The article discusses the challenges facing the adult social care sector in Oxfordshire, including a growing elderly population and increasing demand for care services. It notes that the workforce needs to grow by 35-55% over the next decade to keep up with demand. It aims to raise awareness of career opportunities in social care and clarify the differences between social care and healthcare. Some key points made are that social care focuses on daily living support and independence, while healthcare treats medical conditions; social care offers flexible, secure jobs with progression; and pathways into social care roles include further education, voluntary work and applying directly to care providers.

2. Oxfordshire Association
of Care Providers
We act as a representative body
for over 90 care providers within
Oxfordshire, meeting with
commissioners of services, and
standing up for adult social care
Who WE are...
What WE do...
Our members...
Our services...
Contact us...
OACP is a membership organisation for
ALL support and care providers of adult
social care across Oxfordshire...
• Care & Nursing Homes
• Community Support Services
• Home Care Providers
• Associate Members
• Voluntary Sector
Our strength is YOUR involvement...Join Us
Write to us at:
OACP Stables 4, Howbery Park, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford OX10 8BA
Talk to us on: 01491 822604 Email: info@oacp.org.uk Visit: www.oacp.org.uk
Join us on Twitter: @oxonACP and Find us on Facebook connect today!
Community
Support Services
Care Homes &
Nursing Homes
Home Care
Providers

3. S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 | TA L K I N G C A R E | 3
hello...and a very
warm welcometo
TALKINGCARE
Thank you for deciding to
pick this magazine up and
not the others scattered in
the waiting room, on the
coffee table, or piled high
next to your chair. It makes
a change from looking at
photos of other people’s
houses, or celebrity lives,
doesn’t it?
I’m guessing that as you picked this
magazine up, you have an interest in
social care. Or perhaps, you were just
looking for something to lean on while
you fill out a form, and the page fell
open and, well, here you are.
Well, good. We’re pleased, because
social care is the most important
conundrum in our society today.
That’s because it impacts on all of us.
It impacts on you, even though you
might not know it yet. But it costs
money to provide it, both personally
and nationally.
Social care is support and care that
people need or want to live their life;
people who find it difficult to look after
themselves completely. People might
be elderly, disabled or just vulnerable in
some way. Their support needs may be
hidden, or be obvious in an
extraordinary way. Sometimes social
care goes hand in hand with health
care, sometimes it is a primary need.
Social care provision is as individual as
the millions of people who need it.
This first issue introduces this diverse
topic to a wide audience. We aim to get
inside the real lives of people using,
working in and affected by social care.
This magazine will carry those personal
stories of hope, hard work and quite
frankly, heroism.
You will hear about a wide range of
conditions and circumstances that any
of us could be affected by, whether it’s
a long term condition, or a sudden
illness, and how that person has been
supported to live their life. You will read
about why people work in social care
and the huge rewards they get from it.
Amazing stories, about amazing people.
We hope you enjoy this issue. But most
of all, we hope you will respond. Write to
us, email us, or find us on social media
and pass this magazine on for others to
read. Reading and talking about care
means we can better understand the
issues and engage with the debate. It’s
important to you. It’s important to us.
Let’s keep on talking care.
Eddy McDowall
Chief Executive
Oxfordshire Association
of Care Providers
www.oacp.org.uk
“Reading and talking
about care means we can
better understand the
issues and engage
with the debate”.

4. Write, email, tweet
or Facebook us...
get in touch, we would
love to hear from you!
in every issue
YOUR say
newsdesk
hello
talk to us
about OACP
how to join
editorial team
submissions
advertising information
7
8
who we are9
our services18
join in
6
3
TA L K I N G C A R E | B R I N G I N G S O C I A L C A R E T O G E T H E R
4 | TA L K I N G C A R E | S P R I N G 2 0 1 6
Who’s in YOUR
TALKING CARE
this issue’s
contributors
Care Quality Commission
Larry Gardiner
Hft: Every day we help people with
learning disabilities
get the most out of life
Eddy McDowall CEO OACP
Trust on Tap
Which? Elderly Care
CONTENTS
Turn to Page 6 for contact details...

5. S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 | TA L K I N G C A R E | 5
TALKING CARE An inside VIEW...
community...
sourcing care...
features...
features...
real lives...
The role social
care plays in our
individual lives...
What’s your
fourth emergency
service?
Which? Elderly Care
Choosing and funding
a care home
Larry chats about
living with Dementia
13
22
24
20
government...
support
and care...
CQC who are
they and what
do they do?
Getting upfront
and personal
with Money
16
26
28
10
Which? Elderly Care
Care homes: what
are the options?
Support and care
provider listings
B R I N G I N G S O C I A L C A R E T O G E T H E R | TA L K I N G C A R E
The Care Act
2014
HFT talk in
depth about
the Care Act
LOOK OUT
for our
SUMMER
ISSUE
Published
August 2016
Unpaid care provided is worth
an estimated £119bn per year
– considerably more than the
total spending on the NHS
(Carers UK, 2011)

6. 6 | TA L K I N G C A R E | S P R I N G 2 0 1 6
get in touch...with OACP
Oxford Association of Care Providers
(OACP) is a membership organisation for
ALL care providers of adult social care
across Oxfordshire.
We act as a representative body for over
90 care providers within Oxfordshire, we
meet with commissioners of services, and
stand up for adult social care.
Our members are from:
• Care & Nursing Homes
• Community Support Services
• Home Care
• Voluntary Sector
OACP is a contact point for all social care
providers to share and promote good
practice through our networks and
learning exchanges.
OACP provides information and advice on
funding and business opportunities.
OACP organises events to raise awareness
of working in adult social care to the
general public.
OACP attends recruitment fairs and events
to promote job vacancies and encourages
applications from job seekers.
OACP visits schools and colleges to raise
awareness of working in social care to
young people.
OACP provides training and development
opportunities for your staff and your
business.
OACP improves communication
between the Council and the Oxfordshire
care sector.
OACP helps to develop the adult social
care market in Oxfordshire and contributes
to the commissioning and delivery of
personalised services.
OACP offers existing providers advice
about business opportunities and market
conditions in Oxfordshire.
OACP promotes good news stories across
a range of media channels to support a
positive view of the sector.
Our strength is YOUR involvement...Join Us
get involved...with TALKING CARE
Please send your submissions and
advertising enquiries to the
following contacts
Eddy McDowall CEO
OACP
Editor
Tel: 01491 822606
Email: eddy.mcdowall@oacp.org.uk
Advertising Sales
Editorial & Design
Jane Wood
OACP
Tel: 07724 563309
Email: jane.wood@oacp.org.uk
Training Enquiries
Liz Pride
OACP
Email: liz.pride@oacp.org.uk
Membership & Training Enquiries
Kathy Thomas
OACP
Email: info@oacp.org.uk
HOW TO CONTACT
THE PUBLISHER:
OACP
Stables 4 Howbery Park
Benson Lane,Crowmarsh Gifford
Wallingford OX10 8BA
Tel: 01491 822604
Email: info@oacp.org.uk
Website: www.oacp.org.uk
© 2016 OACP. All rights reserved.
Every reasonable endeavour to find
and contact the copyright owners of
the words and images included in this
magazine and relevant permissions
have been sought and approved.
No part of this magazine may be
reproduced without the permission of
the publisher. This magazine is printed
on chlorine-free paper taken from a
sustainable source.
Talking Care ISSN 2398-015X
The views expressed by the
contributors and advertisers do not
necessarily reflect the policy of OACP.
Great care has been taken to ensure
accuracy, but OACP cannot accept
responsibility for errors or omissions.
All material correct at time of going to
press.
Disclaimer:
The display, description or
demonstration of products and
services or the inclusion of
advertisements, inserts and samples
within Talking Care Magazine does
not constitute an endorsement or
recommendation of these products
and services by OACP.
When you have finished reading Talking Care
please pass it on to someone else who may
find it beneficial or recycle - Thank You!
How to contact OACP:
Write to us at:
OACP Stables 4, Howbery Park,
Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford,
Wallingford OX10 8BA
Talk to us on: 01491 822604
Email: info@oacp.org.uk
Visit: www.oacp.org.uk
Join us on Twitter: @oxonACP and
Find us on Facebook connect today!
TA L K T O U S | C O N TA C T I N F O R M AT I O N

7. S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 | TA L K I N G C A R E | 7
J O I N I N | S U B S C R I P T I O N I N F O R M AT I O N
To make a regular subscription to Talking Care by Banker’s
Standing Order fill in the form below and return by post to:
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If you have any queries please telephone: 01491 822604 or
email: info@oacp.org.uk ­ Thank you.
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quarterly starting on the 1st 15th 25th of
month: year:
thereafter until further notice. *Please state your amount in words:
Please pay: NatWest Bank
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8. 8 | TA L K I N G C A R E | S P R I N G 2 0 1 6
&views...
news
The ‘Think Care’ initiative was set up to
raise the profile of working in the social
care sector advising the public of the many
job and careers opportunities available to
them across Oxfordshire. The reasoning
behind the project? The Adult Social Care
sector in Oxfordshire faces significant
challenges around workforce capacity
and capability.
What are the challenges?
• The demand for care and support is
increasing, as the population of
Oxfordshire grows and ages
• The skill levels required for adult social
care work are rising, as the work itself
becomes more complex.
Projections indicate that, over the next ten
years, the county’s care workforce
(currently about 14,000) will need to add
5,000 to 7,500 jobs just to keep pace with
increased demand. In other words, the
workforce needs to grow by 35% to 55%.
Whilst working on the project it soon
became clear to me, from those who
visited the Pop up Job Fair events and
attended the Job Centre – Job Fairs,
Schools and Colleges Careers Fairs and one
to one meetings and through many
conversations, was that most people were
very interested in working in social care
but were unsure of the correct pathways.
Some people confused social care with
healthcare, which is very different.
What are the differences between
social care and healthcare?
Social care focuses on:
• providing assistance with activities of
daily living
• maintaining independence, social
interaction, enabling the individual to
play a fuller part in society
• protecting them in vulnerable situation
• helping them to manage complex
relationships and, in some circumstances
• accessing a care home or other
supported accommodation.
Whereas, healthcare is the treatment,
control or prevention of a disease, illness,
injury or disability and the medical care or
N E W S D E S K | N E W S A N D V I E W S
Think Care…work in social care - make a difference!
www.response.org.uk

