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Stoke-on-Trent

Fifty+ Forum

January | February | March 2014

Issue 16

Frances Chadwick, EngAGE Co-ordinator

Introduction: In our newsletters we aim to

bring you reports on EngAGE’s work,

together with information about

developments, services and events that we

think older people in Stoke-on-Trent will find

interesting or useful, or both.

This time you’ll find updates about Age

Friendly City activity and reports about the

Fifty+ Forum and Older People’s

Day. There is also information about

supportive services like Housing and Care

Advice and the new Silver Line helpline, as

well as social opportunities such as playing

chess or singing in a local male voice choir

– and more.

We want the newsletter to reach as many

older people in Stoke as possible, and we

are happy to drop off copies to groups at

their meetings. If you know of a group that

would like to receive a bundle of

newsletters, please let the EngAGE team

know.

In this issue….

Pg 2 October 2013 Forum Report

Pg 4 Older People’s Day Report

Pg 5 Outreach Report

EngAGE 4 Years On

Pg 6 Getting Involved in Clinical Research

Age Friendly City News

Pg 7 Disability Solutions ‘One Roof Project’

Small Grants Fund

Pg 8 Age UK’s ‘Spreading the Warmth’

Campaign

Pg 9 October 2013 Forum Evaluation

Feedback

Pg 10 Housing and Care Advice

Pg 11 Utility Warehouse

Mining the Past

Pg 12 Dementia Care Review

Stoke-on-Trent Fifty+ Forum Wednesday, 12 February 2014 | 10am - 2.30pm

Bentilee Neighbourhood Centre, Dawlish Drive, ST2 0EU

Booking is essential! Please call the EngAGE team on 01782 200736

or email [email protected].

Consultation about:

The sexual health needs of people aged 50+ &

Elderly care, including care of those who are frail and whose needs are complex

Making it easier for older people to influence how local services in Stoke-on-Trent are commissioned and delivered

2 Issue 16/2014 ● EngAGE Stoke-on-Trent ● [email protected] ● Tel: 01782 200736

The Stoke-on-Trent Fifty+ Forum at

Port Vale Conference Centre

The Forum received a warm welcome on

our first visit to Port Vale Football Club’s

Conference Centre. About 75 members

attended the meeting and took part in a

consultation about the Joint Carers

Strategy in Stoke-on-Trent. Lloyd Cooke,

Chief Executive of Saltbox, chaired the

day for us. It was good to welcome a

group of Board members from Valuing

Older People in Manchester, who were

visiting our Forum as part of the Stoke

approach to Age Friendly Cities.

Dennis Woolley (committee Chair) and

Frances Chadwick (EngAGE co-ordinator)

gave the EngAGE Update. EngAGE are

currently gathering information about free

or reasonably-priced meeting venues in

the City for small community group

meetings. Members are encouraged to

send in details of any venues they know

about.

A survey was distributed about holding a

Forum meeting looking at dementia, and

members were encouraged to fill this in.

Lloyd welcomed Amanda Moxon from the

City Council who was our speaker. She is

Planning and Commissioning Officer at the

City Council and is responsible for re-writing

the Joint Carers Strategy. This is the plan for

how carers will be supported in Stoke-on-

Trent over the next few years.

Amanda explained that the Strategy

relates to unpaid carers who support family

or friends who may be ill, frail or disabled or

have mental health problems. Stoke-on-

Trent has a higher incidence of carers than

the national average. She highlighted the

fact that large numbers of children and

young people are providing care but are

not registered as carers. Unpaid carers are

estimated to save the NHS around £118

billion each year.

Photo courtesy of Bill Jeynes, EngAGE 50+ Forum Member

Issue 16/2014 ● EngAGE Stoke-on-Trent ● [email protected] ● Tel: 01782 200736 3

A full copy of the minutes of the Forum

meeting, or a copy of all members’

feedback, is available on request

from the EngAGE office by calling

01782 200736.

The Strategy has five priorities:

Identifying and recognising carers

Helping carers to remain in

employment or education

Supporting carers so that they can

have “a life outside of caring”

Supporting carers to stay healthy

Giving the right support to young

carers.

Forum members were invited to discuss the

following questions:

Are the priorities right?

Is there anything missing?

