Notice Board

Survey About Chemists and Pharmacies
NHS Manchester is conducting a Pharmacy Needs Assessment. This looks at how people use community pharmacies (Chemists) and what people think of them. They want to find out if the services on offer are the ones really needed by local communities, and to help plan and develop the best services for the future.

The survey is online and should take no more than 10 minutes to complete. It’s quite straightforward, so people who aren’t very confident with English should still be able to complete it. They have also tried to make it work with online translation - all you need to do is paste the address (www.surveymonkey.com/nhsmpharmacies) into an online translation engine (e.g. http://translate.google.co.uk/) to view and use the survey in a wide range of languages. Automatic translation is imperfect, but the survey should still be clear enough to use.

Also available is a TalkingHealth Telephone Survey Line (0161 765 4040) for people who don’t want to fill the survey in online. This is a voicemail box to collect people’s names and contact numbers ready for us to call them back during the week of 5th to 9th July 2010 to conduct the survey over the phone. Because you are only asked to leave your details (and any preferred call back time), you would only pay for a local-rate call of typically less than a minute. You can also use this line to request paper copies of the survey - just leave your address details instead of your phone number.

Link: www.surveymonkey.com/nhsmpharmacies

Asset Based Approaches
 There have been a number of documents published recently promoting so called "asset based ideas", such as the "big society", co-production, participatory appraisal and timebanking. This paper gives a brief summary of local groups in Manchester that are exploring asset based approaches and provides hyperlinks to key publications.

Download: asset_based_approaches_a_sample_of_the_literature.doc

NICE Guidance for Patients and Public
NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) is well known as the organisation which makes recommendations about which particular treatments should be available through the NHS. Since most of this guidance is for professionals, NICE also produces Plain English versions for patients, carers and members of the public. NICE has now introduced a search facility on its website for all these documents making it easier for people to find information they need to make informed choices about treatments. Follow the link below to view the search facility.

Link: NICE Guidance for Patients and Public

Manchester Community Central
MACC is proud to announce the launch of Manchester Community Central, the new support service for Manchester's voluntary and community sector. This is a new service being delivered in a partnership between MACC, Voluntary Action Manchester and Community Network for Manchester. We believe this represents a big opportunity for improving the infrastructure support for Manchester's diverse voluntary and community sector. Click on the link below to download our first ever press release!
Download: manchester_community_central.pdf

Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust's Foundation Trust website
Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust are applying for Foundation Trust status, giving the people who use their services, carers, staff and the general public more say in the way services are delivered.
For more information, to become a member and to share your views please go to:
Link: Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust
Link: Sign up to become a member

Adults Plan 2009
The Adults Health and Wellbeing Partnership's Partnership Delivery Plan sets out how local agencies will work together to increased life expectancy and reduce health inequalities. You can download a copy from our reports section usng the link below.
Link: Health and Wellbeing - Reports

Personal Health Budgets
The Department of Health has published a new leaflet which aims to provide basic information about the new "personal health budgets" system and how to obtain further information.
Link: Department of Health

The Final Draft of Manchester's Dementia Strategy
Dementia is one of the biggest challenges facing the Health and Social Care economy.At the end of 2007 the joint Policy and Operations group for Older People commissioned a piece of work to produce a Dementia Strategy for Manchester. A multi-agency group was set up to do this work, including representation from the Manchester Carers Forum and the Alzheimer's Society.

Download: manchester_dementia_strategy_2009-2012.doc

Campaign against the abuse of adults
At the Manchester conference on adult abuse held in February, the Manchester Safeguarding Adults Board launched a local campaign to stamp out adult abuse. It has been endorsed by broadcaster Joan Bakewell and former Manchester City footballer Alex Williams. The former goalkeeper said: “All adult have the right to live their life free from neglect or abuse -the abuse of vulnerable adults is criminal."

In 2007/2008 there were 486 investigations of adult abuse across Manchester City with an anticipated rise of 20% in 2008/2009, which includes physical abuse as well as neglect, financial and emotional abuse. Victims include people with mental health problems, those with physical disabilities as well as the elderly.

Broadcaster and older people's champion Joan Bakewell said: “Many people don't realise that the elderly and other vulnerable members of our society can be subject to many different kinds of abuse, including emotional, physical, sexual and financial abuse and neglect." She added:”The aim of this campaign is to raise people's awareness of the potential for this abuse and ensure that they know how to help to prevent it taking place. It is essential that support and protection is available."

