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Possibilities to certainties
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I am hoping by the time you read this, you will have already heard that a new coalition is in town – the Cavendish Coalition. Although saying that so far media coverage has been… subtle, shall we say?!
ARC was invited to join this coalition a few weeks ago and yesterday marked the official launch. So what is it all about? It is a newly formed group consisting of 29 health and social care organisations, convened by Danny Mortimer, Chief Executive of NHS Employers. We have been brought together to collaborate on a common goal; essentially to secure the status of EU staff working in the health and social care sector in the UK following the Brexit decision. Continue reading ...
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National Living Wage - 'Good news on care worker pay – but can employers fund further increases?'
David Brindle, Public Services Editor, considers the post-NLW social care scene now that the dust has settled a little, and comes up with some (perhaps surprisingly) positive outlooks for the workforce. "While social care remains a distressingly low-paid job, it is today almost 7% better paid than it was on 3 1 March. That can only be good for recruitment and retention of workers."
However, he is also firm that there is a real risk of becoming complacent if we believe that the repercussions of the NLW have not been costly for the social care sector, advocating that we still need to 'rally to social care’s flag' as costs continue to increase. Read more here...
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Former minister calls for new tax to save NHS and social care 
'A dramatic call for a new health and care tax has been made by a former Tory health minister, amid demands by MPs of all parties for Theresa May to act to save the NHS and the social care system from collapse.' - Dr. Dan Poulter reminds Government of the important correlation between health and social care, echoing the sector's view that significant reform and sustainable funding is urgently needed in order to address the current crisis. Read more here...
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Opportunities - get involved!
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National Audit Office study: Local support for people with a learning disability
The National Audit Office (NAO) is conducting a study to find out how well the government is making progress in providing community support for people who are in hospitals settings. They are also broadly looking at what health and social care support is available to the wider population with a learning disability, and whether this support is improving outcomes.
It is really important they hear directly from people with a learning disability, family carers and professionals working in this field to get a true picture of what progress has been made, and what still needs to be done.
If you would like to share your experiences of health and social care support with the NAO please email the study team on LDstudy@nao.gsi.gov.uk with 'Local support for people with a learning disability' in the subject line. For more information please see the NAO website
At 8pm on Tuesday 13th September 2016 Radio 4 will be broadcasting a 40 minute programme on the Transforming Care Programme entitled Homes Not Hospitals.
File on 4 asks “what progress has been made on the promise to get people with learning disabilities and autism out of hospital units and into homes in the community with good support.” Find out more about the programme and listen live here.
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 TLAP Care Act survey for people with care and support needs, and carers: Think Local Act Personal (TLAP) is running a survey that asks how much of a difference the Care Act has made in the experience of people with care and support needs, and carers. There have been many Care Act surveys, but this one will be the first that specifically seeks their views.
The results of the survey will be used to help the Department of Health identify problems and find solutions to inform future work on the Care Act.
Find out more about the TLAP Care Act survey.
The closing date is the 4th October. It should take about 10 minutes to fill in and participants can enter a prize draw to win £100 of shopping vouchers.
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 NHS England is looking for a new member on the Learning Disability & Autism Advisory Group
- Are you a person with a learning disability, a person with autism or a family carer?
- Do you want to be part of NHS England's new Advisory Group?
The Advisory Group will help NHS England with its work on learning disability and/or autism.
If you are interested, please view the easy read full information pack to find out about applying or see the NHS England website.
You will need to complete an application form by 16th September.
If you have any difficulties please email the Learning Disability Engagement Team or telephone 01138 249 686.
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Back to school for some, back to worrying for others - ARC England members Pepenbury are aiming to raise  awareness of anti-social behaviour towards adults with learning disabilities in the Kent town of Tunbridge Wells.
