Action Note Of Thurso Ward Forum Held On 15 September 2008
Present
Councillor John Rosie – Chair
Councillor The Lady Thurso
Councillor Donnie Mackay
Councillor Margaret Davidson – Chair of Housing & Social Work Committee
Bob Silverwood – Area Community Care Manager, Social Work
Dawn Grant – Area Childrens Manager, Social Work
Donellen Mackenzie – Assistant Community Care Manager, Social Work
Pat Boyle – Manager, Thor House Day Care & Respite Unit
Jean Lipa – Thurso Community Council
Bert Macleod – Thurso Community Council
Chief Inspector Liz Goskirk – Northern Constabulary
David Sutherland – Caithness Wards Manager, Highland Council
Robbie Mackintosh – Ward Managers Team, Highland Council
Alex Macmanus – Ward Managers Team, Highland Council
Elizabeth Anne Mackay – Reporter, John O’Groats Journal
5 members of the general public
1. Apologies
Bill Brown – Caithness West Community Council (Scrabster representative)
Lorna Simpson – Ormlie Community Association
Bob Earnshaw – Thurso Community Council
Local NHS - no one available to attend.
2. Previous meeting notes – 20.5.08
No issues to discuss
3. Social Work
Margaret Davidson – Gave a general overview of Social Work in the Highlands. Children & Families Service provides a good service but still has a lot to do. Work in tandem with NHS. Services are planned with such a huge area to cover. More emphasis is now being put on the transmission period from child to adult. Those on the Autistic Spectrum will get a much improved service.
More work is being done with the Criminal Justice Service (CJS) but again they have to cover such a large area which also includes the Northern Isles and Aberdeen. Aim of CJS is to reduce the number of re-offenders.
Community Care Service just made a big investment with the upgrading of Bayview. There has been a huge increase in the number of adults over 60/65 as they are now living longer with the majority wishing to be supported in their own homes. With investment in this service night and weekend cover has now been able to be accommodated.
Dawn Grant – Caithness would be taking on GIRFEC (Getting it right for every child) by March 2009. Service covers a wide rural area and has good inter-agency working. Help is always there when needed and by using a common assessment framework it now means that fewer children are being reported to the Panel. Agencies are now using a ‘common’ language and with new lead roles it is now usual for one child plan meeting with needs identified and meet sooner.
An Autism practitioner is due to be appointed shortly to be based in either Caithness or Sutherland and will lead a specialist team to look after children on the spectrum and work along side carers and family members. A news bulletin will be issued once the appointment has been made.
Bob Silverwood – Community Care looks after people aged 16 and over. There is no involvement with CJS. Look to maintain people in their own homes and community for as long as possible.
Work in partnership with NHS, Housing providers and volunteers. Close work with NHS to facilitate safe patient discharges from Caithness General & Dunbar hospitals.
The Home Care Service delivers personal care to a wide age range. Over 65’s get free following an assessment. This service is well developed in the County with the challenge being to recruit and retain suitable staff. A new package for Home Care staff has been introduced including travel time, access to further training and contracted hours. Home Care staff are now visiting homes up to 3 times a day which is helping to reduce service users going into hospital. Home Care Co-ordinators are now scheduling staff into hours.
Those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s get special day care at the Couthie Corner in Bayview
Helpcall service has developed now with TeleCare. This has been a big investment from the Council and built up on the technology that is now available e.g. remote temperature controls, remote door security and fire alarms. This is now being rolled out throughout the County with the aim of allowing people to remain in their own homes and communities longer.
Bayview house accommodates 23 people along with the Couthie Corner and a separate general Day Care Unit. The building was recently refurbished and is now full. The Care Commission compliment the building as being fit for purpose and use. The upper floor is part of discussions with the Care Commission over the new fire regulations and following recommissioning it is hoped to open up the top floor as a Special Care Area.
Pat Boyle – Thor House Day care Unit accommodates between 15 to 18 service users in a week Some coming for 3 days, some for 4 and others for the full 5 days. Respite Unit has 4 bed spaces and accommodates 3 separate user groups i.e. Under 16, Teens (16 to 25) and adults. 21 children, 19 teens and 11 adults get respite service at Thor.
Thor budget is £540k per annum of which £468k is staff costs leaving £72k to run the building operating costs.
Respite Unit has 154 children bed nights, 134 Teen bed nights but only 82 adult bed nights. The adult group is under using its capacity however Grant Street in Wick and Beachview in Brora also offer adult respite care.
Donellen Mackenzie – Echo what her colleagues had said. Reminded that there are a lot of youngsters coming through the Social Work system and also it should be borne in mind that there are a lot of older carers out there in the community. Partnership working with housing and volunteering sector continues.
Comments from Forum members – Area has good coverage with Thor House providing an excellent service just a pity no more money to go round.
If people are to stay in their own homes longer with support it is important that access to showering facilities is provided. Occupational Therapists (O.Ts) have a waiting list and a heavy workload and with a shortage of O.Ts assessments take longer to get done. Look to be slicker at getting showers into homes. Make this a priority although OT assessment should lead to bath adaptations and then shower
Should housing service not be removing baths from sheltered houses as a rolling programme in favour of walk in showers? Member would speak to Area Housing Manager about this.
Taxi operators are reporting significant independence improvements from service users at Henderson Street over a period of only 6 months. Service Users are under the care of good carers who are building up high levels of confidence in them. There are no empty units in this complex
Community Centre at Oldfield has been talked about. Local member and Area Housing Manager are to report back in the next few weeks over this issue. It would be recommended that the residents in Oldfield be asked first for their ideas.
There are 72 service users registered on the Autism Spectrum and a specialist Autism worker with Community Care is being recruited. The transition stage from children to adult starts aged 14 with children services and community care working in tandem.
4. Community Safety
Chief Inspector Liz Goskirk – Important that all agencies work together. There is not a day passes that the Chief Inspector does not speak to an agency.
ANPR (advanced number plate recognition) system has now been fitted into 2 police vehicles with again thanks to the local members for financial support.
Safe Highlanders event has just been held again this year and has proved to be a success story with many primary school children in attendance.
The local police have had a challenging few months culminating with the visit of Prince Charles to the County.
There had been up to 1.7.08 48 arrests with 14 being for drink driving and 18 for assaults. There are more police now on the streets and being seen. Once a month underage drinkers are being targeted with drink being removed from them
By the end of September street football from 8.00pm to 11.00pm will be available in the town.
Drinking in public byelaw is in the pipeline for the town and this will be consulted at next Forum in December.
Discussions are ongoing at this time over the replacement of the Thurso CCTV system with a digital system.
Concerns were expressed over the number of under age drinkers on show at last year’s street party in the town and did the police go around the schools prior to the party to advise the pupils. Chief Inspector was on duty that night and did not believe that there were significant under age drinkers on show. Local member would speak to her privately.
5. Ward Discretionary Budget
£38,840 still left to be allocated. Still looking for projects to come forward from the Ward.
6. Date of future meeting
Monday 8th December 2008
7. AOB
Tesco are going to develop site at old mart.
The traffic signs are still not up in town which means that traffic warden can not do his job. Area Roads and Community Works Manager has acknowledged that these should be all in place within 4 weeks. Police will then enforce parking laws so long as signage is correct.
8. Question and Answer Session.
No questions from public.