9. S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 | TA L K I N G C A R E | 9
aftercare of a person with these needs.
(National Framework for NHS Continuing
Healthcare)
Why consider a career
in adult social care?
Adult social care is a growing sector, which
offers job flexibility, security, rising pay
scales and a range of rewarding careers.
There are many different job roles with lots
of opportunities for progression. Some
roles in adult social care require different
qualifications and experience.
(visit: www.skillsforcare.org.uk/
Care­careers/Think­Care­Careers/
Home­Page.aspx)
To work in care is to make a positive
difference to someone’s life. You will need
to have good communication and listening
skills whilst being passionate about
supporting other people to live a more
independent and fulfilling life.
To ensure you are suitable to work with
children and vulnerable adults. Employers
will carry out background checks through
the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
This is normal and standard practice.
What are the pathways to working in
Adult Social Care in Oxfordshire?
­ Voluntary work
­ Further Education
­ Via the Job Centre
­ Via the National Careers Service
­ Apply direct to a care company
­ Register with OACP as a job seeker and
be matched to jobs advertised by
OACP care provider members
What age do you have to be to work
in adult social care?
You can work in adult social care from the
age of 16. If aged 16 to 17, you must be
undertaking a formal care qualification,
in the form of an Apprenticeship in Health
and Social Care. Some young people who
have been carers may also choose to work
in the sector. Due to career changes, many
people are choosing to move into care jobs
later in life, bringing their wider experience
to the job.
Do I need qualifications?
For direct care roles, you will be asked to
complete the Common Induction
Standards (CIS) when you start work, these
courses are a great introduction into the
care sector, non­direct care roles can also
benefit from this training. You will also be
asked to complete the care certificate.
Although qualifications are not essential
for working in the care sector, there are a
number of qualifications that you can work
towards as a volunteer or within your first
care job. The current qualifications in
health and social care are diplomas (which
have replaced NVQs) although many
workers will still hold NVQs that are still
valid. The most common qualifications are
the Level 2 Diploma in Health and Social
Care and the Level 3 Diploma in Health and
Social Care. As well as the diplomas there
are a range of smaller Continuing
Professional Development (CPD)
qualifications, which can support workers
in more specialist areas of social care or
with particular interests or
requirements. These CPD
qualifications will be
either Awards or
Certificates.
Get into social care
today ­ make a
change in your life ­
make a difference
to the lives of others!
If you want a career ­ full time or part time
­ where you can progress, have job
security, and get an enormous sense of
personal achievement from knowing you
are helping other people, then adult social
care is for you and we want to hear from you!
Jane Wood ­ OACP
To learn more about OACP or to register as
a job seeker visit: www.oacp.org.uk/jobs

10. 1 0 | TA L K I N G C A R E | S P R I N G 2 0 1 6
Larry writes: Hello, my name is Larry. I was
born in 1952, this makes me 63 now. I want
to tell you what my life has been like recently.
About 15 years ago, whilst I was working hard
late one night, I suddenly felt disoriented,
confused, weak and tired. These sensations
were accompanied by a blinding headache
and a sort of weary clumsiness. What did I
do? I simply assumed that I had been
overdoing it. I decided to take a long
weekend break and do my best to recover
assuming I would be better after a rest but
looking back now, I didn’t get better, I got
worse, I started to become increasingly
forgetful.
At this time my employer was involved in a
merger with a competitor I was responsible
for leading the post­merger integration ­ a
massively complicated task. It meant
frequent overseas travel, hotel food, jet lag,
poor sleep and long hours which began to
take their toll. I had more of the blinding
headaches and weary clumsiness but kept on
ignoring them until one evening at home I
collapsed face down into my dinner and
passed out momentarily. My family were
amused at first, and then astonished, they
assumed I was larking about, but when I
couldn’t extract my face from my dinner they
called an ambulance. I later learned that
these episodes were Transient Ischaemic
Attacks (TIAs), mini strokes. After taking some
time out I returned to work.
My colleagues soon realised that I really
couldn’t work to my pay grade any more.
My employer offered lighter duties with less
pressure until eventually in 2008 I had a
stroke which caused my mouth and eye to
droop, and weakened my arm and my leg.
My speech was unintelligible at first and I was
unable to walk as well. Recovery from the
physical consequences proceeded quite well
in the beginning and over time there has
been some improvement ­ my face is still
slightly lop­sided, my foot drags when I’m
tired but I can talk for England, so in many
respects, I’m doing well! My general
cognition, functioning and memory, however,
did not fare so well and my behaviour
became rapidly chaotic. This was the most
debilitating feature of my stroke, it affects
many people like me, we recover some
functioning and gradually improve but there
is a marked loss of memory. In my case it was
due to a bleed or infarct in the brain. My GP
became concerned when it became clear
that more memory problems along with
confusion were causing me difficulty. I was
referred to a memory clinic for assessment.
The consequences of a stroke can sometimes
involve the onset of cognitive impairment ­
not all cognitive impairment progresses to
become dementia. However, it is understood
that there is a relationship between
dementia and stroke.
The investigations have taken a very long
time and at the moment are being repeated.
My clinicians tell me that I don’t fit the usual
pattern but it is clear there is a memory
disorder symptom progression. Assessments
have been thorough and exhaustive. I have
R E A L L I V E S | L A R R Y ’ S S T O R Y | L I V I N G W I T H D E M E N T I A
Larry speaks clearly and
honestly about his life
changing experiences
living with Dementia
He tells us how his life
has changed since
he employed his Personal
Assistant - Ildiko - a young
woman from Hungary
who has helped
Larry transform his life
Ildiko, Larry’s PA gives us
an insight into her role and
describes how her job
came about and how
it has developed
Larry and Ildiko
tell their stories
Read on...
Bringing ALL the pieces together to make
the final diagnosis didn’t fit the pattern...
It is estimated that there are 42,325 people
in the UK who have been diagnosed with
young onset dementia. (Ref Dementia UK,
2nd edition 2014, Alzheimer’s Society). They
represent around 5% of the 850,000 people
with dementia.

11. S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 | TA L K I N G C A R E | 1 1
seen a neurologist, a psychiatrist, a
psychologist and a community psychiatric
nurse.
Young onset of memory disorders and
dementia have cataclysmic effects on the
individual and family life. In my case there
has been a prolonged disorderly collapse.
Young onset dementia usually affects people
who are working and who often have families
with children still at home.
I have lost my job, my income, my savings,
my home, my marriage, my family and my
friends. I was agitated, anxious, moody,
depressed, disinhibited, unpredictable, and
unrecognisable, even to myself. People
around me found it really difficult to
understand and to accept the changes in my
behaviour. I became more and more isolated,
lonely and then desperate.
Day­to­day I struggled...with getting lost and
getting around, with remembering to take
my medication. I’d forget to eat and drink.
Managing my correspondence, my finances
dealing with PIN numbers, passwords, paying
my bills was near impossible. I’d leave
the cooker on and burn my food. Lose my
keys and my mobile phone, shopping and
general household became a trial. Eventually
it was recognised that I couldn’t cope without
help, my situation had become dangerous.
My general health deteriorated rapidly, three
emergency admissions to hospital by
ambulance. I could no longer sustain myself
at home without help. Discharge from
hospital following surgery took a very long
time. The supported discharge team put a
short term re­ablement package in place but
I was taken back to hospital when it was
withdrawn.
Domiciliary care visits kept me humanely and
hygienically warehoused at home, but my life
was limited and my possibilities seriously
curtailed. My cognitive impairment issues
seemed overwhelming and the situation in
my life looked bleak and hopeless. Agency
care visits usually lasted 15­30 minutes. A
carer called at 8:00am (I like to get up early
so that was fine). However, calls at 5:00pm or
6:00pm were ridiculous ­ I didn’t want to get
ready for sleep so early, who would! Having a
different carer to train every week was
irksome too. Whenever a carer left or moved
on or was unwell, I frequently had to wait
until a relief or a supervisor could get around
to dealing with my care call.
After experimentation with a mix of
volunteers and agency carers, and following a
detailed social care assessment, it was
suggested that I should employ my own
Personal Assistant (PA). This solved a lot of
problems. Employing my own PA would
mean I’d receive consistent care, have
flexibility and continuity with the same carer.
I’d make direct payments to my carer. I
started by employing a friend of the family
but it was difficult to put a working
relationship into a friendship. Offering
employment to someone who had been with
me as a volunteer worked very well, he came
to live in with me, but it was difficult forhim
tosurviveonwhatIcouldaffordtopay.
When he left I employed another friend
simply because she was there and willing to
come and live in. I found it awkward to ask
her to do some things, she was great
company and very sweet. Eventually she
realised that this was not for her, she
suggested an acquaintance, a student. This
has worked out very well in practice and
hopefully will continue until her studies are
completed. There are drawbacks, and this
solution is probably not going to work for
everybody. For instance, my PA does not have
the support of an agency. I don’t have anyone
else to turn to if things start to go wrong. The
problem of recruitment and the issues
around becoming an employer are daunting.
Replacing a PA who leaves is a struggle.
My current PA helps me to change the bed,
to take my tablets, to have clean clothes, to
pay my gas and electricity and makes sure
I have enough money in the bank to take care
of the bills. She comes with me on my
shopping trips, to appointments and she also
accompanies me to social events and family
activities as well. We have become
co­workers and colleagues. We have many
conversations and discussions about how
best to approach things. Increasingly she has
helped me advocate for myself for meeting
my own needs, and at the same time, she
has supported advocating for people with
memory disorders and dementia more
widely. She has become a volunteer at the
YoungDementia UK Supper Club, this enables
me to play a role in that organisation too.
I have become involved in my local
community, started a residents association
where I live, volunteered my time to projects
that interest me. I have spent time working
with children in schools and have been able
to take the occasional holiday. My biggest
achievement has been to learn to drive again
which brings me so much freedom.
Employing a PA has been liberating and my
situation has been dramatically improved.
There are fewer visits to the GP, no
emergency hospital admissions. My GP
provided me with an exercise prescription so
I now go to my local gym, I manage to get
myself out of my wheelchair! I no longer
double book appointments, lock myself out
of the house or forget to turn up for my
appointments or live on toast and beans.
Most of what has been achieved recently
would have been impossible without my PA
but most of all I have someone with me
who is reliable, cheerful and helpful.
Obviously, I will live until I die..but now I
really want to live! Better still I want a life
worth living not a long, slow, undignified
goodbye. I want normal things. I want a life
full of interesting, fulfilling and satisfying
activities. I don’t want to submit to
degeneration and symptom progression and
decline. I want to resist it, I still want to push.
I cannot resign myself to watching endless TV
and living on frozen food deliveries.
I want a BIG life!
Larry Introduces his PA: I want to introduce
you to my current PA. Her name is Ildiko
Posta. She is a young woman from Hungary.
The quality of my life has been absolutely
transformed since she came to work with
me. She is patient, kind, generous and
understanding. She bakes fresh bread
sometimes and she makes me fresh fruit
smoothies in the morning. She helps without
intruding, supports me when I can’t manage
by myself, but at the same time she
encourages me to see what I can do. The
range of my activities has increased
enormously. This is how supportive PA
relationship should be. This should be the
standard that everyone aspires to.
Ildiko writes: Hello, my
name is Ildiko. I am Larry’s
Personal Assistant. I was
born in Hungary in 1982
and came to work in
England in 2013. At first,
I lived with a family looking
after their two little boys
while attending several different
short courses to improve my English. One of
the courses I enrolled in was Creative
Writing, which was held in the residence
lounge of the building where Larry lives.
That’s how we met. By the time I started to
work with him I had known him for several
months through my visits.
In 2014 I enrolled to study Social Work at
Ruskin College and I successfully completed
my first year. The experience of working with
Dementia is ‘young onset’ when it affects
people of working age, usually between 30
and 65 years old. It is also referred to as
‘early onset’ or ‘working­age’ dementia.

