In this issue.

..

TalkingQuarterly newsletter for The Avalon Group

Winter 2016

2 Larry’s message

3 Talking Avalon is changing

4 National Living Wage

5 New Year, new you

6 The Avalon Awards

7 The Avalon Awards cont.

8 Avalon people news

9 Customer focus

10 Local Christmas round-up

11 Spotlight on Lesley and Steph

12 Thank you for readingFeature stories

* *** The Avalon Awards

Carole meets John New Year, new you

Skipton Santa’s charity success

Adult Placement Services Ltd. (trading as The Avalon Group),a not-for-profit company (No. 2976727 Cardiff) and registered charity (No. 1048236)Registered Office: 6 Grove Park Court, Harrogate, HG1 4DP

www.avalongroup.org.uk

enquire@avalongroup.org.uk

Larry's message

Hello and welcome to a rather special edition of Talking Avalon,special for a few reasons. Firstly you will notice that we have heavily focused this edition around customer stories, and events which have taken place across our localities. This represents how we want our news output to change going forward; focussing on the positive outcomes being experienced every day across The Avalon Group.Of course we need to tell you of important news items as well, and you will find some crucial information relating to the new National Living Wage, which is coming in to effect from April this year. Whilst we clearly support initiatives that offer lower paid staff an uplift, its introduction at a time of severe cuts elsewhere has put significant financial pressure on Avalon and all other social care providers. We are currently finalising the budget for 2016/17 without knowing what local authorities will offer and the impact this will have. You will see from the article on the next page that we are making some changes to how we produce this newsletter. This will allow us to keep you updated on a more regular basis, and will hopefully increase how we engage both customers and our workforce. More on this on page 3.The start of a new year always brings changes on a personal andorganisational level. We make resolutions and we feel a sense ofrenewed hope that with the chance to turn the page on a new year, comes the chance to better ourselves. In terms of Avalon we need to continue some of the changes we have begun, increasing our presence in thecommunities we live and work to grow our visibility and ensure we are no longer ‘the best known secret’.We want to continue to develop our services, building on our already sterling reputation with local authorities and the families of people we support. We are also exploring some exciting new opportunities,particularly in respect of dementia support.I wish you all a 2016 filled with hope, ambition and opportunity to be your best selves throughout the year. Let’s make it great, together.

Larry HollandoGroup Chief Executive

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Larry

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Talking Avalon is changing

Or more accurately, The Avalon Group is changing in 2016. As we look to a greener future and become part of an ever faster paced world of news and content delivery, we have taken the decision to move away from a printed newsletter and instead try some new ways to get our stories out in a way that means they will become more regular and more relevant.

The plan at present is to still create a quarterly magazine, which will be placed on the website and will be emailed to every o�ce. The admin teams in each o�ce will be able to forward the document on to anyone with an email address, and for those who need a print copy we will run these o� locally to reduce paper usage (again capitalising on our commitment to a paperless future).

Alongside this we will be creating a lot more regular updates for both the website and our social media feeds, which means when you send us your stories you will see them placed on-line at the time they are topical.

We will of course also continue to produce our audio newsletter, and are looking to expand on the audio and video content we create from a news standpoint. We are considering producing a monthly podcast, for example, where volunteers from both our workforce and customer base can come together to talk about things like the social care sector, their achievements and things that are important to them.

What all of these changes are really about is being able to reach more people on a more regular basis. We hope that by focussing on more regular news updates and using our web platforms to present them we will involve more people and spread more stories than ever before.

We’d love to hear your feedback about these proposed changes so let us know what you think and any suggestions for new methods of communication by emailing jamesplummer@avalongroup.org.uk or calling 01423 530053.

In the future our newsletter will be on-line only

You can still request aprint copy

We will increase news output in the future using di�erent methods like video and blogs.

