Who Pays The Staff At Local A S Branch / Office ?

[grove]

Hello Everybody , This might be a odd question but you will understand later , Dad has moderate Dementia & i live near Mum & Dad In 2010 i got in contact with "our" Local A S Branch & since then slowly but sureley Mum & Dad have taken "part " in many activites that is offered to them Lunch Club , Outings etc

The "Lunch Clubs " are Monthly & as we live in a medium size Town the "Clubs " were "split " into small "Clubs " ( to make it more cosy etc ) & they were all ways offered a "Pre Lunch Drink " However a few Months ago that all changed & the venu has been changed to a local Hotel & EVERY BODY from all the other Lunch Clubs have all been "shoved together" so the "Cosy feel " etc has gone Can not say the real reason for the question ( am cos want to stay on T P ! ) but lets just say other things are happending in the "Office " & its not good & some Staff might not be "around much longer "

Why asked the question is ....... are the Staff paid from "Local Money " ? Thanks for your help & better stop before i type the dreaded words beinging with C & B

Mum is slighy worried that "Local Support " will go all together

Thanks for your haelp

Love Grove x x

P S .......When people at the Lunch Club USED TO have a "Pre Lunch Drink " that was NOT FREE & did not expect it to be free ! ! The Lunch Clubs are at a reasonable "Cost " per person ...... think Mum pays once a Month ( just wanted to make that clear that A S money was not spent on "Extra 's " like Bar Drinks ! )

[tre]

I would like to know the answer to this too. My reason is different but as follows. We live in Herts but on the border. Our Herts AS Dementia Cafe is held 15 miles away on the second Tuesday of each month in a town I am unfamiliar with. This also clashes with AS Singing for The Brain which is held on Tuesday at exactly the same time by Herts AS in a town only four miles away, so we go to the Singing.
But four miles from us in the other direction we have an Essex town which has an AS Dementia Cafe held every week on a Monday. We were allowed to attend this but told if there were outings and activities then we would not be funded for these as we did not live in Essex. Presumably the county provides some sort of funding.
It is all academic for us now anyway as my husband has been allocated a second day at the Day Centre and this is on a Monday so we cannot go to the Monday one either but I would like to know how all this works. My theory is that Essex is probably more generous with their subsidy, to be frank it usually is compared to Herts, but I do wonder how much support may be withdrawn in the current cut backs
Tre

[grove]

Thanks Tre for keeping this on the "Front Page " as it were & glad you are able to go to the Singing Group hope you enjoy !

Our "Local A S Branch " is very lucky in that there is a "A Chartiy" who supports & helps fund any Outings / Christmas Treats etc for Carer's & the "Cared for " ....... When Mum & Dad went to the Local Panto & Fish & Chips Meal Mum "only " had to Pay a half of the "Real Cost " of the Outing !

Thank you once again & hopefully somebody will come along with the answer soon !

Love Grove x

[Contrary Mary]

Hello Grove, it's a good question.

Sadly, we don't have a local branch of AS here, but Mum's day centre that she went to is run by a local carers' organisation under contract to the council. They also have a contract/ get a grant (?) to fund the services that they provide to carers. I don't suppose that, in these times, the contract is very generous and though there are paid workers, they are also very reliant on volunteers. And because they have the premises on a lease, if they want any improvements done they have to do a lot of fundraising to pay for them.

So, sadly, these sort of "economies" seem to be happening more and more.

Mary
x

[angelface]

Hi, Grove,
I did do a year on the voluntary committee of a local AS, a couple of years back. That Branch then got money from where ever it could scrounge it, as most charities do, I think.

There were lots of different funding streams, including local council, local health authority (different to council). Also payment from people using the daycentre and the other services. There were donations from local businesses and associations (golf clubs, Lions and so on), and as much fundraising as possible done by volunteers. Lastly there was flag days, sponsored things and bequests.

There must be a complaints procedure if you have problems? or you might contact your local councillor/ local newspaper? I suppose it just depends if you have the strength to do anything after al lthe other things yo have to do.

