Introduction

Family and Friends of Stallcombe House.
Registered Charity Number: 293545.

When it was founded in the early 80’s, Stallcombe had a group of sympathetic local friends, working to help the staff and residents. This was set up as a separate charity, originally called Friends of Stallcombe House. In 2002, the current support group, made up of both families and friends, was formed with a new name but the same charity number, and a small committee was elected. Since then, we have held an AGM at Stallcombe every year on the Thursday before Easter, over a simple soup, bread and cheese, and salad lunch.

The aims of Family and Friends are:
• To help residents, staff, and management in any practical way.
• To offer friendship to individual residents.
• To fundraise for our own projects so that we can contribute to those extras which make such a difference to quality of life.
• To support parents and sibling carers of residents.

At our AGM in 2007, there was a strong feeling among those present that there is a need for a support group specifically for parents - and of course this includes siblings or relatives who have taken over as a resident’s prime carer after the death of their parent. Though no two situations are the same, we all have the common experience of having a relative at Stallcombe. A Carers' Support Group was, therefore, formed as a sub-group of Family and Friends. Since then, we have held several meetings, which are very informal but always have an agenda and minutes. We share information, and if there are any concerns, we can gain some perspective and reassurance by discussing them with each other. Geographically we are a scattered group, and perhaps only a few can make any one meeting, but so far they have been interesting and useful.

Other activities include:
• Running the tombola, bric-a-brac, and book stalls at the annual Open Day in July.
• Organising the BBQ, hot soup, and drinks stall on Bonfire Night.
• Ensuring that every resident has a birthday card from Family and Friends, and an individually tailored Christmas present every year.
• Skittles evenings and a January buffet and disco.

We badly need more local support. Membership costs £5 a year, gift-aided if possible, and brings with it the delightful Stallcombe newsletter, published 3 or 4 times a year. Do join us.

Maria Onley – Secretary, Family and Friends.

Tel: 01395 265221. E-mail: majonley@tiscali.co.uk

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NEWS FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS – Summer 2010

NEWS FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Next on this year’s agenda is the annual Traditional Summer Fayre taking place on Saturday 17th July from 11am to 4.30pm. It is always a really enjoyable day with something for all ages, so bring along family and friends and have some fun in beautiful surroundings. Don’t forget, there are homegrown organic vegetables on sale, as well as cakes and free-range eggs from the 400+ much pampered chickens, as well as the aviary and Hero’s corner to see with its attractive small animals.

As usual, F&F will be running the Tombola, Bric-a-Brac, and Bookstalls, but we do depend on you for decent saleable goods to perk up our stocks. So when you come to Stallcombe, please drop off a bag with Christine, or at the stall on the day. Last year, in spite of the rain, we had our best year ever, taking over £450 for our funds on the three stalls, thanks to your generosity and Sue’s wonderful sales-lady skills. We also need offers of help on the day. We have a lot of fun on these stalls but they do need to be set up and manned. We try to sort out a rota to spread the load so that everyone can go off with their relatives and enjoy the food, the sideshows, and the lovely gardens. Please contact Sue Sillett (01823 336911) to offer an hour’s help at a time to suit you. Or just come round and sign up when you arrive. The Family and Friends base will be clearly marked, probably near the Round House. Please come and introduce yourselves.

Parents and Sibling Carers support group. Normally we hold these meetings on a Saturday afternoon, but our next one will be on Monday 27th September. The official opening of The Willows takes place that day in the afternoon. If you have the time, do come a bit earlier and join us for an informal lunch, from 12.30 onwards, at the nearby White Horse Inn. This large old pub is on the Sidmouth Road, very near the western end of Sanctuary Lane, and offers an opportunity for us to meet informally to share company and concerns. We will have a similar meeting after Bonfire Night in November

A big THANK YOU to all who regularly donate by becoming members of F&F. We are really grateful and, in many cases, we can benefit from Gift Aid. The minutes of our AGM can be found on the F&F section of the Stallcombe House web site.

