Care Providers’ Press Releases

County Council praised in National Social Care Awards
30-Nov-10
Cambridgeshire County Council’s Transitions Team has been highly commended after reaching the final three of the prestigious Skills for Care Accolade awards. The Transitions Team beat off stiff competition to read full article

Age UK Enterprises research finds many over-55s are confused by financial products
30-Nov-10
According to latest research from Age UK Enterprises, the commercial services arm of Age UK, 61 percent of over-55s are confused by financial products. Only around one in three (30%) over-55s are confident that read full article

New service gives carers flexible time off
30-Nov-10
Carers across Staffordshire who may be in need of a break at short notice can take advantage of a new service being launched this week. By giving just 48 hours notice through a quick phone call, carers can read full article

Hampshire residents urged to be good neighbours during the cold weather
30-Nov-10
Hampshire County Council's Adult Services department is urging people to be 'good neighbours' to elderly and vulnerable people during the extreme cold weather. The County Council is urging anyone who feels read full article

Longevity adds to pension crisis
29-Nov-10
New data has revealed people are expected to live longer - great news for individuals, but potentially bad news for the UK's current pensions black hole. The Institute of Actuaries said in England and Wales read full article

Have your say on Adults' Services proposals
29-Nov-10
A consultation has begun into proposals which could mean changes to the way West Sussex County Council decides who receives adult social care. The proposals would mean that the County Council would no longer read full article

Join Rotherham's carers for a festive treat
29-Nov-10
Rotherham’s carers will be celebrating a spectacular achievement this December and are inviting members of the public to join them for a day of mince pies and information. A few weeks ago, Rotherham Borough read full article

Carers Rights Day
29-Nov-10
Every December Carers UK runs a Carers Rights Day. The aim of the event is to ensure carers of the elderly and/or disabled are fully aware of their rights and the support to which they are entitled. This year’s read full article

Derbyshire's services for older people performing well
29-Nov-10
Derbyshire’s adult social care services have once again been judged as performing well by Government watchdogs. Derbyshire County Council’s Adult Care has welcomed the Care Quality Commission (CQC) report which read full article

'Excellence' rating will help people choose the right care
29-Nov-10
Plans for a new “excellence” rating to replace the system ditched by the Government’s care regulator in May have been welcomed by Anchor. The decision earlier this year to scrap the simple system of scoring read full article

Radlett mother-of-two wins 50,000 Stelios Award for Disabled Entrepreneurs in the UK - 2010
26-Nov-10
Stelios Haji-Ioannou and the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation have announced the winner of the Stelios Award for Disabled Entrepreneurs in the UK - 2010, the prestigious, annual Award run in partnership with the read full article

Adult social care services among most improved in country
25-Nov-10
Social care services for adults in Wolverhampton are among the most improved in England. Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission found that Wolverhampton City Council's Adult Social Care Services have developed read full article

Surrey's social care services among most improved in country
25-Nov-10
Adult social care services at Surrey County Council are among the most improved in England, according to the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The county council was today judged to be 'performing well' a year read full article

City's social care is excellent
25-Nov-10
Adult social care in Liverpool has again been graded 'excellent' by the government's independent regulator. The council has been scored as 'excellent' in five out of seven judgment areas by the Care Quality read full article

Norfolk County Council's adult social care services commended in national quality ratings
25-Nov-10
Norfolk County Council's Community Services department has received three 'excellent' and four 'well' ratings in an independent assessment of social care services for adults. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) read full article

Adult social services performing well and improving
25-Nov-10
Northamptonshire County Council’s adult social services are continuing to perform well overall according to an assessment by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published this week (Thursday 25th November). The read full article

Carers to receive an improved service from Devon libraries
25-Nov-10
Carers are to receive an improved service at Devon's libraries, after the County Council introduces new terms that recognise their lifestyle and role as carers. Research by Devon County Council suggests that read full article

Councils maintain high standards of adult social care in final year of CQC assessment
25-Nov-10
Councils have kept up the high quality of their social care services for adults in the past year, the Care Quality Commission said today (25 November). Outcomes for local people who use services continued to read full article

