Our sister charity, Options Wellbeing Trust is supporting Mental Health Awareness Week (May 9 – 15, 2022) by re-opening its Shirley hub ahead of schedule to ensure people can get in contact and book face-to-face sessions.

The new hub

During the pandemic, the team at Options Wellbeing Trust, took time out to revamp the space and are looking forward to being able to invite people to see how it looks now.

Increase in support needed

Since the pandemic, the team has seen an increase in people contacting them for support as they are feeling lonely and isolated.

During the lockdowns when we all, understandably, had to stay at home, people became more isolated and now they are struggling to go out and socialise again as they did pre-COVID.

Book face-to-face sessions

Bookings are now being accepted for face-to-face appointments for anyone that might need help dealing with their mental health and issues such as stress, anxiety, depression, addiction and eating disorders. Appointments can be made in person now to take place in the hub in Shirley from May 30 from 9am onwards.

Anyone who would like to book an appointment should visit www.optionswellbeing.co.uk or call 023 8063 0219. The hub is based at 147, Shirley Road, Southampton, SO15 3FH.

For the moment, this represents a soft re-opening, with a full ribbon cutting ceremony taking place on June 30.

Personality, passion, patience and more

It’s all about the Ps when it comes to what makes someone a good support worker writes our new Care Recruitment Officer, Claudia Peixoto.

Claudia took time out of her busy schedule recently to tell us just what makes a person perfect, more Ps, for a role in social care with us. Here’s what she wrote:

Caring for others and making their lives better requires passion, patience and professionalism by the bucket load, so we’re looking for someone who has the right kind of personality first and foremost. There are lots of Ps involved in a role like this, as it’s all about people and it’s highly personal. You’re going into people’s homes and are trusted.

We can provide all the training someone might need to do the job, but personality is the most important thing. So that’s what I look for from the very first moment I start interacting with a candidate.

A good support worker has to be kind. They also need to have emotional resilience and resourcefulness to cope with the physical and psychological aspects of the role. That’s more Ps! We’re also looking for people who are naturally caring and compassionate, who care about the lives of others.

Not everyone has this. Just because someone supports those around them in various ways, including family members, it doesn’t necessarily mean they have what it takes. A role in social care means you’ll be supporting someone who, to start with, you don’t know or have a bond with, who’s not your flesh and blood.

When you start in your role you won’t even know the people you’re caring for, but, as you continue, you’ll get to know them and, little by little, respect builds and you’ll form emotional attachments.

In fact, everything we do here is all about having really good, professional relationships. Support Workers feel valued and loved by their customers, customers feel cared for and respected in return, and, as a charity and a not-for-profit organisation, we care about our team, and look after every member as a family.

Working for us is perfect for anyone who wants to be supported and appreciated. We nurture a sense of belonging; our team members are recognised for what they do, they are appreciated and engaged.

We pay better salaries than other companies in the area, but we also help people build careers through experience and gaining on-the-job qualifications. There’s real job fulfillment too.

I speak to lots of candidates, and they all say that they have never received recognition in their roles previously and they haven’t been supported, and they are looking for this. Many left social care because they worked for profit and number-driven organisations and they became disillusioned.

But they now want to come back into the industry, and they are looking for better support, to be valued and respected, and to have better pay and flexibility, which are all things we offer here.

I am also talking more to younger candidates, born after the year 2000. These are Generation Z. They are looking to have a career, a professional pathway, progression, they value flexibility, but they also want job security, and social care is the only industry left that offers a job for life for those that wish to have one. And although they are digital natives, Gen Z-ers are characterised by wanting to have in-person interactions. They value human contact and experiences.

This generation is keen, upfront, energetic, enthusiastic and have all the Ps in place too. Also, with social care, they can work around finishing their studies. It’s a great way of earning extra money, as well as gaining great experience, as they can study and work at the same time.

But fundamentally, social care is a role that is open to all generations, and we have all ages working for us here.

They are a lovely bunch…well, of course they are, as personality is everything when it comes to a career in social care!

To find out what roles we currently have, please click here and to chat with Claudia directly to find out about what makes a good support worker and if you’ve got what it takes, please email  Claudia.Peixoto@sciagroup.co.uk 

We are supporting Mental Health Awareness Week (May 9 – 15, 2022) and its theme of loneliness.

