Wanted! Over 50’s Foster Carers in the UK

I came across Simply Fostering last week on Twitter. I had always assumed that foster carers had to be under a certain age but in fact over 50’s are now recognised as some of the most skilled childcare workers in the UK. Annette Webb of Simply Fostering got in touch to explain further. Here is what she told me.

Over 50’s foster carers  or ‘empty nesters’ are now seen and recognised as some of the most skilled childcare workers in the UK. This is because of the childcare experiences they have gained over the years. They have often dealt with and coped with numerous difficulties and challenges. The over 50’s still have plenty to offer in caring for vulnerable children, including stability, energy, commitment and in our experience  plenty of time on their hands to use when working with vulnerable children and young people. 

Their own children have left home or are soon to be leaving home, leaving a void in their once busy lives. In fact, numerous over 50’s foster carers have actually said to Simply Fostering that they are bored without having children around the home and would like to do a worthwhile job.

Some Fostering Agencies and Local Authorities are actively seeking to recruit foster carers who are over 50, as they generally don’t have younger children living at home, they are financially secure and they have comfortable and stable family lives from which foster children can benefit.

 At any one time there are approximately 80,000 children in care in the UK. It is generally accepted that there is a shortfall of 10,000 new foster carers every year which compounds the growing problem of foster children being separated from their brothers and sisters, having to live a long way from their family and friends and being denied placement stability which impacts on their education, self esteem and as a consequence causes further disruption in children’s lives.

Along with placement breakdowns, one of the potential outcomes of the lack of placement choice are the 50% of care-leavers who do not enter education, employment or training and end up drifting. Very significant proportions are leaving care on their 16 birthday through their own choice, with very few options available to them.

The more people approved as foster carers, the more likely it is that a good match can be found for a child in terms of location, culture, lifestyle, language and interests. More foster carers means reducing the damage that instability causes to the most vulnerable children in our society.

 A published research document produced by Professor Bob Broad of London South Bank University analyses the views and experiences of children and foster carers as part of a ten year longitudinal study. 

Professor Broad says: ‘It is especially important that children in foster care feel valued within a safe, stable, loving family situation. Their health and well-being are connected to their participation in family life, and decisions about their foster placement’.

This research study evidences the high value children in foster care place on their current foster carer whilst also wanting further contact with their birth family. The study points to the positive yet often difficult journeys they make as they seek to sustain friendships, achieve a good education, and in some cases, improve their mental health and behaviour.

Simply Fostering is a response to the shortfall of foster carers. It is a unique, not for profit web based service designed by fostering social workers to encourage interested people to apply to become foster carers who might feel confused and/or uncertain about their suitability or which Agency to contact.

Simply Fostering help by providing easy to understand, impartial, comprehensive information about fostering and how to become a foster carer. General enquiries are answered and if the enquirer completes the registration form, recruiting fostering agencies are identified who will then contact the enquirers.

Simply Fostering is not an Agency therefore the free service is able to provide people with choices to find the right Agency for them and their family as recommended by government and Fostering Network.

 Applications

Whilst almost anyone can apply to be a foster carer, people need to have or to be able to demonstrate potential parenting skills which are adaptable to the fostering role. Foster carers are optimistic, good listeners, flexible and with a good sense of humour, which also helps.

In our experience one of the most difficult issues for people has been discussing finance. Looking after children and receiving a fee is a difficult concept at first and many foster carers have told Simply Fostering that they found it embarrassing to talk about payments.

Times have changed and fostering is no longer seen as a voluntary service. In order to recruit and retain foster carers it is now accepted that foster carers need to be financially rewarded as are any other workers in social care. Local Authorities and Independent Fostering Agencies provide fees and allowances to enable foster carers to care for children and young people on a full-time basis. Foster carers are now paid allowances of between £350-420 tax free, per week, per child.

Many people are choosing fostering as a career choice and committing to fostering on a full time basis. Generally, the more available you are the more placements you will be offered.

