Lisa Faulkner encourages fund-raisers to get baking and brewing

Actress and 2010 Celebrity Masterchef winner, Lisa Faulkner is urging people to grab their teapots and use their culinary expertise to help fight meningitis.

Lisa is backing Meningitis UK’s national Time 4 Tea campaign by putting forward her Fantasy Cake recipe to entice everyone to get creative for the fundraiser.

Time 4 Tea asks people to gather their family and friends, put on a brew and bake a cake or two throughout September.

Lisa Faulkner said: “I’m delighted to be able to help with Meningitis UK’s campaign. I hope that my support and Fantasy Cake help towards their aims.”

Lisa explained she discovered the cake when her friend made it for a picnic. She added: “It was still warm and the strawberries deliciously gooey, and I honestly thought I might have died and gone to heaven it was that good. We nicknamed it the ‘fantasy’ cake.

“It now happens to be Billie, my adopted daughter’s, favourite cake and we make it all the time.”

Meningitis is a devastating disease. It can come out of nowhere and kill in just four hours. Meningitis UK invests in pioneering research to help find a vaccine for every type of meningitis.

A party pack featuring the Fantasy Cake recipe along with balloons, bunting, invitations and a collection box will be sent to anyone who registers for the event. A range of recipes and more details are also available online. To sign up www.meningitisuk.org/time4tea

Lisa Faulkner’s Fantasy Cake, which people can make for Meningitis UK’s Time 4 Tea campaign

Greater mortality risk among those with serious mental illness

Adults with a serious mental illness have a mortality rate three times as high as the general population, according to data from the Health and Social Care Information Centre.

The figures from the HSCIC reveal around 13 in every 1,000 people aged 18-74 with a serious mental illness died in the financial year 2009/10, compared to about four in 1,000 of the general population between these ages.

Though previous research has looked at this area this is the first time such figures have been calculated by linking mortality data to the Mental Health Minimum Dataset (MHMDS) – the dataset that contains record-level data about NHS services delivered to over one million people with serious mental health problems.

The statistics form one of the new measures as part of the NHS Outcomes Framework. More can be found in the NHS Outcomes Framework section on the HSCIC website https://indicators.ic.nhs.uk.

Employers urged to offer flexible working to support mental health needs

One in four people experience a mental heath problem at some point in their lives costing the economy an estimated £105 billion. Many are of working age and in employment. It is the most common reason for incapacity benefit claims.

Under a new initiative, launched by the health minister Lord Howe, staff with mental health needs could be offered more flexible working.

Speaking at the Work Foundation, Lord Howe set out how companies including manufacturing umbrella body EEF, EDF Energy have signed up to a new Responsibility Deal pledge.

The approach to help manage and support employees with mental health needs has been developed as part of a new health and work pledge and includes:

* taking a flexible approach to start/finish times and shift patterns;

* allowing paid or unpaid leave for medical appointments;

* offering a phased return to work;

* providing a quiet space for breaks; and

offering job sharing. 

Report finds half of learning disability services did not meet standards

A Care Quality Commission programme of unannounced inspections, carried out in the wake of the abuse uncovered by the BBC Panorama programme at Winterbourne View Hospital, found that there was a one in two chance of people with learning disabilities being in a service that did not meet the required standards.

The inspections focused on examining the care and welfare of people who use services, and whether people were safe from abuse.

The CQC inspectors were joined by professional experts and ‘experts by experience’ – people who have first hand experience of care or as a family carer and who can provide the patient or carer perspective.

The findings are revealed in a national report that analyses the results. Overall, CQC found that nearly half the hospitals and care homes inspected did not meet the required standards.

The inspections conclude that some assessment and treatment services admit people for disproportionately long spells of time and that discharge arrangements take too long to arrange.   
CQC says this raises important questions about the patterns of commissioning behaviour and practices across England and that there is now an urgent need for commissioners to review the care plans for people in treatment and assessment services so that they can move on to appropriate care settings. 

The report also says there are still lessons to be learned by providers about the use of restraint. There is an urgent need to reduce the use restraint, together with training in the appropriate techniques for restraint when it is unavoidable.

CQC says that too often people are fitted into services rather than services being tailored to people’s individual needs.

CQC inspectors have since returned to many services where concerns were identified to check that improvements have been delivered. Where concerns were identified the location was required to provide an action plan to show how they would improve. All non compliant services will receive unannounced inspections.
In total 150 inspections were carried out as part of the programme. The national report provides an analysis of the findings of 145 inspections as the first five pilot inspections were excluded.

