SUMMER 2010

Supporting dignity and independence

What it‟s like to be a

male community carer

Where your money

goes All Seasons‟ role as part of a

Community Interest

Company

Sunshine soups Delicious recipes plus advice

on maintaining blood sugar

levels

Poetry page Poems from an All Seasons

service user

2

CAN YOU RECOMMEND US TO A FRIEND?

IF YOU KNOW OF SOMEONE ELSE WHO CAN

BENEFIT FROM OUR TOP RATED SERVICE

PLEASE LET THEM KNOW ABOUT US

THANK YOU

FOR CHOOSING

ALL SEASONS

3

W

elcome to All Seasons first

quarterly “Choice” magazine.

All Seasons is passionate and

committed to providing quality

tips for the garden (p12), two quick and easy recipes (p15) and your chance to win with a

summer word search (on the back page).

Did you know that we have received the highest possible rating by Care Quality

Commission inspectors? We strive to always provide you with the best possible service and

most suitable care.

We want you to be involved in the design of our service. If you are interested in shaping

the future of All Seasons then please see page 11 for details of how to join a Service User Forum.

This publication is our way of saying thank you for choosing our service and to show we are a

caring company built on integrity and values.

All that‟s left for me to say is that I hope you enjoy the many features of our brand new

publication and fingers crossed for some sunshine and your chosen team‟s performance in the

World Cup, for me it‟s England so, COME ON ENGLAND!

David Stone - Registered Manager

P.S. We would love to hear if you like the new magazine, so please send us your thoughts, plus any

of your stories, tips and ideas - contact details are on the back page.

care to enable you or your loved one to remain at home

for as long as possible.

This magazine will provide you with information on

where your money goes (p8), plus seasonal hints and

4

Christopher Bedford is a 27 year old Care Worker with All Seasons and is currently

one of only a handful of male carers working within the local community.

“The work is very varied and it is

a great feeling knowing I‟ve

helped someone get ready for

their day”

Iconic figures like Florence Nightingale

unwittingly created a long held stereotype that

nursing and care are the exclusive domains of

women. Male community care workers can be

discriminated against. Chris Bedford is an

example of how a male community care worker

is just as equipped for the role as a female. This

view is a surprising form of reverse

discrimination, given that nowadays few would

question the validity of a female doctor or

dentist. A vocational professional should be

assessed by their abilities and performance, not

their gender.

In a recent report, the Royal College of

Physicians suggested that the introduction of a

new genre of staff called „Health Practitioners‟

would address the lack of men coming into the

profession. Currently men account for only

10% of nursing staff and barely 3% of community

care workers, a sign that there is still a strong

stigma attached to men working directly in the

care sector. This is strange considering that

empathy, commitment, patience and a good

sense of humour are the most vital elements

required by an effective care worker and these

characteristics are just as prevalent and

developed in men as they are in women.

At the age of 20, having finished school and not

knowing what he wanted to do next, it is ironic

that Chris was pointed in the direction of social

care by a couple of male friends who were

working in a care home for children with special

needs. They told Chris that the work was

interesting, challenging and very rewarding, so

he decided to find out for himself.

Chris has been a community care worker for 6

years now and much prefers working in the

local community to being in a residential home

environment as “the work is more varied and it

is a great feeling knowing I‟ve helped someone

5

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What do you think?

Write to us with your opinions and

experiences (contact details on back page).

get ready for their day when they couldn‟t do it

on their own.”

Chris is planning a lifelong career in social care.

Having fully qualified to NVQ level 3, he is now

concentrating on his continued professional

development through direct care work

experience. In a few years‟ time he would like

to move up to co-ordinator level and ultimately

move across into management, knowing that he

has learnt the job from the ground up and is

able to provide understanding, support and

encouragement to his clients and colleagues.

Subsequent to Chris becoming a care worker

his mother was attracted to the job and having

worked her way up from entry level is now the

registered manager of the domiciliary care

facility where Chris originally trained, and his

brother is now also a fully qualified care worker.

Chris is an inspirational care worker who

perfectly illustrates the vital role that men have

to play in providing high quality care to the

community.

7

I Can’t Remember

Just a line to say I‟m living

That I‟m not among the dead

Though I‟m getting more

forgetful

And mixed up in my head

I got used to my arthritis

To my dentures I‟m resigned.

I can manage my bifocals

But God I miss my mind.

But sometimes I can‟t

remember

When I stand at the foot of the

stairs.

If I must go up for something

Or have I just come down from

there?

And before the fridge so often

My poor mind is filled with

doubt

Have I put my food away

Or have I just come to take

some out?

Then there are times when it is

dark

With my night cap on my head

I don‟t know if I‟m retiring

Or just getting out of bed.

So if it‟s my turn to write you

There‟s no need for getting

sore

I may think that I have written

And don‟t want to be a bore.

