Author: Richard Corby

Volunteer Opportunity: Walking Buddies

UCAN is looking for volunteers who would be happy to walk with Beneficiaries in one of two roles:

1) Become a Walking Buddy – involves walking on a one-to-one basis with a Beneficiary. The walking time, length of walk and route is up to the Volunteer and Beneficiary to arrange together.  Some Beneficiaries simply wish for a gentle walk around their block, whilst others may like a longer route. 

2) Lead a Walking Group – involves meeting at a particular point and time with a group of residents who would like to walk in a group for a set time (around an hour).  This may be a weekly or fortnightly activity.

Beneficiaries may be:
 vulnerable people;
 people who feel anxious about going out alone; 
 people who are new to the area who would like to be shown where to walk.

If you would like to join us walking on either of these roles, please let us know!

Email: volunteer@ucan.org.uk Tel: 01371 404525

Reaching Communities with our mobile hub

On Wednesday our community outreach team were in Newport with the UCAN Charity Mobile Community Hub. Across the week we are out and about visiting rural communities in Uttlesford, bringing to them services and support they might not otherwise be able to access. Our team includes Community Responders, Advisors and Social Workers and we carry with us a raft of information on help that is available to residents – most of it free!

Thank you to the people of Newport for being so welcoming and responsive – especially local resident Susan Vance who helped us make the arrangements and raise awareness of our visit. We had a bumper day with our highest engagement numbers so far.

If you’d like our mobile community hub to come to you, drop an email to connect@ucan.org.uk and we’ll arrange a visit.

Thanks also to our UCAN Volunteer Centre team who recruited a great bank of volunteer supporters to help us deploy the mobile hub and support members of the public.

Next week we are in Great Dunmow outside the Coop, with thanks to Dunmow Town Council for the invitation.

See you soon!

Vacancy: Acute Social Prescribing Link Worker North Uttlesford

North Uttlesford PCN has an exciting opportunity for an acute social prescribing link worker to join our neighbourhood team, on a full-time or part-time basis, for up to 37.5 hours per week.

This innovative post will operate within the Cambridge Hospitals Foundation Trust (Addenbrooke’s Hospital) as part of the complex discharge team to facilitate and expedite hospital discharges.  Hosted by the local voluntary sector, this exciting role is intended to work with individual patients and their families to support effective discharge planning.  This is role intended to act as an expert in voluntary care and in leveraging community voluntary services in support of post-acute hospital care.

The main responsibilities of the role include:

  • Receiving and proactively identify patients in Addenbrooke’s Hospital who require additional support in order to facilitate a successful and long standing discharge.
  • Providing personalised support to vulnerable individuals.
  • Working in partnership with the GP practice teams, and PCN colleagues to support patients & promote positive lifestyle changes, with the aim of preventing ill-health by means of behavioural change techniques.
  • Completing holistic-care planning assessments, analysing how needs can be met by local services and other opportunities available in the community.
  • Providing information/advice about a wide range of services in order to promote health & well-being in order to support independence within communities.
  • Forging strong links with local VCSE organisations, community & neighbourhood level group.
  • Contributing to reducing demand on statutory services, hospital re-admissions and to combat unnecessary GP appointments.
  • Working with patients in their own homes, to provide personalised person-centred support following discharge from hospital.

For further information and to apply please visit:

https://vacancies.eoeprimarycarecareers.nhs.uk/vacancies/8004/acute-social-prescribing-link-worker.html

Ticket Home – Evaluation of a hospital discharge service

A new report has been co-produced by staff from Uttlesford Community Action Network (UCAN) and social scientists at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) as part of a consultancy evaluation of the Ticket Home hospital discharge service provided by UCAN.

The report presents a summary analysis of the academic and policy literature relating to the challenges involved in the safe and timely discharge of patients from hospital, as well as an evaluation of the achievements and challenges entailed by UCAN in supporting safe and timely discharge of patients from Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH), Harlow, to their homes across West Essex, from December 2022 to November 2023. Detailed information is provided on actions undertaken to support patients who were discharged by UCAN’s Ticket Home initiative.

A copy of the evaluation can be downloaded here.

Acknowledgements

UCAN would like to acknowledge and thank the Hertfordshire & West Essex Integrated Care System and the specific Commissioners involved, Michelle Bullman and Sara Chaudhry, in agreeing to fund this initiative across the West Essex area, along with the ongoing support in its development provided by Sara Chaudhry and Amy Jackson. We would also like to thank the Transfer of Care Team at Princess Alexandra Hospital, Harlow, for their support and partnership working. Specifically, Kay Cobbold, the TOC Matron, who played a distinct role in the successful integration of this initiative within the hospital as a whole

Changing faces at UCAN

As part of our strategic review and establishing our plan of action for the next three years, we identified additional staffing posts that we required in order to ensure our sustainability and ability to deliver an ongoing quality service for our community

As part of our strategic review and establishing our plan of action for the next three years, we identified additional staffing posts that we required in order to ensure our sustainability and ability to deliver an ongoing quality service for our community

From next week (3rd April 2023) we will start to transition to our new team structure, and will welcome some new faces to the team, while existing team members move to new roles and locations.

