In this edition…Local campaignsOur man on the buses: Jon Gray, Citizens Advice TauntonScam alert: Cases from West Somerset, Laura Barrowclough, West Somerset Advice Bureau

Services, projects and resourcesThe Care Act 2014 ‘Reaching Out’ fund: New Somerset Online Referral System:Taunton Saving Together: a support ‘hub’ for people on low incomesTaxAid: Charity gives free confidential advice for people on low incomesChild Law Advice Service: telephone helpline … plus other useful contacts Research, reports and briefingsThe Welfare Reform and Work Bill 2015The Extra Costs of Disability: Report from the Extra Costs CommissionThe Four Advice Gaps – Joe Lane, Citizens Advice EnglandTime called on council tenancies – Comment, Brenda Weston, SANConsultation: review of concessionary bus fares and services: Taunton Association for the Homeless –Equality and diversity AVoice: advocacy for victims of crime and anti-social behaviourAdvisory service for Gypsies and TravellersReal life on benefits: Complex cases – why we need inter-agency collaboration “What do you do?”: Somerset people and their contribution to social welfare in our county

SPAN Somerset

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2015

Somerset Advice Network SAN) aims to increase access to quality advice for the benefit of the people of Somerset. and to help improve the policy environment in which advice services operate, so fewer people need help.

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Local campaignsOur man on the buses – Jon Gray, Research and Campaigns Coordinator, Citizens Advice TauntonMembers of the Research and Campaigns Team at Citizens Advice Taunton are working with the Somerset Advice Network (SAN) to submit a researched response to the County Council’s Bus Subsidy Consultation.

The Taunton team are gathering evidence directly from bus users and clients. This will form the core of the response, and will demonstrate the impact on Citizens Advice clients and other members of the public who rely on bus services to access essential appointments, services and amenities.

We are currently conducting two surveys. In the first, we have a volunteer travelling on the bus routes threatened with cuts, asking passengers about their travel patterns and getting their views about the County Council proposals. Already he has gathered evidence about potential disruption to work, caring and leisure patterns. This user testimony will provide powerful arguments about detrimental measures on bus subsidies.

Our second survey is collecting information about client journeys to Citizens Advice Taunton. We are asking each client attending an interview about distance travelled, travel mode, cost and time taken on their journey from home to our office. This evidence will add to our submission on the bus cuts but will also be useful in a longer-term study we are doing on client travel patterns.

Access to affordable and convenient public transport is an issue that features strongly in any survey or consultation among rural communities. This was demonstrated in the consultation results for the SAN Rural Advice Strategy, and transport is recognised as a priority for rural counties by the Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs. It is certainly a major issue for many of our clients, often making the difference between participation in Somerset’s commercial and social fabric and isolation, ill-health and poverty.

We hope that by producing a reasoned, evidence-based response to consultations about the quality and quantity of this service we will provide a voice for the bus users of Somerset. It will enable us to bring their - and our - concerns before Somerset’s decision-makers, and contribute to a wider debate about the quality of life in our county.

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Footnote: The Campaign for Better Transport recently published a ‘Buses in Crisis’ Report, which looks at the national picture for bus services and their users.http://www.bettertransport.org.uk/sites/default/files/research-files/buses-in-crisis-2015.pdf

Scam alert: cases from West Somerset - Laura Barrowclough

West Somerset Advice Bureau has recorded scams reported by our clients over a six month period. The incidents have been very varied and illustrate the wide ranging ways in which people can be targeted. These three case studies demonstrate

1. A client from Greece who has been in the UK since 2014 paid £400 via Western Union to rent a flat in Brighton. The ‘owner’, who had advertised the flat on an online site called FRIDAY ADS.COM lives in America. A friend of the client went to the address to investigate, and found that there were no flats to let. The bureau contacted the fraud line for Western Union who then spoke at length to the client and gave her a reference number to take to the police. She was starting work in Brighton in a few days and made it clear that she felt a lot better when she left the Bureau.

2. A client produced a letter from Banksmart of Truro - which gave no phone number - demanding over £1000 for cancelled PPI work. The client knew nothing about this and suspected it might be a scam. It was clear from a check on-line that numerous people had received letters from this firm seeking money. The bureau phoned Action Fraud on the client’s behalf and they provided the

client with a reference number. They stated that the police might phone the client back with the result of any investigation and send her a letter within a month with any results.

