Category Archives: Carers

Care home procurement model fails vulnerable children

August 13, 2012   Carers

Parts of the country have a disproportionate numbers of care homes, with local authorities simply accepting what the market offers

The Ridgeway, Mill Hill East, London

Five thousand children and young people are in residential care, costing £1bn a year. Photograph: Sophia Evans for the Guardian

Certain parts of the country, such as Rochdale, have a disproportionate number of care homes – with children coming in from different areas.

The government has promised action on this, saying it will make it harder for councils to send children out of their areas. It has also asked Ofsted, which is responsible for inspecting care homes, to inform the police of care homes in their areas.

The problem has been attributed partly to care homes being situated in cheaper parts of the country because of market forces, as 75% of care homes are run by private companies.

However, this is a symptom of a major failure in procurement of care places by local government. The heart of the problem is that local authorities operate independently, thus preventing any coherent approach to managing the situation and influencing the market.

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Norfolk carers invited to apply for £200 grant to pay for education course

August 12, 2012   Carers, Norfolk

Norfolk carers invited to apply for £200 grant to pay for education course

Published on Sunday 12 August 2012 11:00

CARERS could be able to take a course or fitness class thanks to a £200 grant.

The Carers Learning Grant scheme is offering support for people who have been providing unpaid help for an elderly, sick or disabled friend or relative.

The grant, which is administered by Age UK Norfolk on behalf of Norfolk County Council, can be used towards leisure courses such as creative writing or complimentary therapy along with adult education or driving lessons.

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Pioneering music therapy for dementia patients developed in East Lancashire

August 10, 2012   Carers, dementia

12:09pm Friday 10th August 2012 in Health  By Catherine Pye, Health reporter

 The memory of music is better preserved than language alone

DEMENTIA carers are being encouraged to ‘whistle while they work’ as part of a new scheme to be launched in East Lancashire.

Burnley-based Crossroads Care East Lancashire are looking for about 20 families who want to take part in a trial of a technique called Music Therapy Care Giving (MTC).

The idea, which originated in Sweden, is that carers of dementia patients will be taught to sing while they carry out their day-to-day jobs, with the hope that the patient will join in too.

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