Anyone interested in fostering and becoming a foster carer should go to www.simplyfostering.co.uk  where all information, practical support and choice is just a registration form away or contact Annette Webb at info@simplyfostering.co.uk

Scandal of scams against older people and how to avoid them

I wrote a few weeks ago about a rather nasty incident of pressure selling experienced by my friend Eve.

Another of my friends, Liz who is an advice worker, has just got in touch asking me to draw attention to several scams currently being perpetrated against older people – particularly concerning to anyone caring for someone at a distance.

As Liz says : “Having seen people in distress, it’s an issue I’d like to see publicised as much as possible”.

One example is a scam targeting elderly and vulnerable residents across Surrey obtaining their bank details by calling and claiming to be from their bank. In previous cases the caller has told the victim there is a problem with their bank card and it will need replacing, also asking for their bank details, PIN number and balance, and that a courier will be round to pick up the faulty card and replace it with a new one. A person dressed as a courier then arrives at their front door to take the card.

Another tactic has been to leave a “we have missed you” notice claiming to be from the bank asking the victim to ring the number.

Warwick District Council has recently reported that Trading Standards are also currently dealing with more than 200 complaints about people claiming to be their energy supplier or working in partnership with them, offering a plug-in device which they say can save them 40 per cent off their energy bills.

Trading Standards have had a number of the items tested which not only failed to satisfy electrical safety standards but do not deliver any tangible energy savings.

Ron Gainsford from the Trading Standards Institute said: “Consumers are warned not to use the product as they pose a risk of fire and electrocution and a safety recall has been issued for the items traced so far. Unscrupulous criminals are using the rising energy prices as an opportunity to lure in cash strapped consumers – elderly people seem to have been deliberately targeted.”

Action Fraud reports that UK citizens lose around £2.4 billion every year as a result of scam mail. Sent by professional fraudsters, scam letters are designed to con recipients into investing in bogus schemes such as fake lotteries, share frauds and inheritance scams. They depend on persuading victims to hand over money based on promises of valuable goods, services, or benefits that are never delivered. After replying to a ‘tempter’ letter, victims’ names can be put on a ’suckers list’ which is then sold to other fraudsters. Chronic victims include some of the most vulnerable people in society, some of whom end up being hounded with terrible consequences

This is all very alarming but there is some good advice about how to protect yourself and those you care for against scams on the Directgov website. This includes how to recognise scams, how to deal with them and how to reduce the risk of being involved. It is a worthwhile read for everyone – the reason why scammers are so successful is that they are both persuasive and credible and it’s not just older people who can find themselves on the “suckers list”.

For more information, go to http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Consumerrights/Protectyourselffromscams/DG_195960 or http://www.actionfraud.org.uk/

Introducing our gorgeous new yellow and black double handled mug!

Hot out of its Forest of Dean kiln, I am delighted to introduce you to the latest addition to our range of popular handmade double handled teapots and mugs!  A lovely daffodil yellow with black handles and edging, it is the perfect mug for brightening up your kitchen in time for Spring.

Like all our double handled mugs, these mugs have been handmade for us by Reckless Designs so every one is different.  

The unusual two handled design makes this mug easy to hold even for those with weak wrists or arthritis  and it is particularly comforting when you are feeling under the weather or just wanting to relax.   Great for soups or a good old fashioned cup of tea. Makes an unusual Mothers Day present or housewarming gift but is also handy for the younger grandchildren.  Perfect for young and old alike, this is inclusive design at its best.

As it is handmade, supply is limited so you will need to be quick. For more information, including how to buy, CLICK HERE

As safe as houses? The consequences of private debt entering the social housing sector

Security of housing is fundamental to our wellbeing as we get older.  Many older people living in social housing expect to be able to remain in their homes as long as they wish. However, the current tough financial climate has resulted in two challenges to this assumption. The first is the new cap on housing benefits and the second, less reported, is the change to the way housing associations are funded.