3. A client came in with a letter from Devon and Somerset Trading Standards which had immediately alarmed her because of the word ‘fraud’ included in the text. She has difficulty reading and, unsure what the letter was about, she was frightened she had committed a fraud. We reassured her, read the letter out to her and explained that they were investigating a mass marketing fraud and wanted to return two cheques to her which they had seized from the premises of a bogus company.

We contacted Devon and Somerset Trading Standards who confirmed that the letter was genuine. They were offering to visit her to warn her about phone and email scams and ensure that, as she is a vulnerable person, she is aware of the facts of these scams and also to check if she needed a referral to social services. She could decide whether she wanted a visit or not- they would knock and she could refuse entry. This case had a happy outcome as she was visited and had the cheques returned to her. They informed her about scams and frauds and how to stop nuisance calls.

Services, projects and resources The Care Act 2014: Somerset’s ‘Reaching Out’ fundSomerset County Council - Community Development

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The Care Act places a duty on local authorities to ensure that information and advice on care and support is available to everyone, at the time they need it and in a form that is accessible to them. Independent advocacy must be arranged if a person would otherwise be unable to participate in, or understand, the care and support system.  Voluntary Sector organisations are vital partners in helping people to obtain information and advice when they need it. A £100,000 Fund was launched in September 2015 to provide one-off grants of up to £5,000 to organisations during the 2015-16 financial year, based on two categories of provision. These are:a. Putting information about the Care Act into context for local communities

through offering information, advice and signpostingb. Expanding or developing a new service that will meet at least one of the

Care Act principlesDetails are on the County Council’s website at: www.somerset.gov.uk/communityfunding. Click here for Further guidance and an application form.

New Somerset Online Referral System - Mike Woodward-Bennett Thank you to all those who took part in our online referral system (ORS) evaluation survey, your feedback has shaped an improved system.

Somerset Advice Network is replacing the existing referral system (ORS) with a new and improved version. We expect the new system to go-live in mid-January 2016, and I will let you know as soon as an exact date has been established.

The new system builds upon the benefits of the current one, and aims to ensure the seamless and secure transfer of client information from one agency to another, reducing the need for paper-based referrals, faxes, telephone messages, and emails. Other benefits of the system for agencies and clients include:

Improved access to advice, information and support services Ensuring the most appropriate service is accessed at the earliest opportunity Addressing the needs of vulnerable clients and promoting social and financial inclusion Enhanced reporting facilities to support funding applications

Whilst there will be a direct changeover from the old system, legacy data will not be migrated to the new system. We therefore recommend that you tail off your usage of the current system over the two weeks following the date that the new system goes live.

There will be ongoing training and support on how to use the new system following its roll-out. A demonstration website has been created that will allow users to practice using the new system and avoid potential errors. We are also developing user guidance which will be available by March 2016. To continue making online referrals using the new referral system, you will need to re-register. Once you have signed up, a member of the team will contact you to add your profile to the system and provide training as required. For further information please contact Michael Woodward-Bennett on 01823 448953.

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Taunton Saving Together: Somerset Cooperative Services CICSomerset Co-operative Services CIC has established a shop in Taunton, using premises owned by a local community land trust. The shop is based at 10 East Reach, Taunton, TA1 3EW and is called Taunton Saving Together. Opening hours are Monday – Friday 11 am – 3 pm. It provides services that help people on low incomes, as well as acting as a Hub for professional support and incubation for these and other community enterprises. All services are co-operative and are mutually owned by their members. The shop part of the Hub will offer credit union savings and loans, from Somerset Savings and Loans and from Taunton Deane and West Somerset (previously Moorvale) Credit Unions. This is a great alternative to the pay day loan companies and door step lenders. The shop will also offer information on

cheap co-operative energy, cheap co-operative phone services, social housing car club membership as an alternative to car ownership.

Contact for the shop: Jane Kilty – 01823 762813/ jane@somerset.coop

TAXAID - TaxAid Helpline for Voluntary Service AdvisersTaxAid is a charity giving free, confidential advice for those on low incomes, defined as less than circa £380 per week or £20,000 per annum. The service helps is aimed at people who are under 60, or those over 60 who are self-employed. TaxAid:

Is not an alternative to HMRC but helps where the issue has not been resolved with HMRC Does not advise on Tax Credits generally signposts those aged 60+ to ‘Tax Help for Older People’ unless the issues relate to

Self-Employment.