12. • Dementia is ‘young onset’ when it affects
people of working age, usually between
30 and 65 years old. It is also referred to
as ‘early onset’ or ‘working­age’
dementia.
• Dementia is a degeneration of the brain
that causes a progressive decline in
people’s ability to think, reason,
communicate and remember. Their
personality, behaviour and mood can also
be affected. Everyone's experience of
dementia is unique and the progression of
the condition varies. Some symptoms are
more likely to occur with certain types of
dementia.
• It is estimated that there are 42,325
people in the UK who have been
diagnosed with young onset dementia.
(Ref Dementia UK, 2nd edition 2014,
Alzheimer’s Society). They represent
around 5% of the 850,000 people with
dementia.
• The actual figure could be higher because
of the difficulties of diagnosing the
condition and might be closer to 6­9% of
all people with dementia. Awareness
amongst GPs is still relatively low and
when people are still at work, symptoms
are often attributed to stress or
depression.
• Dementia in a younger person can be
difficult to diagnose. Getting an accurate
diagnosis may take time. People can also
be very reluctant to accept there is
anything wrong when they are otherwise
fit and well, and they may put off visiting
their doctor.
• Problems with language, vision, behaviour
or personality may be the first symptoms,
rather than memory issues.
• People with young onset dementia are
more likely to be diagnosed with rarer
forms of dementia and are more likely to
have a genetically inherited form of the
disease.
• People are likely to still be working,
have significant financial responsibilities
and have children or parents to care for.
• People with a learning disability are at
greater risk of developing dementia at a
younger age. Studies have shown that
one in ten people with a learning
disability develop young onset
Alzheimer's disease between the age of
50 to 65. The number of people with
Down's syndrome who develop
Alzheimer's disease is even greater with
one in 50 developing the condition aged
30­39, one in ten aged 40­49 and one in
three people with Down's syndrome will
have Alzheimer's in their 50s.
1 2 | TA L K I N G C A R E | S P R I N G 2 0 1 6
children and studying Sociology, Psychology,
Law, Social Policy and Social Work Practice
opened my mind. I have decided that I would
like to work with children, eventually.
Becoming a Personal Assistant was not part
of my plan. I was looking for a role with
children then the opportunity to work with
Larry came up. I needed a job and when I
read the social worker assessment and the
care plan, I thought I would like to try being
a PA. It’s a bit different than any other type of
job. Larry is my employer, I have a contract of
employment, a person specification and a
job description. Larry and I had a three
month trial period followed by a review. I
have been working with Larry for 18 months
now, this is the first job where I work in
partnership with my employer. It’s a job
where I make a difference to somebody’s
life, it’s amazing.
I really feel I can be myself and feel
appreciated! We work in partnership
together towards shared goals, there is no
typical week and no typical day. So, I try to
put some structure and routine into our
working relationship.
Larry appreciates me because I remind him
to take his medicines and help him to get
ready for his day. Sometimes we have our
meals together, this helps Larry break out
from his isolation, he enjoys meals better.
We also cook together, which promotes
safety in the kitchen and we also enjoy short
trips around the park next to where he lives.
I am encouraging him to push towards
greater mobility, independence and balance,
I take his arm sometimes and persuade him
to walk without his stick. Larry has lots of
hospital and GP appointments and I try to
go with him every time.
I think my role, as a PA is to understand the
support relationship, I bring the human
element to Larry’s care. This is not just any
job, it’s much more. My place is not to judge
but to assist and support. The job satisfaction
comes from discovering what Larry and I can
do together, we experiment and find out
what works for him and what doesn’t. There
is a great sense of achievement and
fulfilment being a PA.
I think it is such a mistake to place labels such
as ‘service user’ on people, it somehow
dehumanises them. Labels can limit people
too and make it difficult for others to see the
person in front of them. Larry is never a
‘service user’ to me, he is ‘Larry’ ­ the joyful,
playful, mischievous, stubborn and of course,
the best ‘Larry’ in the world. I have met lots
of people since I’ve known Larry and learned
a huge amount about caring for someone.
So, what are the difficulties associated
with being a PA?
Well, we spend a great deal of time together
and sometimes it can get very intense. It
feels like he is really dependent on me. I
don’t have any colleagues to chat to for
support and I don’t have any supervision or
an HR department on hand either. If I don’t
know what to do, there’s nobody to ask
and that can be a bit disconcerting.
What are the things that I enjoy the
most about my role?
I have to use my own initiative. I have to be
resourceful and creative, I enjoy navigating
through challenging situations. Working with
Larry has provided me with opportunities
that I would never have experienced when
living in my own country. I have been to
Scotland and to Wales, to the seaside and to
the House of Lords!
I have also met thirty of Larry’s family
members at an event in the Netherlands
where his sister lives. His family welcomed,
embraced and adopted me!
I think my current role as PA provides me
with a springboard of opportunity into many
areas of work in the care sector. Everything
I’ve learned and the experience I’ve had
being Larry’s PA will help me to find work
with children, young adults, people with
disabilities or older adults.
I now have a great deal of knowledge about
Dementia and I’m putting it to good use, as
I’m now a volunteer with a fantastic
organisation called YoungDementia UK.
(visit: www.youngdementiauk.org for more
information).
R E A L L I V E S | L A R R Y ’ S S T O R Y | L I V I N G W I T H D E M E N T I A
About...young onset dementia
YoungDementia UK
PO Box 315, Witney.
Oxfordshire OX28 1ZN
Tel: 01993 776295
Email: support@
youngdementiauk.org
Website: www.youngdementiauk.org
Contact Us

13. S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 | TA L K I N G C A R E | 1 3
How has this new law translated into
real life for family carers and people
with learning disabilities?
Rhianon Gale, Manager of the Family Carer
Support Service (FCSS) at Hft, a national
charity supporting people with learning
disabilities and their families, believes the
new law is a good foundation in recognising
that each person should be supported in a
way that is right for them, and gives
stronger rights to individuals and their
families to challenge professionals’
decisions when things go wrong. However,
financial pressures on local authority
budgets may result in restrictions to
personalised intentions.
Practice doesn’t change overnight but if
people know what their rights are, they can
speakupandchallengewhenthingsgowrong.
A lifelong caring role
The term ‘family carer’ has evolved over the
years to describe family and friends caring
for an adult with a learning disability. It is
important to recognise this ‘category’ of
carers as a unique group, whose lifelong
caring responsibilities bring particular
rewards and challenges. The experience of a
family carer, for example a parent or sibling,
is quite different to that of someone who
becomes a carer for their elderly parent
later in life.
Parent carers can spend
years of their child’s life
seeking a diagnosis,
coming to terms and
understanding what that
diagnosis means for
their child, and then
working hard to ensure
their child is able to
access education,
health services, and
day­to­day facilities
like shops and
cinemas. Along with
all their other
commitments they support their disabled
child on a daily basis with communication,
behaviours, personal care and supporting
and encouraging them to develop interests
and aspirations in life.
This doesn’t stop in adulthood and these
experiences and the impact of the input
must not be lost or forgotten when an
adult with a learning disability accesses
formal support.
Family carers often feel their expertise ­ the
detailed knowledge and history they hold
about their relative ­ is not listened to by
professionals, resulting in unnecessary
mistakes or incorrect decisions that lead to
the wrong type of (or reduced) support.
Family carers are likely to have had more
difficulties getting, or staying in a job, with
inevitable effects on their finances. Family
carers are known to financially support their
relative, whether directly by paying for
items or activities, or indirectly, through
higher than average gas or electricity bills
for heating. We also know that family carers
are more likely to develop physical and
mental health needs beyond those
experienced by most of us as we age.
As a charity, Hft understands the significant
impact a lifelong caring role can have on
people. Failing health, and a decline in their
ability to continue to support a relative with
learning disabilities, is a serious concern
particularly for older family carers. This is
exacerbated by worry about the provision
of services for the people they are caring for.
Stronger legal rights
Since the implementation of the Care Act,
FCSS is aware through the support we
provide, and national and local news
headlines, that poor implementation of the
new law across England is having a
devastating impact on individuals and their
families, who lack the quality support they
need. When there is a reduction to a
person’s support, or a change to their
financial contribution towards care and
support, family carers often find themselves
creating a ‘buffer’ to reduce the impact on
the person.
The Care Act raises the profile of family
carers, recognising the expertise and value
they bring to supporting their relative to live
a good life and as a result they should be
recognised as such and treated accordingly
by professionals working with them and the
people they support.>
F E AT U R E | H F T TA L K I N D E P T H A B O U T T H E C A R E A C T
Hft talks in depth about the Care Act:
How has the Care Act translated into
real life for family carers and people
with learning disabilities?
The implementation
of the Care Act a
year ago brought
promise of an
improved approach
to supporting adults
with care and
support needs and
their family carers.
It strengthens the
legal rights of adults
to access the right
support for them as
an individual.
For the first time in
law, carers are
recognised as equal
partners in care
and support.
Family Carer Support Service

