Bishopsteignton Village Website

Minutes of the Healthy Living & Wellbeing Group Meeting

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September 15th 2021

Apologies:  Carlie Karakusevic, Alison Prestt, Fran Edwards, Lis Durham, Keith Lambert, Michelle Whiffen  & Barbara Long.

Present:      Eddy Stephenson, Elaine Cawthraw, Roos Alsop , Finella Whitehorn , Ann Meyrick, Jenny Charlton & Mary Hampson.

Minutes:     The minutes of the previous meeting on Zoom on June 29th 2021 were accepted as a true record. Proposed by Elaine and seconded by Ann.

Matters arising:   There were no other matters except those already on the agenda.

 

Meeting items:

Updates

  • Memory Café: Mary reported that the Memory Cafe would be holding its first full meeting since the pandemic on Monday 20th There had been a positive response from those contacted about the re-opening and a keen desire to meet together again. Although restrictions have overall been lifted there are still several areas where some restrictive suggestions have to be in place since Memory Cafe is dealing with those who are for the most part elderly and vulnerable. Mary has made clients aware of suggested requirements such as social distancing where possible and the use of Lateral Flow tests before attending but these can only be recommended suggestions. The first meeting will tackle admin tasks to ensure records & contact details are up to date. Activities will depend on numbers attending and the space available. Since this will be the first meeting at Cockhaven since the refurbishment it will also be a chance to judge whether the facilities are still large enough and suitable for purpose.
  • Dementia Friendly Village: Finella reported that 2 training sessions have now been arranged and will involve Befrienders within Care Watch – 4 on September 27th and 6 on October 11th. These sessions could then perhaps be extended to other Care Watch volunteers for future training.
  • Teignmouth Health & Wellbeing Centre: No update at present.
  • Trim Trail: Walks: At the Village Festival it was noticed that an A3 sheet of local walks was available based on an edition published for the Millennium celebrations. There is a need to check whether these walks are the same as or overlap with those drawn up by HLG. Cockhaven on its website also advertises a booklet of local walks which again may overlap with the HLG proposal. Mary to investigate what the Cockhaven walks are.
  • Finance: Currently there is £2081.30 in the bank and Jenny pointed out that perhaps we should be thinking of fundraising ideas. Elaine said that she is putting in a bid to Devon County Council from its Recovery fund. This money would cover mannequins and training defibrillators. She is also putting in bids to cover courses such as exercises for those with mobility problems & for those suffering from anxiety, ME fatigue and Long Covid. Elaine will be consulting with the Social Prescribers about these bids and identifying what needs there are in the village.

Clerk to the Parish Council, Kim Ford, is putting in a joint bid with HLG for 2 more defibrillators and friendship benches where people can feel happy to sit and just chat to others around the village.

A donation of £500 is being made by Bishopsteignton Unity Charities for the maintenance of defibrillators and a lady in the village has pledged to raise £1500 as well.

  • Bishopsteignton Care Watch: Elaine read out the following report from Lis

CARE WATCH UPDATE for HLG MEETING on Wed 15th Sept ‘21

CALLS RECEIVED

  • The majority of calls received over the summer have been requests for transport to medical appointments.
  • We have not had any requests for befrienders.

 

DBS CHECKS

  • Teignbridge CVS applied for our EDBS checks back in March but we have had continuous problems and delays, and an appalling lack of communication.
  • Six were processed successfully but there are still five outstanding.
  • After months of frustration for us and our volunteers, Elaine decided to contact KingsCare in Kingsteignton, who were happy to help and have successfully processed six additional ‘befriender/driver’ checks in next to no time and completely hassle free.
  • Elaine put in a further request to KingsCare asking if they would be prepared to process another six applications for us (the five outstanding from CVS plus one new volunteer).
  • The KingsCare cost per DBS Check is £12.50 whereas CVS is £11.44, but one is efficient and the other is flawed.
  • To date we have paid Teignbridge CVS £68.64.
  • Our total invoice from Kingscare for the six DBS Checks already completed and six additional checks, will be £150.
  • Eddy has agreed that we can go ahead with this.

 

DEMENTIA AWARENESS TRAINING

  • Finella has kindly agreed to run two one hour sessions for our Volunteer Befrienders.
  • These will be held at 2.30 on Monday 27th Sept , and 7.30 on Monday 11th October in the Methodist Hall.

NEW POSTER

  • Thanks to Jenny a new A4 poster is now ready and distribution will start next week.
  • Jenny is producing some A5 leaflets too, which can be posted through letterboxes where necessary, and given to the Pharmacy and Surgery etc.
  • Lis has spoken to Tony Corlett who has agreed to include an A5 leaflet in the Welcome Packs given to newcomers in the village.
  • The poster makes it clear that we can refer people to other organisations for help and support (eg VIH, KingsCare), as well as highlighting the issues we can help with.
  • It also says that the phone will be checked regularly and asks if people can try and ring between 10am and 4pm.
  • We have made it clear that Care Watch is run entirely by volunteers and as such is a free service, although donations are always very welcome.
  • Our aim is to bring Care Watch back to being REactive (as it was before lockdown), rather than PROactive as it has been, of necessity, from November to the end of lockdown.

 

CARE WATCH PHONE ROTA

  • This month the Care Watch phone is being shared by four volunteers – Marian Mitchell, Barbara Long, Elaine and Lis, to see how it goes.
  • If successful, and everyone is happy to continue, we will each have the phone for one week in every four which will be much more manageable for Lis going forward.

DEPUTY COORDINATOR

  • Barbara would like to step down from her role as Deputy Coordinator because of a likely increase in time needed to care for family members as we approach the Autumn and Winter.
  • Lis and Elaine are hoping to find someone to join the Care Watch Team, who would be willing to take on the role of Deputy Coordinator, possibly with a view to becoming the Coordinator at a later stage.
  • In time Lis will look to stepping down from her role as Coordinator and becoming Deputy Coordinator to ensure continuity and provide support for whoever takes over.

Thanks were given to Lis for all the work she has done.

Finella suggested the possibility of holding an Open Day/Afternoon for people in the village to find out all about Care Watch.

  • Defibrillators: Eddy reported that a new defibrillator will be going in place at Old Walls and another is already in situ at Wear Farm. The 2 new defibrillators that Kim Ford is applying for will go to the Lawns and Teign View Road,
  • Publicity: Serena should be back in action on this after her building works.

Hope Course – this is being run by Torbay Health Authority and consists of 6 sessions for people to get together and talk about their mental health problems. It will be administered via Kingscare or Volunteering in Health. Social prescribers should be aware of this initiative. Perhaps a future meeting with Carlie, Social Prescribers + a couple of people from HLG could be arranged.

Appointments & Trustee Elections

Two trustees will need to stand down at the next AGM. Eddy will be contacting all trustees.

AOB

  1. The question was raised as to whether ear syringing is no longer offered on NHS. It is covered privately but could cost up to £60. Will this lead to a significant hearing problem in the population as a whole in the future?
  2. Roos queried whether the Next Door site (https://nextdoor.co.uk/p/W46HwKF_DwMc/) could be used by HLG as a platform for publicity. This query will be passed on to Serena.

Next Meeting: Wednesday 3rd November at 7 pm by Zoom.

Meeting closed at 8.15 pm.