The Sunday Times reports today that since the financial crisis the subsidy for new social housing has been cut by 63% under the government’s comprehensive spending review two years ago. Bank funding has been harder to get. The welfare reform bill is likely to end the direct payment of rents from the government to landlords making rent payment the responsibility of tenants and thereby less secure (which itself makes Bank funding more difficult to obtain).

The results are that rents for new affordable housing are likely to rise – today’s Sunday Times thinks by as much as 80% of the market rate in some areas – and housing associations will have to take on more private debt. Some are thinking of considering radical ways to raise cash such as sale and leaseback  or floating parts of their portfolios on the stock exchange.  Other possibilities are partnerships with private equity investors or insurance companies.

It is at this point that the spectre of Southern Cross raises its ugly head in most people’s minds. There there was a catastrophic collide between the commercial expectations of the property investors with the care provision – resulting in the collapse of the group. 

However, a quick scan through last year’s report by PWC and London & Quadrant, “Hard Times, New Choices“ leaves you in no doubt as to the scale of the challenge currently being faced by the housing associations, tasked to deliver 150,000 new homes by 2015 with ever dwindling government subsidies. 

Raising private finance is not new territory for housing associations who over the past 30 years have raised £60 billion of private investment on top of the £34 billion received from the government, making the sector almost as big as the private finance initiative, the controversial scheme that uses private money to build social infrastructure such as schools and hospitals. Housing associations have become increasingly sophisticated players in the property market, courted by the big City legal firms.

This is definitely a new chapter for the housing associations and shows what a long way we have come in social policy terms since the notion of “council houses”. David Montague, chief executive of London & Quadrant says that housing associations would need to be run on a higher debt, higher risk basis in future. He dismisses the idea that the industry is torn between its social purpose and the need to be commercial: “it’s our responsibility to choose not one but both”.

That balancing act is going to be very difficult to pull off and at stake is people’s homes. Risk to the housing associations will translate at some level into risk for their tenants. But without further government money, there are few choices, As Keith Exford, chairman of G15 which represents the 15 biggest London housing associations puts it : ” There’s an inconvenient truth in all this – if you want a subsidised housing product, you have to subsidise it”

To read the Housing & Quadrant and PWC report, go to http://www.lqgroup.org.uk/_assets/files/Hard-times-more-choices.pdf

Good Care Guide launches – A “TripAdvisor” for care homes

Many of us caring for older parents will have at some stage to contemplate finding them a care home.  Unless you can rely on some local knowledge or better still, a friend’s recommendation, this is not an easy task. Whilst the Care Quality Commission can provide a list of homes registered in your area and copies of their inspection reports, it is then up to you to visit and decide whether the home is appropriate to your parents’ needs.

Today’s launch of  the “Good Care Guide” website aims to help this process. Developed by two social enterprises, My Family Care and United for All Ages, Good Care Guide will list several thousand care homes (as well as child care agencies)  and includes an online facility for users to give a rating out of five and post comments – rather like “TripAdvisor”.

Stephen Burke, Director of  Good Care Guide, (whom I met at the recent launch of Tomorrow Together) says: “Good Care Guide will make it much easier for consumers of care to find out what other people really think about care providers.  It’s unique by covering childcare and eldercare, and will provide families with a tool that will enable them to judge the quality of a provider from the honest feedback of other users and enable care users to share their experiences, good or bad.  We hope that Good Care Guide becomes a deciding factor in choosing care after someone has read the official inspection report as well as visited the provider.”

However, some care providers have expressed concerns, particularly after TripAdvisor came under fire recently from hoteliers claiming that malicious comments were being posted by competitors trying to damage their businesses. 

Good Care Guide has taken these concerns on board, putting in place checks to help make sure this does not happen. For instance, anyone leaving a comment will be emailed by staff to check their identity.

Good Care Guide clearly has the potential to be an important resource for families considering care. How useful it will prove to be will depend on how ready people are to get involved and take time to report their experiences. But it is a model that has been used successfully elsewhere, not just in the holiday and restaurant industries but also with home maintenance sites like Rated People and CheckaTrade and other more niche community websites such as Enabled by Design. It is also a model being considered for independent living aids (See Raising the Standard).