Councillor Basil Curley, Executive Member for Adult Social Care for Manchester City Council said: “The abuse of vulnerable members of our community is something that should never be tolerated. Raising awareness is key to stamping out abuse and I really hope more people come forward as a result of the campaign."

If you or someone you know is a victim of adult abuse call 0161 255 8250 (Adult Social Care) or 0161 872 5050 (Greater Manchester Police)

Manchester's Multi-Agency Policy and Procedures on Safeguarding Adults is now available in the Safeguarding Adults Resources section of the MACC website - click on the link below.
Link: Safeguarding Adults Resources

Third Sector Strategy Update
Work is progressing on the development of a Third Sector Strategy for Manchester. The group leading on this work has now produced a short briefing outlining the progress made so far. Click on the link below to download a copy. Alongside this, the first data have been released from the survey of voluntary and community sector organisations carried out during Autumn 2008 to establish a picture of what the "environment for a thriving Third Sector" might look like - including a "headline report" on Manchester. The briefing and the report are available to download on our Third Sector Strategy page: click on the link below to visit the page.
Link: Third Sector Strategy

Resilient relationships: the influence of public sector policy and practice on social support
A wide range of research demonstrates the health significance of social relationships and both formal and informal social systems. This briefing provides an overview of the current state of knowledge on social relationships as a determinant and/or mediator of health and social outcomes.  It is not a systematic review but draws out some of the key themes in the literature as a basis for stimulating discussion and debate in the North West. The primary research questions are:

• what is the contribution of social support i.e. the quality of our relations with each other at all levels – to health and other outcomes?
• what impact, if any, can North West regional health and social care policy and practice have on social relations?

Review of Adult Social Care Law
The Law Commission is carrying out a review of the range of laws which define and regulate adult social care in England and Wales. There's wide recognition that this is a tangled mess of legislation dating back over 60 years and long overdue for a co-ordinated approach. The review will cover issues such as eligibility criteria and the powers, duties and responsibilities of Local Authorities. The intention is eventually to provide a single legal framework for adult social care. More information and an initial report setting out the scale of the work is available on the Law Commission's website.
Link: Law Commission - Adult Social Care
Link: Scoping Report (pdf)

Assessment of Mental Health Commissioning and Services in Manchester
The aim of this work was to assess the obstacles to the development of mental health services in Manchester and advise on a course of action to address these, in order to take forward and improve services.
Download: manchester_report_fv.pdf

Primary Care Mental Health Services Review
Last year Manchester’s Joint Commissioning Team carried out a review of primary care mental health services. (see link to review document below). Subsequently the Joint Commissioning Executive decided to put the whole service out to tender. A series of events from (January-March 2009) have been organised to engage a range of stakeholders in drawing up a service model which will then be subject to a public consultation process (April-May). This work will be co-ordinated by The Oversight Group which is essentially a commissioning group but also includes the chairs of three working groups which will report to the Oversight Group.

1. The Design and Clinical Group which will lead on developing a service model. The Design Group is made up of clinical representatives from organisations that are currently providing mental health services.
2. The Stakeholder Group which will receive: a briefing/progress report  from the Design and Clinical Group and; provide an opportunity for the Independent and Third sector to feed in their views The Stakeholder meetings will be chaired by John Butler from MACC and supported by the Joint Commissioning Team (JCT)  (For details of meetings in February and March please see Diary of Events).
3. Service User/carer/community Group. This group will also get feedback from the design group and have an opportunity to comment. These meetings will be facilitated by “Talking Health”.
   

Manchester Joint Strategic Needs Assessment
The JSNA is a new document which gathers together a great deal of data about needs in Manchester. JSNA's are initiative started by Central Government - and is really about ensuring needs assessment has been carried out so that it informs the commissioning processes across both health and social services. 
It has been developed by the Joint Health Unit in partnership with Manchester NHS, Children's Services and Adult Social Care. As this is the first JSNA it really provides a baseline reference document - so it includes a policy update and local data. It also contains some initial recommendations. It's clearly shaped by the current Children and Young People's Plan and will inform future versions along with plans for Manchester NHS.  
For voluntary sector groups it provides useful data in terms of evidence of local needs and gives some insight into likely commissioning priorities over the coming years.
The full JSNA and a summary version are now available on the City Council website here:
Link: Manchester JSNA