As part of the event we are highlighting the vital role our support workers play in alleviating loneliness and contributing to positive mental health.

Loneliness one of the largest health concerns

According to the Campaign to End Loneliness, loneliness is one of the largest health concerns we face as it impacts on mental and physical health. The campaign says there are nine million lonely people in the UK and four million of them are older people. Many older people find constant loneliness the hardest to overcome. The Mental Health Foundation says reducing loneliness is a major step towards a mentally healthy society.

This is why we are getting behind Mental Health Awareness Week, created by The Mental Health Foundation, as it will explore loneliness, its effect on our mental health and how we can all play a part in reducing loneliness in our communities.

The role of support workers

There is a common misconception that the role of support workersis simply to administer medication and help people with basic daily tasks, however, there is a great deal more involved.

It’s an important part of our role to ensure they have daily socialisation and interaction. As a not-for-profit we’re focused on the emotional wellbeing of our service users, as well as seeing to their physical needs, as we want them to have the best life possible. That’s why we’re backing this national campaign and take seriously the need for our support workersto spend time to have a chat, share a joke and to make a cuppa with someone. If we are able to brighten someone’s day in the process, then this is a big plus.

Hear from our service users

Graham Rabbitts, who cares for his wife Dairne, alongside support workers provided by us, said: “The companionship from the carers that visit Dairne undoubtedly helps with her self-esteem. Even though we cope quite well most of the time, the existence of regular care would be invaluable if I were to fall ill. We are provided with a reliable service and we get to know the staff as friends.”

Loneliness has been exacerbated by the pandemic

The Mental Health Foundation’s ‘Mental Health in the Pandemic’ research found that loneliness has been exacerbated by the pandemic. It has been a factor in contributing to higher levels of distress, resulting in people’s sense of isolation and reduced ability to connect with others.

Mark Rowland, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, says on www.mentalhealth.org.uk: “Loneliness is affecting more and more of us in the UK and has had a huge impact on our physical and mental health during the pandemic. That is why we have chosen it as our theme for Mental Health Awareness Week 2022.”

If you or a loved-one need support at home, please click here.

If you are interested in becoming a support worker, please head to our job vacancy page to see our latest openings.

It sounds like a title from the CS Lewis series of novels about Narnia, but it’s far from fiction, writes Alison Fisher, our Day Opportunities Manager at Southampton Living Well and Dementia Friends’ Dementia Champion.

There are an incredible 120 types of dementia including Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, and Lewy body dementia. And there are currently around 900,000 people in the UK with dementia according to the Alzheimer’s Society.

Read more here

We have today announced (April 8, 2022) that we will no longer be managing Fenwick Health and Wellbeing Centre in the New Forest.

Despite our best efforts over several years to change the status of ownership of the Centre with the NHS, which owns the building, negotiations have proved unsuccessful.

No longer viable to continue

It is with great sadness, that our Board of Trustees for the SCiA Group have agreed that it is no longer viable to continue managing Fenwick Health and Wellbeing Centre in Lyndhurst and that it does not fall within our future strategy.

The future of the Centre

Any future decisions regarding Fenwick will be made by the owners – the NHS. We are simply handing back responsibility from July 2022. However, it gives us no pleasure in saying that we’re very sadly going to have to give our tenants in the building three months’ notice from today to make alternative arrangements or indeed to discuss their ongoing needs with the NHS. Currently, the majority of the occupants are NHS service providers.

Thank you

We have been managing Fenwick since 2008 and it has been a pleasure working alongside everyone involved in that time, and we have enjoyed supporting our tenants in the delivery of their service or business. We will miss them and wish them all the very best for the future.

We will pass on any news or contact details from the NHS about the future of the building as soon as we have it.

Les marks 20 years as trustee & hands on chairmanship to next generation

Our trustee, Les Judd, who has been with us for 20 years and has been our longest-running chair is passing on the baton to the next generation.

He has vowed to continue as a trustee but has taken a step back from his chairmanship after eight years in the role.

Long service & commitment

Dan Freshwater, our CEO, explains: “We are indebted to Les for his long service and commitment to our charity and are delighted that he’ll be continuing as a trustee with us for the foreseeable future.

“It’s very unusual for someone to be a trustee for so many years and to have held the post of chair for so long too.

“It shows great dedication and enthusiasm for our organisation and our work here in Southampton and Hampshire at a grassroots level in the neediest neighbourhoods and communities. He is our longest serving trustee and chair so far.