Good Care Guideis undoubtedly challenging to care providers who will need to monitor and respond to customer opinion. But with more and more care likely to be funded privately, it will also provide care homes with invaluable customer feedback which will enable them to improve their offering and grow their businesses.

One of the thing’s the Internet does well is to allow us to share information with each other. If it is to take off, Good Care Guide needs to inspire our steadily growing community of carers to share their experiences, good and bad, for the benefit of those who follow behind them. I hope it does.

For more information, visit http://www.goodcareguide.co.uk/

Is Lloyds Pharmacy’s “Health Village” a game-changer for the 50+ retail market?

This week I found out about a new retail concept being trialled by Lloyds Pharmacy – the Health Village.

Currently being tested at Brent South Retail Park and Lakeside, the Health Village aims to give customers access to pharmacy services alongside an opticians, online doctor and physiotherapists all under one roof.

At Brent South, Lloyds Pharmacy has partnered with opticians (Vision Express), chiropodists (Shuropody), beauty experts (Sk:n), audiologists (Hidden Hearing) and physiotherapists (Connect Physical Health) and in the true spirit of destination shopping there is a coffee shop and accessible toilets. Lloyds Pharmacy‘s own Betterlife Healthcare brand is also there selling a range of “independent living and mobility aids“.

It is not hard to see how the Health Village concept could be expanded to include other services such as life coaching, counselling and psychotherapy. Maybe even other non-health related services such as legal, financial services and travel.

Of course the idea of combining different health services together is not new. It is at the heart and of the NHS and the combination of different services under one roof is like a retail version of the GP-led health clinics (or polyclinics) currently springing up around the country. 

But this is a consumer-focussed retail offering and unlike say, Boots’ health services, is a partnering model with other brands.

Whilst not overtly aimed at older people, the Health Village concept has baby boomer written all over it and in retail terms, particularly with the inclusion of “independent living aids”, could be game-changing for this market.  Far from being hidden in a secondary shopping location,  the “mobility shop” has come centre stage and if the publicity material is anything to go by, the layouts are smart and the products well presented. (The products themselves could do with a design overhaul but that’s another issue).

So, the big question is  – will people proactively manage their health and independence  in this way and is a specialist retail, rather than medical, environment the place to encourage them to do so? What do you think?

For more information about the Health Village visit http://www.healthvillage.co.uk/

A Beginners Guide to looking after your ageing loved ones

A couple of weeks ago, Chris Minett contacted me on Twitter asking whether I would like to see a copy of a new book : “Action for Ageing; 297 Tips to Improve the Health, Safety and Wellbeing of your ageing loved ones.”

The idea behind this book was conceived during a family holiday in Spain in 2010. After years of listening to his mother, Robin Minett sharing her experience of caring for older people gleaned from a lifetime of caring, eldest son Mike suggested she might want to capture all that valuable expertise in a book. At the same time, younger son Chris starting researching into the world of ageing and care of older people.

The result of all this family enterprise is “Action for Ageing” which was published last year.

At its core, the book gives simple and practical advice as to how to look after the older people in your care. In that respect it is not unlike Penelope Leach’s “Baby and Child” which became my bible when my children were born.

However, what the Minett family recognise and tackle with great empathy is that looking after older people is not always as straightforward as looking after children and that there are many frustrations and complexities along the way, not least because the older person is an adult with their own opinions and a right to make their own choices. 

I think “Action for Ageing” works well as a Beginners Guide particularly for those of us who become carers by degrees. The Minetts’ key message is that “prevention is better than cure”. Act now before you receive that awful telephone call “It’s your Mum. She’s had a fall”.  By thinking ahead, caring can be made much easier both for the cared for and the carer. 

“Action for Ageing“ is easy to read and to dip in and out of and written with a good deal of humour.  And there are useful Action Steps at the end of each chapter.