For advice agencies 0300 330 5477 Monday to Friday, 10 am to midday and 2 pm to 4 pm. Clients can contact TaxAid directly on 0345 120 3799 Monday to Friday, 10 am to midday.

Child Law Advice Service telephone helplineThe Child Law Advice Service helpline offers legal advice to parents, carers and young people.

They provide free legal resources with advice and information on all aspects of family, child and education law affecting children and families. They also operate two limited intensive support telephone lines for complex matters and clarifying questions one dedicated for Family and Child Law and one for Education Law.

They cover areas of Family, Child and Education Law including:

Attending Court – advice for Litigants in person; Relationship Breakdown; Parental Disputes; Duties of Children’s Services; Child Protection; Exclusions; Admissions; Special Education Needs; Bullying; Disability Discrimination; complaints; Transport; Direct Payments, Home Education; Attendance and absence; Special Needs Education.

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To access this service and to view the range of advice provided go to their website www.childlawadvice.org.uk

Get a grant – make a difference: Each county councillor has £5,000 to spend in their own patch and they can award grants from £250 to local community groups and organisations e.g. parish councils and voluntary groups. All the applications must be made through your local councillor, so if you’re not sure who that is or how to contact them, visit www.somerset.gov.uk/councillors or phone 0300 123 2224 by 31 st January 2016.

Do you have information to share?Articles are much appreciated and add greatly to the interest shown in our newsletter. The next SPAN newsletter will be out in December 2015. If you have a social policy issue, action or information you would like to share please let me know in advance if you can. Article to me please by Monday, 29th March please at: brenda.weston@somersetadvice. net

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Help with water bills and debts: Contact: Kate Pennock - Customer Engagement and Policy Manager 01225 524242 / 07823 370001 or kate.pennock@wessexwater.co.uk

Warmer, improved homes for Somerset: Contact Louise Evans, Caseworker on 01823 448977 or email louise.evans@cse.org.uk

Pension Wise Advice Service: Phone 01823 448970 or email pensionwise@tauntoncab.org.uk to arrange an appointment in Bridgwater, Minehead, Shepton Mallet, Taunton, Weston-super-Mare or Yeovil

Hate Crime support service in Somerset: Contact casework@sariweb.org.uk

Disabled Parents Network: A national organisation for disabled people who are parents or hope to become parent, and their families, friends and supporters. http://disabledparentsnetwork.org.uk/

Research, Reports and BriefingsThe Welfare Reform and Work Bill 2015 – Child Poverty Action GroupThe Welfare Reform and Work Bill is currently being debated in the House of Lords and entered its Committee stage – where it receives line-by-line scrutiny - on 2nd December.

The Child Poverty Action Group has produced a briefing on its response to the Bill, which presents wide-ranging changes affecting families across the country. These include:o repealing most of the Child Poverty Act, abandoning poverty-reduction targets and proposing

new measures of poverty that do not include income.o lowering the benefit cap, severing the historic link between what families need to live on – as

assessed by Parliament in its setting of benefit levels – and entitlement.o extending the freeze on working-age benefits from two years to four years, ending in April

2020.o limiting child tax credit to the first two children, which would have a dramatic impact on a

minority of families.

You can access the CPAG briefing at: http://www.CPAG Briefing Welfare Reform and Work Bill.pdf

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The Extra Costs of Disability - The Extra Costs Commission

The Extra Costs Commission is an independent inquiry exploring the extra costs faced by disabled people and families with disabled children in England and Wales.

The Commission was set up in July 2014, in response to disability charity Scope’s 2014 report Priced Out: Ending the Financial Penalty of Disability by 2020. This report highlighted a lack of evidence or ideas about how to drive down the cost of products and services for which disabled people pay more.

The Commission's final report can be downloaded in PDF from this link: PDF version of the report. In Somerset just under 100,000 people (18.8% of the population) said they had a long term condition or disability which limited their day-to-day activities a lot or a little. There are nearly 9,000 households (3.9% of all households in Somerset)

containing at least one adult with a long-term disability or health condition and dependent children. Bridgwater’s Sydenham and Hamp areas contained notable concentrations of such households.