Please suggest services that could

improve the lives of carers.

Amanda was joined for the question-and-

answer session by Will Boyce from

Approach Staffordshire and Christine

Morgan from North Staffs Carers

Association. Facilitators put forward

questions and comments on behalf of their

tables. These included:

Carers need to be involved in hospital

discharge and to have a back-up

plan.

Carers would benefit from more

information and a 24-hour helpline

How can young carers be identified?

What support can carers get when

their l ives change following

bereavement?

Assessments are needed to ensure

that carers are fit to care.

More training should be available for

unpaid carers.

Language barriers, particularly in the

Asian community, can cause

problems for carers.

There should be a national campaign

to influence next-of-kin to help their

elderly parents.

Lloyd then introduced Judy Kurth from Stoke-

on-Trent Public Health. Judy had been to

the Forum in May 2013 when she invited

members to feed into the Stoke approach

to Age Friendly Cities. She explained that

the Age Friendly Initiative had spoken to 300

people who had highlighted social isolation

and loneliness as the top problem affecting

older people in the City.

Judy announced that she was setting up a

Small Grants Fund to help with these issues.

There will be about £15,000 available and

local groups can apply for up to £300 to

provide activities or facilities to reduce

isolation. In exceptional circumstances, a

grant of up to £500 would be considered.

An organisation will be appointed to

administer the Fund on behalf of the City

Council.

As there was still some time available, Lloyd

Cooke invited Forum

members, whilst still

at their tables with

their facilitators, to

write down how they

would spend £300.

This feedback has

been sent on to Judy

Kurth. You can read

more about the

Small Grants Fund on

page 7.

The Forum members then broke up for lunch,

before enjoying the celebration of Older

People’s Day which is described on page 4.

Lloyd Cooke, photo

courtesy of Bill Jeynes


Our celebration of Older People’s Day

at Port Vale Conference Centre went

well. We planned the event with

colleagues from Age UK North Staffs,

Approach, Beth Johnson Foundation and

Saltbox. The celebration was definitely

made better through having input from

all the different agencies.

About 200 people came, and there were

twenty activities

and information-

stands to choose

from. We were

very pleased that

the Lord Mayor,

Councillor Sheila

Pitt, and her

consor t Barry,

could join us for

the event.

At the beginning of the afternoon three

members of the Forum Committee

shared what they enjoy about being

retired:

Jean Mayer - volunteering

Alan Kaill - beer festivals

Dennis Woolley - his allotment.

There were practical activities:

Hula-hooping, smoothie-making and

ping-pong led by WEA

Tap dancing, led by EngAGE member

Jean James

A reading group led by Stoke-on-Trent

Libraries

Chess, with equipment loaned by the

Fenton Chess Club

A chance to join the City of Stoke-on-

Trent Male Voice Choir

EngAGE member Bill Jeynes offered

advice about photography, and

plantsman Linda Plant gave advice

about gardening. The following

organisations brought along information

about their services and activities: 1,000

Lives Community Champions, Age UK

Older People’s Day Report North Staffs, Approach Staffordshire,

Adult Learning, Beth Johnson

Foundation, Cancer Awareness

Volunteers, Changes, the Community

Performing Arts Centre, Green Door

Project, Healthwatch, North Staffs Carers

Association, Parks Department of the City

Council, the Partnership NHS Trust, and

Saltbox.

We held a raffle with prizes of higher

value than we usually have at Forum

meetings. A special “thank you” must go

to those who donated prizes: Stewart

Barker, Beat the Cold, Linda Brough,

Frances Chadwick, Kath Curley, Mrs

Howlett, Joan Stirman and Julia Wilshaw.

One of our visitors from Manchester won

the prize for the quiz. The Male Voice

Choir sang for most of the afternoon in a

side-room, to an appreciative audience,

and then rounded off the afternoon with

a short performance in the main hall.

We have received very positive

feedback from people who attended

this celebration. They appreciated the

range and variety of information and

activities available, and were keen to

see a similar event held next year. Some

gave constructive criticism and

suggestions for how we could make it

better next time – these are very

welcome.

