector no longer has a place on this group. However we are still involved at a local level in the local Forums, for example a third sector representative is the Chair of the South Lakeland Health and Well-being Forum [and in Barrow the third sector representative is the vice-chair of the Health and Wellbeing Forum] and we are very involved at every level in the review of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and the Health and Well-being Strategy.

A new group – The Public Health Alliance – has been established to co-ordinate some of the work of the Forums and to make sure that we have a clear focus in the County on some of the Public Health issues which effect Cumbrian citizens. It is early days and as a result am not sending out the Terms of Reference as they are being reviewed following the inaugural meeting this week but what I can say is that as elected Third Sector Health and Well-being representative I am representing the sector on this new group and have been elected by the group as their Chairman.

More information as I get it but in the meantime and as always I am happy to hear from you.
Sonia (Sonia.mangan@croftlands.org)

Community Healthy Weight Pilot Grants
(Cumbria County Council/Public Health Team)
The grants will fund community groups, voluntary organisations or social enterprises, but applications will also be considered from other agencies if they already work closely with local communities. Funded activities must be targeted at children (children being seen as 0-16, with priority being given to activities aimed at 0-11 years) and their families and meet the following criteria:

  • Provide new activity AND/OR develop/improve an existing activity (e.g. offering an activity in a new area or with a different population/group)
  • Build knowledge skills and capacity in the local community (e.g. include training for staff and/ or volunteers, include the provision of equipment and resources that can be used by local groups in the future)
  • Increase physical activity AND/OR encourage/educate people to eat a healthy diet AND/OR improve access to healthy food

Application forms for the Healthy Weight grants can be found on the Cumbria County Council website at: http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/yourcommunitysupport/communitygrants.asp

Community Weight Management Programme
The Pilot Community Weight Management Programme is a 12 week programme that is free at the point of entry. The Community Weight Management Programme is currently being procured and Cumbria County Council is seeking providers. The opportunity can be found on ‘The Chest’ (you will need to register for The Chest if you have not already done so):
https://www.the-chest.org.uk/cms/CMS.nsf/vLiveDocs/ED247A4AD398E8CF8025737D003C34D4?OpenDocument

Cumbria County Council will be taking an ‘any qualified provider approach’ for this contract.

Ask the panel a question at Furness Listening Event
The next Furness Listening Event will follow a ‘Question Time’ format inviting the public to ask questions around ‘Why is navigating the healthcare system so complicated?’ and ‘How can we make it simpler to use?’ At the event, which takes place on Friday 30 January from 12 noon in Barrow Town Hall, there will be a panel of local GPs, doctors from the hospital and senior healthcare managers ready to answer questions and listen to what the public have to say.

Patient Participation Groups from doctor’s surgeries in the Furness area were recently given the opportunity to put forward a question for the panel to answer on the day. In addition to these questions, those attending the event will also get the chance to ask the panel their own questions at a Q&A session for the last 30 minutes of the event. Anyone who would like to ask a question privately will be able to submit their question confidentially.

Dr Arabella Onslow, Deputy Lead GP for NHS Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Furness, added: “It is now over 12 months since the first Furness Listening Event and I am really pleased that they have become an established part of the Furness calendar. I would like to thank local people for the enthusiasm and commitment they have shown by supporting the Listening Events.
Dr Onslow added: “The question time theme for January’s event is quite different to previous ones, but all the partners felt it was a great opportunity to offer the public a chance to ask questions about their local health services. Hearing patient’s stories and learning from real experience is the most powerful way of understanding the importance of change and improvement. We want to ensure that services are shaped by the public and deliver what they need. There is so much evidence in other businesses and organisations that the better the relationship between service providers and service users the better the outcomes, which means, for a health service, a healthier population.”

Jackie Daniel, Chief Executive of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘’These events are a great opportunity for local people to meet staff from Furness General Hospital and share their experiences and views on how we, along with other local health partners, are performing, what we are doing well and how we can improve. We want to listen and use the public’s views to help us deliver a joined-up health service which serves the best interests of local people.’’

The Listening Events are a one-stop-shop for engagement on health issues in the Furness area and will keep evolving and changing to meet the public’s needs and expectations.
They have also been a catalyst to the start of a new, collaborative relationship between the community and health service providers to build understanding and take healthcare in Furness into new realms. The events are organised in collaboration with NHS Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMB).

The Richmond Fellowship Business Development Manager vacancy
The Richmond Fellowship Group is looking for an experienced Business Development Manager to work as part of their Northern Region Team (ideally Cumbria based). As part of this team you will work specifically to support the work of their partner organisation Croftlands Trust who deliver a range of mental health services across Cumbria.
http://jobs.richmondfellowship.org.uk/vacancies/1187/business_development_manager/

‘Be the Change’ Cumbria Launch agenda
13 February 2015
Created by Homeless Link, funded by Northern Rock, and run by its membership, this new network will encourage and empower professionals to drive the change that is so desperately needed in homelessness services across the area. Launch event at 9:30 – 4:15pm on the 13 February 2015 at South Lakes Foyer, Yard 95a, Stricklandgate, Kendal LA9 4RA Tel: 01539 742831. Please contact Lindsay Henderson for more information on 07798361367 or lindsay.henderson@homelesslink.org.uk

To book: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/be-the-change-launch-cumbria-tickets-15303842204
Please note that spaces are limited to 30 and the closing date for bookings is Monday 9 February.

Safer Future Communities (third sector) Network
Wednesday 4 February 2015
Eamont Room at Newton Rigg College, Penrith (CA11 0AH) from 1.30 to 3pm.
Paul Bradley (Criminal Justice Business Manager for Safer Cumbria) will be coming along to talk to us about the new structure for Safer Cumbria. This will include an overview of third sector engagement and opportunities within the structure. This will also give us the chance to revisit the work currently happening within the delivery /thematic groups (Alcohol Strategy, Community Safety Partnerships, Domestic Violence, Sexual Violence, Criminal Case Management, Reducing Reoffending, Victims and Witnesses, Tackling Hate Crime).
If you’re involved with any of these groups and would like to update third sector colleagues at this meeting that would be very welcome.
Please contact me jozib@cumbriacvs.org.uk if you’d like to attend.

DBS Duty to Refer Events
(free duty to refer events for individuals making barring referrals to the Disclosure and Barring Service)
21 January 2015 in Penrith, Cumbria (plus some others also being held around the country)
The events are targeted at employers and managers who have responsibility for removing individuals from regulated activity posts where harm has, or may, occur.
An event will last about three hours, allowing for questions and the opportunity to comment.
To book https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dbs-duty-to-refer-events

Integrated Personal Commissioning: Realising Person Centred Care Through Volunteering
These free events will explore how volunteers and volunteer involving organisations can contribute to and help deliver integrated, person centred care, in the context of ambitions of the Integrated Personalised Commissioning programme announced by NHS England in August 2014.

Run in partnership between CSV, ECORYS and In Control and with the support of NHS England, Public Health England and Regional Voices, the learning events will also provide participants with the opportunity to contribute to the development of guidance on how the volunteer involving sector can help ensure that people with health and care needs are able to access and make most effective use of the resources and support (including personal health budgets) to shape the care that is meaningful to them in their lives.

London, 28 January 2015
Preston, 3 February 2015
Leeds, 11 February 2015

Web link http://www.regionalvoices.org/node/264

Jozi Brown
Senior Engagement Officer
Cumbria CVS