NHS Manchester Commissioning Strategic Plan
On 26th November, NHS Manchester launched their first Commissioning Strategic Plan - this essentially sets out the big priorities for the local NHS over the next 5 years. These are at first glance unsurprising - life expectancy, reducing under 18 pregnancy, tackling childhood obesity, etc, - but the fact that these have now taken centre stage in the Primary Care Trust's plans and budgeting is a considerable shift towards a preventative health economy. The full document is now available on the NHS Manchester Website and includes some interesting initial observations about the need to engage local voluntary sector organisations in the delivery of these preventative services.
Link: NHS Manchester Commissioning Strategic Plan

MyManchesterServices
Manchester City Council has launched a new section on its website called "MyManchesterServices". This is aimed at adults who need advice, information, health and fitness activities, social opportunities or other services to help improve their quality of life. You can build up a list of services and opportunities near you. If you register with the site you can save your search and return to it at any time, making this your personalised directory.
(If you would like your organisation to be added to this directory you can contact the team by email at: mymanchesterservices@manchester.gov.uk.)
Link: www.manchester.gov.uk/MyManchesterServices

CAMHS Training Programme 2009
Dates have now been arranged for the 2009 Programme of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Multi Agency Training. The training has been developed to suit all frontline workers from all establishments, including education, social services, health and the voluntary sector and all training is FREE. It consists of a one day introductory course which covers:
•    Children and Young People’s Mental Health and available services
•    Mental Health in the context of Child and Adolescent Development
•    Early Identification of Mental Health Problems and looking at how we respond.
The introductory days are followed, later in the year once again, by the programme of workshops looking at more specialised topics.
•    (0-11 Years) - 26th February 2009, Kings House, Oxford Road
•    (11-18 Years) - 11th March 2009, Forum Centre, Wy/shawe
•    (0-11 Years) - 24th March 2009, MANCAT 1 Central Park
•    (11-18 Years) - 31st March 2009 (to be confirmed)
For more information or to book a place, please contact Tara Davies, Project Worker, Public Health Development Service, Mauldeth House, Mauldeth Road West, Chorlton-Cum-Hardy, Manchester, M21 7RL. Tel: 0161 882 2307 or email Tara.Davies@manchester.nhs.uk

Campaign to fight the stigma of dementia
The Alzheimer's Society has launched a national campaign based on its research into the experiences of people with dementia. This is seen as a five year mission to bring dementia "out of the shadows" and draws comparisons with the way cancer was treated as a secret and shameful subject until only a couple of decades ago. Below are links to the campaign homepages and to the report on the BBC News website, both of which feature interviews with author Terry Pratchett about his own experiences of "coming out" following his diagnosis.
Link: Out of the Shadows campaign
Link: BBC News

External Assessment of Manchester Mental Health Services
This report was jointly commissioned by the PCT and the Local Authority. It was carried out by an independent team led by John Boyington CBE and was published in July 2008
Download: manchester_report_fv.pdf

Worforce Development Funding Guide
Skills for Care, Skills for Health and Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) have produced a workforce development funding guide aimed at employers in the social care and health sector. Click on the link below to download a copy.
Download: nw_hsc_funding_guide.doc

CRB Checks for Volunteers
In June 2008, the Office of the Third Sector released guidance to make clear what groups using volunteers need to do about Criminal Records Bureau checks. This is intended as a reply to concerns that some volunteers are being put off by the CRB check process. Obviously, organisations do need to manage risks in people doing voluntary work with children or vulnerable adults and there are some legal requirements but this new guidance tries to explain where a formal CRB check fits with other steps such as interviewing, training and getting references.
Link: Guidance on CRB Checks for Volunteers (pdf)
Link: Criminal Records Bureau

Review of Older Age Mental Health services in Manchester

The aims of the Commissioners review of older age services is to identify gaps and to identify inequalities in current service provision, both geographically, age boudaries and within different population groups, especially BME communities.

If you want to comment on current services, contact us at MACC or the commissioners direct at tracey.langley@manchester.nhs.uk

Resource for people bereaved by suicide and other sudden, traumatic death
This guide is aimed at the wide range of people who are affected by suicide or other sudden, traumatic death. It aims firstly to help people who are unexpectedly bereaved in this way. It also provides information for healthcare and other professionals who come into contact with bereaved people, to assist them in providing help and to suggest how they themselves may find support if they need it. To download a copy please click >HERE<