Almost 41,000 of them were aged 16-64 (12.7% of that age group in Somerset). The proportion is on a par with both regional and national averages.

Those in West Somerset are more likely than anywhere else in the county to consider their health bad or very bad, or to have a limiting disability or condition.

Amongst the 16-64 age group, the proportion for West Somerset is the highest in Somerset.

13,317 working-age residents (3.5% of those aged 16-74) described themselves as economically inactive because of long-term sickness or disability. Proportions were much higher in parts of Highbridge, Taunton and central Glastonbury.

http://www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/census-health.html

The Four Advice Gaps - Joe Lane - Citizens Advice England Policy ResearcherFinancial capability and sound financial advice are important planks underpinning financial inclusion. Successive governments have attempted to improve financial capability, saving rates and attitudes towards retirement planning. Those changes have become increasingly important to families’ financial security as people are given more freedom and choice about how to manage their money.There are concerns that the provision of free money advice is not as effective as it could be and that the greater regulation of financial advisers, which has occurred over recent years, has made it more expensive to access advice. This perceived price increase has led to what the government and others have termed an ‘advice gap’, affecting people who want to pay for money advice but can’t afford to, and to a review of the impact of the recent

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changes through the Financial Advice Market Review (FAMR) and a Government consultation on public financial guidance.Joe Lane argues that the breadth of the government reviews - looking at both paid-for and free advice – along with Citizens Advice England’s research and experience, suggests the need for “a more nuanced reading of the shortcomings of the money advice sector”. His research indicates that there is not a single advice gap based on affordability, but a series of gaps which lead to a range of people missing out on the benefits of money advice and the security that it affords.Using that broader definition, the Citizens Advice England report identifies four advice gaps: The affordable advice gap affects consumers who are willing to pay for

advice but not at current prices. Our research suggests that up to 5.4 million extra people would consider paying for advice if it cost less.

The free advice gap affects people who want advice but are unable to pay for it. Up to 14.5 million people who think they would benefit from free advice haven’t taken any in the past two years. The free advice gap includes:o 5.3 million people who have needed free advice in the past two years but

haven’t taken it.o 735,000 people who have tried to access free advice in the past two

years but couldn’t due to lack of supply. The awareness and referral gap affects people who are not aware that

advice exists, or where to get that advice. As many as 10 million people who think they would benefit from free advice are not aware of public financial guidance. The awareness and referral gap includes:o 3.3 million people say they need free money advice but failed to get it

because they didn’t know it existed or where to get ito 3.4 million people have raised a financial issue with a trusted professional

at some point but were not given help or were not told where to find it. The preventative advice gap affects those who would benefit from

having money advice as a preventative measure. We found that as many as 23 million people have fallen into a preventative advice gap at least once in their life.o For instance, 39 per cent of people who have expected a baby would

have taken money advice if it was offered.o 1.2 million people who have taken paid for or free advice in the last two

years have not had the non-financial causes of those problems addressed.

Time called on council tenancies - Comment by Brenda Weston, SANThe journal, ‘Inside Housing’ has reported on a new amendment to the Housing and Planning Bill which is currently going through Parliament. Lifetime

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tenancies in council housing will be ‘phased out’ under this Bill, which was tabled on 8th December. New council tenancies granted after the bill comes into force will be time-limited to between two and five years, with reviews occurring at intervals apparently to be set by councils. This amendment had little fanfare yet it means that council tenants who may have waited years to obtain the stability that is missing in much of the private rented market will face chronic uncertainty about whether they and their children can safely put down roots in their schools and communities. The underlying assumption seems to be that this will propel more people on low incomes into home ownership, in spite of the fact that in reality this is, for them, unaffordable. The spectre of sub-prime mortgages (which are reportedly making a comeback) may well receive a further boost from this measure. Critics of the amendment cite a range of other potential economic and social disbenefits. The worst effect though, must be the gnawing anxiety that comes from the insecurity inevitably generated for people who are already disadvantaged financially. It seems unlikely that the authors of this amendment have had such experiences to inform their thinking.