  • After five years leading our service delivery, Richard Corby, our Operations Manager, will be moving to the post of Chief Finance Officer. Richard will also be handling our comms and leading on special projects. As part of his phased retirement plans, Richard will be reducing his working hours but still staying very much a part of our Senior Leadership Team.
  • Barry Chandler joins us as Deputy Operations Manager, working alongside Sophie Davis who continues in this role. Between them, Barry and Sophie manage our daily service delivery, with Barry’s portfolio including Volunteering and the Essex Shed Network. Sophie leads our Community Hub team and the Ticket Home programme.
  • We recently welcomed Gill Barker as a Community Responder, working alongside Andy Mitson who continues in this role. They are very much a dynamic duo!
  • Linda Riley has joined us as Financial Administrator. She will be supporting Richard with all things financial, with particular focus on the Ticket Home and also delivers our community book keeping service for small voluntary groups in the Uttlesford district.
  • Jacqui Davis continues as our Business Manager, leading on HR and resources, and rounds out the senior leadership team.
  • Clive Emmett continues as Chief Executive Officer, leading strategy and growth of the organisation. Clive had a particular interest in digital engagement and technology enabled care, and works alongside statutory and voluntary sector partners to shape health and care provision not only in Uttlesford but also across the wider county of Essex.

Vacancies

We are currently engaged in recruitment for a new Operations Manager who will succeed Richard and join the senior management team. A further new recruitment is for the new post of Mobile Hub Coordinator. This position will oversee and manage deployment of our mobile community vehicles which will be operating across the district throughout the year, bringing vital support and access to services to our most-rural communities.

For further information and to request an application pack, please email connect@ucan.org.uk

We offer a competitive salary and benefits, and are an equal opportunities employer.

UCAN Vacancy: Mobile Hubs Coordinator

We are a local charity, looking to employ an enthusiastic and self-motivated person to coordinate the outreach work we undertake to engage with local residents.

We are a local charity, looking to employ an enthusiastic and self-motivated person to coordinate the outreach work we undertake to engage with local residents. Our work includes delivering different initiatives relating to Loneliness and Isolation, Digital Exclusion, Health Promotions and other awareness raising or signposting events.

We have a Mobile Community Hub and a Mobile Horsebox Café, allowing us to connect with people in the more remote and rural areas of Uttlesford.  We also take the mobile units to various events with a variety of partners. Your role will be to coordinate the deployment of these vehicles to locations throughout the district on a regular route so that residents know when to expect them, and how to access help and support in their location. These are multi-agency events, so in addition to ensuring the vehicles are ready, staffed, and the locations are suitable and risk assessed, you will also be liaising with partners within the voluntary sector and statutory services to ensure their awareness, readiness and participation.

UCAN Mobile Community Hub – in deployment mode

Our coffee trailer is a converted horse trailer and is towed by our company vehicle. The mobile hub is a completely self-contained former mobile police station so has all the facilities we need to provide services to the community. Due to the class of the vehicle, there are restrictions on who can drive it. You will need to be able to drive a Class B1 vehicle. You can check this on your photo driving license by looking at the reverse, which will have dates against B1 if you are able to drive this type of motor on your current driving license.

The candidate will need a full clean driving license, and will preferably have experience of towing trailers, however full training will be provided for the successful candidate.  You will be able to recruit and support volunteers, plan rotas, and take a hands-on practical approach to ensuring our fleet is ready for deployment to events and in crisis situations.

Fixed term contract for 9 months.

Two days per week.

Salary £12.82 per hour.

For a job description of the role please email connect@ucan.org.uk

We look forward to hearing from you.

Job Opportunity: South Uttlesford PCN Social Prescriber

South Uttlesford Primary Care Network are looking to recruit a Social Prescribing Link Worker to join their friendly, dynamic and progressive primary care network in South Uttlesford

South Uttlesford Primary Care Network are looking to recruit a Social Prescribing Link Worker to join their friendly, dynamic and progressive primary care network in South Uttlesford

This post will be hosted by Uttlesford Community Action Network, and employed by Uttlesford Health Limited.

The Role

The Social Prescriber will operate within the South Uttlesford Primary Care Network supporting five local GP practices.  As part of the PCN’s plans for transforming and developing primary care locally, the post holder will be expected to operate flexibly and collaboratively with all stakeholders.  The role will be part of a multi-disciplinary team and will be central to the delivery of key network objectives.  