“We have adults living independently around Tunbridge Wells who won’t get on a bus that is full of school children. They have been called names, been insulted and even felt threatened. They will wait till there is a bus that they feel safe getting on. Even if that means waiting for 3 to pass.”, says Janine Jacquin, Service User Co-ordinator at Pepenbury. It can happen in public, such as on buses or trains, or some people can be targeted by people who abuse their trust in some way, such as stealing money or coercing them to take part in criminal acts.
Pepenbury fundraising manager, Camilla Slattery, said: "We just want to remind people that not all disabilities are physical and to be patient if people need extra time or support ..."
Read the full story here.
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Henshaws Society for the Blind - Local Community Garden Appeal 
Henshaws Arts & Crafts Centre in Knaresborough is a community hub where, through workshops, people living with a range of disabilities discover their talents, put them into practice and realise their full potential. Henshaws are raising funds towards the development of the centre's garden; a unique, safe and multi-sensory space where everyone is welcome to discover hidden corners of works of art, water features, scented plants and wildlife.
Find out more here.
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ARC training courses and events
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Mock Tribunal events - book your place today! - Loughborough, London and Crediton 
ARC have arranged for Flint Bishop LLP solicitors to provide practical help for you, your HR staff or Managers in the form of a Mock Employment Tribunal event.
The theme of the mock tribunal will follow a commonly brought case, that being unfair and wrongful dismissal. The event will give you a realistic overview of the mechanics of the tribunal and a true representation of what you may experience in this situation. Your attendance will give you the opportunity to learn practically about the process of the tribunal, which can be applied to real life employment situations regardless of the specific theme.
The first of these events took place in York on 8 September and was met with extremely positive feedback.
- "a very useful briefing session"
- "the content was accessible to all, no matter the level of your knowledge"
- "very well paced"
The following dates are still available to book. *Due to the high popularity of these events, there are only limited places left on each date:
- 19th September 10am-1pm - Loughborough Town Hall Chambers, Market Place, Loughborough LE11 3EB - book your place here
- 18th October 1:30-4:30pm - Bedford Chambers, 7 Bedford Row, London WC1R 4BS - book your place here
- 1st November 10am-1pm - Crediton Boniface Centre, Church Lane, Crediton, Devon, EX17 2AH - book your place here (*Please note that the session in Crediton will be a recording of a live mock tribunal presented by solicitors from Flint Bishop LLP.)
Cost: £15 for ARC members (£25 for non-members)
The Mock Tribunal is based on a real-life scenario and will give you and your staff the opportunity to witness a true to life representation of a Tribunal hearing. You will experience the giving of evidence, cross-examination, judicial direction, closing submissions and it will provide an insight into how you can deal with the pitfalls and problems that may arise should you find yourself in a Tribunal situation.
This will be a great development opportunity for you or your managers.
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Coming soon: Epilepsy and People with 
Learning Disabilities
We are excited to be adding 'Epilepsy and People with Learning Disabilities' to our training calendar. This brand new workshop will aid understanding of the different types of epilepsy and seizures and the issues surrounding it, including medication, psychosocial effects and the minimisation of risks.
Watch this space for further details!
Workshops currently open for bookings include:
For more information about any of the courses we offer or to discuss your requirements, please contact us:
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 ARC England CPD / Standardisation Event
20th September 2016, Chesterfield
Each year ARC hold a series of CPD/Standardisation events for Assessors, Internal Verifiers and Quality Assurers to enable them to meet requirements and to share knowledge and good practice.
Find out more and book your place here.
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 Following previous success, ARC England are excited to be collaborating with Course Beetle once again to present both the 'Enabling Environments for Communication' and the 'Dynamic Approaches to Dementia' workshops.
The following dates are currently open for bookings:-
- Thursday 17th November - Birmingham - 'Enabling Environments for Communication'
- Monday 13th February - Manchester - 'Enabling Environments for Communication'
- Monday 14th November - Birmingham - 'Dynamic Approaches to Dementia'
*Special discount cost for ARC members and Real People Subscribers: £90 for ARC members - £100 for subscribers to the ARC Real People Newsletter (quote RP0116 on the booking form). *Full price is £120. To book your place visit the Course Beetle website and select your discount option.