Handing over to Edward Hickman

“Les has been with our organisation for two-thirds of its existence having joined when it was known as SCA Community Care Services and then SCA Support Services.

“He now hands over the reins to Edward Hickman who is our new chair. Edward has been a trustee with us for around eight years and has a lot of experience and knowledge. We’re very much looking forward to his chairmanship and are very pleased that we’ll still have Les’ expertise on the board too.

Great deal of responsibility

“Our trustees are accountable for everything we do and take on a great deal of responsibility, legally, for the organisation in an unpaid capacity. Without them, we would not be able to function and support those in our community who vitally need our help.”

Prior to retiring, Les was a manager in the NHS in the area for 38 years and was involved with community care, service planning and commissioning. When the charity was set up, he was aware of the original founder and team, and was asked by them to become involved.

Rewarding role

Les says: “It’s a very rewarding role, especially as I know the sector well from my time at work and can contribute a lot from my experiences and have expertise with regards managing teams. It’s a volunteer role with no payment. It can be challenging and rewarding in equal measure. It’s very important to have a balanced set of trustees on a board with a range of diversity and experience, as the more expertise available the better.

“I enjoy supporting the staff at SCiA, as they all go that extra mile to enhance the lives of those they care for. I am delighted that Edward has taken over my role as the new chair, as it’s important now in the charity’s development for new blood to come in. There are several longstanding board members like Edward and I who can share their experience and knowledge of SCiA. We also have some new trustees who joined us last year.

Different skill sets

“Together those of us who have been around for more than seven or eight years can share our knowledge of the charity with those who have recently joined.

“It’s also great to have new people with different skill sets and perspectives on the board too. Many of the new trustees still have active careers. So, it’s really good to have their input, as they have everyday experience of the working world including the latest technology and law.

“As chairman, your input, time wise, can vary and I always found it beneficial to be as flexible as possible in order to give the management team, as much support as possible. They do an incredible job and often work long hours. So I ensured I was available whenever they needed to contact me for support and as a sounding board. Even though I am no longer chair of the trustees, I will continue to be there for the management team whenever they need me.”

Wellbeing & mental health

In his spare time, Les likes being with his two grandchildren and gardening on his allotment and in his large garden where he particularly enjoys growing runner beans in the summer months.

“Being outdoors and gardening is proven to be good for wellbeing and both physical and mental health, and this became more apparent during the pandemic. SCiA’s services cover these areas through its sister charity Options Wellbeing Trust, so I am well aware of the current demands for assistance in this area. And the waiting list the NHS has. Anxiety has become a major issue.

Care recruitment

“Care recruitment is also an area that we are focusing on, and we want to expand our care team to support even more people in the community. Working in care is a highly skilled job that requires on-going support, resources, and development so that customers have continuity of care. It’s an essential role that improves someone’s life every day and the training and support carers receive with SCiA is second to none.

“Care in the community is also much more cost effective than being looked after in a care home. And better for the people we support, as they are happier and do well at home.”

Following the national charity Gingerbread’s report about the challenges single parents face in gaining and staying in work since the pandemic, we’ve pledged to help.

We offer the sort of help Gingerbread says single parents need so they can re-enter the workplace, including flexible hours around childcare commitments and wellbeing support.

Ricky Rossiter, our Director of Integrated Services at SCA Care, says: “The charity’s Single Parent Employment Challenge report found that between July and September 2021, just 64% of single parents were in employment, compared with 83% of couple parents.

“Gingerbread says that single parents’ reasons for leaving work differed to other groups. These included the challenges of trying to hold down a job and look after a child, or children, on their own and the mental health impacts of the pandemic. Laura Dewar, Policy and Research Lead at Gingerbread, commented: ‘the lack of flexible jobs is preventing far too many single parents after the pandemic.’

“We understand that working and juggling family commitments can be difficult. We already have several single parents working in our teams and have first-hand experience of the issues they face.

“We take mental health and wellbeing very seriously here and offer our frontline carers free wellbeing support through our sister charity Options Wellbeing Trust, which has professional therapists and counsellors on its team who can help with a variety of life issues, including anxiety, trauma, stress, relationships and bereavement. We have trained Mental Health First Aiders and a dedicated, free-ranging Wellbeing Ambassador on our team too.