G

[Sox]

Hi Grove - as I understand it in my local area the AS support worker is funded by the PCT (Primary Care Trust) - not sure if it is the same in all areas. I was quite surprised as I had assumed she was funded by the AZ Society. Sox

[grove]

Hello for all your helpful replies very helpful ! & more News ..,.. from what Mum was telling me ( after she had been to Lunch Club ) some of the Staff hope to "fight on" & start another Group if possiable . Hope this is works out as we need Support etc in this area

Love Grove x x

[Soobee]

My understanding as a volunteer is that there are changes being made because of lack of income for all charities across the country (people are donating less) and changes in Society strategy.

The emphasis has to be shifted towards activities that demonstrate clearly how we are helping people with dementia and their carers. Some of the activities we have previously offered in many areas - for example, lunch clubs - would probably have to be changed a bit in order to continue to be funded. They might have to have more emphasis on information and signposting - e.g. a Dementia Advisor or someone from the local memory clinic may attend to offer this kind of support. It looks like that is what has happened in your area - groups may have been amalgamated so that this support can be provided.

Whether the funding comes from central office or the PCT or other organisations is immaterial, the staff presence and activity can only continue if there is specified funding for it and it does not rely on donations or local fundraising. This is because donations are not guaranteed. It's not ideal - we would like to continue to provide the range of services that we have done before - but it's necessary in this economic climate. Paid staff are funded through various means and not just from the Society directly.

I could be wrong - please correct me if I am - but that is how I understand it.

[grove]

Hello Soobee , Thank you for your helpful reply & agree & understand with most of what you have said ( well all of it relley ! ) Please can i just correct you on "1 Part of what you said tho "

* Lunch Clubs ....... At the Lunch Club Kathy ( our family Support Worker ) is all ways there to "Meet & Greet " people at the Door & is all ways on the "Look Out " for Carer's who look Sad etc & might need or ask for a "Quiet Word " of Support / Advice etc

* Tea & Social Afternoon ..... ( Dementia Cafe sorry hate that word ) the same "rule " applies Support Worker's are all ways available to offer Support / Advice to the Carer if needs be

This has all ways been the case from when Parent's started to go to the Lunch Club etc ( In 2010 )

Hopefully ( as i put in my Update News ) before your Post "some of the Staff " want to "fight " & keep some type of Service / Support Open etc

Thanks once again for your help & hopefully wil have some good news to report soon on this "Thread "

Love Grove x

[KatherineW]

Hi Grove

I’m sorry that you have concerns about changes to your local Alzheimer’s Society services.

As Soobee and others have said, posts in local Alzheimer's Society services may be funded by the Society, or sometimes by local authorities or other organisations.

I think the best people to give you information about what is happening in your area (and how posts there are funded) will be my colleagues who are based there. If you don’t feel comfortable sharing the location of your local AS service on the public forum, please feel free to PM me with this info. When I've got that, I can then put you in touch with the right person to raise your concerns with.

I hope this helps,

Best wishes,

[grove]

Hello Katherine , Many thanks for your helpful reply & have sent you a P M & Mum is keeping me "updated " with all the new "Changes " etc after going to Lunch Club ( Staff are keeping every body aware / giving them News etc )

Thank once again

Kind Regards

From Grove x

[grove]

Hello Everybody who replied to this "Thread " , Yesterday found out more News about my Local A S Branch & Support Services . These are going to keep going but not quite the same as before & its "under a New Name " ? Not saying much as have to be careful in what i say !( as to keep within the "T & c 's " )

So looks like Good News all round for us in my Town & area for Support Services etc

Love Grove x

[grove]

Hello Everybody ,who replied to my "Thread " " My Local Group " was on the Radio News today because of the "New Group Starting " So am pleased heard it ! & a lot of good / supportive Work is still going to be going on by all the Staff so am pleased !

Love Grove x x

[TinaT]

I'm very glad that you have kept your eye on what is happening to your local group. We need to be watchful in these days of economic purse tightening. After my battle with my local council to keep my husband's care home open I've been very interested in what is happening to other local authority social care. I've just heard that three LA care homes in Cumbria were up for closure but thanks to a vigorous campaign, local people have been able to persuade the council to keep two of them open.

It always pays to ask questions Grove and learn more about funding issues.

xxTinaT