Two EngAGE 50+ Forum Members,

photo courtesy of Bill Jeynes

Photo courtesy of Bill Jeynes


Through outreach visits, EngAGE is able to take the consultation opportunity from the Fifty+

Forum out to older people closer to home. In this quarter of the year Frances Chadwick has

visited eight groups: four sheltered housing schemes, two social groups, and two support

groups for long-term conditions (Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease).

The members of these groups gave their feedback about the Joint Carers Strategy, and how

carers could best be supported in the future. All of this feedback has now been sent to

Amanda Moxon, who was our speaker at the October Forum.

Clare Dawson, our regular Outreach Worker, returns from Maternity Leave in the middle of

January. It will be good to have Clare back as part of the staff team.

If you are a member of a local group who would like a visit from the EngAGE

Outreach Worker, please contact the team on 01782 200736 and we will do our best

to book a visit.

Outreach Report

The first Stoke-on-Trent Fifty+ Forum

meeting took place on 1st October 2009.

In the four years since then older people

from all parts of the City have shared their

views and experience of local services,

face-to-face, with some of the people who

commission and provide those services.

Outreach visits have extended that

opportunity to older people closer to

home.

From the beginning, it was part of

EngAGE’s aim that older people should be

involved and consulted at an early stage

in relation to services that affect them, so

that they could influence the development

of those services, rather than being invited

to approve plans that were already well-

Fifty+ Forum - Four Years On

advanced or even completed. We are now

in a position where members of the Forum

Committee are serving on the Steering Group

for the City Council’s Older People’s Housing

Strategy and on the Board that reviews the

Integrated Community Equipment Service.

Perhaps the most significant area where older

people are influencing local services is in

relation to Age Friendly Cities. There is an

update on page 6, but we are very pleased

to highlight the fact that the provision of a

Small Grants Fund has resulted directly from

feedback given through the Fifty+ Forum and

other groups, and that EngAGE is a valued

member of the Age Friendly City Steering

Group that will push forward the work to

make Stoke a better place to grow old.



Research is part of the core work of the

NHS and helps us to understand how to

diagnose, treat, cure or prevent health

problems. Research is important to the

NHS as it ensures services and treatment

are relevant to those who use them. The

West Midlands North Comprehensive

Local Research Network, which is part of

the NHS, coordinates and facilitates the

conduct of clinical research locally, and

is encouraging people to get involved in

research.

You can get involved in research in many

ways e.g. by becoming a participant in a

clinical research study, helping to identify

research that is important and relevant,

helping to support and promote good

research and by spreading the word

about how people can be a participant

in a research study.

Getting Involved In Clinical Research

This year two national campaigns have

been launched. The first is ‘It’s OK to ask

about clinical research’. This campaign

encourages people with a medical

condition who are undergoing treatment

to ask their family doctor, nurse or

consultant about clinical research and

whether it might be right for them.

The second campaign is ‘Research

Changed my Life’ which aims to help

people to understand the positive effects

that can result from getting involved in

clinical research.

Frances Chadwick represents EngAGE on the Age Friendly Steering Group for Stoke-on-

Trent. This group is made up of senior officers from the City Council and the NHS,

including Transport , Housing, Public Health and the CCG; elected Councillors,

representatives of Keele and Staffordshire Universities and representatives from the

voluntary sector. The make-up of the group will change as the work goes forward.

The Small Grants Fund scheme is under way. Another programme that will begin in

2014 is work to encourage local businesses, organisations and other stakeholders to

identify at least one change that they can make to their business, venue, service or

facility that would make it friendlier to people as they grow older. This work is going out

to tender, and an organisation will be appointed to take it forward. It is hoped that this

work can start early in the New Year.

Contact between EngAGE and Valuing Older People in Manchester will continue in

2014, so that we can continue to learn from their experience.

Age Friendly City News

For further information please contact: Mary-Anne Darby, Research Manager, West

Midlands North Comprehensive Local Research Network,

Tel. No. 01785 221125, e-mail: [email protected]

Address: West Midlands North Comprehensive Local Research Network,

Research & Development Department, Block 7, St Georges Hospital, Corporation

Street, Stafford, ST16 3AG.

mailto:[email protected]



Members of the Fifty+ Forum, and regular readers of this newsletter, will

know that there is a partnership across the city that is working towards

Age Friendly City status, to ensure that Stoke-on-Trent supports,

embraces and celebrates older age. Saltbox is a member of that partnership, and they

have secured the contract to administer the Small Grants Fund of £20,000 which was

announced by Judy Kurth (Stoke Public Health) at the Fifty+ Forum on 1st October.