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Rank Pay Element Score 1 Standard hourly rate as high as possible 89 2 Experienced SW’s on a higher rate than new starters 153 3 Enhanced rate for weekend work 160 4 Sleepovers paid at 9 x hourly rate 224 5 Bank holidays double time 225 6 Mileage rate at 39p a mile 242 7 Enhanced rate for waking nights 317 8 Hospitalisation pay 329

Pay Element Agree Disagree Being paid higher for short notice cover 35 (71%) 14 (29%) Being paid more for having a relevant quali�cation 38 (78%) 11 (22%) Setting a higher pay rate in “hard to recruit” areas 27 (55%) 21 (45%)

National Living Wage

From April 2016 all employers must comply with the National Living Wage; meaning all workers over 25 must be paid at least £7.20 per hour. For Social Care providers this poses a challenge as Local Authorities are struggling to pay us more for what we do. In order for Avalon to pay the required rate we may need to look at making savings from other elements of the Support Worker pay package. We asked for the views of Support Workers in a questionnaire distributed just before Christmas. The results told us:

The most valued elements of pay (the lower the score the more it was valued)

Possible future pay elements which could be considered

We are grateful for this feedback and are working to produce the best package possible for Support Workers within the available budget. We will be announcing new Support Worker pay rates in March to commence in April.

Julia Oxtoby - HR & Corporate Services Director

Recruit a friend and earn £50

Do you know someone who’d make an excellent Support Worker? If you introduce them to Avalon and they successfully complete their probationary period, you will receive £50! Just get them to apply on line at www.avalongroup.org.uk or call 0800 7838549 for an application pack and tell us it’s part of the “Recruit a Friend” initiative and give us your name.

Terms & ConditionsThe recruit must not have been a previous member of the Avalon workforce (employee, carer or volunteer).

The introducer must still be an employee, carer, volunteer or customerwith Avalon when the person completes their probationary period.

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Start 2016 with a healthy outlook

Fresh food can be simple and exciting

Check out the simple recipe below.

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New Year, new you

The start of the year often means that many of us have made resolutions about how we plan to eat a bit healthier and be a bit more active. But what can stop that plan in its tracks is a lack of enjoyable meals we can produce easily at home, which also �t the bill of being low in all those nasty things like fat, sugar and carbohydrates.

What would help us all are recipes which can be made on a budget, with ingredients that are simple to get hold of, and which provide a satisfying enough meal which doesn’t then leave us still craving a treat.

So we’d like to help you start 2016 with a recipe; one which promotes good health and will �ll you up for hours, whilst not emptying your wallet!

Aubergine Bruschetta (serves 2 -3)

This is simple, quick and requires only a minimum amount of actual cooking, before presenting you with a dish that’s full of colour and �avour.

Ingredients:2 large aubergines4 tomatoes2 spring onions100g feta cheeseHandful of chopped fresh mintMedium bag of mixed salad leaves

Method:1)Top and tail the aubergines, before slicing the body into thick discs. Season each disc with a little salt and brush each side with a thin coating of olive oil.2) Deseed and dice the tomatoes, thinly slice the onion and combine in a bowl, adding the fresh mint and crumbling over the feta. Mix together and season with some black pepper to taste.3) Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a griddle pan (or frying pan) and cook the aubergine for 2-3 minutes on each side, until soft and starting to brown.4) On a plate, lay out the salad leaves, then lay 3 aubergine discs along the centre of the salad and place a spoonful of the tomato mix on top of each one.5)If wanted, drizzle the top with either a little oil or balsamic vinegar.

The Avalon Awards

As part of our annual conference, which took place at the end of November, we were proud to announce the winners of our annual achievement awards.

The awards are incredibly important to us as an organisation as it’s a great way to celebrate Avalon people and the roles individuals, teams and carers play in supporting our customers to have meaningful lives.

We also have the personal acheivement award which highlights the many customer stories showcasing individual’s who have realised something important in their life over the past 12 months.

The 2015 awards saw 5 categories announced, for which nominations had been received from all our localities. This special centrefold shows all of those who won, and gives you a �avour of why they were so deserving.

Support Worker of the Year

This award went to Alan Stevens fromSkipton, for his tireless e�orts in providing a safe, happy environment for the people he supports. Alan was nominated by several of his Skipton colleagues, with Locality Manager Joan Hearnecommenting: “Alan never does anything for himself, he does everything for everybody else.”

Shared Lives Carers of the Year

Denis and Linda Birkin from Doncaster received this award for their unwavering love, support and personalised care they provide to the man they have supported for over 30 years. As active members of their local community they have created awonderful life for their entire Shared Lives family, playing key roles at their local church and in musical groups. They have also undertaken numerous pressopportunities on behalf of Avalon, helping us to promote Shared Lives in a hugely impactful way.