14. 1 4 | TA L K I N G C A R E | S P R I N G 2 0 1 6
The duty to ‘promote wellbeing’ applies to
people and their family carers. ‘Promote’
means ‘to actively encourage’. In many
cases we see the opposite of this
happening, perhaps because the focus of
local authorities is on managing budgets
rather than working well with the individual
and their family.
Local authorities have a legal duty to
provide, among other things, accessible
information and advice about the different
types of support in their local area and how
people can access it. Personalised
information, such as direct payment
agreements or care and support plans, must
be given in an accessible format that the
person understands. Some areas do this
better than others, however there are still
thousands of people who don’t know what
local support options are available to them.
Many local authorities provide a wealth of
information online, however even if family
carers have access to the internet, they are
unlikely to have time to search for
information, especially if they don’t know
what information they need.
If a local authority decides a person or a
family carer has ‘significant difficulty’ in
being involved in Care Act processes, such
as assessments and care and support
planning, they have a duty under the Care
Act to provide the person or family carer
with an Independent Advocate to support
them through the process and have their
views heard. Unfortunately the need for
Independent Advocacy isn’t recognised in
many cases and it has been reported that
referrals are ‘way below’ the expected
number.
Visit: www.communitycare.co.uk/
2016/01/13/social­workers­urged­review­
practice­given­low­care­act­advocacy­
case­numbers
As part of the intentions of the Care Act to
create a social care system that is proactive
rather than only supporting people in crisis,
local authorities have a legal duty to
‘prevent, reduce and delay needs’. We know
that putting support in place now to
prevent a physical or emotional decline in
future saves public spending on emergency
support, and most importantly keeps the
person safe and enables them to live a good
life. This means giving consideration to the
person’s whole life and ambitions now, and
for the future whether that is in 6 months,
10 or 20 years’ time. This requires a shift in
thinking for local authority assessors who
may be under pressure from internal
funding panels to reduce expenditure and
meet only the current crisis issue at hand.
Family carers must be offered a Carers
Assessment if they have an ‘appearance of
need’. The Care Act requires the assessment
to look at the impact of caring on a family
carer’s wellbeing in relation to different
areas of day to day life, including:
• maintaining a habitable home
environment;
• developing and maintaining family or
other personal relationships;
• engaging in work, training, education or
volunteering; and
• making use of necessary facilities or
services in the local community, including
recreational facilities or services’.
It should be a conversation, rather than
ticking boxes on a form, allowing discussion
about the different ways they support their
relative (or friend) and the impact this has
on their ‘wellbeing’. This includes emotional
support as well as the more physical and
practical tasks. To meet the expected
increased demand for carers’ assessments,
some local authorities have designed online
self­assessments. Family carers often find it
difficult to identify the tasks they do
because they are a family carer, and often
need to have a discussion with a person to
highlight these and recognise the real level
of need for support the family carer has.
This is near impossible through an online
assessment, and family carers have the right
to request a face to face assessment.
Unfortunately,
we know that although the
intention of the new law is to improve
support for people and their family carers,
many people continue to have their legal
rights ignored. This means family carers are
under more pressure to make up for the
loss of support for their relative with
learning disabilities to prevent their
relative’s life from deteriorating.
Family carers want to support their relative
to have a good life. They shouldn’t have to
constantly fight for basic needs to be
appropriately supported.
The impact of budget cuts and the law
It is impossible to ignore the fact that adult
social care is under huge financial pressure
as we hear about it almost daily in national
and local press. We hear about excellent
supportive services closing due to lack of
funding, stories of people’s lives becoming
more difficult and less safe because they do
not have enough support.
Most importantly, we have also heard about
local authorities challenging central
Government about the lack of funding
provided to implement the new Care Act,
Visit: www.communitycare.co.uk/2015/03/26/
councils­mount­legal­challenge­care­act­
funding­allocations
Visit: www.communitycare.co.uk/
2015/07/30/government­reconsider­care­act­
funding­allocations­bid­quash­legal­challenge/
and a social worker publicly agreeing with a
challenge to the local authority they work for,
that they are not fulfilling their legal duties
under the Care Act and
Visit: www.communitycare.co.uk/
2016/03/08/dear­senior­managers­feels­
deliver­cuts­cast­service­users­adrift/
The Family Carer Support Service believes
that all local authorities should challenge
central Government if their funding
provision does not allow them to correctly
follow the law.
F E AT U R E | H F T TA L K I N D E P T H A B O U T T H E C A R E A C T

15. S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 | TA L K I N G C A R E | 1 5
Local authorities are passing their budget
cuts through to the very people they are
there to support, and acting unlawfully in
the process.
We may be in a time of austerity, but the
fact is that there is a law which must be
followed, and using the reason of budget
cuts to justify lack of support provision is
not acceptable, or lawful. The Care Act
places legal duties – actions that absolutely
must be taken – on local authorities and
there is no justification for going against
these duties.
Knowledge is power
Often, family carers are not considered by
professionals as ‘experts’ with regards to
their relative, despite holding a wealth of
knowledge and history, and having assumed
multiple roles by the time their relative
reaches adulthood; advocate, coordinator,
commissioner, negotiator, counsellor (the
list is not exhaustive!). The majority of
family carers struggle to keep up­to­date
with health and social care law and policy
developments as they are too busy
supporting their relative and living their
lives!
Hft’s FCSS believes in providing family carers
with knowledge about their rights in law
and policy, enabling them to develop the
confidence to get themselves heard by
professionals and challenge when they or
their relatives are not being appropriately
supported.
There is no doubt that through an
awareness of their rights and the duties of
local authorities, people have improved
their life situations and reduced future
anxieties. Feedback from our workshops
and one­to­one support demonstrates the
difference that knowledge of the law
makes. As a result of the help Hft has
provided, family carers have, among other
things, been able to successfully challenge
local authority decisions to reduce support.
In addition, more family carers have
accessed support following a carer’s
assessment, which they originally thought
would be a waste of time. Others have seen
personal budgets reinstated, an increase
in levels of support, and improved
relationships between family carers
and professionals.
FCSS’s dedicated team gives telephone
support, designs and delivers workshops
and develops resources specifically targeted
to provide family carers with the go­to
information and support that they need.
Most importantly, it gives them the
confidence to challenge poor and
misinformed practice with the reassurance
that the Care Act now reinforces this.
Many people with learning disabilities and
their families are understood by the
professionals who take a personalised
approach to build support around them.
However thousands of people struggle to
access even the basic levels of support they
are entitled to. Over time, as people and
family carers gain information so they can
exercise their rights to ensure they are well
supported, practice will have to improve.
Since Hft was established, some things
have changed significantly, while others
­ like our desire to give people with
learning disabilities more fulfilling lives ­
have stayed the same.
Our history: In the 1960s, there were
limited opportunities available for people
with learning disabilities when they
reached adulthood. So, in 1962 a group
of visionary parents that had children
with learning disabilities and who wanted
to ensure a better life for them, set up Hft.
To ensure their children would continue
to learn and develop and fulfil their full
potential after leaving school, these
parents joined together to purchase
Frocester Manor in Gloucestershire,
creating a home in which people with
learning disabilities could be supported
to lead fulfilling lives.
From this small beginning, Hft has grown
to support more people with learning
disabilities and their families.
As well as small, person­centred
residential care homes, we now support
more people to live independently in
their homes through our supported living
services. We also provide support for
people with learning disabilities to take
part in activities, to make friends or
develop relationships and to find work.
Launched in 1993, Hft’s Family Carer
Support Service (FCSS) provides one to
one support and information to family
carers supporting a relative or friend with
a learning disability, supported by Hft or
other learning disability service providers.
Hft is also a market leader in the provision
of what we call ‘personalised technology’
– using assistive technology to support
people with learning disabilities to
achieve greater independence in their
lives.
In May 2013, Hft merged with Self
Unlimited, a charity that was also set up
in the 1960s to provide support for
people with learning disabilities.
Originally known as CARE (Cottage And
Rural Enterprises), Self Unlimited’s similar
values and philosophy meant a merger
between the two charities made sense, as
the combined charity benefited from the
wealth of experience and knowledge of
both organisations. Following the merger,
the larger, stronger Hft now supports
more than 2,500 adults with learning
disabilities nationwide.
Although things have changed since the
1960s, what hasn’t changed is our desire
to achieve better lives for people with
learning disabilities, and to support their
families in providing the best possible
future for them.
Hft...who we are
To find out more...
Visit: www.hft.org.uk/careactworkshops
or get in touch call: 0808 801 0448
i FCSS is running
workshops about
the Care Act.
Hft
Family Carer Support Service
5/6 Brook Office Park,
Folly Brook Road,
Emersons Green,
Bristol BS16 7FL
Email:
familycarersupport@hft.org.uk
Website:
www.hft.org.uk
Calls from family carers
Freephone: 0808 801 0448
Admin enquiries:
0117 906 1751
Social Media:
Twitter @Hftfamilycarers
Facebook.com/familycarersupport
youtube.com/familycarersupport

16. 1 6 | TA L K I N G C A R E | S P R I N G 2 0 1 6
G O V E R N M E N T | C Q C W H O A R E T H E Y A N D W H AT D O T H E Y D O ?
Sue comments:
‘We want to identify the best care and practice as well as encouraging
improvement and preventing poor care. Like care providers and their
staff we want to make sure that people consistently receive the high
quality care they rightly deserve.’
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is
the independent regulator of health and
social care in England. Our approach
includes our use of Intelligent Monitoring
to decide when, where and what to
inspect, methods for listening better to
people’s experiences of care, and using
the best information across the system.
We monitor, inspect and regulate services
to make sure they meet standards of
quality and safety. We always publish
what we find and include quality ratings
to help people choose their care service.
Nationally there are around 40,000 adult
social care services registered with CQC of
which 238 care home and home care
services are located in the Oxford area.
As well as inspecting Adult Social Care we
have staff working in other directorates
who inspect NHS and independent
hospitals and clinics, GPs, out of hours
services and dentists.
What is the CQC?
What is the role
of the Adult Social Care
inspection teams?
What are the Five Key questions?
In our Adult Social Care inspection teams
we have an Inspection Manager and
inspectors who have health and/or social
care backgrounds. The team’s role is to
inspect and monitor the services in their
area to ensure that people receive safe,
high quality and compassionate care and
encourage services to improve.
The inspectors often lead an inspection
team that may include specialist
professional advisors and experts by
experience (people with personal
experience of the type of services being
inspected). The team seek to answer
five key questions.
CQC’s Overall Operating Model
To get to the heart of people’s experiences of care, the focus of our inspections is on the
quality and safety of services, based on the things that matter to people. We always ask
the following five questions of services:­
• Are they safe? • Are they effective? • Are they caring?
• Are they responsive to people’s needs? • Are they well­led?
For all health and social care services, we have defined these five key questions as
follows:
Safe
Effective
Caring
Responsive
Well­led
By safe, we mean that people are protected
from abuse and avoidable harm.
By caring, we mean that staff involve and treat people
with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
By effective, we mean that people’s care, treatment and
support achieves good outcomes, promotes a good quality
of life and is evidence­based where possible.
By responsive, we mean that services are organised so that
they meet people’s needs.
By well­led we mean that the leadership, management and
governance of the organisation assures the delivery of high­
quality person­centred care, supports learning and
innovation, and promotes an open and fair culture.
In the first of a series of articles Sue Burn, Head of Inspection ­
South Central Area provides an insight into the role of the CQC...