The purpose of the Fund is to assist projects which are for older people and which tackle

issues of loneliness, social isolation, social participation or issues around health. A

proportion of the Fund will be used to pay Saltbox for administering the scheme. As

Judy announced, approximately £15,000 will be available to smaller voluntary and

community groups within Stoke-on-Trent.

The Fund, administered on behalf of Public Health within the Local Authority, is aimed at

projects which benefit older people (aged over 50). Saltbox will be responsible for

setting up and supporting a panel which will include local older people. The panel will

run two funding cycles per year. There are still paces on this panel, so contact Kirsty at

Saltbox if you would like to help decide which groups should receive a grant.

If you think your group could benefit from a grant of up to £300 to support the work you

do with older people, then this could be the Fund for you. This could be to buy

equipment which is greatly needed to develop the project, or maybe for a speaker or

group activity.

If you would like to have an informal chat about this new scheme please give

Kirsty, at Saltbox, a call on 01782 207200.

Age Friendly City - Small Grants Fund

Disability Solutions - One Roof Project

Disability Solutions West Midlands, based in Stoke-on-Trent,

have received £349,000 from the Big Lottery Reaching

Communities Fund to run the One Roof Project.

This means that they can expand their services for disabled people in Stoke-on-

Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme and the Staffordshire Moorlands. They will:

widen the opportunities for personal development, training and volunteering;

support development of businesses run by people with disabilities;

provide an enhanced information and advice service;

give people with disabilities a stronger community presence.

To find out more, please contact Amanda Boyd, One Roof Project Officer on

01782 667336 or by e-mail: [email protected], or by post at:

Disability Solutions West Midlands, The Medical Institute, Hartshill Road,

Stoke-on-Trent ST4 7NY




‘Spread the Warmth’ is Age UK’s integrated

campaign to help older people keep warm

and well in winter.

To achieve this we provide services and free information and advice, and

campaign for warm homes as a longer-term solution, so older people don’t

have to suffer ill health or sometimes die because of the cold in winter.

Tips to stay warm and healthy this winter:

Don't forget to:

Keep your living room temperature at 70⁰F (21⁰C)

Keep bedroom at 65⁰F (18⁰C)

Keep your bedroom window closed at night when the weather is cold

Try to:-

Dress in plenty of layers and make sure that you have some warm

shoes or boots with non-slip soles.

Keep a mixture of salt and sand handy to put on steps or paths in icy

weather. You can buy salt and sand from your local DIY stores.

Keep simple cold, flu and sore throat remedies in the house. Your

pharmacist can make suggestions and also advise you on how to

manage minor illnesses.

Follow up your GP’s invitation to have a flu jab

Eat healthily and keep as active as possible.

Keep basic food items in the cupboard or freezer in case it’s too cold

to go shopping. You could also do your food shopping online and get

it delivered to your door.

Linda Stanway, Senior Information and Advice Officer at Age UK North

Staffs says:- “Age UK's ‘Winter Wrapped Up’ guide can help you stay warm,

healthy and as comfortable as possible this winter, with tips on how to

prepare for cold weather, protect yourself against common winter illnesses,

keep yourself warm, indoors and when you're out and about, and make

your home more energy efficient.”

You can pick up the guide from your local Age UK office in Hanley,

Newcastle or Leek. Or ring 01782 204995 and they can send one

out to you. It can also be downloaded from the Age UK website at

ageuk.org.uk/publications

Age UK are ‘Spreading the Warmth’



Linda Collas lives in Hanley and is an Authorised Distributor for The Utility Warehouse

Discount Club which is operated by Telecom Plus PLC, a major British company whose

shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange. The Utility Warehouse provides its

members with great value, great savings and the best possible customer service. Perhaps

it’s not surprising that, in a recent survey, 96% of Utility Warehouse customers said they

would recommend them to a friend.

The Utility Warehouse provides over 450,000 customers throughout the UK with substantial

savings on a wide range of utility services including home phone, mobiles, broadband,

gas and electricity.