For more information and to buy a copy of the book, visit http://www.actionforageing.com/

Homeshare Eden launches new promotional video

With much in the news about the isolation of the elderly, Dean Raine of Homeshare Eden described in this blog last summer  (reproduced below) a unique and fascinating intergenerational project getting underway in Cumbria.

Homeshare Eden has just released a new promotional video which is worth watching more than once. As Dean says, “The more you watch it, the better it gets – exactly like the Star Wars Trilogy…”

Watch the video HERE

Homeshare is a new scheme for Eden, Cumbria. It is operated by Age UK Carlisle and Eden, receiving funding from The Housing Action Charity (HACT). The scheme is part of HACT’s Age2Age initiative which supports intergenerational projects all over England.

The concept of Homeshare is simple; older and younger people sharing a home.

The idea is that an older person gives a room in their home to a younger person in exchange for help and support around their home.

The younger person (Homesharer) agrees to give up no more than 10 hours per week to help or support the older person. This help/support can come in many different forms. For example: housework, shopping, gardening, transport, cooking, DIY or simply companionship. In exchange for this they are offered a room in the older person’s house for minimal or no rent.

The older person (Householder) benefits from this arrangement in several ways, for example: gaining a companion who can help with tasks they find difficult, accessing services locally or the peace of mind which comes from knowing they have somebody to rely upon.

The younger person (Homesharer) benefits too. For example: they gain low cost or free accommodation. They find a place to stay near their place of work or study. They are given the chance to save money as well as gain independence. Ultimately they find a new friendship.

Homesharing offers different things to different people. Householders gain the choice to stay in their own home at a time of their lives when this may be becoming difficult. Homesharers gain an inexpensive (or free) housing solution. It’s mutually beneficial and nobody should lose out or gain financially.

Homeshare is monitored by the Homeshare Co-ordinator who finds homesharers and householders and matches them together. Successful matches are based upon rapport and common values. The Co-ordinator also acts as independent counsel – offering help and solutions to problems, should they arise.

Homeshare is very much a two way relationship; both people gain equally. The householder gets the help and support they need and the homesharer finds a place to call home.

To participate in the scheme both Householder and Homesharer must be CRB checked and references are required. This ensures that the scheme is as safe as it possibly can be.

There are no specific requirements to take part in Homeshare – just an open mind and a desire to help a person who is either older or younger than you.

Homeshare schemes have operated successfully all over the world and several schemes have already taken place in England. Homeshare Eden is unique as it operates over a large rural area in Cumbria.

For more information, visit http://www.homeshare-eden-district.co.uk/

“Trip Advisor” for independent living products? Download the report

You may recall that last October I reported the launch at Naidex South by the Years Ahead Partnership and Newcastle University of a feasibility study into a scheme for rating assistive technology.

Demographic changes and pressure on public finances are leading to radical changes in the statutory provision of simple assistive technology. Simple aids for daily living – such as walking sticks, mobility aids, tools for arthritic fingers and swollen feet – are now increasingly appearing in a variety of existing and new channels. You only need to look in the small ads of the Sunday newspaper supplements.

However, there are challenges to the emerging market. Public awareness of the existence and benefits of simple living aids is low, the take up is limited by stigma and negative associations of old age and disability. And healthcare professionals are nervous about such developments – not surprisingly given the Office of Fair Trading’s recent investigation into unscrupulous traders taking advantage of ill-informed consumers.

This joint study looked into the feasibility of a consumer-led product rating system which would raise awareness, improve customer confidence, help de-stigmatise the products and offer re-assurance to professionals.

The majority of people surveyed were in favour of an online consumer rating model with a panel or accreditation system to provide further rigour. A kind of “Trip-advisor” for assistive technology and living aids.

We were one of the organisations consulted as part of the study and share Maggie Winchcombe of Years Ahead’s view that “such a scheme has a vital part to play in empowering us all as consumers of [Assistive Technology], designed to help us live our lives to the full into great old age”.

And wearing our designer hats, we believe too that such a scheme will also encourage designers, manufacturers and retailers to really focus on the consumer – and this means producing and selling products which are well designed, innovative and attractive as well as functional.