Adult social care retains positive verdict from regulator
25-Nov-10
The Care Quality Commission has given an overall rating of performing well, with two areas, improved quality of life, and maintaining personal dignity and respect judged to be excellent. The report particularly read full article

Council 'performing well' for adult social care
25-Nov-10
Strong leadership and a personalised care programme have resulted in adult social care in Birmingham being graded as ‘performing well’ following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission. A report released read full article

KCC adult social services 'performing well'
25-Nov-10
Improving people’s quality of life, promoting protection for vulnerable people and supporting carers are all things that KCC’s adult social services is strong in, according to a report issued yesterday (Thursday read full article

County council's social care 'performing well'
25-Nov-10
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has awarded the county council's adult social care services grade three out of four overall, confirming that the council is consistently delivering above requirements. The report read full article

Inspectors praise adult care service
25-Nov-10
The council's Adult Care Service has been praised following inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in a report released this week. Overall, the service is classified as performing ‘well’ out of a possible read full article

Top rating for Salford's adult social care
25-Nov-10
For the first time in her life, 46-year-old Paula is living independently and says that she couldn't be happier, thanks to Salford's ‘excellent' adult social care. A report from the Care Quality Commission gives read full article

Adult social care is excellent in Leicestershire
25-Nov-10
Adult social care services run by Leicestershire County Council are excellent, an independent report said today. The Care Quality Commission, the health and care regulator for England, has given the council read full article

'Excellent' rating for Trafford's adult social care
25-Nov-10
In its latest Annual Performance Assessment, the Care Quality Commission assessed Trafford's Adult Social Care as providing the highest standards, rating it 'Excellent'. This places it in the top 25 per cent nationally. read full article

Carers Strategy relaunch
25-Nov-10
Commenting on today’s launch of Recognised, valued and supported: next steps for the Carers Strategy by Paul Burstow, Minister of State for Care Services, Anne Roberts, Chief Executive of Crossroads Care, said: read full article

Helping people to remain living at home
25-Nov-10
Council services designed to help people remain independent at home, and prevent some people from needing longer term social care, have been applauded by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in their latest assessment read full article

Borough's adult social care 'performing well'
25-Nov-10
Adult social care services in the Royal Borough are 'performing well' overall for the second year running, according to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) - the national independent regulator of all health and social read full article

Adult social care is performing well
25-Nov-10
Adult social care is performing well, with many aspects performing excellently, according to inspectors. The council’s Adult Social Care and Health department was recently inspected by the Care Quality Commission read full article

Care provider produces therapy guide
24-Nov-10
Specialist care provider Choice Care Group has produced a guide to Intensive Interaction – a new approach to help people with learning disabilities to communicate – which is available to download free of charge read full article

Cocoa's doggy charm lifts people's mood
24-Nov-10
Pets as Therapy pooch Cocoa is celebrating three years of bringing light relief, joy and therapy onto mental health wards in Bury St Edmunds. Cocoa, a chocolate brown cocker spaniel, belongs to occupational read full article

New welcome pack will smooth patients' journey
23-Nov-10
A new initial assessment pack is being introduced by the NHS to help make new patients on mental health wards feel welcome and understand what is happening to them. The new form from Suffolk Mental Health Partnership read full article

Winter deaths make emergency plan imperative
23-Nov-10
The tragedy of 23,100 extra winter deaths of older people makes a new emergency plan imperative, says Age UK. Figures published today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that there were 23,100 excess read full article

Diabetes drug could be a potential treatment for Alzheimer's, study claims
22-Nov-10
New research claims that a drug commonly used in the treatment of type II diabetes can help treat Alzheimer’s disease. A paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States read full article

Board meeting to discuss progress on proposed merger
22-Nov-10
A progress report on the proposed merger of Suffolk and Norfolk mental health NHS trusts will be discussed by the board of Suffolk Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust when it meets on Wednesday 24 November 2010. Members read full article

Carers in Stockport urged to know their rights
22-Nov-10
Stockport Council is working with Signpost Stockport for Carers to support national Carers Rights Day in the borough on Friday December 3rd. Representatives from Signpost Stockport for Carers, and the Council’s read full article