You may not have heard of the Utility Warehouse before – that’s the secret to saving lots

of money! The company does not advertise in the national press or on TV. Instead, it relies

on personal recommendation; satisfied customers letting their friends, family and

colleagues know about the savings they have made. The company passes the savings it

makes on to its members – by charging less.

As a member of the Utility Warehouse Discount Club, you SAVE...

Single supplier for all your utilities

Award-winning customer service

Value that's unbeatable

Easy to switch

For more information and to start saving money on your household bills, please

contact Linda Collas, Authorised Distributor for the Utility Warehouse, on

07598 320786 or email [email protected]

**If you do try this service, please contact the EngAGE office to tell us what you think. **

Introduction to Utility Warehouse

‘Mining the Past - Shaping Our Lives’ With support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Age UK North Staffordshire is now setting up

a new Group for ex-miners, their families and carers in the Newcastle-under-Lyme area.

The aim of the Group is to share and record memories of pit life; and while doing so, it

provides a valuable opportunity for older people in Newcastle to meet new people and

make new friends.

From January, the Group meets weekly on Monday mornings from 11am-1pm at

Newcastle Library, Ironmarket; and is open to anyone aged 50 and

over who has connections or memories of pit life in Newcastle.

For more information on the group or the mining memories social

history project, contact Tony McClenaghan or

Margaret Parkinson: 01782 200724 or 286209;

email: [email protected]




Join the City of Stoke-on-Trent Male Voice Choir

Rehearsal every Thursday at Longton Central Hall

7.30pm to 9.30pm

“Quality voices required, to complement our

choir in harmony”

Contact Tony on 01782 323 674 or Eddie on 01785 816880

Music Friendship Two hours a week

A choral experience

Pride

Free/subsidized uniform

No need to read music Travel

TOMBOLA!

The Forum Committee

are organising a

tombola stall instead of

a raffle at the Forum on

12th February 2014.

Donations of prizes

w o u l d b e v e r y

welcome. Please get

them to the EngAGE

office, or to a member

of the Committee, by

31st January 2014.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) are carrying out a themed inspection programme

that looks at the quality of dementia care in England. They are looking for submissions from

groups who have evidence of people’s experiences as well as from individuals and their

families. They would be happy to receive feedback even if your location is not in one of

their review areas.

Tell them your experiences of dementia care - whether you’re living with dementia, or

whether you’re a family member, friend, relative and/or carer of someone with dementia.

The CQC want to find out what works well and what needs to improve. Their inspections

will focus on:

how people living with dementia are supported to maintain their physical and mental

wellbeing,

how effective care can reduce admissions to hospital from care homes and avoid

unnecessary lengthy stays.

how care services can work together when there is a need for people to move

between services.

David Behan, CQC Chief Executive, said: “There is a real need to explore why people with

dementia may not be receiving high quality care, as well as how the different services

work together.”

You can tell the CQC about your experience of a service by:

Telephone: 03000 61 61 61 Email: [email protected]; or by

using the online form at http://www.cqc.org.uk/public/news/dementia-care-review

You can also share your experience by contacting one of the organisations below:

Age UK.

Dementia Action Alliance.

Regional Voices.

Dementia Advocacy Network.

Race Equality Foundation.

Dementia Care Review

http://www.cqc.org.uk/public/news/dementia-care-review



At every Forum, we ask the people who attend to tell us what they think of the meeting.

Here is the feedback received from 64 forum members.

October 2013 Forum Evaluation Feedback

You can now find us on

&

www.facebook.com/EngAGEStoke @EngAGEStoke

EngAGE Stoke-on-Trent,

Freepost RSSY-JJTE-TYGJ,

Palace Chambers,

21 Stafford Street,

Hanley, ST1 1JW

Tel: 01782 200736

[email protected]

www.engagestokeontrent.org.uk

contact us

The Silver Line is the only

free confidential helpline

providing information,

friendship and advice to

older people, open 24

hours a day, every day of

the year.

www.thesilverline.org.uk

Fenton Chess Club

We are a small, friendly

club based at Longton

Working Mens Club,

meeting on Monday

evenings from 7.30pm

onwards.

Join us to play either

competitively or socially!

Contact Steve Emmerton

on 01283 517569 or 07850 185536

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