“We want to address the issues raised in the Gingerbread report and to give anyone looking for work while their children are at school, or in childcare, the chance to consider a career with us.

“We wish to support them, so they have a smooth entry into our sector and re-entry into the workforce. We understand they may have had to leave work during the pandemic for various reasons, as the Gingerbread report states, and are not feeling confident about returning.

“We hope that anyone who feels like this, will see the support we offer and feel more comfortable in applying for one of our roles. No experience is needed as we have a paid, comprehensive training programme to get new starters up to speed.

“We’re hoping that by having policies in place to support single parents, they will be encouraged to re-enter the world of work, as we know they have valuable skills that are greatly needed.”

We’re well able to cope with the number of service users it already assists, but there has been a growing demand in Southampton from those seeking help and we’re keen to provide the support needed, so are looking to recruit 50 new carers this spring.

Returning single parents are encouraged to get in touch with us to find out how they can join the sector and have a role that helps them balance their work and home life.

New recruits are given their birthday off as a paid day’s leave, free uniforms, free training, PPE and all the equipment they need to make their calls. They also receive above average rates of pay, as well as 30 days paid holiday inclusive of bank holidays, paid mileage and payment for any time someone spends travelling to and between calls.

Ricky adds: “No experience is necessary, as we cover all the costs of DBS checks and training for staff who remain with us after their probationary period and pay staff to attend training sessions. We offer new recruits an induction and on-boarding programme, as well as buddying-up with other experienced team members, and we train staff to an industry standard with all employees completing a Care Certificate.

“We also offer flexible working hours, both full and part-time, competitive wages, £10.90-£14.25 per hour, which are due for review at the end of March, plus paid travel time, and a generous holiday allocation, including giving an additional free day for a team member’s birthday. Further details of the current and evening roles we have are here.

“Joining us is a great opportunity for single parents to achieve a recognised qualification and they’ll also be able to access a career pathway, if they wish, through to management. Plus, you’ll be joining a charity, not some large money-making machine, we’re here for those we care for and not-for-profit.”

For further details click here

As part of our ‘Hello Southampton’ service, run with Communicare in Southampton, we’re urging businesses to do their bit for corporate social responsibility.

The service offers regular scheduled phone calls to the isolated and vulnerable people of Southampton and we’re asking businesses to offer their teams to volunteer to take part through their corporate volunteering programmes.

Our Director of integrated services, Ricky Rossiter, said: “Hello Southampton not only offers a chance to help someone reduce that feeling of loneliness, but also offers a vital opportunity to check on someone’s wellbeing and having referred a number of our customers to the service, I can see the impact a service like this has on increasing people’s support network.”

Volunteers are needed to support people who are lonely and isolated through mobility difficulties, learning or physical disabilities, mental health issues or negative social circumstances.

Annie Clewlow, Manager at Communicare, said: “It would take businesses and employers to allow people to take a one-hour slot out of their day where they could check in with people who need support and do their bit for the local community, which is an extremely rewarding thing to do. It would be great to see Directors and Managers getting involved and leading from the front with this too.

“People living alone really benefit from a regular check-in. The idea of the service is to try to step in at a stage when there are minor difficulties, which, if left to progress, could become a major crisis.”

For more information about the Hello Southampton service and to find out how to get involved, please call the Manager at Communicare, Annie Clewlow on 07857 650707 or email manager@communicareinsouthampton.org.uk

Our sister charity Options Wellbeing Trust is urgently searching for 30 Associate Therapists and Practitioners in Southampton to meet demand as mental health referrals go up.

According to 2021 data that has been recently released, mental health services in England received 4.3 million referrals, which is a record number.

Referrals up

Service Manager at Shirley Road-based Options Wellbeing Trust, Claire Trent, says: “COVID has taken its toll. The uncertainty, the worry and the lockdowns have wreaked havoc on wellbeing in England, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

“When it analysed NHS Digital data, it found 3.3 million specific referrals to specialist adult mental health services were made in 2021.

“This is higher than the 2019 pre-pandemic total of 3.7 million. In December 2021 alone, the NHS delivered 1.8 million mental health consultations. And there are still 1.4 million people waiting for treatment, including many in Southampton.

Greater demand for services

“The Royal College of Psychiatrists says the pandemic is the ‘biggest hit to mental health in generations.’