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Did you know?
- ARC England offer a Disclosure Service to help you in your recruitment
 process
- Our Disclosure Service is on line providing a faster service than ever before
- You can download e-certificates (Clear Certificates only) - no more chasing your applicants for their Disclosure Certificate
- ARC members receive a discount on the administration fee!
What our customers say...
"Amazing speed with which disclosures come back!"
"Great for the recruitment process"
"We really appreciate your help with our DBS checks"
"Thank you for your excellent service!"
Can we be of service to you?
Contact Anne in the ARC Disclosure Service for more details:
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Workforce Development Funding from ARC
Analysis is out of last year’s Workforce Development Fund (WDF) distributed through ARC, which is a National Lead Partner. In 2015-16, 8,525 qualification units were claimed through ARC, 59% of those at level 2. The majority of establishments which claimed, opted to use the money towards a health and social care diploma. If you’d like to see all of the statistics, you can download our infographic.
Don’t miss out on money that’s available to adult social care employers in England to help develop your staff. Find out more and apply.
Get in touch:
For more information contact Marion:
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 Is it just me …? The National Care Forum's Vic Rayner shares her reflections on the care sector. She highlights the importance of quality and innovation to the sector in these 'interesting times' and stresses the importance of portraying a clear message on the sector's goals to the outside world. Read her full blog here.
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 Back in May, The Law Commission published an interim statement about its proposals regarding mental capacity and deprivation of liberty. In this blog, RadcliffesLeBrasseur partner Jonny Landau says there is much to be welcomed in the Law Commission’s amended proposals for changes to the law regarding mental capacity and deprivation of liberty. Read more here.
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 Keeping up the spirit - a Partnership challenge -
In her blog about the challenges of meaningfully implementing the Care Act's personalisation agenda, Lynda Tarpey (Director, TLAP) emphasises the need for partnership working and engaging others to influence change. Read more from Lynda here.
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 'Personalising support for people living with autism'
Sean McLaughlin, ADASS lead on Autism and Learning Disability, talks about the individual nature of autism, the valuable contribution autistic people can make, and the importance of a personalised approach to care and support. Read more here.
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Reports, resources and reviews
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 Skills for Care - SFC's analysis of last year’s Workforce Development Fund (WDF) has found that yet again it was a great success - view the infographic here. 3,551 establishments claimed for 20,114 workers with the majority opting to use the money towards a health and social care diploma.
189,657 qualification units were claimed for and 57% of those were at level 2.
Don’t miss out on WDF money that’s available to adult social care employers in England to help develop your staff! ARC England is a national partner with SFC for the disbursement of WDF funding. To find out more about how to access WDF through ARC see here.
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Carers UK - Helping you meet your duties under the Care Act. 
The newly launched Digital Resource for Carers brings together a number of digital products and online resources to help organisations provide comprehensive information and support for carers. The resources are hosted on a tailored, joint-branded webpage specifically designed for the exclusive use of your service users and/or employees with caring responsibilities. Find out more here.
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 Practical new resource supports the wellbeing of people with learning disabilities
VODG (Voluntary Organisations Disability Group) and NDTI (National Development Team for Inclusion) have published the second edition of a guide which explains how the health charter can be used by social care providers. This practical new resource supports the wellbeing of people with learning disabilities and aims to reduce inequalities in healthcare which were highlighted in a recent report.
Download the charter here.
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Consultations and dates for your diary
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Parents with learning disabilities guidance - The Working Together with Parents Network (WTPN) is holding a series of 5 free seminars in September around the country to talk about updated practice guidance on working with parents with a learning disability, and its role in helping to ensure that the human rights of parents with learning difficulties, and those of their children, are respected. Book your event below:-
London - 12th September
Leeds - 13th September
Plymouth - 21st September
Bristol - 22nd September
Coventry - 26th September
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Laing Buisson awards 2016 - November 2016 - 
Social care category nominations are now open! You can review the awards categories here and submit nominations online from now until the closing date which has now been extended until midnight on Friday 9th September.