5 Awards were given at our

annual conference

People were nominated by

their colleagues and

customers

All the winner’s photos are

featured.

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Employee of the Year

The work done behind the scenes at Avalon can sometimes be forgotten. So much of our important work is done by individuals with great levels of expertise, which allows Avalon to run smoothly day in and day out. This year’s award went to one such individual, Sharron Catton who is a member of our ICT team and keeps all of our computers, phones, emails and care software running, whilst o�ering bespoke training to all our localities. We would be lost without her.

Team of the Year

A new award for this year, our �rst winners of Team of the Year were the West Yorkshire support team who cared for customer Glynis in the months leading up to her very sad passing. The team went far above and beyond their care duties, even supporting Glynis in hospital in their own time to ensure Glynis felt safe and supported at all times. It’s clear Glynis meant so much to the team, and their amazing work exempli�es this.

Personal Achievement Award

Sam, based in Skipton, has really had to �ght in the last year. He was admitted to hospital with a particularly volatile case ofpneumonia, which attacked his central nervous system. Because of this Sam lost a lot of weight (nearly 3 stone in a short space of time), and had to have a PEG tube �tted. It was a very di�cult time. But Sam fought back and overcame the illness with the support of his team. Since returning home he has had to learn how to eat and drink again, but never let any of it get his spirits down. He’s now studying for a photography quali�cation and his work is truly impressive stu�. Congratulations Sam.

Avalonpeople news

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New

starters

LeaversAlex AngelSupport Co-ordinatorTeesside

Nikera DavisonService ManagerHarrogate

Gillian HutchinsonFinance O�cerHarrogate

Nick SmithService Manager York

Ian WightService ManagerYork

Emily YoungRecruitment Co-ordinatorHarrogate

Well done to everyone who has received an award or quali�cation

If you have news for this page, please contact the Harrogate o�ce

You can always read more Avalon news at www.avalongroup.org.uk/news.

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Maureen BarberFinance AssistantHarrogate

Ruth DoddsFinance AssistantHarrogate

Jonny MercadoICT Solutions AnalystHarrogate

Debbie NattrassLearning & Development O�cerHarrogate

Celebrating achievements

Quali�cations:We are pleased to announce lots more Avalonians have achieved their Level 2 Award in Awareness of Dementia:

Alan Stevens, Rosanna Walker, Vicky Monty , Alan Grey, Stephanie McRae and Leanne MacKay.

We have also had our �rst person to obtain the Care Certi�cate.Congratulations to Luke Roberts from Doncaster.

Well done to all of the above! It’s fantastic to see lots of people putting themselves forward to learn more and therefore be able to change more lives through specialist knowledge. To anyone thinking of undertaking a new course or quali�cation, please get in touch with Jo Heywood by calling the Harrogate o�ce on 01423 530053. Our award winning Learning and Development team are here to support you on your learning and career journeys, so get in touch and see how far you can go.

Have you heard about the Avalon Appreciation Awards? TheAppreciation Awards are a really good way to… well show your appreciation for a member of your team. Anyone can nominate and anyone can be nominated. The only criteria is that they have done something outstanding, exceptional or out of the ordinary to bene�t a customer, colleague or Avalon. Each nomination is considered by the Senior Management Team and selected individuals receive a certi�cate, retail voucher and feature in Talking Avalon and on our website.

You can get a form from any Avalon Group o�ce or from anyone who works for The Avalon Group. You can hand the form into any Avalon Group o�ce or email forms to: lorraineashton@avalongroup.org.uk.

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Customer focus

Here we feature stories from our customers. Send your news anytimeto the Harrogate o�ce or email jamesplummer@avalongroup.org.uk

Teesside customer Aadam has been gardening in an allotment for some time now and wanted to share with all of Avalon what this means to him. Since starting in the garden he has seen a huge increase in self-con�dence and self-esteem, seeing the responsibility of growing and nurturing things as a great source of motivation.

From being very young Aadam has always enjoyed looking after things. As a child he had pet Guinea Pigs and Rabbits, and his father was a keen gardener himself, growing �owers of all di�erent types and colour which was no doubt an inspiration for Aadam’s new found hobby.

Aadam is also reaping the bene�ts of his passion,producing fruit and veg which has been enjoyed by all those closest to him. Long may it continue!.