“We’re receiving an uplift in referrals from the NHS and seeing a much greater demand for the services we deliver.

Searching for qualified therapists

“So, we’re searching for qualified therapists or practitioners to join us straightaway to deal with the demand and help those who need support on the NHS waiting lists.

“We understand some individual counsellors may be seeing their private work drying up. But we’re receiving a lot of referrals from our partners, who work with and for the NHS.

Anxiety, isolation & loneliness

“We cover issues connected with isolation and loneliness. These have worsened due to the restrictions and are now seeping into the phase, post-pandemic, we’re currently moving into.

“Also, as people return to their workplaces without social distancing and masks, leaving home, where they felt safe, and dealing with close contact with colleagues once again, anxiety has increased too.

Relationship breakdowns

“Relationships have suffered in the past two years as well and breakdowns are rising.”

Options Wellbeing Trust is now getting demand for face-to-face and client evening appointments, as people return to a ‘normal’ work life pattern.

Applicants are asked to commit to a minimum of one evening and four hours during the daytime each week.

Benefits

Those who join the charity as an associate will be able to access a whole host of benefits including working in a team.

Contact the team

Trauma, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, relationship, alcohol and gambling issues are all areas that Options Wellbeing Trust is looking for people with experience in.

Anyone who is a qualified practitioner or therapist and registered with a recognised professional body is invited to get in touch. Recognised bodies include BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy), UKCP, CA, ANLP & NCS.

To find out more about this opportunity and a role description, please click here.

We’re increasing travel time pay and mileage rates for our carers in the face of the rising cost of living (March 2022).

Following the Chancellor’s recent spring statement, we’ve also decided to increase all pay to help our workforce with inflation.

Our Director of Integrated Services at SCA Care, Ricky Rossiter says: “We’re acutely aware of the difficulties people are facing as prices continue to rise, therefore the board has agreed to increase travel time pay by 23% and mileage rates by 25%.

“In light of rising costs, we’ve also decided to pay all our carers more. From March 28 our home care staff will be paid, a new basic rate of £10.90 per hour for 9am-5pm, £11.30 per hour for 7am-9am and 5pm-10pm. Anyone who is qualified will receive an extra 50p on these new rates too.

“For weekends, we’re increasing our basic rates of pay to £11.70 per hour and those who are qualified will now receive £12.20. According to Indeed.com the average hourly rate for carers in Southampton is £10.55 per hour, therefore we’re now paying more than average, per hour, to our team members.”

There has been a growing demand in Southampton for care services and although we’re well able to cope with the number of service users we already assist, we’re keen to provide the extra support needed, so we’re looking to recruit 50 new carers this spring.

Ricky continues: “We take the welfare of our carers very seriously and are committed to helping them through the current issues we’re all facing financially, physically and emotionally post-pandemic and Brexit and with the ongoing war in Ukraine.

“As well as these pay rises, we offer our frontline carers free mental health and wellbeing support through our sister charity Options Wellbeing Trust, which has professional therapists and counsellors on its team who can help with a variety of life issues, including anxiety, trauma, stress, relationships and bereavement. We have trained Mental Health First Aiders and a dedicated, free-ranging Wellbeing Ambassador on our team too.”

Our new recruits are given their birthday off as a paid day’s leave, free uniforms, free training, PPE and all the equipment they need to make their calls.

They also receive above average rates of pay, as well as 30 days paid holiday inclusive of bank holidays, paid mileage and payment for any time someone spends travelling to and between calls.

Ricky adds: “No experience is necessary, as we cover all the costs of DBS checks and training for staff who remain with us after their probationary period and pay staff to attend training sessions. We offer new recruits an induction and on-boarding programme, as well as buddying-up with other experienced team members, and we train staff to an industry standard with all employees completing a Care Certificate.

“We also offer flexible working hours, both full and part-time, competitive wages, which go up from March 28 to £10.90-£14.25 per hour, plus paid travel time, and a generous holiday allocation, including giving an additional free day for a team member’s birthday. Further details of the current and evening roles we have are here.

“Our roles offer a great opportunity for anyone looking for a career for life. There’s the chance to achieve a recognised qualification and you’ll also be able to access a career pathway, if they wish, through to management. Plus, you’ll be joining a charity, not some large money-making machine, we’re here for those we care for and not for profit.”

For further details, please call SCA Care on 023 8036 6663 or visit our Care page here.