17. Each KLOE is accompanied by a number of questions that inspection teams may
consider as part of the assessment. We call these prompts.
They are not an exhaustive list and are not used as a checklist. Additionally we have
listed potential sources of evidence for each KLOE to support inspectors in the
inspection process.
Inspection teams use evidence from four main sources of evidence (see diagram
above) in order to answer the key lines of enquiry (KLOE):
S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 | TA L K I N G C A R E | 1 7
Note: CQC have published guidance for providers on our website visit: www.cqc.org.uk
This area covers a wide range of information and forms including registration, the regulations and how we inspect visit:
www.cqc.org.uk/content/guidance­providers
There is also information about what we do and easy access to our published inspection reports on the CQC website for the public
where you can contact us visit: www.cqc.org.uk/content/services­we­regulate
• What people, carers
and staff tell us
• Complaints
• Information from
local organisations
• Includes records
and document
reviews
Ongoing local feedback
and concerns
On­site inspection
• People who use services
• National datasets
• CQC records
• Other stakeholders
(e.g. local authorities
and CCGs)
• The provider
• Before inspection visits
• During inspection visits
• After inspection visits
Pre­inspection
information gathering
Speaking with people
who use services, their
families and carers,
staff and other
professionals
How do the inspection
teams gather information?
• We talk with people using the service
• Observe people’s day, the environment,
staff interaction, activity etc.
• We talk with staff about their
experiences and their work
• Look at records – do they reflect what
we are told and see and hear?
• Get feedback from relatives, visitors
and professionals connected with
the service
Inspection teams also use a standard set
of key lines of enquiry or KLOEs that
directly relate to the five key questions
listed on page 16.
Within the standard set of KLOEs we have
identified a number of mandatory KLOES
which inspectors must use on every
comprehensive inspection.
Having a set of mandatory KLOEs ensures
consistency in what we look at under each
of the five key questions and ensures we
focus on those areas that matter most.
This is vital for reaching a credible rating
that allows comparison between similar
services.
In addition to the mandatory KLOEs,
inspectors may select any of the non­
mandatory KLOEs. They make this
selection by using their knowledge of the
service, the information available to them
before the inspection and their
professional judgement.
They will take into account areas of
identified risk and how CQC regulates
community adult social care services.
If they come across an area of concern or
of good practice during an inspection they
may decide at that point to look at
additional non­mandatory KLOEs.
The FOUR main sources of evidence...
Information from speaking with
people who use services, their
families and carers, staff and other
health and care professionals.
Information from Intelligent
Monitoring, including
information from people who use
services and their families and carers.
Information from the ongoing
relationship with the provider
(including that provided in the
Provider Information Return when available).
1 2
Sue comments: CQC Inspectors always look for best practice
and the ‘good’ in a service through asking a range of questions
of people, the provider, the manager and staff and themselves.
Where they find good provision they will then also look to see
if there is evidence of outstanding care as well.
Information from the inspection
visit itself (including reviews of
records).
3 4

18. 1 8 | TA L K I N G C A R E | S P R I N G 2 0 1 6
O U R S E R V I C E S | A T R A I N E R ’ S V I E W P O I N T
‘Talk’...but NO CHALK
Workforce training that’s
interactive and gets results
Liz Pride OACP Training Manager gives an insider’s view
of the differences between ‘education’ and ‘training’...
Liz...Trainer and Mentor
Liz has worked in Community
Organisations for the majority
of her working life. She has held
managerial roles at branch,
regional and divisional levels.
Liz is passionate about writing
courses that deliver ‘quality
learning outcomes’ and
delivering courses that ‘make a
difference’ to those who are
keen to acquire new skills.
A registered tutor with the
Institute of Leadership and
Management (ILM) Liz is also
qualified as a PQASSO Mentor.
“Thank you Liz for making it
a very enjoyable day, making
learning easy and being a very
welcoming trainer”.
“Very engaging trainer.
I wasn’t bored and felt I had
actively been led through the
day. Best course I have
been sent on...”
“Trainer was very reassuring
throughout and put everyone
at ease. Resources were clear
and easy to use”.
At the end of the intensive OACP training
course ‘Train the Trainer’, delivered by Liz
Pride, OACP Training Manager, an excited
participant uttered: “Thanks, I really
enjoyed that! It was challenging but fun. I
used to hate school but then we didn’t learn
this kind of stuff or in this way”.
Liz comments: “It is, of course, a comment I
have heard many times as a trainer, but
helpfully it always reminds me that people
still generally confuse ‘education’ with
‘training’ despite the fact that they are so
very, very different”.
Liz writes: So what are the differences?
Broadly speaking (and I will be speaking
broadly throughout this article) ‘education’
is about gaining knowledge and generally
takes the form of facts. I am sure we all
remember the likes of...‘The annual export
of tea from India is 4 million metric tons,’
etc. An interesting fact, but hard to apply to
anything unless participating in an
exceptionally academic pub quiz!
I am tempted to say at this point that
‘education’ is much less interactive than
‘training’, (fortunately and thankfully
education has become much more
interactive in recent years). I have attended
some ‘training’ where the course leader has
used the ‘talk and chalk’ method or shown
endless PowerPoint slides where
committing ‘Hari­Kari’ was far more
preferable to remaining in the room. Given
the variety of individual learning styles, this
kind of delivery is unlikely to engage
participants fully, if at all.
Even when I attended school there was at
least some level of ‘interactive’ activity
although I am not sure it facilitated learning.
I remember being held back after no less
than three history lessons by Mrs
Rushworth simply because as a 9 year old
I failed to draw the intricate Alfred Jewel
accurately (the Anglo­Saxon artefact
discovered in 1693). So what was the
‘learning outcome’ of this particular
experience? Well, certainly I know
every shape and colour of each
fragment of enamel in the jewel.
Sadly, it also resulted in my never
picking up a pencil again to draw
anything, even to this day! When I
spotted the jewel in the Ashmolean
Museum (where it now resides) I felt myself
regarding that exquisite object with the
intense dislike bordering on horror that I
had as my 9 year old ‘failing’ self. (Ironically,
the jewel was originally the crowning glory
of a pointer stick used to follow the words in
a book while reading ­ an educational tool ­
no less. I might have known. An interesting
fact that wasn’t offered to me at school).
Training is, of course, about gaining
knowledge, but it’s different to ‘education’
in that it is knowledge delivered as ‘know­
how’ and the ability to ‘do’, giving the
recipient the ability to apply new skills in a
working environment; the focus is not on
collecting facts. One of the primary and in
fact primal drives of an adult human is the
need to solve problems. This is why
attending ‘good training’ is so profoundly
satisfying to us as it offers ‘real life’ practical
solutions for an often problematic world.
Good quality ‘interactive’ training is
immediate and transformational in a way
that education rarely is; it can provide
participants with fresh tools and new
practical skills in a few short hours. The
know­how, skills and tools learned can be
put to use immediately ­ improving
performance, practice and service delivery
in the workplace. Good training is key to
improved outcomes in the organisation ­
return on investment cannot be over­
estimated.
‘Introduce induction and learning
programmes that equip staff to cross the
continuum of care, from personal assistant
to allied medical professional...’
quote from Skills for Care
Just as humans hate to fail, conscious
recognition of improved competence by
someone who has just acquired new skills is
a powerful experience. It boosts self­
esteem, wellbeing and renewed enthusiasm
for the work he or she undertakes. The
positive impact of ‘training’ is noticeable
immediately and this in turn brings a host of
benefits that are invaluable to the
workplace.
Like alchemy, ‘training’ takes leaden
knowledge and turns it into the golden
strands of skill.
Liz Pride ­ Training Manager OACP

19. S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 | TA L K I N G C A R E | 1 9
Course dates for YOUR diary...
May 2016
Business Planning
Wednesday 25th May 2016 @ 9:30 am ­ 1:00 pm
OACP Stables 4, Howbery Park, Benson Lane
Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford OX10 8BA
June 2016
Safeguarding of Adults
Tuesday 14th June @ 9:30 am ­ 12:30 pm
Rose Hill Community Centre, Carole's Way,
Oxford OX4 4HF
Equality and Diversity
Tuesday 14th June 2016 @ 1:30 pm ­ 4:30 pm
Rose Hill Community Centre, Carole's Way,
Oxford OX4 4HF
Performance Management ILM
Level 3, 2 credits
Friday 17th June 2016 @ 9:45 am ­ 4:30 pm
OACP Stables 4, Howbery Park, Benson Lane
Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford OX10 8BA
Train the Trainer - Medical Administration
Tuesday 28th June 2016 @ 9:30 am ­ 4:30 pm
Countywide Caring Ltd, The Green,
Warborough OX10 7DR
Train the Trainer - Full day including lunch
Friday 24th June 2016 @ 9:45 am ­ 4:30 pm
Clare Foundation, Saunderton, The Saunderton Estate,
Wycombe Road, Saunderton,
Buckinghamshire HP14 4BF
July 2016
Fire and Safety Awareness
Friday 1st July 2016 @ 9:30 pm ­ 4:30 pm
Venue: TBA
Stroke Awareness
Tuesday 5th July 2016 @ 9:45 am ­ 12:30 pm
Oxford Options Health and Wellbeing Centre, Awgar
Stone Road, Horspath Driftway, Oxford OX3 7JQ
Dementia Awareness
Tuesday 5th July 2016 @ 1:30 pm ­ 4:30 pm
Oxford Options Health and Wellbeing Centre, Awgar
Stone Road, Horspath Driftway, Oxford OX3 7JQ
Recruiting and Retaining Volunteers
Friday 8th July 2016 @ 9:45 am ­ 4:45 pm
OACP Stables 4, Howbery Park, Benson Lane
Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford OX10 8BA
i information point
Contact our Training Manager today on: 01491 822605
or email: liz.pride@oacp.org.uk to learn more about...
• Training Courses
• In­house Training Courses (where we come to you)
• Bespoke courses written and developed for you
To see our detailed list of courses please visit:
www.oacp.org.uk/training
If YOU would like to book a course please contact
Kathy Thomas on 01491 822604 or email:
kathy.thomas@oacp.org.uk
www.caremark.co.uk/westoxfordshire
westoxfordshire@caremark.co.uk
Looking for care at home
for yourself, or on behalf
of someone else?
At Caremark we understand that all our clients are
individuals so all our care is tailored to your specific
requirements, and delivered by fully trained staff.
We are passionate about the quality of care we provide
and have a range of services to suit your needs including
24 hour live in care.
Please call us on 01993 810918
to discuss your choice of care and
support services available.
Caremark (West Oxfordshire & Cherwell) services are
available in: Woodstock, Kidlington, Yarnton, Witney,
Carterton, Burford, Chipping Norton, Charlbury,
Middle Barton, Bicester and all surrounding villages