ConsultationSomerset County Council review of concessionary fares and bus services  Somerset County Council is reviewing its current policy and spending on support for public bus and community transport services and a public consultation launched in November will run until 11th January 2016. With Christmas almost upon us it is important that organisations and groups affected are alerted to these proposals and submit their views as soon as possible.A continuing reduction in the amount of funding the Government provides the Council to run local services means that the Council has to manage competing demands for services that it is legally obliged to provide. Some parts of the current concessionary travel spending is discretionary, which means the council is not legally obliged to provide it.The Council is now seeking the public’s views on potential changes to the concessionary fares policy for these services where customers receive the discretionary concession over and above the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS). Discretionary services are those which the council does not have a statutory responsibility to provide.The areas of discretionary policy that will be reviewed with a view to reducing or removing these will affect ENCTS pass holders (which entitles senior citizens to free off peak travel on buses across England) are as follows: 

Community Transport: The 50% discount on the cost of the fare (up to a maximum of £5 per single trip or £10 per return journey) when travelling on community transport –which includes community car schemes - will be reduced to a 25% discount;

Public and Community Transport:

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Concessions will no longer apply for travel between 9:00-9:30am on public and community transport services ;

The free travel element currently provided for companions/carers will be removed. 

Somerset County Council - “would like to consult with as many Somerset groups and residents as possible that will be affected by the proposed changes and we would therefore be grateful for your views before a final decision is taken by the Council in 2016. If you require this consultation in an alternative format or language, please contact us on 0300 123 224 and we will be happy to assist you.”

To complete the online survey click on this link: The online questionnaire

Taunton Association for the Homeless ‘shoebox’ appealSome of the most basic gifts can make a huge difference to how you feel if you’re homeless. TAH are appealing for donations of basic toiletries: high on the list are wet wipes; soap, wash cloths, toothpaste – imagine what you would most need if you had no water or sanitation at your disposal. Please don’t gift wrap them though! TAH staff need to know that they’re handing out appropriate items. Also needed are underwear, sleeping bags, blankets… call TAH for further details on 01823 271326 or email reception@tahltd.co.uk .

Equality and diversity

AVoice – a new advocacy serviceAVoice is a new advocacy service for adult victims of crime and antisocial behaviour run by The Care Forum in partnership with SEAP (Support, Empower, Advocate, Promote) and SARI (Stand Against Racism and Inequality). In October 2014, the Ministry of Justice transferred responsibility for commissioning local victim services in Avon and Somerset to the Police and Crime Commissioner.  From April 2015 The Care Forum were commissioned for three years to deliver the adult advocacy service – Avoice - for vulnerable adults affected by crime and antisocial behaviour in the Avon and Somerset area. AVoice provides free, independent and confidential advocacy to anyone over the age of 18 who lives in the Avon and Somerset areas. AVoice can work with people who have learning disabilities, issues with their mental health, physical disabilities, and people who have become a victim

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because of their age, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion or belief.AVoice advocacy can: help clients to understand the criminal justice process and their rights within

it assist them to access services to help them cope and recover from the

crime explore their options with them and support their decision-making help them to get practical help from other agencies by working with them

on their behalf  help them to make informed decisions by offering guidance and information listen to them and ensure they get their voice heard.AVoice will also advocate for victims of crime and antisocial behaviour who have not reported it to the police.Individuals, their family and friends and referring organisations can contact AVoice by: Freephone number: 0800 254 0777 E-mail: avoice@thecareforum.org.uk

An advisory service for Gypsies and Travellers - The Community Law ProjectThe Travellers Advice Team (TAT) at the Community Law Project provides advice, assistance and representation to Gypsies and Travellers throughout England and Wales in the following areas:

Evictions Planning Matters Matters involving rented sites Homelessness Other related matters Cases involving boat-dwellers

TAT's service includes a dedicated Gypsy and Traveller Helpline, which is available on 0121 685 8677 between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm Monday to Friday. Solely for emergencies concerning Gypsies and Travellers, we have an out-of-hours emergency number which is 07768 316755.

Marc Willers QC of Garden Court Chambers and Chris Johnson of CLP have drafted a chapter on Gypsy and Traveller Law for the Advisory Service for Squatters Handbook which can be accessed here:

http://www.communitylawpartnership.co.uk/attachments/article/100/AdvisoryServiceForSquattersHandbookTravellersChapter2014%20CJMW130814.doc

Real life on benefits Complex cases – why we need inter-agency collaboration

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Client A was referred to a local Citizens Advice-led outreach project by a member of the social care team who had seen a presentation about the multi-agency project at a parish council meeting.