So, remember that I love you

And wish that you were here

But now it‟s nearly mail time

So I must say good-bye dear.

There I stand beside the

mailbox

With face so very red.

Instead of mailing you my letter

I had opened it instead.

Mrs V James

Thank you to All

Seasons service user

Mrs V James for

providing us with this

thought provoking

poetry.

Please send us your poems

and thoughts and we will try

to publish as many as possible.

8

Where your money goes

All Seasons forms part of

Enterprising Opportunities, a

Community Interest Company

(CIC). A CIC is a type of legal

status created by the

Government in 2005 to

encourage organisations to

operate for the benefit of local

communities rather than

personal profit.

Enterprising Opportunities

provides employment, work

skills and training opportunities

through its operating arms, All

Seasons and Learn to Care, our

in-house training company.

100% of our excess income

is gift-aided to the local

charity Kent Enterprise

Trust (KET) which boasts the

following visions and values:

KET’s vision

“Improving Lives”

KET’s values

“KET is a socially responsible

organisation that supports the

individual”

KET’s mission

“Enabling people to overcome

individual challenges through

training, support and real

opportunities”

Rosie McCartney-Samples,

admin assistant for All Seasons

receiving training from Chris

Abraham, Learn to Care

Maria Cursons with service user Miss Sheila Ayre. Maria is a

Development Manager and Care Ambassador for All Seasons. As

part of her role she promotes careers in Social Care to schools.

Through

using All

Seasons you

are helping to

fund local

community

based projects

9

KET achieves its vision, values

and mission through projects

such as Hambrook Marshes;

Hambrook Marshes is set in

the floodplain of the Great

Stour just outside Canterbury.

It is a site of Special

Conservation Interest and

borders a Local Nature

Reserve.

Hambrook Marshes is

maintained by KET working in

conjunction with over 50

volunteers of varying

horticultural experience and

knowledge, from professional

through to the very

inexperienced. Throughout

the past 12 months the

volunteers have provided over

1000 hours of labour and

support which is very much

appreciated. The general

public, Friends of Hambrook

Marshes and various groups

such as Kent Refugee Action

Network & Kent Council for

Addiction play a key part in the

site‟s management.

Appleseed is another KET

project. It provides a

community based professional

gardening service whilst also

offering training, work

experience and personal

development opportunities to

enable people to overcome

individual challenges in the

work place.

Trainees learn skills in

horticulture while also gaining a

sense of purpose and

confidence.

Volunteers at Hambrook Marshes, a community

resource and an area of biodiversity on the outskirts of

Canterbury. More volunteers are always welcome,

contact Adam on 01227 844476 for further information.

Appleseed volunteer, Nikki Sharp, with his helper Lisa Stock

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Social Care Brokerage

a free service designed to help you

What will a Social Care Broker do?

Get to know you and the life you want to live.

Help you to make choices about the support

you want (but the broker will not make

decisions on your behalf).

Find community resources, services and help

with sourcing equipment.

Work with service agencies to provide the

right help for you.

Help with finding employment, housing

support or further education.

Help you pursue hobbies and interests.

Help you prepare the support plan including

costing, writing and presenting it for approval.

Help you implement your support plan.

This service is free and is available to anybody

who has been offered a personal budget by Kent

Adult Social Services (KASS) following a

community care assessment of their needs and

their financial position.

How can it help me?

It can help you by creating a plan and actions that

enable you to find the best way to use your

personal budget, to help create the kind of life

that you want to lead.

Who can use the service?

call us on 01227 844465

to see how we can assist you

“a little help can

make a big difference”

What is a Social Care Broker?

The Social Care Broker‟s role is to help you

plan any support and changes to your life.

You may choose for the Broker to be

closely involved in preparing and presenting

your support plan for approval.

Alternatively, you may choose for the

Broker to only be involved in part of that

process.

What you want to do needs to be agreed

when the Broker first starts working for you.

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How else can All Seasons

help you?

You are receiving this magazine as you

are already a valued All Seasons service

user. However, you may be interested in

some of the other services we can

provide.

Our wide range of services includes:

Accompaniment to outings, appointments

and social events, e.g. theatre trips, cricket.

Domestic help including shopping, bill

payment and dog walking

Double-handed care packages

Overnight care

Dementia care

Meal preparation

Laundry service

Mentoring

Palliative care

Personal care

Respite care

Some of these services are new to us.

However, our staff have been fully trained to

ensure you continue to receive the highest

possible care. Please discuss any

additional services with head office on

01227 265899.

Service User Group Forum

Your opinions are important to us. You are

the experts and we are here to listen.

Through listening and learning we can shape

the way All Seasons delivers care.

Would you be interested in joining a Forum

Group to strongly influence the way All

Seasons delivers its service? If so we would be

very interested to hear from you as your views

matter and we want to be able to respond to

your needs and wishes.