20. 2 0 | TA L K I N G C A R E | S P R I N G 2 0 1 6
C O M M U N I T Y | W H AT ’ S Y O U R F O U R T H E M E R G E N C Y S E R V I C E ?
Many organisations claim to be a fourth
emergency service after police, fire and
ambulance, not least the AA (other
breakdown services are available). A better
claim might be made by the Coastguard,
RNLI, or mountain rescue.
But what about social care? Where does
that feature in your list of essential or
emergency services? What role does social
care play in our individual lives and the
national economy’s ability to function?
Talking Care readers may be familiar with
the steep reductions in public service
funding over the past 11 years, and most
recently with the 95 budget cuts (including
children’s centres) passed by Oxfordshire
County Council following swingeing cuts in
the Local Government Settlement Grant.
We should sympathise with our local
authority. Mounting demand for services is
being met by decreasing budgets. Disabled
and elderly people are being caught in the
middle with the NHS in particular catching
the fall­out to enormous cost. Supporting
people in our communities through social
care is a huge part of the national economy
affecting large proportions of our
communities with an upward trend.
It’s safe to say that all of us are in contact
with someone using, or needing, some kind
of social care support. If it’s not you, or
your family, affected, it will be a colleague
at work. Social care is an integral part of
our modern society, but it’s impact is often
hidden or masked.
Though subsequent versions vary, the King
James version of the Bible, quotes 1
Corinthians, verse 13 as: 'And now abideth
faith, hope, charity, these three; but the
greatest of these is charity'.
As we continue to manage the ongoing
pressure on public services, we know that,
like a fall in slow motion, we will hit the
ground eventually and it will hurt.
Faith, Hope and Charity will not be enough
to save many disabled, vulnerable and
elderly people from the loss of essential
services.
In ancient Japanese folklore, sons were said
to carry an elderly, or frail, relative to the
top of the mountain to die.
The practice, known as ubasute or obasute,
and sometimes oyasute (親捨て) –
abandoning or discarding a parent – refers
to the custom allegedly performed in Japan
in the distant past. An infirm or elderly
relative, was carried to a mountain, or
some other remote, desolate place, and left
there to die, either by dehydration,
starvation, or exposure, as a form of
euthanasia.
Her wizened face shone!
A frail old woman weeping,
the moon her companion.
The motivation behind this
was that, if there were fewer people eating
the limited reserves of food, there would
be more to go around and it would last
longer. The practice was allegedly most
common during times of drought and
famine, and was sometimes mandated by
feudal officials.
We don't have mountains in Oxfordshire,
and precious few desolate places, but with
the latest social care and voluntary sector
budget cuts, adding to year on year
downward pressure on registered care
contract prices, will we consider piggy­
backing frail relatives up White Horse Hill
and Wittenham Clumps?
It's not an exaggeration to say that the
pressure on vulnerable people, carers
(many of them under 18), families and
communities is becoming unbearable with
personal emergencies happening every day.
We have a responsibility to ensure that
this does not happen. We must ensure
that we look after those who need
support; and to look after those who are
doing the looking after.
It’s too costly not to.
Eddy McDowall CEO OACP talks about...the role social care plays in
our individual lives and the national economy’s ability to function...
2014-15...
£17bn was spent on
adult social care
in England
of the total population
The number of people
and over reached
1.3m in 2008
3.32m, or 5%
By 2033...
this group is projected to
more than double to reach
1 in 5 people of
working age has a
disability
(Disability Living
Foundation, 2016)
on the previous
10 years
5m carers in England
in 2011 a rise of 11%
There were over...
3 in 5 people will
be a carer at some
point in their lives
Unpaid care provided is worth
an estimated £119bn per year
– considerably more than the
total spending on the NHS
(Carers UK, 2011)
What’s your fourth emergency service?
(Health and Social Care
Information Centre, 2014­15)
Let’s take a look at
the numbers... aged 85

21. Elderly Care

22. 2 2 | TA L K I N G C A R E | S P R I N G 2 0 1 6
H E A LT H | C H O O S I N G A N D F U N D I N G A C A R E H O M E
When it comes to choosing a care home for your relative, you’ll naturally
want to do everything in your power to find one that meets all their needs
Visit: where possible, both
you and your relative
should go together. If your
relative is unable to visit,
ask a representative from
the home to visit him or
her and talk things
through.
Choosing a care home:
Three key steps will help you and your relative make an informed choice:
Choosing and funding
a care home
Shortlist: find care
homes in your
chosen area that
provide the type of
care your relative
needs.
Contact: ask for their
brochure, statement of
purpose and written
details of costs. You could
also enquire about
availability of places that
suit your relative’s needs.
1 32
Elderly Care

23. S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 | TA L K I N G C A R E | 2 3
Not everyone is eligible for
local authority funding, but
many people will be able
to get some kind of
financial support...
Before you make a visit, sit
down with your relative and
discuss what’s important to
them. What do they consider
‘essential’, and what do they
consider ‘desirable’? Make notes
about your relative’s
preferences so that you can
refer to them on your visit.
Local authority funding
Local authorities have a responsibility to:
• Contribute to the cost of care for
people who fit their eligibility criteria
following a needs assessment and fall
beneath the means test threshold.
• Arrange residential care for everyone
who is assessed as needing it and is
unable to make their own
arrangements.
Financial assessment
Not everyone is eligible for local
authority funding, but many people will
be able to get some kind of financial
support. It all depends on the amount
of capital your relative has, as well as
their income.
The financial assessment will look at
your relative’s income (the regular
money they have coming in) and their
capital (savings and assets they own that
have monetary value).
If your relative owns their home jointly
with their spouse or partner who is still
living there, its value won't be included
in the financial assessment. Other
exceptions apply, which you can read
about using the link (right).
Self­funding a care home is quite
common, and around two­fifths of
places in independent care homes are
funded by private individuals.
In these cases, he or she can choose
their own residential care home.
Benefits and
allowances
Your relative might also be able to
claim some benefits and allowances to
help foot the bills. On the Elderly Care
website we explain what benefits and
allowances are available for older
people – and for their carers, too.
We give details about who is eligible
for each benefit, how much you might
receive and how to apply.
Regulators
Each country in the UK has its own independent regulatory body
responsible for keeping a register of care homes and for checking
them to ensure that they meet national standards. We use their
data in the local care services finder on Elderly Care.
In England
The Care Quality Commission (CQC)
In Northern Ireland
The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA)
In Scotland
The Care Inspectorate
In Wales
The Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW)
For detailed information about
financing a care home
Visit: www.which.co.uk/elderly­
care/financingcarehome.
Find out more...
ThisarticlewasreproducedcourtesyofWhich?ElderlyCare
i

24. 2 4 | TA L K I N G C A R E | S P R I N G 2 0 1 6
H E A LT H | C A R E H O M E S ­ W H AT A R E T H E O P T I O N S ?
Elderly Care
Care homes: what are
the options?
It might be time to consider a care home if your relative is struggling
to live alone even with the help of carers, friends and other relations
When is it needed?
It might be time to start thinking about a care home for your relative
if they need additional help with any of the following situations:
A significant deterioration
in their physical health or
mobility caused by an
illness or a fall.
A problem with their mental
health, such as advancing
dementia, which limits their
ability to stay safely in their
own home.
Loss of help that a partner,
relative or neighbour
previously provided.
Loneliness, isolation or
depression.

25. S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 | TA L K I N G C A R E | 2 5
Residential homes might
be a good option for
people who need regular
or frequent help with
personal care...
What type of
care home?
A care home can help with
personal care (such as
supervision, washing, dressing
or going to the toilet) or
nursing care (medical care from
a qualified nurse), or both.
Residential care
A care home without nursing (also
known as a residential care home)
offers personal care, such as help
getting up in the morning, going to
bed at night, going to the toilet and
eating meals. Residential homes might
be a good option for people who need
regular or frequent help with personal
care, and who can no longer have
their needs met at home.
Nursing care
If your relative is unable to leave his
or her bed, or has any sort of medical
condition or illness that requires
frequent medical attention, their
options are more limited. Long­term
nursing care is not provided in
sheltered housing or through care at
home services. If your relative needs
medical care, they will probably need
to look for a care home that provides
nursing care.
Care home pros
• Staff: in a residential care home,
someone is on call at night. In a
nursing home, care is provided 24
hours a day.
• Own room: they can usually
personalise this with their own
furniture, pictures and ornaments.
• Regular meals meeting
nutritional needs.
• Companionship: residents have
the opportunity to socialise with
others of their own age and take
part in organised activities or
outings.
• Supervision of medication.
• Peace of mind: a vulnerable
relative is being taken care of and
is not living alone.
• No worries about household bills
or upkeep.
• The physical environment may be
better – safe, warm and clean.
Care home cons
• There may be a limited choice of
suitable homes with a vacancy for
your relative.
• Unfamiliar surroundings.
• Loneliness and loss of contact with
neighbours and old friends.
• Families can feel guilty that they
are not looking after their relative
themselves.
• Your relative may feel rejected: it
can help if you talk things through
beforehand. Regular contact once
they’ve moved in will also help.
• Loss of independence, although a
good home should encourage your
relative to be as independent as
they can be.
• Lack of privacy: this might be
difficult to adjust to.
• Small living space: your relative
won’t be able to take all of their
furniture and personal possessions
with them.
• Variations in care: quality of care
may vary from home to home.
• Care homes can be very costly,
particularly if your relative has to
fund their own care.
Care home pros and cons
i Find out more...
For detailed information about financing a care home
Visit: www.which.co.uk/elderlycare/carehomes.
ThisarticlewasreproducedcourtesyofWhich?ElderlyCare

26. C A R E | P E R S O N A L B U D G E T S
2 6 | TA L K I N G C A R E | S P R I N G 2 0 1 6
Personal budgets have been available for
spending on social care for a number of
years. They were given a further push in the
Care Act 2014, which placed a legal duty on
councils to produce a care and support plan
and offer a personal budget. Prior to this
only guidance needed to be offered.
Now every person is legally entitled to a
personal budget that must now be
incorporated in every care and support plan
(or a support plan for carers), unless a
person is getting intermediate care or
reablement (temporary) support to meet
their identified needs. A local authority
must provide a personal budget to whoever
meets the regulations in the Act.
Getting upfront
and personal with Money
Intermediate Care Services
are provided to patients – generally
older – to help them avoid going into
hospital unnecessarily, to help them be
as independent as possible after
discharge from hospital and to prevent
them having to move into residential
or nursing homes until they really need
to.
Reablement is about helping people
regain the ability to look after
themselves following illness or injury.
OACP is committed to supporting personal budget holders as part of our wider support to
social care. In the following pages, find out about how personal budgets work, why the
personal relationship between personal assistant and budget holder is so important, and an
innovative online way of connecting budget holders and personal assistants. For more about
OACP’s support to Personal Assistants: www.oacp.org.uk/personalassistants
What is a Personal Budget?
A Personal Budget is an agreed amount of money that is allocated to you personally by your
local council (or the NHS as a Personal Health Budget) following an assessment of your care
and support needs. Personal budgets offer individuals choice and control over their care,
treatment and support.
Personal budgets can be implemented in different ways. Individuals may receive a direct
payment equal to the agreed budget, which they use to purchase services themselves. Or
the budget may be managed by statutory services or a voluntary sector broker, who
purchase the services agreed on behalf of the budget holder.
Your personal budget allows you (or your representative) to control the financial resources
for your support and the way the support is provided to you. In other words you control the
money for your care and support.
Different ways to receive a personal budget
People’s needs vary and your person­centred assessment will reflect the areas you need
support with. You need to think carefully as to how you want your care and support
arranged in order to achieve your outcomes. Since you decide how you want to be
supported and what works best for you to suit your care and support needs, you can receive
your personal budget in a number of ways as stated below:
• You opt for direct payments – your local council pays some or all of your entire personal
budget funding into your bank account or a separate bank account held by a person
(e.g. third agent, support broker) nominated by you. You use direct payments to buy
your own support.
• An account managed by the council (as indirect payments) – the council will manage your
budget and will commission services on your behalf.
• As an Individual Service Fund (ISF) – the local authority pays an organization that provides
support services and will follow your instructions in getting the services you need. The
organization will be answerable to you. You will have a say about how services are
provided to you.
Note: You can receive your personal budget by using a mixture of all three.
If you don’t qualify for additional public funding, and you will be funding your own care and
support (called a ‘self­funder’), you can still discuss your support needs with your local
authority. The council can assist you identify areas where you might need help and may be
able to arrange you care for you.
To find out if you qualify from Oxfordshire County Council:
Tel: 0845 050 7666 or Fax: 01865 783111
Or write to the Social and Health Care team:
PO Box 780
Oxford, OX1 9GX