Personal budget shake-up for elderly care
19-Nov-10
Care Services Minister Paul Burstow today announced a radical shake-up of the care system, announcing the creation of personal budgets for a million adults in need of social care by 2013. Each budget will be read full article

Isle of Wight Council awards funding to Age Concern IW
19-Nov-10
Age Concern Isle of Wight has been selected by the Isle of Wight Council to run the Island's first User Led Organisation which will support adults with disabilities, older people who have social care needs and read full article

Savings in adult and community services
18-Nov-10
A series of proposals for saving more than £20 million from the budgets of services such as adult social care and libraries has been drawn up by North Yorkshire County Council in the face of major cuts in funding read full article

Community meals for residents
18-Nov-10
Bracknell Forest Council has launched an exciting new scheme for residents called community meals. The council has put together a list of trusted preferred providers from across the borough who can either deliver read full article

Government endorses Staffordshire's action on care reform
17-Nov-10
Staffordshire is on-course to provide social care services based on independence and choice as outlined in a new Government report. A Vision for Adult Social Care: Capable Communities and Active Citizens was read full article

Proposals on adult social care eligibility to go to consultation
16-Nov-10
Proposals which could mean changes to West Sussex County Council’s eligibility criteria for adult social care are set to go out to consultation. Cabinet Member for Adults’ Services Peter Catchpole has taken read full article

Personal budgets for all and more breaks for carers
16-Nov-10
£400 million funding for carers’ breaks Everyone eligible will get a personal budget by 2013 so they can be in control of their own care and more carers will get breaks, Care Services Minister Paul Burstow announced read full article

Mencap responds to the government's 'vision for social care'
16-Nov-10
"The social care system has been in dire financial straits for many years so the government's commitment to reform it is very welcome indeed. For many people with a disability, social care is as central to their read full article

Carers urged to make their voices heard
16-Nov-10
Do you help someone who is affected by a disability, long term illness or is frail - and receive no payment for this? You may be one of the 8,342 people in Argyll and Bute who identified themselves as an unpaid read full article

Free public seminar explains childhood trauma
16-Nov-10
The people of Suffolk are invited to attend a free public health seminar taking place on 2 Dec about childhood trauma and its wide reaching effects. The seminar “Puzzles and pieces” will be presented by consultant read full article

Got an idea to reduce mental health discrimination?
16-Nov-10
Grants of up to £5,000 are available to support projects in Oxfordshire that challenge prejudice and discrimination towards people with mental health problems. One in six people will experience mental ill health read full article

Fish oil not a cure for dementia
15-Nov-10
Recently on this blog, we discussed emergent research which highlighted vitamin B12 as a possible medicine for dementia. This week, further research into naturally occurring ingredients which may help delay the read full article

Pupils name new Housing 21 extra care scheme
15-Nov-10
Imaginative primary school students in Greets Green have taken part in a project to help name a new Housing 21 extra care scheme for older people. A group of 7 to 11-year-olds from Guns Village Primary School read full article

Most over-50s 'unready for retirement'
15-Nov-10
Only 25% of people over 50 think they are financially ready for retirement, a poll has revealed. A survey by Research Plus has shown that roughly a third of workers over 50 have failed to put any money aside read full article

Cuts threaten home care
12-Nov-10
The Local Government Association (LGA) spoke out against the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) this week, saying it could force “virtually all” councils in England and Wales to end home help for the disabled read full article

Alzheimer's Society fight to avoid leaving vulnerable people in Lincs without vital support
12-Nov-10
Alzheimer’s Society is calling on Lincolnshire residents to help prevent those affected by dementia from being abandoned without support. Alzheimer's Society is calling on Lincolnshire residents to help prevent read full article

Gloucestershire County Council is protecting its spending on older and vulnerable people
12-Nov-10
At the countywide Meeting the Challenge roadshows, 91% of the public told us that they wanted us to protect their care and support, and we have listened. The total cash budget for Community and Adult Care will read full article

How White Paper on welfare reform could affect carers
11-Nov-10
Carers will be left confused by the Government’s White Paper on welfare reform published today, as the future of Carer’s Allowance remains unclear. The proposed Universal Credit will replace some named benefits read full article