The post will be employed by Uttlesford Health Limited, which is working in partnership with South Uttlesford PCN and UCAN to deliver high quality patient care at all times.  This role is critical to supporting the PCN’s ambition to optimise individual health and wellbeing, reduce health inequalities and address the wider determinants of health and wellbeing. 

The aim of the role will be to help to strengthen both community and personal resilience and reduce health inequalities by addressing the wider determinants of health, such as debt, poor housing and physical inactivity, by increasing people’s active involvement with their local communities. 

For further details and to apply, please visit:

https://vacancies.eoeprimarycarecareers.nhs.uk/vacancies/4725/primary-care-network-pcn-social-prescribing-link-worker.html

Our first wave of Ticket Home volunteers have completed training and are ready to start supporting our hospital discharge scheme across West Essex

Our first wave of TicketHome volunteers have completed training and are ready to start supporting our hospital discharge scheme across West Essex

Ticket Home starts with asking a hospital patient “What do you need?” We then work with them, their family and carers to make sure everything is in place for when they go home from hospital.

This can range from a simple key safe installation for easier access, through to providing hot meals and sandwich teas while they recover at home. Every patient discharged receives a 48 hour follow up phone call, and weekly telephone wellbeing checks for up to six weeks, if wanted.

We are working with #voluntarysector partners across Uttlesford, Harlow and Epping Forest to ensure that residents can continue to live independently in their own home, for as long as they wish. We also work with GP surgeries and #SocialPrescribers to ensure continuing care and understanding of needs going forward.

Ticket Home is currently available at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow as a pilot scheme, but fantastic results have lead to interest from other hospitals in Essex and we hope to extend to them soon.

In-patients or their family/carers can self-refer, by asking a member of the nursing staff or filling out our short online form. One of our four Acute Social Prescribing Link Workers (Mike, Yasmin, Maddie and Ali) will visit the patient on the ward to discuss what we can do, and how we can help. Ticket Home is a free service.

For more information visit:
https://www.ucan.org.uk/ticket-home/

Job Opportunity: Acute Social Prescribing Link Worker – PAH Harlow

We have an exciting opportunity to join our Ticket Home team, supporting patient discharge from hospital

We have an exciting opportunity to join our Ticket Home team, supporting patient discharge from hospital

This post will operate within the Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust as part of the Complex Discharge Team to facilitate and expedite hospital discharges. Employed within the Voluntary sector this exciting role is intended to work with individual patients and their families to support effective discharge planning. This is new role intended to act as an expert in voluntary care and in leveraging community voluntary services in support of post-acute hospital care.

This role is part of ambitious plans for transforming care and ensuring timely and appropriate discharge arrangements. The post holder will be expected to operate flexibly and collaboratively with all stakeholders, demonstrating practical skills and excellent communication and co-ordination. The role will be part of a multi-disciplinary team and will be central to the delivery of supported hospital discharge and post-acute care.

The post will be employed by Uttlesford Community Action Network (UCAN), which is working in partnership with the health and social care system to deliver high quality patient care. This role is critical to supporting the systems ambition to optimise hospital discharges and to support effective post-acute care.

The focus of the role will be to support patients admitted to hospital, making decisions for themselves rather than being more dependent upon others. The post holder will be asking ‘What do you need help with?’ and seeking to find solutions that help maintain independence. By having knowledge of community and voluntary support groups and focusing on ‘what matters to me’ the post holder will take a holistic approach, connecting people to community groups and statutory services for practical and emotional support.


The aim of the role will be to help to strengthen personal resilience, to reduce health inequalities by addressing the wider determinants of health and wellbeing and to provide practical support to achieve a safe and timely discharge from hospital. The post holder will work with all patient groups, but particularly with patients that are vulnerable and those with complex care needs which affect their ability to maintain independence.

Download Job Description and Person Specification

To apply

Download and complete our application form, and return with a covering letter. Please note that we do not accept CV’s.

This post will require an Enhanced DBS check and references.

Closing date for applications is midday 20th April 2023.

Please send completed applications to clive.emmett@ucan.org.uk

Support for Ukraine: Can you help?

If you or anyone you know would like to offer a home to people fleeing Ukraine or for guests who cannot stay with their current host beyond the initial six-month period, please consider becoming a sponsor as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

The support so far from Uttlesford residents for those affected by the war in Ukraine has been been heart-warming

If you or anyone you know would like to offer a home to people fleeing Ukraine or for guests who cannot stay with their current host beyond the initial six-month period, please consider becoming a sponsor as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

You can register your interest on the GOV.UK website.

If you would like any advice, guidance or are interested in speaking to people who are already part of the scheme, please get in touch with our Communities Team at communityresponse@uttlesford.gov.uk

Please also share this information with friends and family who may be able to help.