On Sunday 29th November, 17 members of Skipton’s Out and About group got dressed up and ran their socks o� as part of the annual Santa Fun Run event which started at Aireville Park and ended at the Bandstand in the park; a grand total of 5 kilometres!

Despite the horrible wind and rain, everyone had fun and the event was a huge hit, with over 1600 Santa’s raising money for various charities.We were wet, we were muddy, but we were on �ne form. The ‘Avalon Angels’ were triumphant!

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Lots of customers sent in their Christmas stories

Everyone celebrated in di�erent ways

We want to hear more stories throughout the year.

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Party (L-R) –Customer Laura,Service Manager Andrea Vaughan, Support Co-ordinator Alex Angel,Customer Carl

Local Christmas Round-up

Teesside

Following a very generous donation of £300 by Dormans Club Open Mic Night, Teesside o�ce held their Christmas party on Friday 11 December, at the Dormans no less!

Doncaster

Stephanie is on the road to recovery after a period of ill health.

She celebrated at Christmas with a beautiful tree, and is looking forward to a fresh start in 2016.

Support Worker Kate partied the night away with Danielle, who is fresh out of college and looking for new adventures this year!

Northallerton

While out Xmas shopping on Sunday 20th December 2015, one of our customersCarole bumped into John Sentamu, the Bishop of York. The Bishop was kind enough to stop for a chat with Carole and have his photograph taken.

Spotlight on Lesley and Steph

Lesley Stow started her Avalon career as a Support Worker, something she thoroughly enjoyed, but upon discovering Shared Lives, decided this was the right opportunity for her. Because of the matching process involved in creating a Shared Lives arrangement, Lesley met Steph and they instantly hit it o�, leading to regular respite which evolved into a long-term placement.

Steph has met all of Lesley’s family and friends and is very much now a part of the family. Lesley loves having Steph with her as her 2 daughters have both left home and she enjoys having another person in the house to share things with.

Just one more thing to mention, or rather two and that is the other 2 residents in the house: Riley and Bailey the 2 lovely Sta�ordshire bull terrier crosses Lesley homed through the RSPCA, the dogs are as much a part of the family as everyone else, and together they are a truly loving family unit.

In the true spirit of Christmas

The York team would like to say a great big thank you to Lesley and Steph for stepping in at the last minute and organising a Christmas get together for our customers. Lesley and Steph shopped for the food and made a lovely bu�et, they decorated the York o�ce training room and provided music and activities.

Steph was fantastic in hosting the event by socialising and bringing everyone together. She put the activity table together and brought in many fantastic games and crafts from her job in a charity shop. As someone who was at �rst shy when she came to Avalon Shared Lives, it was great to see how Steph’s con�dence has blossomed.

Lesley and Steph have o�ered to facilitate future parties for our York customers and we will be sure to take them up on their o�er as they are the best people for the job! Many customers attended and everyone had a lovely time.

Read about Shared Lives carer Lesley and customer Steph

Between them they organised a Christmas party for York customers

Steph hosted the event and a great time was had by all.

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ContactsTalking Avalon © The Avalon Group Registered Charity No:1048236 Company No: 2976727

Please visit us at: www.avalongroup.org.uk

Alternative formatsIf you require this information in an alternative format, eg Braille, large print or audio,please call 01423 530053 or email enquire@avalongroup.org.ukOur newsletter is also available in an audio format at: http://soundcloud.com/theavalongroup

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Thank you for reading

If you’ve read this edition of Talking Avalon cover-to-cover (which we know you have because you’ve all got such fabulous taste in reading material), you’ll have seen that the plan moving forward is for this to be the last issue which is produced as a hard-copy, printed newsletter.

We’re doing our bit for the environment, whilst also putting new and exciting news ideas in place so that we can get more stories to you on a more regular basis.

That said we are of course a bit sad to see this version of the newsletter come to a close. It’s been something that has become a mainstay of The Avalon Group’s communication team and has brought enjoyment to all who have read it over the past few years.

We would like to thank anyone and everyone who has taken the time to read Talking Avalon, and we promise that it will become even better as it evolves into its new format during the coming months.

So keep your eyes and ears peeled for the next edition.

6 Grove Park Court,Harrogate,HG1 4DP01423 53005301423 530388enquire@avalongroup.org.ukwww.avalongroup.org.uk

Supporting peoplesince 1994