A single mum of two, the youngest only weeks old, was in receipt of benefits. She had been suffering from an acute pelvic condition that affects pregnant women and which usually clears up spontaneously once the child is born. Unusually her condition persisted for months afterwards and she was severely disabled as a result. This problem was exacerbated by an injury sustained at work several years before.

Unable to walk around her home except with two sticks, and in considerable pain, her biggest difficulty was managing the stairs, particularly whilst carrying her baby. Whilst Adult Social Care was able to provide a personal assistant to help with child care and help with some domestic activities, there was no financial assistance available to install a stair lift, or to purchase essential equipment such as a lightweight car seat for the baby.

The client was referred to the welfare benefit case worker at Citizens Advice for assistance with her disability benefits. The caseworker visited her home and completed a change of circumstances form to apply for an increase in disability benefit, resulting in a higher rate mobility element of the benefit being awarded. The client was also referred to the village agent to advise her on potential sources of financial aid to manage her circumstances.

The village agent visited, discussed the client’s needs with her, and applied on her behalf to local charities, securing £225. A further application to a national charity resulted in a further award of £425. This money enabled the client to secure a loan for a stair lift, along with other essential items to facilitate her role as a mum.

During follow up visits, which are often part of the village agent’s role, the agent discovered that although the client’s home had been flooded in the winter of 2013/14, she had not applied to the Somerset Flood Relief Fund for help to replace uninsured furnishings. They discovered that she was eligible for help, and an application resulted in an award of £1000.

Client B also found the help she needed through this multi-agency outreach scheme. In spite of repeated appeals to her landlord, she was having problems getting essential repairs carried out to her privately rented home. She is a single mum with a pre-school aged child who has asthma. Their home was damp and difficult to heat and she felt that she could not continue to live there, particularly in the winter, without compromising the health and wellbeing of herself and her child. She believed her landlord was deliberately ignoring her messages and may be taking advantage of her inexperience and lack of confidence.

The client wanted to move from the property not only because of the disrepair but also because she felt isolated in the rural location where she lived. There are no supermarkets in her village and only 3 shops which sell the basics - but at a higher cost. She found it difficult to get into town to shop as the buses are irregular. She often found herself stranded in the town, relying on friends to drive her home or paying for a taxi. Her child was due to start school in September and she hoped to find work, but there are few employment opportunities in the village and she was concerned about the reliability of public transport to get her to and from a job elsewhere.

There were no quick solutions to this client’s situation. She was referred to the District Council and supported to apply for properties on ‘home finder’. She had secured her current home through a bond deposit scheme, but her low income had not enabled her to save a deposit for an alternative

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home to rent. She discovered from the council that she could not access another bond deposit unless her landlord evicted her.

Citizens Advice advised her about her options: a formal letter to the landlord with a request for the works to be carried out; and a request that an environmental officer inspect the property and make recommendations to the landlord for repairs. The adviser helped her to compose a letter to her landlord requesting that the property be inspected and repairs carried out. She was anxious to have someone there to support her, if and when the landlord visited the property because she did not have the confidence to stand her ground alone.

With her consent the adviser referred her to the village agent, who was able to be present when a builder, instructed by the landlord, visited to assess the work and make recommendations to the landlord. The village agent ensured that all the problems identified by the client were acknowledged. Nevertheless, no attempt was made within a reasonable time frame to arrange for the work to be carried out. Another letter issuing an ultimatum to the landlord was necessary, and the village agent helped with this.

A date was finally agreed for work to start and the client moved out of her home while it was carried out. During this process the client’s washing machine broke down. There is no launderette in the area and the client was unable to afford a new machine. She was put in touch with the local credit union and awarded an interest free crisis loan to help her to buy a new one.

The client remained in the village but she now knows where she can access support, help and advice. She is bidding for properties elsewhere and has meantime applied for a job in the local village.

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“What do you do?” In response to SAN’s consultation survey in preparation for the Somerset Advice Strategy many contributors said that they wanted to know more about what other organisations do. This section is seeking to profile people from a range of Somerset organisations, and the work they do to support social welfare in our county. According to the United Nations (1967) “Social welfare … is regarded as a body of activities designed to enable individuals, families, groups and communities to cope with the social problems of changing conditions.” The aim is to include two or three profiles in each newsletter, so we’ll be looking for volunteers to tell us about their work! Many thanks to those who have stepped forward to start things off.