27. S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 | TA L K I N G C A R E | 2 7
Learning from the growth of ‘Sharing
Economy’ models in North America, Nick
Grant and William Cotton, founders of
TrustonTap believe they have found
a solution to improving the quality of
homecare for older adults whilst also
bringing down the cost.
How does it work?
TrustonTap is a new innovative
Oxfordshire business supporting older
people to stay at home, independently,
for as long as possible.
Nick and William, recognised the
difficulty of finding suitable help to
support older relatives and were
determined to develop a new type of
care business to change this. They
wanted to make it easier to get trusted
and reliable help whenever people
wanted it. To give people choice and
control over who provides their care and
support and to ensure that fantastic
service was provided on every visit.
Working hard to source the right people
with the same values as themselves Nick
and William have grown a handpicked
trusted team to provide excellent care
and support in Oxfordshire at affordable
prices ­ whether it is for a few hours or
for regular visits. You tell them what you
need help with and they will help you
choose one of the trusted TapTeam
assistants in your area.
‘We want to make it easier for people...
easier to choose, easier to book and
easier to pay. We have designed our
service around the ‘person needing care’
whether they are looking for help for
themselves or for a close family
member,’ says Nick.
Nick and William have used the latest
technology to ensure that they can
deliver the service at a much lower cost
whilst also ensuring that their team of
trusted assistants are paid at a good rate
for the brilliant work that they do.
For more information about
TrustonTap or to arrange a FREE
introductory visit:
Tel: 0808 278 1112 or
Visit: www.trustontap.com
(See the TrustonTap advert on Page 7)
How can we bring down the cost of care?
Style Acre has been providing wide-ranging,
person-centred support throughout Oxfordshire
for over 20 years, including:
• supported living that enable people to choose where and who they live with and provides people with
they live in
To find out more about
personal budgets
visit: www.disabilityrightsuk.org/
personal­budgetsthe­right­social­
care­support or
visit: www.in­control.org.uk/
resources/fact­sheets.aspx
Trusted, affordable care
and support on tap

28. 2 8 | TA L K I N G C A R E | S P R I N G 2 0 1 6
Care Homes & Nursing Homes • Community Support Services
Home Care Providers • Voluntary Organisations • Associate Members
OACP Members: Support and Care Listings
The following pages list OACP Members providing support and care across
Oxfordshire, the list is regularly updated in Talking Care and online to ensure the
listing carries up to date information. Please use the map above to identify by
postcode where our members are located, each member has a membership number
shown at the end of their entry listing ­ pages 29 ­34.
If you are a support and care provider in Oxfordshire and would like to become
a member of OACP please get in touch, call: 01491 822604 or email: info@oacp.org.uk
If you come across a support or care provider near you not mentioned in our listings
please update us...contact the OACP office: 01491 822604 or email: info@oacp.org.uk
O A C P M E M B E R S | S U P P O R T A N D C A R E L I S T I N G S
CV NN
BURFORD
CARTERTON
WITNEY
BANBURY
BICESTER
WOODSTOCK
BAMPTON
CHIPPING NORTON
OX17
OX27
OX26
OX25
OX20 OX5
OX18
OX7
OX29
OX13
OX14
OX12 OX11
OX10
OX49
OX44
OX33
OX3
OX2
OX1 OX4
OX39
OX9
OX28
OX16OX15
MK
HP
RG
SN
GL
KIDLINGTON
OXFORD
ABINGDON
WANTAGE
WALLINGFORD
WATLINGTON
THAME
CHINNOR
DIDCOT

29. S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 | TA L K I N G C A R E | 2 9
Abbeyfield Oxenford Society Ltd
Oxenford House
The Glebe, Cumnor
Oxford OX2 9RL
Contact: Pauline Shaw
Tel: 01865 865116
Email: care@oxenfordhouse.co.uk
Website: www.oxenfordhouse.co.uk
Acacia Lodge Care Home
(Henley Care Management Ltd)
Quebec Road, Henley­On­Thames,
Oxfordshire RG9 1EY
Tel: 01491 579100
Email: manager@henleycm.co.uk
Website: www.acacialodgecare.co.uk
Carebase Ltd
Bridge House Care Home
Thames View,
Abingdon OX14 3UJ
Contact: Mrs June Rewati Maharaj
Registered Manager
Tel: 01235 856 002
Email: info@bridgehouseabingdon.co.uk
Website: www.bridgehouseabingdon.co.uk
Choice Care Group
Linden House, Lime Walk,
Bagshot Road, Bracknell
Berkshire RG12 9DY
Contact: Edwina Johnston
Tel: 0203 195 0151
Email: enquiries@choicecaregroup.com
Website: www.choicecaregroup.com
Cleeve Lodge (Goring)
11 Elmhurst Road, Goring­on­Thames,
Reading, Oxfordshire RG8 9BN
Contact: Penny Luckett
Registered Manager
Tel: 01491 873588
Email: cleevelodge@hotmail.co.uk
Elizabeth Finn Care Homes ­ Rush Court
Shillingford Road, Wallingford,
Oxfordshire OX10 8LL
Contact: Liz Clements ­ Registered Manager
Tel: 01491 837223
Email: enquiries.rushcourt@efhl.co.uk
Website: www.efhl.co.uk
Embrace ­ Manor House Care Home
Manor House, Main Street,
Merton, Oxon OX25 2NF
Contact: Andy Williams
Registered Manager
Tel: 01865 331555
Email: manorhouse.manager@
embracegroup.co.uk
Website: www.embracegroup.co.uk/
manor­house
Excellent Care Homes
Winterbrook Nursing Home
18 Winterbrook
Wallingford Oxonford
OX10 9EF
Contact: Liz Collins
Tel: 01491 833922
Email: winterbrookhome@btconnect.com
Website:
www.winterbrooknursinghome.co.uk
Godswell Park
Church Street, Bloxham
Oxfordshire OX15 4ES
Tel: 01295 724000
Website: www.godswellpark.co.uk
Goldcare Homes ­ St Katharine's
Ormond Rd, Wantage
Oxfordshire OX12 8EA
Contact: Claire Francis
Registered Manager
Tel: 01235 773420
Email: stkatharines@goldcarehomes.com
Website: www.goldcarehomes.com
Heathfield House Nursing Home
Bicester Road
Bletchingdon
Oxfordshire
OX5 3DX
Contact: Alison Valentine
Registered Manager
Tel: 01869 350940
Email: info@heathfield­house.co.uk
Lady Nuffield Home
165 Banbury Rd, Oxford
Oxfordshire OX2 7AW
Contact: Jenny Timbrell
Registered Manager
Tel: 01865 888500
Email: jenny@ladynuffieldhome.co.uk
Website: www.ladynuffieldhome.co.uk
Minster Care Group
Freeland House
Wroslyn Road, Freeland, Witney
Oxfordshire OX29 8AH
Tel: 01993 881258
Contact: manager.freeland@
minstercaregroup.co.uk
Website: www.minstercaregroup.co.uk/
homes/our­homes/freeland­house
Peverel Court Care ­
Merryfield Care Home
33 New Yatt Road, Witney,
Oxfordshire, OX28 1NX
Contact: Fran Torres (RGN)
Registered Manager
Tel: 01993 775 776
Email: office@merryfieldcare.co.uk
Website: www.peverelcourtcare.co.uk
Pilgrims’ Friend Society Care Homes
Framland, Naldertown,
Wantage, Oxfordshire OX12 9DL
Contact: Beth Kneale Registered Manager
Tel: 0300 303 1470
Email: beth.kneale@pilgrimsfriend.org.uk
Website: www.pilgrimsfriend.org.uk
OACP Member No: 42
OACP Member No: 94
OACP Member No: 5
OACP Member No: 69
OACP Member No: 102
OACP Member No: 76
OACP Member No: 91
OACP Member No: 65
OACP Member No: 40
OACP Member No: 19
OACP Member No: 45
OACP Member No:105
OACP Member No: 84
OACP Member No: 80
OACP Member No: 90
Care Homes &
Nursing Homes