Dame Jo Williams the chair of the CQC, said: “While our inspections found examples of good care, too often they found that services were not meeting the individual needs of people.

“This isn’t about developing more guidance – there’s plenty of evidence about what constitutes good care and good commissioning – it’s about making sure that providers, commissioners and regulators focus on care that is based on individuals.”

'People who use these services need care and support and they and their families need to be treated with care and respect' – Dame Jo Williams the chair of the CQC

Organisation backs Remploy closures

Breakthrough UK has backed controversial plans to shut 36 Remploy factories – while insisting that the government must “safeguard” employees’ futures.

The Manchester-headquartered disabled people’s organisation believes that current moves to keep the factories open fail to address the many issues surrounding the “outdated sheltered employment model” that Remploy represents.

Breakthrough UK has been at the cutting edge of tackling discrimination and removing barriers to disabled people’s representation in society by promoting both employment and independence for 15 years.

The organisation wanted to speak out in favour of the government’s proposals after being asked to put its name to campaigns to reverse these plans.

Breakthrough UK’s acting chief executive Michele Scattergood said: “We believe that reform is required so that the individual requirements of disabled people can continue to be met according to their needs in the 21st century.

“The sheltered employment model is an out of date concept which potentially isolates people by segregating them and preventing their integration into the wider world of work.

“We believe that the government’s proposals will ultimately help promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace _ but the new Remploy jobseekers must get the support they need into the jobs they want.”

Michele Scattergood said: “There needs to be a negotiated solution which safeguards Remploy workers and remains true to the principles of the disabled people’s movement.

“While Breakthrough UK is unable to support a call to keep the Remploy factories open, we are keen to join with organisations to campaign for a good outcome, for the Remploy workers in particular and for the wider population of disabled people in general.

“This is a chance for the disabled people’s movement to fit the Remploy issue into a long term strategy which addresses the discriminatory policies and practices that keep disabled people’s employment levels so low - currently only 48% of disabled people are in work compared with 78% of non-disabled people.”

Guide to help family carers get the right support

The Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities has launched a new guide providing information for family carers of people with learning disabilities about the NHS Continuing Healthcare.

NHS CHC, a complete package of health and social care paid for by the NHS is available for people who have been assessed to have a “primary health need.”

The booklet provides practical information about what exactly NHS Continuing Healthcare is, how people are assessed for it and how decisions are made. It also includes details about what happens if a person is eligible or not for NHS CHC as well as advice about how to get help and useful contacts to get more information. 

Alison Giraud-Saunders, consultant at the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities, said: “People with learning disabilities who have very complex health needs face unique challenges in their care. Our research has shown there is a real need for targeted information. The big priority for families is of course to get the right support for their relatives. It shouldn’t matter where the money comes from. But different sources of funding come with different rules and it’s really important for families to understand what these may mean.

“The rules around NHS CHC are complex and the NHS staff responsible for CHC funding aren’t always well informed about people with learning disabilities or personalised support. So it’s even more important for families to know what’s possible, what questions to ask and what to look out for.”

The booklet will be available on http://www.learningdisabilities.org.uk/publications/continuing-healthcare/

Move to help families juggle work with caring role

The care services minister Paul Burstow has announced a new government and employers working group to help give carers the support they need to stay in work alongside their caring responsibilities.

The joint working group was announced today at the Government and Employers for Carers Summit hosted by Paul Burstow and BT as part of Carers Week.

It will explore how employers, services and providers can work better together and also look at how reform in the social care system, and stimulation of the market in care services, could provide staff with the support they need.

Speaking at the summit Paul Burstow said: “As we prepare to publish plans on the future of care for older and disabled people, this summit has kick-started joint action between government and the business community to work together on helping carers to juggle work and care. Helping families to stay in work alongside caring not only helps carers’ careers and family finances but is crucial for our workforce and economy.”

The event was attended by business leaders, care providers, care technology developers, local government representatives, and European labour market experts.

Helena Herklots the chief executive of Carers UK said: “Family life is changing and services and workplaces must keep pace. As more and more of us juggle work with childcare and support for older and disabled relatives, we need the services and support to back us up.”

Call for more research into MS after Jack Osbourne highlights illness

The Bristol charity MS Research has called for more investigation into Multiple Sclerosis after Jack Osbourne’s recent diagnosis has brought the condition to the public eye. 

Dr Rosie Jones, the chairman of the organisation, said the diagnosis of the son of rocker Ozzie and former X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne, at the age of 26, “is typical and highlights the need for more funding and research into MS.”