The next stage for the “Raising the Standard” team is further research and consultation about the design of the rating scheme.  We will keep you posted.

YOU CAN NOW DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE (Click on Download) 

Image  - ShowerSandal 

What to do when someone dies

A while back I was talking to a good friend about looking after older people and it occurred to me that I had no  idea what to do if the worst happened and someone died. My friend, who knows about these things, offered to jot down a few pointers. Here is what she said.

1. Directgov – One of the great things about the internet is that information is available 24 hours a day.  Directgov, the government website, has a very comprehensive list of everything you’ll need to do, from registering the death and arranging the funeral to contacting all the people you have to inform.  You can even print out a checklist.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Death/WhatToDoAfterADeath/DG_10029808

There’s also information on the Citizens Advice Bureau website www.adviceguide.org.uk

2.  Death Certificate – You’ll get more information when you go and register the death.  In England and Wales you’ll get a copy of the very useful booklet “What to do after a death”.  You’ll also get a chance to buy multiple copies of the death certificate – it’s cheaper to do this at the time of registering than later on.   The more complicated the financial affairs of the person who died were, the more certificates you’ll need.

3.  Make notes- As well as the check list, you’ll need somewhere to write things down.  Get a notebook and keep a list of questions as they occur to you; this will make things easier when you’re dealing with the funeral director, for example.  If lots of family members are making suggestions about the funeral write them down too so they’re not forgotten when you’re making decisions.

4.  One step at a time – Take things one step at a time.  Even if you’ve got a long list of things you need to do, don’t feel it all has to be done at once. Registering the death and arranging the funeral will be your first priorities.  Things like sorting out a will or intestacy will be important too, but they do not need to be dealt with immediately.

5. Do think about car insurance – while other financial paperwork can wait a few days, if the policy holder died you should contact the insurance company even if the person wanting to use the car was a named driver.

6. Funeral directors – Nowadays many people who are arranging a funeral will have had little experience of dealing with arrangements after a death before.  Funeral directors are used to this and are happy to guide you through the process and answer any questions.

7.  Choice – However, do remember that you don’t have to use a funeral director if you don’t want to, and if you do, you don’t have to arrange a funeral in the way that they or indeed anyone else thinks is “proper”.  As well as religious funerals you may wish to consider a humanist ceremony.  A more recent idea is the civil funeral; this is a service provided by local councils in the same way as weddings and civil partnerships.

8.   Trade associations – You should bear in mind that funeral directors are running a business and selling you a service; it’s quite all right to discuss prices or look for the best value for money, or just wish to do things simply. When choosing a funeral director, check that they belong to a trade association, such as the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) or the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF). This requires them to provide full information about their service and prices.

9.  Post - Receiving post addressed to someone who has died can be very distressing.  The Deceased Preference Service (www.deceasedpreferenceservice.co.uk) is a means by which you can alert organisations that carry out mass mailings to amend their records; this will stop most personally addressed, unsolicited mailings and help combat identity fraud. It will not apply to official communications such as tax returns, bank statements, bills or premium bonds etc. and because mailings are printed in advance it may take a month or two for them to stop completely. 

10. Think about it in advance.  No-one likes talking about death, but finding out a bit about how to deal with the practicalities and talking to your family about what you and they would like to happen can give great peace of mind at a very difficult time.  Sometimes a death is expected, but sadly it can come as a complete shock. 

One last piece of advice – back up your digital photos! We all value our memories of family members or friends, and photographs are for most of us a vital part of that.  Many people now only have digital photographs stored on a computer, but those of us who use computers all the time but don’t upload every photo we take onto Facebook can be very vulnerable.  Laptops can be stolen, desktop computers can break down leaving data unrecoverable and there are sad cases where people who are bereaved also lose all their digital photographs.  Think about getting some photos printed out or upload them to an online storage website like Photobox or Snapfish.

Image – Living Memorial Stone by Craig Barrow