Maria Onley – Secretary, Family and Friends of Stallcombe House.
Tel: 01395 265221. E-mail: majonley@tiscali.co.uk

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MINUTES OF THE AGM held on 1 April 2010


Present: Pat Beswick(Treasurer), Peter Beswick, Resi Classon, Lynda Hare, June Humphreys, Barbara Kirk, Bev Moore, Maria Onley (Sec.) & John O, Alison & David Pritchard (Chairman), Lesley & Philip Rackstrawe, Sue Sillett, Dave Toomey.

Apologies: Janetta Davies, Anne Hawdon, Rosemary Jenkins, Tony Jenkins, Tove Owen, Chris & Nicole Retallack, John Sillett, Sue Toomey, Meg and David Wilding.

The Chairman welcomed all. Chris Thistle then took us on a tour of The Willows, with Heather Camus (Team Leader) accompanying us. All were very impressed with the eco-friendly, spaciously designed accommodation for 6 new residents with more complex needs.
Back in the theatre over a cup of tea/coffee and introductions, Chris told us that the arrival of residents would be staggered, the first due on 17 May, probably with full occupancy by September, and that there would be 24 staff there in total, many already appointed.

Chris also reported that in spite of the credit crunch, and notably Devon’s attitude to residential care, he is nevertheless optimistic about the future of Stallcombe.

Future of Parents Room:
Chris said that this en-suite room in St Judes is now registered, and will remain so, and is no longer available for visitors. However, he pledged that Stallcombe would always assist non-driving parents with transport to and from any local B&B, including those in Exmouth. After discussion, Bev volunteered to draw up a short list of reasonable and handy B&B’s, available to all from the Chairman or Maria.

The Chairman expressed our gratitude to Chris T for his reassurances and all that Stallcombe does for our residents. Chris then left the meeting.

Minutes of AGM 9/4/2009 & Matters Arising:
The minutes were accepted as correct and signed by the Chairman.

Re: Welfare Officer – an omission. The Chairman pointed out that last year we had agreed to share names and contact numbers of members there with others. This had not been noted. Today, those present who were willing, wrote down these details, including postal areas, but not addresses. This will be circulated among those present, passed on to any member requesting it, and to Management who can direct a prospective new parent to a current parent in their area for a chat. David P to coordinate.

Treasurer’s Report:
Once again, Pat presented a reasonably healthy balance sheet for 2010. Owing to the rain on Bonfire Night, Pat had made less on the food and drink, and actually had some left. We bought an Apple Press for Greg and the gardening team; also a new cooker to help with Wet Day activities in the Tea Shed. We made a major donation of £100 towards a holiday for each resident. The balance stood at £5970.42 on 31/12/09. The Chairman thanked Pat for her report and hard work.

Secretary’s Report:
Open Day. In July last, we had our best day ever, in spite of some wet weather on the day. Sue Sillett organised the Bric-a-Brac and Bookstall and for the first time ever, it made over £300 thanks to Sue’s gift for selling, a big influx of new stuff to sell generously donated by members, and a great team of 17 members and relations who helped throughout the day. Pat and friends made another £150 on the Tombola.

Meetings of Parents and Sibling Carers Support Group:
We normally meet on a Saturday afternoon, and in October we met for the first time in the new garden tea shed, which is a great venue for us, and which we will be able to use in the future. This time we wanted to tackle a very difficult topic, the Mental Capacity Act 2005 recently enacted, so we invited along our Chair of Trustees, Dr Chris Williams, to guide us through the minefield. He has a long association with Stallcombe and has the advantage of knowing our residents well. He extracted the salient facts from the 292 pages of the Code of Practice, and we had a lively and useful discussion on consent, making a will, the IMCA service etc. Afterwards, we had tea and David P’s banana cake with our tea and coffee. We were all grateful to Chris, who promised to come again to meet the group. We will take him up on that.

Our second meeting was the now traditional one – in a nearby pub after the Bonfire Night. This year around 14 of us met at the White Horse, and spent a happy time together.

Bonfire Night:
This was pretty damp but the bonfire was spectacular and the fireworks lovely though loud. Pat unusually didn’t sell out in the food stall, but still raised £360 for our funds. Thanks to several members shaking their buckets in strategic spots, we took the largest amount ever to help defray the cost of the fireworks. Many thanks to all who supported our activities. The Chairman thanked Maria for her report.

