Association of Directors of Adult Social Services Eastern Region. Connecting, innovating. improving
Hi subscriber,

Welcome to March 2022 newsletter
You will receive this newsletter whenever we have important news and updates to share. Here you will find updates about the Sector Led Improvement Programme, upcoming events, best practice examples and any changes in practice and policy relevant to the region.

Regional Building Positive Futures Programme update
We would like to let you know about the forthcoming 2 hour virtual learning sets which are part of the Regional Building Positive Futures Programme. The sessions are open to all staff and are paid for as part of regional Sector Led Improvement Programme and are aimed at growing community based innovations and improving personalisation across the region. All that we ask is if you attend, you champion the learning in your local area and feedback on how this has made a difference.

The next sessions are as follows:

13th April 2022, 10am - 12 noon - ALG20 Putting Individual Service Funds into practice in Oldham with KeyRing and Self Directed Support Futures

21st April 2022, 11am – 2:30pm – ALGMH Mental Health - Putting people with Mental Health at the heart of care and support. (Open to people with lived experience) To book onto this one, please click here and do circulate to anyone who may be interested in attending.

19th May 2022, 10am until 12 noon - ALG21 Personalised Care and support people with Dementia, NHSE/NHSI

8th June 2022, 11am until 1pm – ALG22 Imagineer and getting through the contractual challenges (Support Brokerage)

Further sessions will be advertised via the Personalisation and Prevention Network leads as they are arranged.

If you would like to attend any of the above sessions, please contact natasha.eastsli@gmail.com with your name, job title, local authority, the session you wish to attend and your email address. Microsoft Teams links usually come out a couple of weeks beforehand.

Recent materials coming out of the Building Positive Futures programme are below:
All about Community Circles
All about Support Brokerage
All about Buurtzorg
All about Assistive Technology
All about SharedLivesPlus
All about HomeShare

Media programme – learn from recent videos:
We have also prepared some useful media videos which cover support brokerage, self-directed support, micro-enterprises and community circles. Please do use these locally: Videos – Association of Directors of Adult Social Services Eastern Region (adasseast.org.uk). More will follow.

Preparation for Regional Assurance
We have seen the recent White Paper on Reform - People at the Heart of Care and Social Care Integration Paper

We are working with Directors and Senior Managers to ensure we are prepared for the reforms and the regional assurance process coming into play in April 2023. As well as targeted work with regional networks, we have established a Task and Finish Group with Assistant Directors (via the regional AD Forum) to plan next steps. For example, we are planning some Regionally SLI-delivered “Mock Inspections” across the coming months and have also commissioned a review of analytical/performance skills across the region which will both help with planning and improvement. We will also be learning from colleagues in Children’s Services about preparedness for Inspection.

Carers

Review of online information and advice to carers across the East

We commissioned Mobilise to undertake a review of online information and advice for carers across the region and the report has recently been published and can be found here: Mobilise report. There are a number of recommendations which we will be taking forward as part of the Carers Network activity.

Event for carers

After the successful delivery of the Regional Carers Event in December 2021, the Directors have agreed for another event in December 2022. Please hold the 7th December in your diaries and ensure carers are aware this event is coming up.

Language matters to carers

Following our Carers event in December, carers were concerned about the language used in conversation with carers. In response, we have created a video to try and improve local practice, the video is about how insensitive language can undermine people who care. Please do use this in your local improvement work: Insensitive language can undermine people who care – Association of Directors of Adult Social Services Eastern Region (adasseast.org.uk)

Finance

There have been a number of publications and consultations that maybe of interest to Finance colleagues and they can be found here:

Social Care - Charging for Care and Support LAC DHSC 2023/1
Information for LAs and Adult Social Care Provision, the £300m workforce and recruitment fund, round 2
Consultation on operational guidance to implement a lifetime cap on care costs
Adult Social Care Infection Control and Testing Funding, Round 3

Homelessness and Housing

We would also like to bring your attention to a recent report published by NEF looking at a strength based approach to homelessness. Report here

There will be a housing co-production event taking place on the 23rd March 2022 from 12:30-2:30pm for more details and booking, please click here


Thanks for reading. We will be in touch again soon.

East of England Regional Sector Led Improvement Team
Contact details: Adasseast@essex.gov.uk