Dr Rosie Jones said: “The many of us who want to see better knowledge of and treatment for the condition are glad of the opportunity to bring MS into the public arena.

“While feeling great concern for everyone diagnosed with MS, Mr Osbourne’s diagnosis represents a typical example of how the illness strikes – it comes out of the blue and affects mostly young people, sometimes even children, and once diagnosed there is the likelihood of ongoing problems and the development of some measure of disability.”

In MS the nerves in the brain and spinal cord are attacked causing widespread and difficult symptoms that will affect the rest of a person’s life. MS usually starts with a series of attacks followed by periods of remission, however, in rare cases the progress of the condition is continuous from onset.

Problems that develop can vary and managing the symptoms of MS –difficulties with walking, eyesight, sensation and pain – can be as important as addressing the causes in possible treatments for MS. 

To find out more about the work of MS Research or donate online see the website at www.ms-research.org.uk.

NHS rationing hitting patient care

Responding to a new report by the Labour Party showing procedures and treatments which are being rationed in the NHS, the chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing Dr Peter Carter, said: “Our Frontline First campaign has been identifying cuts across the NHS for more than two years now, and this report just shows the impact those cuts are having on patients. Yes, difficult decisions do have to be made, but if you are a child with hearing loss or an older person who has problems with their mobility, these issues are not minor. 

“By lowering the criteria for treatment further, the NHS could be costing itself more money by not fixing problems promptly and waiting for conditions to worsen. 

“NHS organisations need to think and plan very carefully and change services in the interests of patients. Instead, some are making short-sighted cutbacks which help neither the NHS coffers or patient care.”

Discovering new ways to work with older people

New approaches for social care staff who work with older people are being championed in a new book to be launched at the University of Chichester.

‘Social Work with Older People’ encourages social workers to see older people holistically, taking the care management process beyond its current mechanistic approach.

The expertise of the university in this field has led to current and former staff and students featuring prominently. Current associate lecturer Barbara Hall and former lecturer Terry Scragg are co-editors, while chapter authors include current lecturers David Gaylard, Andy Mantell and deputy dean Gill Butler.

Barbara will be among the speakers at a mini-conference to mark the launch of the book at the University of Chichester on 25 June from 4.30pm. The line-up of speakers also includes Dr Jill Hayes who will discuss expression and communication through dance movement and drawing, Dr Sally Stapleton talking about living well with dementia, and Dr Rod Paton demonstrating the concept of singing for health – the Lifemusic way.

For more information or to request a place at the event, contact events@chi.ac.uk or call 01243 812171.

Autism conference to focus on challenging behaviour

Research Autism is to hold a conference to explore challenging behaviour as the government prepares to publish an initial report following the regime of abuse at the Winterbourne View unit, exposed by the BBC Panorama programme. 

Incidents of residents being kicked and slapped at the residential hospital for people with a learning disability in Hambrook, near Bristol, were captured on camera by an undercover reporter. It led to the closure of Winterbourne View, the arrest and charging of several staff members and inspections by the Care Quality Commission of care services for people with a learning disability.

On 27 June 2012, Autism and Challenging Behaviour: it doesn’t have to be like this, at the Ambassadors Hotel, London, will focus on research, and methods of working that have been shown to be effective and ethical in addressing challenging behaviour, while avoiding those approaches that can cause harm not just to the person but to all of those concerned. 

Richard Mills the research director of Research Autism said: “Despite the numerous scandals and many government reports, individuals are still vulnerable to poor treatment and even assaults.  We need to find new ways of responding to the issues they face based on the needs of each individual.”

Deepa Korea the chief Executive of Research Autism said: “One year on from the appalling abuse uncovered at Winterbourne View, this conference provides a vital contribution to the debate about how we care for some of our most vulnerable citizens. It is a timely reminder that there exist alternative ways forward for managing challenging behaviour. As the conference will make clear, it really doesn’t have to be like this.”

For more information see www.researchautism.net/computers

Team gears up to support paralympic competitors with vital equipment and repairs

The official technical service provider for the London 2012 Paralympic Games has now sent the first nine tonnes of workshop equipment and around 15,000 spare parts to London – in preparation for their role servicing equipment for 4,200 athletes. 

Ottobock Healthcare will run one main workshop in the Paralympic Village, which begins operations one week ahead of the Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony. 

The company will send a total of 13.7 tonnes and a volume of 88.2m³ of equipment to London before the launch of the Games from their head office in Germany.

Ottobock has been a partner of the International Paralympic Committee, IPC, since 2005 and has been providing technical services for the Paralympics since 1988 in Seoul. 