Consultation for local carers to have their say
10-Nov-10
A consultation has been launched by Northamptonshire County Council in partnership with Northamptonshire carers partnership and NHS Northamptonshire to make sure people get the chance to voice their opinion on read full article

Inquiry into homecare human rights
10-Nov-10
The human rights of millions of older people receiving care in their homes are to be examined by an inquiry, it has been announced. People receiving home-based care are being left 'acutely vulnerable' to human read full article

Care choice scheme to go county-wide
09-Nov-10
A county council scheme to give adults more choice and control over their care and support is to be extended across Leicestershire. Leicestershire County Council predicts that 2,400 people will have control read full article

Dementia accounts for 15 per cent of deaths in England
09-Nov-10
Dementia accounts for approximately 15 per cent of all deaths in England according to a report published today by the National End of Life Care Intelligence Network (NEoLCIN). The report found that 59 per cent read full article

NHS Trust highlights the effects of war for Remembrance Day
09-Nov-10
For Remembrance Day (11 Nov) the people of Suffolk will not only be honouring those people who have given their lives in wars across the world, but also thinking about veterans still affected today by their experiences. read full article

Adult social care services have improved but the market must respond to meet future needs, says CQC
09-Nov-10
The overview report has been compiled using data on council commissioning patterns, national minimum standards and registration data. CQC’s analysis is restricted to the regulated adult social care market. This read full article

Undercover heroes: Code Name: Young Carers
08-Nov-10
Borough Hall is preparing for its première showing of Undercover Heroes on Thursday 11th November, at 3pm. The 20 minute film has been produced by young carers in a joint project with Bedford Borough Council, Central read full article

New website for people with a learning disability
08-Nov-10
Kirklees Council is working with the Learning Disability Partnership Board to launch the Kirklees Learning Disability Partnership Board website on November 10. This is a new website for people with a learning read full article

Living well with dementia in Worcestershire - what do you think?
08-Nov-10
Ensuring people in Worcestershire who have dementia can 'live well with dementia' is a key piece of work for Worcestershire County Council and NHS Worcestershire and they want the input of Worcester residents into read full article

Bringing adult social care workers into the Big Society
05-Nov-10
A successful scheme which has seen children in care getting better help from independent social workers who are contracted to local authorities will be extended to adult social care, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley read full article

Top accolades for Suffolk's dementia services
04-Nov-10
Suffolk’s community memory assessment services have won a top accolade. The services, based in Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds, have been rated excellent by the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Memory Services National read full article

Free public seminars on learning disabilities, sexual anxiety and psychosis
04-Nov-10
The people of Suffolk are invited to attend three free public health seminars taking place this month about learning disabilities, sexual anxiety and psychosis. “How to get your message across - communication read full article

Assessment of councils' performance to change
03-Nov-10
Minister of State for Care Services Paul Burstow has today announced that the Care Quality Commission will no longer conduct an annual performance assessment of councils under the existing framework. The decision read full article

Being active 'lowers cold threat'
02-Nov-10
Being physically fit and active lowers the risk of catching a cold, according to new research. A study has found that if people who are fit do get a cold, it will not be as severe and they will be rid of the read full article

Inspections paint a positive picture of Council care services
02-Nov-10
A positive overall picture of the high quality of care being provided by the Council’s community care services and establishments will be presented to members of the Housing and Health Committee on Wednesday 3 read full article

Care credits scheme considered
01-Nov-10
The Government is considering a scheme which would see people who help the elderly or disabled earn time credits for their own care later in life. Ministers are looking into whether a version of the care credit read full article

Pension protection fund back in black
01-Nov-10
The pensions safety net has swung into the black after turning a £1 billion-plus deficit into a surplus. The Pension Protection Fund recorded a £400 million surplus at the end of the 2009/2010 financial year read full article

Council events help carers to 'know their rights'
01-Nov-10
Thousands of carers who look after family, partners, friends or neighbours in need of help because they are ill, frail or have a disability may be missing out on vital benefits and support. That could have read full article

Local Government Ombudsman launches new complaints service for 'self-funded' adult social care
01-Nov-10
New powers have come into force for the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) to investigate complaints from people who arrange their own care. For the first time, these ‘self-funders’ will have the right to complain read full article