In this month's edition...
How should local authorities deliver the care and support reforms?
The Department of Health has launched a consultation to seek views on how local authorities should deliver the care and support reforms in the 2014 Care Act. As part of the reforms, the Act establishes that the local authority in which a prison, approved premises or bail accommodation is based will be responsible for assessing and meeting the care and support needs of the offenders residing there. The Department of Health has published draft guidance on this area and is seeking responses to 4 questions as part of the consultation, which is open until 15th August. Read the draft guidance, and take part, here
MoJ policy update on offender health, older prisoners and disabilities
Clinks chairs and provides the Secretariat for the Reducing Re-offending Third Sector Advisory Group (RR3) to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). The MoJ Justice Policy Group has prepared its May 2014 policy update report which includes sections on 'Offender Health' and 'Older Prisoners and Disabilities'. Short updates are given on: substance misuse initiatives; drug appointments and drug testing licence conditions; testing through the gate substance misuse processes; liaison and diversion; the Care Bill; statutory guidance; high dependency prisoners group; and autism. Download the policy update, here
A reduction in the use of opiates and crack cocaine
Independent research published by Public Health England shows that the number of opiate and crack cocaine users in England has fallen by 10% since 2004-5. The latest in a series of reports on research carried out by Centre for Public Health, Liverpool John Moores University and Glasgow Prevalence Estimation Limited, provides estimates of the prevalence of opiate and/or crack cocaine use at the regional and national level in England for 2011-12. You can download a summary of key findings, and prevalence by local authority, here
Improving the life expectancy of mental health patients
Mental health staff will soon be giving lifestyle MOTs to patients as well as assessing psychological health to reduce avoidable deaths. NHS England say that of the 300,000 patients with serious mental health conditions in England, such as bi-polar, psychosis and schizophrenia, many are dying of the same conditions as the general population, but up to 15 years earlier. Providers of mental health services will receive a financial incentive for meeting specific targets on undertaking physical health checks and delivering interventions. Read more about the plans here
NHS England is developing the next version of NHS Citizen, a participation infrastructure whereby consumers of NHS services can be ‘citizens’ of the NHS. It is a work in progress, and aims to give everyone the chance to have a say in decisions about the NHS. They are holding a series of Design Workshops [24th and 25th July, Bristol | 2nd and 3rd October, Midlands and East | 29th and 30th January, London | all free] to look at feedback, comments and current versions of the design, and help them understand how the technology will work for people. For more information about the project, and for event bookings, click here Improving care for people with long-term conditions
The Coalition for Collaborative Care (C4CC) is holding an event [30th June, London, free] for professionals, patients and carers in the health, social care, and voluntary sectors who want to work collectively to make person-centred, coordinated care a reality for people living with long-term conditions. The event will be an opportunity to share progress and discuss how they can continue to build the coalition and put their aspirations into practice. If you would like to attend, you can request a booking form by emailing jenny.sleight@nhs.net
Financial constraints in the NHS
'NHS Productivity: Weathering the Storm' is an Open Forum Events event [18th September, Manchester, from £162] that aims to provide: a greater understanding of the impact of the Better Care Fund and the next spending period; learning on what the NHS is doing to eliminate waste, improve productivity and drive up clinical quality; give practical strategies, techniques and ways to deliver savings and efficiencies; provide learning on how to get the best from technology, get the best from people and get the best out of budgets. For more information, and bookings, click here Funding
Research and innovation funding for health work in the EU
The first call is now open for the European Union (EU) Health for Growth funding programme. Non-governmental bodies, including networks, working at the EU level, are eligible to apply for Project Grants or Operating Grants. The general objectives of the European Union's 2014-2020 Health Programme are to: promote health, prevent diseases and foster supportive environments for healthy lifestyles taking into account the 'health in all policies' principle; protect EU citizens from serious cross-border health threats; contribute to innovative, efficient and sustainable health systems; and facilitate access to better and safer healthcare for Union citizens. The total budget for the programme is €449.4 million and the deadline to submit proposals is 25th September. For more information, and to apply, click here
Supporting people with mental health problems in Wales
Registered charities with a track record of working in the mental health field in Wales are invited to express their interest in receiving funding to deliver national projects that support the Government's Together for Mental Health priorities. National projects must be sustainable beyond the 2015-2018 funding period; provide services which complement, rather than duplicate, those already provided by the NHS, public sector, or third sector in Wales; meet the public sector equality duty and be accessible to individuals with protected characteristics to be eligible to apply. Projects must also meet at least 2 of the 'desirable criteria'. The deadline for expressions of interest is 4th July. Find out more and express your interest here
Developing innovative products and services that address unmet health needs
The Small Business Research Initiative Healthcare competition will provide seed funding of up to £100,000 for a maximum of 6 months for the development of innovative products and services that address unmet health needs. Successful projects will be selected on their potential value to the NHS, and patient benefit, and must specifically focus on addressing challenges in: child and maternal health; integrated care; medicines adherence; musculoskeletal; and telehealth/telecare for people with learning disabilities. Projects must be ultimately capable of supplying the NHS with the resulting product or service on a commercial basis. Expressions of interest must be received by 10th July. Find out more here
Small grants for health projects in Derbyshire