30. Ronald McDonald House (Oxford)
Level 2 Children’s Hospital,
John Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way,
Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU
Contact: Michelle Francis
Tel: 01865 234273
Email: michelle.francis@uk.mcd.com
Website: www.rmhc.org.uk/our­houses/
oxford/contact­this­house
Shrublands Residential Care Home
Farringdon Road, Cumnor,
Oxford OX2 9QY
Contact: Nigel Collins Registered Manager
Tel: 01865 865363
Sotwell Hill House
Brightwell Cum Sotwell
Wallingford
Oxfordshire OX10 0PS
Contact: Josephine Butterfield
Registered Manager
Tel: 01491 836685
Email: info@sotwellhillhouse.co.uk
Website: www.sotwellhillhouse.co.uk
St Cloud Care (Stowford House)
Faringdon Road, Shippon, Abingdon,
Oxfordshire OX13 6LN
Contact: Rosemary Hutton
Registered Manager
Tel: 01235 538623
Email: manager@stowfordhouse.plus.com
Website: www.stcloudcare.co.uk/
stowford­house
St. John's Home
St. Mary's Road
Oxford OX4 1QE
Contact: Mrs Joyce Roachford
Registered Manager
Tel: 01865 247725
Email: admin@st­johns­home.org
Website: www.stjohnshome.org.uk
St. Luke’s Hospital
St Luke’s Hospital, Latimer Road,
Headington, Oxford OX3 7PF
Contact: Richard Burden
Tel: 01865 228800
Email: admin@stlukeshosp.co.uk
Website: www.stlukeshosp.co.uk
A2 Dominion Housing
Godstow Court
5 West Way
Oxford
OX2 0GE
Contact: Darrell Mercer
Tel: 0800 825 1000
Email: customer.services@
A2dominion.co.uk
Website: www.a2dominion.co.uk
Action for Carers Oxfordshire
Contact: Catherine Blaxhall
Tel: 01235 849472
Email: catherineblaxhall
@carersoxfordshire.org.uk
Carers Oxfordshire
Tel: 0845 0507666
Email: carersoxfordshire@
oxfordshire.gov.uk
Website: www.carersoxfordshire.org.uk
Affinity Trust
1 St. Andrew’s Court,
Wellington Street, Thame,
Oxfordshire OX9 3WT
Contact: Penny Lamb
Tel: 01844 267800
Email: info@affinitytrust.org
Website: www.affinitytrust.org
Age UK Oxfordshire
St Edmund House
39 West St Helen Street
Abingdon
OX14 5BT
Tel: 0345 450 1276
Email: admin@ageukoxfordshire.org.uk
Website: www.ageuk.org.uk/
oxfordshire/contact­us
Autism Oxford
PO Box 57, Chinnor,
Oxfordshire OX39 4XB
Contact: Kathy Erangey
Tel: 01844 353292
Email: info@autismoxford.org.uk
Website: www.autismoxford.org.uk
Brandon Trust
Kestral Court
Waterwells Business Park,
Waterwells Drive, Quedgeley
Gloucestershire GL2 2AT
Contact: Debbie Holloway
Tel: 01452 886307
Email: debbie.holloway@brandontrust.org
Website: www.brandontrust.org
Camden Society (Head Office)
60 Holmes Road, London NW5 3AQ
Contact: Jennifer Bush
Tel: 020 7485 8177
Email: jennifer.bush@
thecamdensociety.co.uk
Website: www.thecamdensociety.co.uk
Camden Society
(Oxford Supported Living Scheme)
Contact: Miss Gail Hill ­ Registered Manager
Tel: 07969 268349
4240
Chiltern Centre for Disabled Children
Greys Road,
Henley on Thames,
Reading RG9 1QR
Contact: Keith Manning
Tel: 01491 575575
Email: Chiltern@chilterncentre.org.uk
Website: www.chilterncentre.org.uk
OACP Member No: 87
OACP Member No: 3
OACP Member No: 81
OACP Member No: 59
OACP Member No: 30
OACP Member No: 104
OACP Member No: 41
OACP Member No: 57
OACP Member No: 97
OACP Member No: 58
OACP Member No: 2
OACP Member No: 103
OACP Member No: 54
OACP Member No: 47
Community
Support Services
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Crossroads Care
Crossroads Centre
Marston Court
Harberton Mead
Oxford OX3 0EA
Contact: Shaun Prosser
Tel: 01865 260280
Email: care@oxfordshirecrossroads.org.uk
Website: www.oxfordshirecrossroads.org.uk
Day and Nightcare Assistance ­ Danacare
(Head Office)
46 Market Square, Witney,
Oxfordshire, OX28 6AL
Contact: Ms Fiona Walton
Registered Manager
Tel: 01993 708905
Email: enquiries@danacare.co.uk
Website: www.danacare.co.uk
Dimensions UK
(Head Office)
Commerce Park, Brunel Road,
Theale, Reading RG7 4AB
Tel: 0300 303 9001
Email: info@dimensions­uk.org
Website: www.dimensions­uk.org
Dimensions UK (Oxfordshire)
Regional Office South West
Suite 2, Lansdowne Court Business Centre,
1­2 Lansdowne Court, Bumpers Farm,
Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 6RZ
Contact: Helen Orford
Tel: 0300 303 9098
Email: helen.orford@dimensions­uk.org
Website: www.dimensions­uk.org
Enrych Oxfordshire
Didcot Enterprise Park
Didcot
Oxfordshire OX11 7PH
Contact: Lucy Bowler
Tel: 07551 216960
Email: lucy.bowler@enrych.org.uk
Contact: Lorna Fox
Tel: 07706 659373
Email: lorna.fox@enrych.org.uk
Website: www.oxfordshire.enrych.org.uk
Headway Oxfordshire
4 Bagley Wood Road, Kennington,
Oxfordshire OX1 5P
Contact: Claire Twinn ­ Service Manager
Tel: 01865 326263
Email: servicemanager
@headway­oxford.org.uk
Website:www.headwayoxford.org.uk
Hft (Head Office)
5/6 Brook Office Park
Folly Brook Road, Emersons Green,
Bristol BS16 7FL
Tel: 0117 906 1700
Email: info@hft.org.uk
Website: www.hft.org.uk
Hft North Oxfordshire & Vale
47c Broad Street,
Banbury,
Oxfordshire,
OX16 5BT
Contact: Kathryn Brown
Registered Manager
Tel: 01295 267906
Email: hftnorthoxon@hft.org.uk
Website: www.hft.org.uk
Hft South Oxfordshire & Berks
Milton Heights
Potash Lane, Milton Heights,
Abingdon,
Oxfordshire OX14 4DR
Contact: Ms Emma Pithers
Registered Manager
Tel: 01235 831686
Email: hftsouthoxonandberks@hft.org.uk
Website: www.hft.org.uk
Kingwood Trust
2 Chalfont Court, Chalfont Close
Lower Earley, Reading
Berkshire RG6 5SY
Tel: 0118 931 0143
Email: info@kingwood.org.uk
Website: www.kingwood.org.uk
MacIntyre Charity (Head Office)
602 South Seventh Street
Milton Keynes
Buckinghamshire
MK9 2JA
MacIntyre Charity (Oxford)
Contact: Diane Smith ­ Area Manager
Email: diane.smith@macintyrecharity.org
Website: www.macintyrecharity.org
Oxfordshire County Council Health
& Well Being Centres
www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/public­
site/health­and­wellbeing­centres
Abingdon Health
& Wellbeing Centre
Audlett Drive,
Abingdon OX14 3GD
Contact: Pauline Krason ­ Manager
Tel: 01235 521094
Email: admin.abingdonhwc
@oxfordshire.gov.uk
Banbury Health &
Wellbeing Centre
Ruskin Road
Banbury OX169HY
Contact: Sally Marchant ­ Manager
Tel: 01295 263366
Email: admin.banburyhwc@
oxfordshire.gov.uk
Bicester Health &
Wellbeing Centre
Launton Road
Bicester OX26 6DJ
Contact: Jan Clarke ­ Manager
Tel: 01869 242808
Email: admin.bicesterhwc@
oxfordshire.gov.uk
Didcot Health &
Wellbeing Centre
Britwell Road
Didcot OX11 7JN
Contact: Gemma Druce ­ Manager
Tel: 01235 518444
Email: admin.didcothwc@
oxfordshire.gov.uk
Oxford Options Health &
Wellbeing Centre
Awgar Stone Road, Horspath Driftway
Oxford OX37JQ
Contact: Catherine Robinson ­ Manager
Tel: 01865 816334
Email: admin.oxfordoptionshwc@
oxfordshire.gov.uk
Wallingford Health &
Wellbeing Centre
Millington Road
Wallingford OX10 8FE
Contact: Kerry Coleman ­ Manager
Tel: 01491 836467
Email: admin.wallingfordhwc@
oxfordshire.gov.uk
Wantage Health &
Wellbeing Centre
Stirlings Close, Garston Lane
Wantage OX12 7AQ
Contact: Jane Doyle ­ Manager
Tel: 01235 765934
Email: admin.wantagehwc@
oxfordshire.gov.uk
OACP Member No: 23
OACP Member No: 25
OACP Member No: 92
OACP Member No: 9
OACP Member No: 18
OACP Member No: 7
OACP Member No: 27
OACP Member No: 44
OACP Member No: 4

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Oxfordshire County Council
LD Daytime Support
www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/public­
site/daytime­support
Contact: Claire Pritchett – Service Manager
Tel: 07920 272306
Email: claire­pritchett@oxfordshire.gov.uk
Oxfordshire County Council
Shared Lives Scheme
Oxfordshire County Council, Abbey House,
Abbey Close, Abingdon OX14 3JD
Contact: Sally Ellis ­ Unit Manager
Tel: 01865 897971
Email: sally.ellis@oxfordshire.gov.uk
Oxfordshire Family
Support Network (OxFSN)
Level 2, The Charter
Abingdon OX14 3LZ
Email: Info@OxFSN.org.uk
Website: www.oxfsn.org.uk
Oxford Sexual Abuse
and Rape Crisis Centre (OSARCC)
P.O. Box 20, St Aldates Post Office
Oxford OX2 6GB
Tel: 01865 726 295
Helpline: 0800 783 6294
Email: support@osarcc.org.uk
Website: www.osarcc.org.uk
Oxfordshire Advocacy ­ Getting Heard
Barton Neighbourhood Centre, Underhill
Circus, Headington. Oxford OX3 9LS
Contact: Helen Evans ­ Director
Tel: 01865 741200
Email: gettingheard@oadg.org.uk
Website: www.gettingheard.org
Oxfordshire Mind
2 Kings Meadow, Osney Mead,
Oxford OX2 0DP
Tel: 01865 263735
Email: office@oxfordshiremind.org.uk
Website: www.oxfordshiremind.org.uk
Oxfordshire Wheel Ltd
Suite 5, Borough House
Marlborough Road
Banbury OX16 5TH
Tel: 01295 266887
Email: director@theoxfordshirewheel.org
Website: www.theoxfordshirewheel.org
My Life My Choice
27 Park End Street
Oxford OX1 1HU
Contact: Bryan Michell Charity Co­ordinator
Tel: 01865 204214
Email: office@mylifemychoice.org.uk
Website: www.mylifemychoice.org.uk
Response Organisation
(Head Office)
A.G Palmer House,
Morrell Crescent, Littlemore,
Oxford OX4 4SU
Tel: 01865 397940 (out of hours voice mail)
Email: reception@respsonse.org.uk
Website: www.response.org.uk
SEAP ­ Getting Heard
Barton Neighbourhood Centre, Underhill
Circus, Headington. Oxford OX3 9LS
Contact: Kate Hill – Team Manager
Tel: 0330 440 9000
Email: info@seap.org.uk
Website: www.seap.org.uk
Style Acre ­ help for people
with learning disabilities
Evenlode House, Howbery Park,
Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford,
Wallingford, OX10 8BA
Tel: 01491 838760
Email: info@styleacre.org.uk
Website: www.styleacre.org.uk
Ways and Means Trust
Greenshoots, Manor Farm
Rotherfield Peppard, Henley­on­Thames
Oxfordshire RG9 5LA
Contact: Frances or Denise
Tel: 01491 628933
Email: info@waysandmeans.org.uk
Website: www.waysandmeans.org.uk
Young Dementia UK
(Witney, Oxfordshire)
PO Box 315, Witney
Oxfordshire OX28 1ZN
Tel: 01993 776295
Email: support@youngdementiauk.org
Website: www.youngdementiauk.org
Abicare Services Ltd
Witney Business and Innovation Centre
Windrush House,
Windrush Ind Park, Witney
Oxford OX29 7DX
Contact: Rebecca Stevenson
Tel: 01993 848258
Email: oxford@abicare.co.uk
Website: www.abicare.co.uk
Acquire Care
Shotover Kilns, Shotover Hill,
Headington,
Oxford OX3 8ST
Contact: Nick Boers
Tel: 01865 338050
Email: info@acquirecare.co.uk
Website: www.acquirecare.co.uk
Amber Healthcare
28 The Quadrant, Abingdon Science Park
Abingdon OX14 3YS
Tel: 01235 531616
Website: www.amberhealthcare.co.uk
OACP Member No: 11
OACP Member No: 29
OACP Member No: 106
OACP Member No: 88
OACP Member No: 89
OACP Member No: 6
OACP Member No: 74
OACP Member No: 86
OACP Member No: 96
OACP Member No: 31
OACP Member No: 20
OACP Member No: 109
OACP Member No: 36
OACP Member No: 73
OACP Member No: 13
OACP Member No: 79
Home Care Providers