Discussion of the future of F&F:
There had been some anxiety about how the new build would impinge on life at Stallcombe, and as to how F&F should proceed, particularly w.r.t. Fundraising. We resolved to work together as one group of parents/sibling carers for the benefit and financial strength of the whole community.

Election of Officers:
David Pritchard, Pat Beswick, Maria Onley, were proposed, seconded and re-elected as Chairman, Treasurer, and Secretary respectively.

Change of authorised signatory for claiming Gift Aid:
Agreed that as from today, the Treasurer, Pat Beswick, would take over from the Secretary, Maria Onley, as the person authorised by the charity to reclaim Gift Aid from HM Revenue & Customs. The Chairman, Sec. & Treasurer, duly completed the appropriate forms.

Open Day – 17th July, 11am-4.30:
Pat Beswick and friends will run the Tombola. Sue Sillett will coordinate our Bric-a-Brac stall and organise a rota of helpers. Please contact her to offer an hour’s help – 01 823 336911. The Bookstall, run efficiently for 7 years by John Onley, will be organised by David Pritchard. Grateful thanks to all. Maria will appeal in the next newsletter for an injection of saleable items and books to refresh our stock. David Toomey may be able to borrow a scout tent to give more cover, and will coordinate with Tommo re setting this up, and provision of tables. John O. will provide an ‘artistic’ sign. It was suggested that we approach B&Q, Tesco and others for donations of a gazebo, food vouchers etc, and this was left to anyone to pursue locally if they have contacts.

Fundraising:
Bev & Tony Moore have contact with the United Truckers charity fund who have promised half their annual takings this year, plus a donation from the Birmingham mini truck show, and Bev’s Mum will give us the takings from her Indoor Bowls Competition. We expressed our grateful thanks to the Moore family for their efforts.

Carer’s support group:
We decided to have our next meeting either on a Saturday in September, or before or after the official opening of The Willows if practical. (We now know that the Opening will happen on Monday 27 September in the afternoon, finishing with a Cream Tea, and all parents will be invited. More info in August.) There will also be the usual informal meeting in a local pub after Bonfire Night 2011.

A.O.B:
Proposed by Pat and seconded by Dave T. that we make a donation of £50 for each resident to put towards the cost of their holiday. Agreed by all.

Christine J had left envelopes of raffle tickets for parents to collect. Also NHS consent forms for some residents for parents info. (She also left a sponsor form for Phil’s cycle ride, which unfortunately I didn’t spot – apologies - see below. M.O.)

Date of next meeting:
AGM – Thursday 21st April 2011 – 11am in the theatre with lunch.

A soup, salad and cheese lunch followed with lots of time to mix and chat. Donation £3.50.

Contacts:
Chairman – David Pritchard – 01 392 873492. E-mail: davidpritchard@btinternet.com
Treasurer – Pat Beswick – 01 395 278582
Secretary – Maria Onley – 01 395 265221. E-mail: majonley@tiscali.co.uk

Phil’s Sponsored Cycle Ride:
You have all had details of this fantastic offer from one of our staff to cycle from John O’Groats to Land’s End without backup vehicles in support of our wonderful Stallcombe House. Please do what you can to get plenty of sponsors and return at the Open Day, or by the end of August, so that Phil knows that the outcome will be worth his efforts. Or e-mail or phone Stallcombe or me as above. Gift Aid can be claimed if you are a taxpayer. M.O.


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Frequently Asked Questions


How can we, as Parents / Sibling Carers, co-operate with staff for the all round welfare of X? What joint consultation takes place about X’s specific needs?

Specific needs are discussed at annual reviews. However Family input is always welcome and discussion with the support worker, Head of Care or General Manager can be at any time.


Is it possible to arrange a weekly phone call from X’s key worker?

During the first 3 months the member of staff who has been designated to help X settle in will maintain regular telephone contact, at least weekly, with Parents / Siblings as requested. After that time there can be a more flexible arrangement. Telephone calls are welcome at any time.


We know that the weekly fee covers most things. What contributions does Stallcombe welcome from families? What extras are we responsible for?