In London, 80 prosthetists, orthotists and wheelchair technicians from 20 countries will make up the technical service team to ensure every athlete has access to equipment repairs and is fit for competition at the second largest sports event in the world.

Athletes who need prostheses, wheelchairs, or orthoses to participate can have their devices checked and repaired by the Ottobock experts before they compete. Nine other workshops located at the various venues are also responsible for repairs during competition. 

The wheelchairs used for rugby and basketball are subjected to damaging impact-intense competition and welding is in high demand throughout the event. An additional mobile workshop is available for the hand bikers’ street race.

The managing director for Ottobock Healthcare UK Philip Yates said: “The team is very experienced and their creativity and knowledge means that no job is too challenging. Whether it is welding flag holders on to wheelchairs for the opening ceremony or mending a prosthetic knee joint, our team will be on hand to help. As in Athens and Beijing, more than 2,000 repairs are expected to be made, requiring more than 10,000 hours of work.”

For more information about Ottobock’s role in London see www.ottobock.com/paralympics.

Ottobock equipment heads to London

Three out of four deafblind children missing out

A new charity report reveals that 75 per cent of children who are deafblind – as many as 3,000 children – are missing out by not receiving the right support because authorities are failing to identify them.

Supporting Success, from the deafblind charity Sense was launched at an event with the children and families minister Sarah Teather and Sense’s patron The Princess Royal.  

Sense is calling on the government to introduce a legal requirement shared by education, health and social care to identify and support deafblind children and their parents.

The charity’s report recommends that as part of its education reforms the government includes deafblind children in the pathfinder pilot projects so the education reforms are tested to meet the needs of these unique children. 

Sense also wants to raise understanding of deafblindness among professionals in health, social care and education with specialist training. It says currently teacher training courses only include one day of SEN training to cover all disabilities. 

At the event the minister heard from a number of parents of deafblind children who told her their struggles with the system to get their children vital support. 

Sarah Teather said: “It is vital that the reforms we are making to the SEN and disability system are informed by the experiences of the children, young people parents and professionals who are most affected by them. This roundtable event provides an excellent opportunity for me to hear directly from them about challenges and progress.”

The patron of Sense, The Princess Royal at an event for disabled children organised by the deafblind charity

First UK childhood MS incidence study published

Researchers funded by the MS Society and Action Medical Research have found the UK has the highest reported incidence rate in the world of children who experience their first MS-like attack in childhood.  

Every year in the UK around 125 children – that’s ten aged between one and 15 in every million – will experience what’s thought to be their first MS-like attack.

The ‘attack’ is often diagnosed as Clinically Isolated Syndrome, CIS, where symptoms similar to those found in MS, like problems with eyesight or numbness in the hands and feet, flare up and then disappear again. 

It’s thought around one in 20 adults with MS will experience their first symptoms in childhood, but children who experience a second MS attack at a young age are usually diagnosed with childhood MS. 

Researchers working at the University of Birmingham and Birmingham Children’s Hospital also discovered that:

• The average age for the first MS-like symptom was 10 years old

• In children aged 10 years and older, more girls than boys were affected – in keeping with the diagnosis ratio that MS affects twice as many women as men

The results have been published in the journal Multiple Sclerosis and were compared with findings from similar studies carried out in Canada and Germany, which reported lower incidence rates.

Tracey and Richard Murdoch’s daughter Emily, from Cannock, was diagnosed with MS when she was 12 years old after years of unexplained symptoms. Emily, now 15, regularly experiences severe fatigue, muscle spasms and problems with numbness in her hands and legs. She horse rides regularly and hopes to one day compete at the Paralympic Games in the three day event.

Tracey said: “Emily was three and a half when she had her first MS symptom but at the time we didn’t know it was MS because her doctor couldn’t explain it. Childhood MS is rare and there’s very little support available for teenage kids – we felt so isolated, but we got support by speaking to other families affected by MS.”

 Dr Doug Brown the head of biomedical research at the MS Society, said: “Historically MS has always been considered as an older person’s condition, but we’re now seeing people diagnosed much younger, so the more we understand about childhood MS the better health professionals can be at diagnosing the condition and offering treatment and vital support to young people and their families.”

For more information on childhood MS or other research funded by the MS Society see website www.mssociety.org.uk.

New study of carer dads reveals shock findings

A survey of UK dads who look after disabled children has highlighted that fathers aren’t getting the support they need and are left feeling marginalized. The survey shows that they are doing all they can to be involved but face hurdles every step of the way.

