Tag Archives: social care
Childline founder Rantzen plans Silver service for the elderly
Esther Rantzen
Esther Rantzen is launching a new telephone counselling service for vulnerable elderly people.
Writing about her plans in the Daily Mail, the television presenter and one-time parliamentary candidate explained that she wanted the new charity to combat loneliness and the feeling “that if you ceased to exist no one would miss you”.
She said the new telephone befriending service would be called “The Silver Line” and would be a point for older people to gain information, friendship and help with serious problems, as well as advice about organisations to contact as the next step.
It comes a quarter of a century after she established Childline, launched in the wake of a BBC programme about child abuse.
Ms Rantzen, 71, said: “Loneliness particularly strikes older people who are used to having a purpose in life, to being needed.
“Gradually, the community they used to belong to has shrunk away to nothing; children have moved out, bereavement or divorce means their partners have gone ” .
Personalisation is central to social care management standards
Personalisation should be at the heart of good management in social care according to revised management induction standards launched today by Skills for Care.
The refresh of the original 2008 standards sets out core knowledge and skills for managers and is aimed at those new to management as well as those new in post who have previously managed other care services.
The revisions are designed to take account of the personalisation agenda and changes to qualifications.
It says managers are responsible for developing “positive relationships” between staff and service users and families, making the experiences of service users the measure of success and promoting self-determination among clients, as opposed to risk aversion.
Hundreds of pensioners and disabled people will descend on Westminster today
Only the elderly with £100,000 in assets ‘should pay for care home fees’ argue campaigners ahead of mass rally
No family should be forced to dip into their savings to pay for care in old age if their assets fall below £100,000, campaigners will argue today in a mass rally at Parliament.
At present, anyone with assets of more than £23,250 has to pay for residential care costs – forcing thousands to sell their homes.
Now Age UK is calling for this means-test level to be raised to £100,000, allowing thrifty pensioners to safeguard their homes and pass on more to their children.