Morgan Daly, General Manager - currently Interim Acting Chief Executive - at The Care Forum

As a General Manager I have been responsible for the delivery of two of our contracts – Healthwatch Somerset and Healthwatch B&NES. This means that I have to make sure that we do what we are paid to do – which includes talking to local people to hear their views, supporting volunteers, and generally helping to make the local NHS and social services work better.

As an Interim Chief Executive, I am responsible for the whole organisation, including making sure that we do what we are being paid to do, bidding to bring in more work for the future, managing a team of senior managers and playing a strategic role in the development of the health and social care sector across the South West.

Is there such a thing as a typical day - and what does/would it look like? I don’t really have a typical day, but I spend a lot of time being diplomatic and finding compromises, a lot of time discussing big ideas for the future, and an awful lot of time typing at a computer!

What do you find most satisfying about your work? I get the most satisfaction out of solving problems. I also care a great deal about making sure that people who don’t often get heard have a louder voice, and making sure that people who usually do get heard are encouraged to listen!

What makes you most frustrated? I get most frustrated by feeling unable to make a difference, or by spending too much time on emails, and not enough time changing the world for the better.

If you had the power, what law or policy would you make or change? If I had the power, I would have to resist making lots of changes! But if I could change one thing, I think I would reduce the standard working week to 4 days, and encourage everyone to spend the spare day doing voluntary or community work and building relationships. I think this would make the country more efficient, and would make people happier.

Jane Clark - Youth Worker – Young Healthwatch, Somerset Rural Youth Project.

I support the participation of young people within Somerset’s Health and Social Care services. This includes consultation with young people, the delivery of focus

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groups, supporting young people to share their views with decision makers, and the development of volunteers. The role also includes close partnership work with The Care Forum, who run the adult Healthwatch Project, and building relationships with a range of decision makers within the Health and Social Care sector.

Is there such a thing as a typical day - and what does/would it look like? No such thing as a typical day! But a day might start with a trip to a college to talk to some students about a project they are working on, and then perhaps a network meeting where we talk about participation of young people in various projects. It could include a meeting at a hospital to talk about diabetes in young people and the survey we are looking at at the moment. I may also meet up with a potential volunteer at their college about how they can become involved in Young Healthwatch.

What do you find most satisfying about your work? The variety of meeting lots of different sorts of people in lots of different roles and settings whilst working towards making a difference to the healthcare that young people receive.

What make you most frustrated? That I don’t have the time to do more.

If you had the power, what law or policy would you make or change? I would ensure that a young people’s representative sits on any health related committee meeting where decisions are made.

Can you share a case study/example showing why this work matters? A group of students at Yeovil College produced a mental health awareness report, which they completed in their own time. They presented their report to Somerset CCG, Healthwatch Somerset, MIND, and the Vice Principal of the college. The report was then passed on to other members of the CCG to note the findings. As a result of this, the young people were invited to the Somerset Health & Wellbeing Board meeting to present the work that they had done. This was a fantastic opportunity to get them in front of, and listened to by, people that make important decisions about Health and Social Care services.

Rosie Hather - Fundraising and Communications Officer for Taunton Association for the Homeless. Rosie says “It’s hard to sum up in short what this means, but in basic terms, I raise money, gifts and awareness for the local charity!”

Is there such a thing as a typical day - and what does/would it look like? Every day is different here! You never know what to expect – you can come in planning to do one thing but then something unexpected comes up and you spend your day on that instead! But averagely I spend my days accepting donations, thanking the kind people that donated these, raising awareness of what we’re doing by blog posts, social media, regular visits to groups, companies, individuals etc. Updating our website, creating materials about our work, speaking to local media outlets and building lots of valuable relationships! Then there are the days that I sort and hand out donations to our clients, we hold a clothes day every month where clients can come and take what they need! It is these days and seeing clients on a regular basis that makes all the hard work worthwhile!