Two-thirds have relationship problems while 15 per cent keep their child a secret from their employers.

They want their voices to be heard, to be given more consideration in terms of support and to be acknowledged as having an important role as a parent, on a par with their female counterparts.

Netbuddy and Scope, two national charities working to give carers and families the support they need, joined forces on the research project.

Entitled Dad and Me, the aim is to raise awareness of the issues.

They questioned 500 father carers during April 2012 and asked what they think about the support systems in place for them and how they are coping. They talked to dads with children of all ages.

One dad said: “I feel utterly isolated and condemned to a life of futility and hopelessness.”

Deborah Gundle, who set up Netbuddy as a mum carer to bring families and professionals together to share help and advice, says the results makes for difficult reading.

“We wanted to highlight the important role that dad carers have, but to realise the extent of the problems dads are facing has been overwhelming,” she said. “Even I had not considered the extent of dads’ involvement – both emotionally and practically – and it is commonly the case that mothers are assumed to take all the responsibilities of caring on board.

“It is time that society opened its eyes and took action to give better support to fathers with disabled children. At the moment, they just aren’t getting the help they need.”

DfT consults on ways to access disability advice

The Department for Transport is launching a consultation and inviting views from interested parties on what arrangements should be put in place if the Disabled Persons Transport Committee is disbanded.

The government’s review of Non-Departmental Public Bodies in 2010, recommended that the DPTAC be abolished as part of wider reforms to increase accountability, reduce duplication and improve transparency.

The consultation outlines a number of options for securing future advice should the decision be taken to abolish DPTAC.

It will run from 11 June for 14 weeks closing on 14 September see the DfT’s website http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/dft-2012-21/

Counting the cost of underfunding care

The disability organisation led by disabled people Disability Rights UK says publication of today’s Association of Directors of Adult Social Services report on 2012 adult social care budgets reveals the stark reality for disabled people, carers and older people losing out on the frontline of austerity Britain.

The report also reveals that we will all foot the long-term bill for current underfunding of essential care and support. Councils are being prevented from meeting people’s needs due to a lack of resources; but long-term costs will be incurred by councils and the NHS which outweigh the immediate cuts in spending demanded by the government.

 Sue Bott, the director of development at Disability Rights UK said: “Disabled people, older people and carers are losing support that helps retain basic dignity and independence. Or face ever-increasing charges for essential support.”

The report shows a massive drop in care expenditure: £890 million expected in 2012/13. This is despite a 1% real terms drop in the last financial year – and the rising demand for support from older people and young disabled people surviving into adulthood for example. Previous analyses of care expenditure suggest at least an additional £2 billion is required just to meet existing demand.

 The organisation says it also shows disabled people will be forced to pay an additional £77 million for essential support to meet basic needs (eating, toileting, bathing for example). This is despite most research revealing the public support free care services being provided for people with legitimate needs.

 Previous research also suggests that levying fees for basic support results in people withdrawing from services. This presents local authorities with legal and ethical dilemmas in discharging care responsibilities, ensuring people receive sufficient support. But long-term, this also presents greater costs for councils who become required to support people who only return to services with the very highest needs. People supported in their own homes for an average of £204 per week end up requiring £623 per week intensive residential care placements for example.

Sue Bott said: “The ‘ostrich’ approach of councils, enforced by cuts from central government, of burying heads in the sand affects us all. Disability Rights UK believes the long-term costs far outweigh the sums from axing essential support now. Care matters to everyone and we need the most effective and efficient system, able to ensure needs are met and not ignored until the costs have tripled.”

London transport films to help passengers

Transport for London, TfL, has announced the final stage in the programme which has seen millions of pounds invested in making the transport network in London more accessible. 

A series of short ‘how to’ films have been created to help disabled people unfamiliar with the capital’s public transport system use TfL’s ticketing and journey planning systems, buses, the Tube, DLR and taxis. 

The films, one of which is narrated by Paralympic gold medal winner, former world record holder and TfL board member Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson are available at tfl.gov.uk/mobility.

TfL’s journey planner has also been upgraded to make it easier to plan step-free journeys online. It will be very busy during the Games and TfL is urging disabled passengers and others to plan their journeys ahead by visiting  www.tfl.gov.uk/journeyplanner

TfL has also announced today that 16 key Tube stations will provide temporary manual boarding ramps including Earl’s Court, King’s Cross St. Pancras, Oxford Circus, Southfields, Stratford, West Ham, Westminster and Wimbledon.  