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Bringing us Together are seeking feedback about the Care and Treatment Review (CTR)  policy so that they can ensure it is working well for children, young people and adults with learning disabilities. CTRs aim to support children and young people to have a real say over their care and plans for the future. For more information and to give your feedback please see here.
Closing date for responses is 16th September 2016.
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 22nd September 2016, Anthony Collins Solicitors,
Birmingham - FREE seminar - 'Social Care Property Development - what does the future hold?' Exploring what is happening and what lies ahead in the property development market for social care providers. Hosted in partnership with NCF, Carterwood, Property Consultant and Castleoak, Property Developer. Find out more and book your place here.
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Skills for Care Accolades - Nominations are now open!
Skills for Care’s Accolades reward adult social care organisations who deliver high quality care. Entering the awards gives you the chance to recognise the great work you do and share best practice. If you provide a high quality service and invest in developing your staff SFC want to hear from you!
The Accolades are open until 23rd September 2016 to adult social care organisations and individual employers in England. Find out more and enter here
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 DanceSyndrome - Music and Dance Festival, Preston, 25 September, 1pm - 8pm
Learning Disability and Autism Award 2016 winners, DanceSyndrome, are performing at the Charity Music and Dance Festival in Preston, in partnership with CLIC Sargent. With live music, barbecue and a performance from DanceSyndrome, the tickets are expected to sell out fast!
Find out more and book your tickets here
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 Community Care Live - 27th and 28th September 2016 -
This year's programme includes ARC's Project Officer Rod Landman talking about mate crime and the sexual exploitation of people with learning disabilities. You can view the draft agenda here.
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 ARC NI - Conference 2016 - 'Fairy Tales, Fables & Facts: Bamford Vision, where are we?' - Thursday 29th & Friday 30th September - This conference considers the achievements made in terms of the overall vision for mental health and learning disability, and most importantly acknowledges the recommendations still to be addressed, in order to achieve radical reform and modernisation. For more information and to book your place see here.
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 Consultation - Better Care Closer to Home (Derbyshire) - A review of people’s needs and current services in North Derbyshire found a number of areas where care could be better. This consultation is looking at the following areas:
- Community hospital services for older people with dementia (also known as ‘older people’s mental health’)
- Those recovering in a community hospital bed after an accident or illness requiring inpatient treatment at an acute hospital (also known as ‘community bedded care’).
For more information and to respond please see here.
This consultation closes on 5th October 2016.
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 Sensory Spectacle - FEEL IT - 3rd November - Reading Sensory Spectacle provide sensory installations that allow participants the opportunity o put themselves in the situation of how it might feel to have a sensory processing difficulty.
Places can be booked on their website http://www.sensoryspectacle.co.uk or by emailing them at hello@sensoryspectacle.co.uk
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 ARC Membership includes free job listing on our website. We are currently advertising the following positions:
- Autism Support and Care, Support Worker, Sutton in Ashfield
- Encompass - Cook, Weymouth
- Encompass - Cook, Greenhills
- Encompass - Personal Activities Assistant, various
- Encompass - Support Workers, various
- Encompass - Community Domiciliary Support Workers, various
- Frontier - Permanent and Bank Support Workers, Croydon and South London
- Frontier - Healthcare Assistants, Croydon
- Lifeworks - Special Needs Teacher, Devon
- Lifeworks - Support Workers
- NCHA - Care Assistants, Derbyshire
- NCHA - Group Facilitator, Derbyshire
- Realise - Learning Disabilities Support Workers, various locations
- Robert Owen Communities - Support Worker, Exeter
- Robert Owen Communities - Relief Support Workers, Creative Torbay
- Reach - Care Support Worker, Newark and Southwell
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If you are an ARC member and would like us to advertise your job vacancies here and on our website, please email Esther.Oddy@arcuk.org.uk
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