What do you find most satisfying about your work? As mentioned above, the days that I do see clients and can actually physically hand a donation over to them or see the effect a monetary donation has had on them is the most satisfying thing about my work! I have a great relationship with clients and try to get to know them as much as I can – that way I know exactly why I am doing

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my job and it gives me even more motivation to work harder and make a difference! On a monthly clothes day, I dug out and saved a good pair of boots for a gentleman that I knew really needed them. When I handed them over to him he hugged me and said I had made his day! THIS is what I work for!

What make you most frustrated? People not understanding homelessness, and the work that we do as a charity. There is a stigma surrounding homelessness and I fight each day to stop this! Anyone of us could become homeless at any point in our lives and we need to realise this and support anyone going through this suffering!

If you had the power, what law or policy would you make or change? Unfortunately in 2016, TAH and many other charitable organisations will be receiving funding cuts from the Government. Our funding cuts relate to all those we support that are over the age of 25. These funds are being cut by 100%. I understand that the cuts have to be made somewhere. But I do not understand how they would allow 25+ year olds to be left homeless. (Despite these cuts, TAH will not give up the work we do with over 25 year olds – we just have to source the funds elsewhere!)

Can you share a case study/example showing why this work matters? Here is Jim’s story:

“After losing my job and the breakup of my relationship I started to drink heavily and wallow in my own self-pity. This went on for a few months until my landlady came round to inspect my property and inform me the rent was going up. She was unhappy that the property was messy and that I was unable to pay the increase. She gave me a week to vacate and informed me that if I didn’t leave by the following Friday, she would be back with her husband and sons to physically throw me out!I didn’t know where to turn or what to do. I buried my head in the sand hoping for a miracle that wouldn’t come. I remember it was a Thursday night that I packed what I could in my Bergen backpack and sat staring at the wall, seriously contemplating ending it all. Having got through the night, at dawn I locked my front door for the last time, posted the keys through the letter box, hoisted my Bergan on my back and headed into Bridgwater Town centre.I had no friends or family and nowhere to go, so I headed for the Quantocks. I lived in the woods for three months, only venturing into town to sign on and check the property lists at the council. I can only describe my time in the woods as the most depressing period of my life. Every day was a struggle to keep warm and dry. My only cover was a tarpaulin, which provided no protection from the wind or cold. And sometimes I couldn’t even light a fire because of constant rain. One morning in January I awoke to discover it had snowed. The fire had gone out, all the wood was damp and covered in snow so relighting a fire was impossible. I was cold, wet and really down. I went to Nether Stowey and bought a bottle of whisky and as many pain killers as I could get my hands on. I was walking back to my camp when the phone rang. It was the council informing me that, as the weather was going to be extremely cold they had got me a place in the Royal Ashton Hotel under the Weather Watch provision. On arriving at the Royal Ashton Hotel I was given information about Open Door in Taunton, which provides clothing, showers, as well as meals, for anyone rough sleeping. They work in partnership with TAH and in fact this is where I first met TAH’s Outreach Workers. They gave me information on available services and help as well as put me on the waiting list to enter Lindley House, the main residence. It was at this point I felt

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things were beginning to look up and I no longer felt isolated and alone – there was help and people I could talk to.Within a week Weather Watch officially ended but thankfully I was offered a permanent bed in Lindley. After the eerie quiet of the woods it was a complete shock to the system! After a shaky start I realised that, to turn my life around I must take advantage of the services offered. So I started to see the alcohol support worker and identified the triggers that made me drink and took control of my drinking, eventually stopping.After a period of about 9 months, TAH and I felt I was ready to move into one of the more satellite residences, where I would be responsible for my own shopping, cooking and cleaning. Eventually I began to feel my confidence returning, so much so that I signed up for peer mentor training. I was then awarded gold band status on Home Finder Somerset and started bidding to secure my own independent rental.I am now sitting in my own rented flat in Somerton, thanks to help from my TAH support worker and Yarlington Housing. It’s not all been plain sailing. Initially I questioned my decision – I was miles from Taunton and my support network. My main worry was that I would start drinking again and mess things up but, with the continued support and help from TAH this hasn’t happened. I’m keeping on top of bills, have now got friends, and I’m looking for work and feel more positive about my situation. I haven’t drunk since my last wobble in the first week of November. I’m happier than I have been in years and I feel that I now have a future and a positive outlook on life. Thank you, TAH, for your support.”

…and on that happier note

Season’s greetings, and a happy new year to all readers