The ramps will enable wheelchair users to board trains more easily at these stations, which have a gap between the train and the platform. If the use of the temporary ramps proves popular TfL will look to see how their use can be extended beyond the Games.

 As with London Underground’s existing assistance service for visually-impaired passengers, TfL said it won’t be necessary to pre-book use of the ramps. When requested, Tube staff at the departure station will call ahead to the destination station to ensure that a ramp and member of staff will be waiting for them.

Award for Rivertime Boat Trust

The Rivertime Boat Trust has won The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service 2012, which recognises volunteering work that is a social, economic or environmental service to the local community.

Rivertime, is a 12-seater day boat based in Henley for use by disabled and disadvantaged children and adults, for the summer season. The boat was launched in 2008 for the Rivertime Boat Trust to operate on the Middle Thames between Windsor and Oxford. 

From  March to October 2011 Rivertime undertook 200 bookings. Since it was launched the boat has completed over 500 trips and taken out more than 6,000 people with disabilities.

Celebrating the award at Dorney Lake, trustee and founder of the charity Simon Davis said: “We are thrilled to receive this award. It is recognition for the large number of volunteer skippers, crew and others who give so generously of their time and also help to raise much needed funds.”

For more information about the Rivertime Boat Trust see website www.rivertimeboattrust.org.uk. 

Trustees, from the left, Simon Davis, Arthur Edmunds, Pat Davis, Johnnie Hobbs and Skipper Lucy Herbert

Remploy workers take fight to MP’s ‘backyard’

About 25 Remploy workers from across London will be travelling to the Chingford and Woodford Green constituency of the work and pensions secretary, Iain Duncan Smith on Tuesday 12 June, to protest about the closure of 54 Remploy factories.

In a bid to ‘shame’ Iain Duncan Smith, the Unite union, has taken out an advert in the local paper and a billboard advertisement at Chingford station to alert his electors as to what their MP is doing.

Tomorrow, the Remploy employees from Acton, Barking and Holloway will march from Chingford’s overground station to Iain Duncan Smith’s constituency office, where a letter will be handed in asking for a U-turn by the coalition.

The demonstration comes just before the first factory closures are due to occur early next month and follows recent positive figures from Remploy which revealed sales have risen 12.2 per cent (£14 million) over the previous 12 months.

In the letter, Unite national officer for the not for profit sector, Sally Kosky said: “You say you want disabled people in mainstream employment, yet you have no idea of the bullying and harassment many of them have faced before finding a safe haven within Remploy.”

Sally Kosky said: “The latest sales figures from Remploy itself reveal that these plants are financially viable – and we invite Mr Duncan Smith to visit the Remploy site in Barking to see this positive work at first hand.”

More than 10,000 Unite members have e-mailed Iain Duncan Smith protesting at the decision to close the 54 Remploy factories, of which 36 are due to shut in the first phase.

Disabled people helping drive economic growth

Many disabled people are opting to run their own businesses, contributing to economic growth. According to the Office for Disability Issues (2011) ‘Life Opportunities Survey’ about 10 per cent of disabled people who are working are self-employed – higher than the rate for other people. 

The CBI has reported that UK economic growth will also be driven by small and medium-sized businesses which cover nearly 50 per cent of private sector jobs and account for over half of all private sector turnover. 

To help boost growth and develop disabled people’s skills and experiences, the Radiate Network of senior professionals with experience of disability or health conditions convened a recent panel to discuss how to help people establish and manage their own business.   

Liz Sayce the chief executive of Disability Rights UK, said: “Disabled people can help take us out of recession. Gone are the days when disabled people were just recipients of benefits or support – we are contributors. We urge government to ensure that small business support is available to disabled people and that support systems – like Access to Work – are flexible enough to support people setting up their own businesses.”  

The panel included Helen Cooke the founder of MyPlus Consulting, Dr John Charles the founder of Catering2order.com, Stephen Pegge the director of SME Markets, Commercial Banking at Lloyds Banking Group and David Cartwright the group chief executive of Arise Solutions International, founded 15 years ago, which provides work for disabled people in Florida. It now operates in four countries with 25,000 home-based agents.

Manual of children’s nursing practices launched

The Great Ormond Street Hospital Manual of Children’s Nursing Practices has been launched at an event at the hospital.

The new evidence-based manual of practical skills in children’s nursing aims to ensure children’s nurses everywhere have access to a high quality, up-to-date and evidence-based reference.  

In a clear user-friendly format it builds on the expertise in children’s nursing developed at Great Ormond Street Hospital, encompassing all aspects of children’s nursing from the most basic aspects of everyday practice to advanced practice in high dependency and intensive care.