Families have no financial responsibility for their relative living at Stallcombe. Contributions are always welcome but it is helpful if they are discussed first with the General Manager or Care Manager.


Personal finances: Does X have a regular statement of how much is in his/her account?
Is this information shared with Parents / sibling carers automatically? If yes how?
If not, could this be made available on request?
What is the personal account used for?
Who at present decides how this personal money is spent?
Can Parents / Sibling Carers suggest ways this could be spent?

Residents do not have a monthly statement, but each person living at Stallcombe has an individual account, which they can access at any time with the help of their support worker. Other appropriate persons are able to access financial statements by arrangement. Financial statements are available at annual review meetings.

Personal accounts are typically used for social outings, toiletries, clothing, holidays, family gifts/cards, alternative therapies (massage, chiropractor etc), bus and train fares, spending money, and various organised activities at Stallcombe and in the community.

Wherever possible the resident will decide how it is spent with the support of the support worker.

Family suggestions are welcome at any time.


What is the policy regarding bedrooms, personal space and individual audio-visual equipment? How would X be supported in choosing, using and maintaining this equipment? Do all TVs have to be off by 10pm or is any flexibility allowed?

Bedrooms are usually decorated to individual tastes. Where appropriate each person has a key to his or her room. Residents are not encouraged to entertain in their rooms, but rather in a communal area. Support workers will help choose, use and maintain audio-visual equipment. Residents are encouraged to be in their rooms by 10pm. Night staff will also encourage TVs to be turned off at a reasonable time. We are unable to monitor or control what residents watch, however we will encourage appropriate viewing.


Will we be informed if X is ill?

This really depends on the illness. We would not expect to tell you about common colds, coughs, etc, but if there is a more serious matter then we will.


Should X make a Will? Who should have Power of Attorney?

This is best discussed with a solicitor. Stallcombe is also able to provide the number of an independent financial advisor who has experience in these matters.


What is the policy about holidays? Are families consulted? Does the choice available depend on the state of X’s account?

Residents generally choose their own holiday from a selection. We would not normally expect to consult families about holiday choices. The Family and Friends Association can help with those residents whose personal financial circumstances are restricted.


How are the few female residents kept safe, particularly at night?

We do not consider female clients to be at risk more than male residents. At night time we have two waking night staff who patrol the premises regularly. All staff employed by Stallcombe House are subject to an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau background check as well as a Protection of Vulnerable Adults background check.


Are additive-free toiletries compulsory?

We expect family support with the Stallcombe philosophy of holistic care. Many things are about making informed choices. For example, almost without exception, all ‘normal’ deodorants contain aluminium – you or I can make a choice as to whether we wish to use the deodorant having considered the risks involved. Someone in our care may not be able to consider these risks, therefore our practice of using natural ingredients and products wherever possible is positively encouraged.


How is clothing financed? From a clothing allowance? From a personal account? Who would help X to choose clothing and decide what is appropriate? Can families know of items that might be particularly useful for Christmas and birthdays?

Washing and ironing is done by the individual with support from the support worker. All clothing is labelled. The individual is responsible for choosing and buying their own clothing with support worker support. We feel this is important as it encourages independence and self esteem. Present buying is best discussed directly with the support worker.


You have a Family and Friends support group. Would it be possible for me to talk to one or two of this group during X’s ‘probationary’ period please?

We would encourage early contact with the Family and Friends Association. See their page on the web site or contact us.


If Parents / sibling carers take their resident home for a weekend or family holiday
a) Is there an allowance they can claim to help with their expenses?
b) If there is, how much is it and who should they claim this from?

Stallcombe has offered an allowance of £10 per night for a maximum of 30 nights each year. However the Government will also pay an allowance per night. We would obviously prefer the government allowance to be claimed rather than the allowance from Stallcombe. The Stallcombe allowance can be claimed through the main office, but should be in writing and include the dates of the nights spent away from Stallcombe.

c) If the resident was ill during this time should the Stallcombe GP be informed?

It is best to contact your local GP and inform Stallcombe if there is likely to be a delay in returning, and of any prescribed medicines.


November 2008