Feedback will be written up and circulated across the organisation and in a future Newsletter.

Work started in July 2011, beginning with the replacement of the roof, old slate tiles were removed and the old insulation was removed before new slates, lead work and pipe-work were installed. Old chimneys were removed and new chimneys in the original style were put in place. The work on the roof was very complex and a high standard of craftsmanship was demonstrated.

Work then began in the garden to prepare for additional waste water systems, in the grounds and around the building. This included digging trenches in the front garden to install new cylinders.

The plumbing work carried on through the duration of the build including a new boiler,new pipe-work, and new hot water tanks. Electrical work was undertaken to ensure all areas that were being refurbished met electrical safety standards.

The dining room refurbishment included the building of a new adjacent office and the installation of a new sky light. An additional door to the hallway was also installed.

After the dining room had been completed, the bathrooms were them all refurbished with additional showers and cabinets. There was also a wet room placed in the downstairs cloakroom.

The work helped in creating more space and more showers at Penycoed.

New carpets, new furnishings and paint work finished off the refurbishment in March 2012.

We would like to take this opportunity to say Thank You to everyone who has supported us through this difficult phase helping us to maintain service provision at full occupancy & keep the disruption to a minimum.

Powys/Shrops – June 18 Nov 7

Carms/Pembs/RCT – June 28 Nov 15

East Midlands – June 13 Nov 21

Staff from all roles accross Perthyn will be encouraged and supported to attend and the days will include workshops/information exchange and feedback on a number of important issues.

Must be age 18+ for personal care duties and night shifts. Experience is not essential as training is provided. Duties include providing care for adults with learning disabilities within their own homes, assisting with personal care, cleaning, cooking, pursuing their hobbies and socialising. Perthyn wants to promote a diverse workforce to maximise our ability to provide quality services. Successful applicants are required to provide an enhanced disclosure. Disclosure expense will be met by employer.

Supported Documentation:
Job Description and Person Specification

If your interested in applying for an application and information pack, please contact Rosemary Hall on (01159) 893307 or alternatively email rosemary.hall@perthyn.org.uk

a)  Strategic Plan – Update from Senior Management Team

b) Sickness and Absence Policy – Staff views on changes to the policy

c) Quality of Life – Overview of documentation and re-launch

d) Cafe Session – group work on computers in houses, staff role in influencing company direction, making people feel valued, whistle blowing.

Detailed notes from the days were collated and have been sent to all Managers for circulation/dissemination to their team

Further events are planned for the new year.

The first UK Forum took place at the Metropole Hotel in Mid Wales on 16th March 2011. The event gave an opportunity to Local Service User Forum reps to share questions and concerns from their individual forums. Discussion groups looked at topics such as how people can be more involved in the recruitment and selection of staff, what activities people do, getting work, control of your money and getting out more. People had the chance to put their questions to members of the Senior Management Team and the Board of Trustees. Feedback from the event will go to each of the individual forums in the next few months.

As an organisation we work hard to provide a quality service and to be able to prove that we do so. Indpendent assessments as thorough as that undertaken by the WQC go a long way to evidencing this.

The results have been collated and presented in a report to the Senior Management Team. Detailed information will be shared in the months ahead and appropriate actions in relation to the issues that have been raised will be taken.

In summary the key points that the survey has highlighted are as follows:

-          Our values: Most staff are clear about what we do and what our aims for the people we support are.  

-          Communication: People recognised that we are doing a lot more to communicate with them. However, there is more we can do and there was support for more engagement forums. Further links with East Midlands also need to be developed.

-          Team Meetings: These are really important to people but do hot take place as often as people would like.

-          Training: People enjoy the training they receive but some respondents felt they often had to travel too far to get to the venue.

-          Support from managers: The support staff recieve from their managers was seen as very good. Managers set a good example and demonstrate that they are clear about their role.

-          Pay and conditions: In general, staff felt their package was a fair one and compared well with other organisations.  As you might expect there was a lot of support for a cost of living rise to be made.

-          Sickness and Absence: There were concerns expressed that our policy is too generous and the view was expressed that we should do more to deal with people who take advantage of this.

The plan now is that we will look closely at all of the results and provide feedback on a regional basis so that we can look at the issues that are unique to each area.

As an organisation we are delighted that the Gains Avenue team were chosen as the winners in the Team Award category. The Award was presented by Craig Kelly – Actor who played Luke Strong in Coronation Street.

We know that we have a lot of staff who work hard week in week out so when something like this happens it is really gratifying to know that their efforts are acknowledged from people outside of the organisation. We are proud of their achievements and the recognition they have achieved is richly deserved.

As part of our continued development of the management infrastructure and to provide management support to people and their staff teams we are looking to recruit a Community Support Manager in the Northampton Region.

The successful applicants will be managing supported living services within the Northampton area. More info… (Full Advert)

Supported Documentation:
Community Support Manager Job Description and Person Specification
Advert

Applications should be made by CV to Donna Sherwood at Perthyn, Kingsfield House, Kingsfield Close, Dallington, Northampton, NN5 7QS. Telephone  01604 866234 or email donna.sherwood@perthyn.org.uk quoting reference Northants-CSM-2.

Closing Date: 10:00am on Friday 3rd October 2012