 Fiona Smith, Adviser in Children and Young People’s Nursing at the Royal College of Nursing, said: “I would recommend this as an excellent guide for all practitioners working to ensure children and families have the best possible experience wherever they are receiving care.”

Liz Robinson, a clinical nurse specialist at Great Ormond Street Hospital and one of the editors of the manual, published by Wiley-Blackwell, said: “I was delighted to be involved in this manual. I hope it will help give nurses and student nurses immediately applicable best practices, giving them greater confidence to practice professionally and carry out evidence-based clinical procedures in the important field of children and young people’s nursing.”

The three editors outside Great Ormond Street Hospital Faith Gibson, Susan McQueen and Liz Robinson

Diabetes charity refutes claims structured education is ineffective

A diabetes education charity has hit out at claims that structured diabetes education programmes fail to show results in patients.

X-PERT Health, which offers six-week education programmes to people with diabetes, responded to the findings of an analysis of the first UK national education programme for people with Type 2 diabetes. The study found no difference in blood glucose levels, physical activity or smoking in a group given advice on self-care of diabetes soon after diagnosis, compared with the outcomes for people who attended a one-day course. It concluded that educating patients to self-manage their diabetes has little effect long-term on their lifestyle choices or their health outcomes.

This is being interpreted as casting “doubt over the validity of NICE guidelines that recommend all patients diagnosed with diabetes are given ‘structured education’ around the time of diagnosis, and annually thereafter”.

X-PERT says people who have attended its courses, which are offered free to patients through the NHS, have seen significant improvements in their health and lifestyle.

Dr Trudi Deakin, chief executive of X-PERT, said: “Our results speak for themselves – we can prove our participants have halted, and in some cases even reversed the progression of Type 2 diabetes.

“In light of this, we object to the generalisation that structured education is not an effective way of dealing with diabetes.”

An audit of the outcomes of over 23,000 people who attended X-PERT self-management courses showed an average weight loss of 3.1kg per person over the course of a year, while waist circumference dropped by an average of 2.4cm over a two-year period.

Blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol levels also saw a significant drop among participants.

Dr Deakin added: “We have experienced first-hand the dramatic outcomes of diabetes self-management – by taking charge of their condition, participants have lost weight, increased activity and controlled their blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.”

Diabetes currently affects 3.8 million people in the UK and the costs the NHS £1million per hour. X-PERT believes a UK-wide rollout of its programmes could save the NHS £367 million a year.

For more information about X-PERT Health www.xperthealth.org.uk. The complete analysis of audit results is also available from admin@xperthealth.org.uk.

City of London Festival Golden Jubilee

A Swedish arts organisation, Share Music Sweden, dedicated to enabling artists to appear on stage equally and regardless of their physical abilities or differences, are to perform at the City of London Festival.

Dawn at Galamanta – created and performed by disabled and non-disabled artists  – receives its UK première at the Guildhall on 6 July at the Festival’s Golden Jubilee. It brings together the internationally renowned trombonist, composer and conductor Christian Lindberg, the Swedish Wind Ensemble and the choreographer Helene Karabuda. 

A tale of love, betrayal and murder set in the mythical town of Galamanta, Dawn at Galamanta is also a London 2012 Cultural Olympiad event. The performance is part of the Cultural Olympiad – the largest cultural celebration in the history of the modern Olympic and Paralympic Movements.

Share Music will take part in the Level Playing Field Symposium at the Guildhall Livery Hall on 7 July to discuss the development of musical opportunities, aesthetics and instrument technology for musicians of all physical abilities. The Level Playing Field Symposium is part of the City of London Festival.

For more details about the City of London Festival Golden Jubilee 1962-2012 www.colf.org.

Dawn at Galamanta is the centrepiece of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the City of London Festival. Photo: Peter Lloyd

Forecourt attendants to make a return

After an absence of more than 20 years Shell is re-introducing forecourt attendants at nearly 300 selected sites across the UK this spring.

The new Attended Service programme is a free service designed to help drivers with advice on fuels and fuel efficiency, basic car care and safety tips. Whether the customer is a rushing commuter, a busy mum or those with restricted mobility, drivers will be greeted by a uniformed forecourt attendant trained by the Automobile Association, AA, to be able to carry out a range of car care tasks for customers.

A survey of more than 2,000 adults, conducted by YouGov for Shell, revealed that 20 per cent would rather have help and assistance when buying a product or service than be left to make their own choices. This rises to 25 per cent for those aged 55 and over. In addition, 30 per cent view customer service as “good” when it saves them time by doing all the work for them and this rises to 34 per cent with the under 35 age group who viewed this as important.