Derbyshire Dales CVS will award grants of up to £500 to voluntary and community groups in the Derbyshire Dales for health and well-being related activities. Types of projects funded include those that: promote healthy exercise and physical activity; promote better mental health through social interaction and activity; and reduce levels of smoking and promote sensible drinking. They are interested in new projects, those that have demonstrably improved people’s health and wellbeing, projects that support less popular causes and those that support disadvantaged and marginalised sections of the community. Deadlines are throughout the year at the end of each quarter. Find out more and apply here
Small grants for projects involving older people in Manchester
The Age-friendly Manchester Small Grants Fund will provide grants of up to £300 to projects that benefit older people living in Manchester, particularly those tackling social isolation and loneliness. Funding can be made available for group activities or learning, speakers or tutors, or equipment to benefit older people. The deadline for this funding round is 31st July. Find out more and apply here
Discussing institutional care and criminal justice
In the latest edition of Criminal Justice Matters, Roger Grimshaw, Research Director at the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, suggests that new forms of institutional care might offer a way forward for the Justice Matters initiative. In this article, he asks: 'Why talk about ‘institutional care’ and justice? How can ‘institutional care’ help us to think about alternatives to criminal justice?'. You can get free access to the full text, here
A guide to the health system in England
The Local Government Association has a produced 'A councillor's guide to the health system in England'. The guide covers: a quick introduction to the health and social care system since the reforms of 2012; a brief outline of the purpose of the reforms and how they are intended to improve health; a description of the different parts of the health system; and ‘must knows’ for councillors with different roles and where they can get further information. Download the guide here
Implementing the Mental Capacity Act 2005
The Ministry of Justice and Department of Health have published 'Valuing every voice, respecting every right: making the case for the Mental Capacity Act'. This paper sets out a system-wide programme of work to implement the Mental Capacity Act 2005, having considered the 39 recommendations of the House of Lords Select Committee. The Act concerns the statutory rights of people who may lack the mental capacity to make their own decisions. You can download the policy paper here
Exposing barriers for women accessing primary care
'Women's voices on health: addressing barriers to accessing primary care' is a Maternity Action report published by Women's Health and Equality Consortium (WHEC) which aims to expose some of the issues women face when accessing primary care services, in particular GP services. The report draws on findings from a survey with 300 women as well as focus groups with Black and minority ethnic women, refugee and asylum seeking women, women living with HIV, LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) women, and women with learning disabilities. Recommendations are made in relation to: securing an appointment with a GP; registration; effective use of the appointment; costs; prejudice and discrimination; mental health problems; and gender-based violence. Download the report, and listen to a podcast about the report, here
Guidance to support patients with mental health issues
As part of NHS England’s commitment to providing ‘parity of esteem’ for patients with mental health issues, they have produced interim guidance for commissioners, GPs and healthcare providers to help them support patients to choose their mental health care. Patients with mental health conditions have the same rights as physical health patients to choose where they have their first outpatient appointment and are able to choose any clinically appropriate provider in England as long as a clinical commissioning group (CCG) or NHS England has a contract with them. The guidance covers issues such as how to support patients in the choices they are able to make; how to respond to any significant changes in where patients are referred to when patients make their choices; and clarity on pricing and paying for mental health services. Download the guidance here
Guidance on the future powers of local authorities
The Department of Health have produced 11 factsheets to accompany Part 1 of the Care Act 2014 to provide an overview of the duties and powers local authorities will have in the future. Some of the topics the factsheets cover include: general responsibilities; who is entitled care and support; care and support planning; funding reforms; and safeguarding. Download the guidance here
Videos to help deliver social value
National Children's Bureau and FaithAction have released two short films, 'Facing the challenge of realising social value' and 'Working together to deliver social value’, aimed at voluntary organisations and commissioners operating in the health and care sectors to address the needs of children, young people and families, so organisations can effectively engage in the new health commissioning environment. The films capture a range of perspectives from experts in service provision, commissioning, policy and research on what social value means and how it can be delivered, measured and demonstrated. Watch the films on YouTube, here
A map of health priorities by region
The Local Government Association has produced an online map showing the local priorities of Health and Wellbeing Boards in each region in England. It is not designed to be a definitive list of all local activity, but is designed to highlight where there are similarities in priorities between areas. There are also links to the local health and wellbeing strategy in each area, and data about local population health. The map is online here
Tackling LGBT substance misuse
The Lesbian and Gay Foundation and the University of Central Lancashire have published a briefing sheet for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) voluntary and community sector to tackle problematic substance misuse among the LGBT community. Their Part of the Picture research project found that: across all age groups LGBT people are much more likely to use drugs than the general population; problematic patterns of drinking are much more common among LGBT people; and significant barriers exist to seeking information, advice or help among LGBT people. Find out more about the project, and download the paper, here
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About Clinks Offender Health Bulletin
This regular bulletin provides Clinks members with the latest news for voluntary sector organisations involved in the health and care of offenders. It currently has 2091 subscribers.
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Designed, composed and circulated by Ben Watson, Clinks.