Physical Disabilities and Sensory Impairment Partnership Board

22 February 2018, 10:30-12:30

Orchard Park Community Centre, Cambridge, CB4 2EZ

Minutes

Present
AB Amanda Bavin Registered speech to text reporter
EB Erika Brown Hunts Society for the Blind
PB Pauline Brown Independent member
JC James Catmur Independent member
SC Sally Cleghorn Development Officer, CAIL
JC Jackie Cook Service user, RNIB
HD Heather Davison Coordinator, Healthwatch Cambridgeshire
RG Ruth Godden Cambridgeshire Deaf Association
GL Graham Lewis Development Officer, CAIL
GP Gareth Peters Adult Safeguarding Manager, CCC
FR Flora Raffai CEO, Cam Sight
MS Mick Scadden Independent member
MW Michael Woldingham RNIB

1. Welcome, introductions and apologies

Apologies: Apologies: Lee McManus, Helen Sismore, Chris Eleftheriou, Jane
Scott.

Due to Lee McManus’s absence the Chair asked the Board to use Item 5 to
comment on the announcement by CAIL that it was closing. All agreed.

2. Minutes of the last meeting (05.12.17) and matters arising

2.1 Minutes
GL apologised for some typing mistakes
Correction to Item 3, third sentence to “long cane training”.
PB confirmed she lives in a “private retirement home”.
GL - Action Log will be put into Word format.
Apart from these corrections the minutes were agreed.

Fen House, Fen Road, Cambridge, CB4 1UN

Tel: 0300 111 2301 Email:admin@cambridgeshirealliance.org.uk
Registered Charity No. 1132290 Company limited by guarantee No 06861653
2.2 Matters arising
No matters arising.

3. Updates from board members

3.1 Hunts Society for the Blind. EB said the reorganisation and revamp is finally
complete. It allows for better presentation of equipment.
3.2 Cam Sight – the Chatteris office has moved to Wisbech (CamSight, 14
Chapel Road, Wisbech, PE13 1RF; Tel 01945 660 795). There’s more space
with the Resource Centre downstairs and offices on first floor.
3.3 Cambridgeshire Deaf Association (CDA)
 Freedom Programme for Deaf women will run again
 Working with MIND to deliver the Five Ways of Wellbeing in sign language
 Continue to work with the Police and Healthwatch on accessibility
 Under the Total Voice Partnership they are offering advocacy for children
as well as adults
 Saxongate has an office for the care team. In Peterborough CDA is
sharing an office with Voice Ability
3.4 Healthwatch
 Following the merger with Healthwatch Peterborough new staff have been
recruited. There is a significantly larger engagement team enabling work
with Cam Sight, BAME community in Peterborough and covering Fenland.
 In April will be developing online engagement
 Signposting – have recruited a second member of staff for the phone
service. Now has capacity to go out on engagement events
 3 staff are based at City College Peterborough.
 Healthwatch Peterborough always attended Peterborough Partnership
Boards and will continue to do so.

4. Feedback from other meetings

4.1 Cross Board event

CAIL will hold its final Cross Board event on Thursday 29 March at the Marriott
Hotel Huntingdon. Entitled “Insights”, it will promote understanding of different
disabilities with workshops, demonstrations of Assistive Technology and a
chance to try different equipment.

MW of RNIB offered help.

HD said Hinchingbrooke Hospital has done this around dementia.

Action: HD to give GL contact for Dementia Friend training at Hinchingbrooke.

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 PB – the Hard of Hearing Club is trying to recruit more members. She will give
GL some leaflets about its activities.

RG asked how the event would be promoted. It would be good to get some
people who use sign language involved.

GL assured her that these events are made as inclusive as possible.

4.2 Wheelchair Users Forum

Has got small amount of funding and are currently writing Terms of Reference
and setting future dates. GL heard this week about the CCG tender process
for wheelchair service. Wheelchair users have offered to help co-produce.
This is a major move on the part of the CCG.
Next meeting is 26 March at The Meadows, Cambridge.

4.3 No outreach events tor report

5. Closure of CAIL
James Catmur declared he is a trustee.
GL explained that as a trustee himself of another charity he understands the
difficult choices the trustees had to make. Fresh eyes on a situation are
important. For the last five years CAIL has always had other projects running
which have helped to defray on costs. This is no longer the case. CAIL was
offered a renewal of one more year for the participation contract by
Cambridgeshire County Council but within that time the small reserves would
have had to be used to find other projects and to run the organisation. By
making the decision now it has given the Council time to make plans before
the next financial year.
All at CAIL are working hard to ensure a smooth handover and the voice of
those with lived experience is central to this.
GL explained that CCC has expressed that they are saddened by this
decision and that the County is in conversation with other organisations. Up to
now as CAIL has not delivered services it has been able to act as a critical
friend to the Council. He hopes there will be an announcement made soon.