Melanie Lane the general manager at Shell UK Retail, said: “Across the industry, UK forecourts are generally not considered the most inviting and customer service-focused environments, and we aim to do something about that. 

 “We are also encouraging our customers to tell us how the attendants are doing as well as other ways we can improve their experience through our Tell Shell system at www.shell.co.uk/tellshell.”

To find the nearest sites see website www.shell.co.uk/attendedservice.

£60 million boost for hospices

Hospices are to benefit from up to £60 million of funding to help improve the quality of care for people nearing the end of their lives.

The care services minister Paul Burstow said: “We are making this investment because we want hospices to be able to provide dignified, compassionate, high quality care and support to people and their families at what is a difficult time in their lives.”

Adult and children’s hospices will be able to apply for funding for a range of projects, including:

* Improvements to day-therapy facilities, including providing transport services;

* Developing or improving out-reach services to support people in their own homes;

* Refurbishment of inpatient and visitor areas, including improvements to bedrooms and bathrooms and providing overnight facilities for families;

* Improvements to mortuary and bereavement facilities; and

* Improvements to gardens and outside spaces so patients can spend time outdoors.

The principal requirements are that projects deliver improvements that directly benefit patients, have a tangible impact on the physical environment and provide value for money.

Paul Burstow, said: “Our surroundings at the end of our lives play a critical role in our wellbeing.

“This money will help hospices all over the country make improvements such as redesigning rooms or putting in place facilities to help people remain independent.” 

Details on how and when hospices can apply for the capital grant scheme are to be announced shortly.

CPR decisions need to come to the fore

Hospitals are wrongly trying to resuscitate some of the most infirm, elderly patients when they are dying, according to a health watchdog. The National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death, NCEPOD, reviewed the care given to 585 acutely-ill patients who ended up having a cardiac arrest. 

It concluded that cardiopulmonary resuscitation, CPR, had wrongly become the “default setting” and said a third of the cardiac arrests could have been prevented. 

The findings are revealed in a the NCEPOD’s latest report Time to Intervene? Report author and NCEPOD lead clinical co-ordinator Dr George Findlay said: “Senior doctors must be involved in the care planning process for acutely ill patients at an earlier stage, and support junior doctors to recognise the warning signs when a patient is deteriorating. The lack of senior input fails patients by both missing the opportunity to halt deterioration and also by failing to question if CPR will actually improve outcome.”

In one case, hospital nursing staff expressed concern about a very elderly, acutely ill patient with severe dementia. The patient had no CPR plan and was dying. When the patient went into cardiac arrest, CPR was performed for 10 minutes until a senior doctor halted the procedure. All the patient’s reviews had been carried out by junior doctors. NCEPOD Advisors reported: “This was an undignified end of life that need not have happened.”

NCEPOD chairman Bertie Leigh said that he hoped the report would prompt a rethink on the limits of what is possible, and act as a wake up call to the NHS: “In nearly half of all the cases we reviewed there was a failure to formulate an appropriate care plan on admission, and a failure, often over several days, to find out what the patient’s wishes were – and to carry them out.”

Roadshow advice for disabled students

This year’s Mobility Roadshow offers help to young disabled people considering the practicalities of further education. It takes place over three days from 21- 23 June, at the Peterborough Arena, East of England Showground. Parking and entry are free.

Two roadshow exhibitors in particular offer practical advice and support. AskJules specialises in helping young disabled adults with the transition from living with their families studying at college or sixth form to university – from making the initial choice through to graduation. They will accompany prospective students on opening days, assist with the recruitment of personal assistants and help with managing care and finances.

The OU Access Centre Bus is the only one of its kind in higher education. A state of the art mobile assessment vehicle, it can be driven to the homes of disabled students or an appropriate location to enable a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) Assessment to take place as part of the DSA application process. The comprehensive range of assistive technology on board includes specialist computer text to speech and speech to text software, a CCTV system to magnify text and specialist ergonomic hardware and furniture.

If the move to higher education involves a transport rethink, visitors to the roadshow can find out more about the latest vehicle adaptations and conversions and experience a test drive (driving licence required).

For design and technology students, the expanded Design Zone offers the opportunity to meet a Royal College of Art designer in residence, vote for favourite products on the Cool Wall and talk with experts about the future of accessible design.

Register for test drives and free tickets at www.mobilityroadshow.co.uk or call 0845 241 0390 and follow on Facebook and Twitter.