This is a new initiative and we need as much

help as possible to get this started. Please

register your interest with us and we will

contact you with details of a local group.

For further information or to register your

interest please contact Maria Nicholls on

01227 844495 or e-mail

m.nicholls@allseasons.org.uk.

Help us to help you

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Challenge Chrissi

Chrissi Martin, KET Co-ordinator

is a wealth of gardening knowledge. It‟s

a bold statement but what she doesn't

know about gardening probably is not

worth knowing.

If you have any questions, need advice

or have been trying to identify a

mystery flower then either call, e-mail

or write in and she will help.

Go on, challenge Chrissi. Contact

details are on the back page.

Summer survival tips for

your garden

For me the most important tip is check round

your garden daily, preferably with a glass of wine

in hand, looking at what‟s growing well and what

needs some attention as the old saying goes “a stitch

in time saves nine”. Then prioritise the “chores” and

relax and enjoy as gardening even with problems

can be fun.

With the warm weather and recent rainfall weed

seedlings are germinating rapidly so hoe them out

now. If you hoe the weeds out now, weeding

becomes less of a chore later in the summer when

you want to relax in the garden.

Hoeing also breaks up the top layer of soil allowing

water to get to the roots quickly but also reduces

water evaporation in drought situations.

Remember to dead head your summer annuals

as this will prolong the flowering season, all the time

you don‟t allow the plant to set seed it will continue

to produce flowers.

Dead heading of Azaleas and Rhododendrons is also

very important as this allows flower bud to develop

for next year.

Try to mow your lawn regularly as it is easier to

mow and less waste to compost in one go also

broad leaf weeds are discouraged with regular

mowing. Even better if you can leave an area to

become a wild meadow you only have to mow that

twice per year.

13

Summer - the

perfect time

to enjoy your

garden

14

Add protein whenever you have carbohydrate

to help regulate it. The difference can be

amazing. Here are some suggestions:

If you are having snacks try choosing mixed

seeds or bananas.

If you are having toast, make sure to add a

protein spread to it (peanut butter, cashew

nut butter is good).

Choose a sandwich with a good source of

protein such as chicken, tuna or cheese

salad. And if you want that fibre content

for healthy digestion then wholemeal bread

is a better option. I am not a big fan of

ham as it has empty nutritional content and

often contains a lot of salt and nitrites. In

one country they were even talking about

putting a government health warning on it!!

If you are having cereal, add in seeds,

crushed nuts and/or fruit. So many are

high in sugar too and make you feel even

more hungry a short time after eating it.

Soups complement sandwiches perfectly,

and if you are anything like me, a nice

simple one to make is more appealing than

lots of fine chopping, peeling, sieving, slow

cooking and faffing about!!

On the following page are two soups that

always seem to get the thumbs up, even from

my husband, who vowed he would not eat

vegetarian food especially lentils!!

“Do you get those sugar

highs and lows?

If so you may need to keep an

eye on your carbohydrate and

sugar. Here are some simple

ways of maintaining your blood

sugar levels for longer.”

Sophie Murray is a Project and

Development Manager for

Enterprising Opportunities.

Sophie is in the final stages of

completing a degree in Nutrition.

15

Red Pepper and Lime Soup

Ingredients:

3 Red peppers

Lime zest and juice from 2 limes

Tin organic or 1 lb fresh tomatoes

2 crushed garlic cloves garlic

4 chopped spring onions

½ tin haricot beans (optional) – (these are

baked beans without the sauce!)

1 pint chicken or vegetable stock (Gallo organic

is the make I tend to use)

Simply:

1. Shallow fry red pepper in a knob of butter

and a splash of water, with the spring

onion, garlic and fresh tomatoes.

2. When softened after a few minutes, add in

1 pint of stock

3. Simmer for 20 minutes and a few minutes

from the end grate in the lime zest and

squeeze in the juice

4. Use a hand blender until smooth

5. Add in haricot beans

Red Lentil and

Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

(if you are

hesitant about

lentils, these are the small ones that are very

mild – you probably won‟t even taste them)

1 lb tomatoes,

1 cup raw red lentils

1 tsp asofoteida (yellow powder in the spices

section of the supermarket)

½ tsp cumin

1 tsp mustard seeds

4 cloves crushed garlic,

1 lemon

1 large onion

½ marrow (optional)

1 pint water of vegetable stock (Gallo organic)

Simply:

1. Fry the onion in a little butter with a

splash of water and add spices and

garlic.

2. After 3-4 minutes add the tomato and

put a lid on for a few minutes. Add

lentils and stock

3. Cook for 1 ½ hours and squeeze

lemon juice into the mixture

4. Use a hand blender until smooth

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All Seasons

1 The Links, Herne Bay

Kent, CT6 7GQ

01227 265899 www.allseasons.org.uk info@allseasons.org.uk

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Summer Search

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