MS thanked all at CAIL for the work they have done and wished all staff well.
GL said there had been many expressions of shock and support.
HD commented that Healthwatch was in conversation with the Commissioner.
PB - as a service user I’ve learned so much about what is going on. There are
many overlaps between the partnership boards and there is strength in
knowing we are fighting for the same things.
JC – I assume all independent members would be happy to continue. GL
agreed provided Data Protection issues were taken into account.

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6. Making Safeguarding Personal, Gareth Peters, Adult Safeguarding
The Board agreed to take the item on Making Safeguarding Personal at this
point just before the break.
 March is Safeguarding Awareness month promoted by the
Safeguarding Adults Board Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. There
will be several roadshows to highlight the issues they deal with.
 Small community groups can access free training through the Board.
 The main priorities are domestic abuse, supporting people with mental
health challenges and neglect or self-neglect.
 Safeguarding Cambridgeshire has a Multi-agency Hub at Chord Park
Huntingdon. MASH includes social workers, police, mental health trust.
The Children’s MASH is also based there. The referral point is via the
Customer Service number.
 55% of referrals are for over 65s, 27% for over 85s
 2016/17 the MASH received over 4,000 concerns. Of those 1,500 were
taken forward.
 In 44% of allegations the abuser was known to the individual and could
include care providers, care homes, relatives.
 The important message to get across is how CCC responds. It is based
on the five principles of Making Safeguarding Personal namely
empowerment (helping individuals), prevention, proportionate
response, partnership, accountability. People with disabilities are twice
as likely to experience domestic abuse.

GP asked for feedback on accessibility of the website. Board website is

www.safeguardingpeterborough.org.uk

PB asked if information was also in leaflet form because many older people
don’t use websites but do go to the GP and libraries. GP confirmed there are
leaflets available.
PB – how does the Board communicate with GPs? They don’t always seem
committed to the principles of safeguarding.
GP has presented at three GP conferences run by the CCG. They were keen
to support.

BREAK

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7. Accessible Information Standard
 2016 the Department of Health wanted to improve the quality of
information that providers of health and social care offered to those
with a range of disabilities. Service users now have to be asked how
they want to be communicated with.
 Healthwatch has published a report on how the Accessible Information
Standard is working. It is available in Braille, Easy Read, large print
and other formats on request.
 They did focussed work with Cambridgeshire Deaf Association. Some
of the stories were shocking. In Peterborough they visited wards and
had focus groups in hospital.
 People said information is crucial to the quality of service people
receive. It is not always appropriate to have to rely on a family member.
There were good ideas about how things could be improved like using
text messages.
 Of all the services the GP practices had done the least.
 People cannot give full consent to treatment if they are not being
communicated with in the way they wish.
 The launch of the report was in Autumn 2017. Organisations that
attended agreed to make three changes to improve their information.
Healthwatch will revisit this regularly.
 GPs commit to working closely with Healthwatch. In Peterborough
Access Champions will look at GP practices for people with learning
disabilities.
 CPFT will meet soon, Ambulance Service is delayed because of
seasonal pressures, Papworth Hospital has committed as it moves to
the new Addenbrooke’s site, Anglia Foundation Trust is writing a report
“Inclusion is our Standard”.

Action: HD will send GL audio discs for distribution.

Q&A
MS asked if his GP can pass on his information requirements to the hospital.
Will the receptionist know how he wants to be communicated with?
HD wants to continue talking directly to people who want support.
EB – Hunts Blind has flagged this at Hinchingbrooke. If a patient makes the
receptionist aware there is a team ready to support. This can be problematic.

MW – has had feedback that GP and hospitals have no idea about the
Accessible Information Standard. RNIB has been told it is the GP’s role to

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 disseminate the information to the healthcare professionals. What is the best
way to get this information out?
HD – empower people to say ‘it is my right’, put pressure on providers, use
partnership boards to collect people’s experiences, use Healthwatch website
to give feedback.
RG - Cambridgeshire Deaf Association gives out small wallet cards which
includes the reminder that there is a legal duty to provide accessible
information.
MS suggested doing a dummy run.

8. Adult Social Care Forum

 Fairer Charging Contributions policy consultation
HD is still waiting for her letter.
GL said CAIL has raised these issues and urged people to respond. At the
Learning Disability Partnership Board Cllr Costello took this up.

9. Action Log
Now in Word format for easier access.

10. Any other business

10.1 Floating bus stops

MW – RNIB members have raised their concerns about the floating bus stops. They
are extremely hazardous for blind and partially sighted people.

Jackie Cook said the Cambridge Guide Dog Forum is pushing for a street charter.
RNIB is meeting Daniel Zeichner MP on 23 February.

MS commented that this has been raised several times at the PDSI Partnership
Board. He wondered if there were figures on number of accidents.

GL there have been assessments done but outside term time when it’s quieter. The
law has changed since floating bus stops were first installed and it’s now possible to
put in a small zebra crossing.

Next meeting: 22 May. Venue to be confirmed. (For administrative reasons the

venue will not be at Little Shelford Memorial Hall).

Kindly note there will be a meeting of service users just before each meeting
between 1:15 and 1:45pm.

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