ASSOCIATION OF DIRECTORS OF ADULT SOCIAL SERVICES

DATE: FRIDAY JULY 27, 2007

EMBARGO: IMMEDIATE

Care staff praised for their `resilient' response to the flood challenges

SOCIAL CARE STAFF across a swathe of southern England were praised today for the `tremendous resilience' they have shown in caring for older people, families and communities struggling against the impact of the recent floods.

Anne Williams, President of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, said how deeply impressed she had been by evidence from all over the affected regions, of adult social services departments liaising directly with private care home providers, voluntary agencies and police, fire and other services.

“They have helped ensure that temporary refuges have been set up; water distributed and dry clothes and blankets made available for everyone - but especially for the more vulnerable members of our communities," she said.

She particularly praised staff and managers in private care and nursing homes who, with local authority help, had made sure that the lives of their elderly residents had been shielded against the worst effects of the flood. In some areas homes have had to be totally evacuated: elsewhere staff have coped “magnificently” with the heating, fuel, food, water and sanitation difficulties which have arisen.

She praised, too, her own colleague directors for the leadership they have displayed: in one case one director had to decamp entirely from her stricken social services HQ and coordinate services from the local fire headquarters.

"As the weeks pass there will emerge countless stories of a very special, quiet heroism displayed by the people of these ravaged communities, and of the care staff and volunteers who have so selflessly worked to ameliorate their discomfort," she said.

Ms Williams said there are many fine examples of social care departments rising to the challenges, including:

Oxfordshire: the Kassam Stadium (the ground of Oxford United Football Club) was utilised by local social services to provide support to up to 70 people, most of whom are older people. The local authority also provided some support to rest centres operating in West Oxfordshire district council, and moved a number of people from residential and nursing homes which had to be evacuated either to a rest centre or - in most cases - to other homes.

Some 250 residents have had to be moved. Oxfordshire's director for social and community services John Jackson said “staff responded wonderfully despite many being affected by the flooding personally. We have continued to provide home support to our users and to run all our day centres and supported living schemes - although one of our day centres for older people has had to be relocated temporarily due to flooding.”

Gloucestershire: Director Margaret Sheather had to be evacuated from her office following a loss of a water supply and, for a while, electricity. The department has responded successfully to the needs of a number of vulnerable people in the affected areas, Ms Sheather said. "Great resilience has been shown by the independent sector homes providers and domiciliary care workers who are managing to keep services going despite, in some cases, having no water or electricity.

"Electricity supplies are now back to normal and our big issue for the remaining period while the water is off, is sanitation. We share a list of vulnerable people with the NHS and are delivering water supplies direct to their homes through the Red Cross, the military and volunteers as appropriate. We also have a well-publicised help line that people can ring if they are unable to get their supplies themselves,” she said.

Swindon: The independent sector were helped in the same way as were local home care staff, while care and district nursing staff were supported in finding their way through the flooded areas. The borough was also involved in finding overnight placements for older and disabled people while their homes were being dried out. This was fully coordinated with the police service.

According to Caroline Fowles, group director of housing and social care and PCT chief executive, “when our flood waters began to subside we also stood ready to help with other authorities’ evacuation plans - checking vacancies in local NHS facilities, getting extra beds into our own care homes, and preparing to support other councils` emergency evacuation plans with disabled vehicles and so on.

“The fact that our care and nursing staff are in joint teams meant communication lines were slicker, with one, single, shared information point for all.”

ADASS President Ms Williams added: “these are examples of what has been going on right across the affected region. There is strong anecdotal evidence that carefully worked out emergency planning routines, at this level, have been entirely successful. But,” she said, “There will be further questions to ask as the waters subside and care staff verify that the people for whom they have responsibility are safe and secure.

“These will be issues for the future. For the present nothing should detract from the achievements of the communities that have been so tested by these recent floods; the mutual help individuals and families have shown to each other; the voluntary agencies and their staff and volunteers, and our own adult social care staff and managers all of whom have helped so much to protect our vulnerable neighbours.”

 ENDS

For further information contact:

Anne Williams, ADASS President, 0161 793 2200
John Beer, ADASS Honorary Secretary, 023 8083 2621
Drew Clode, ADASS Policy/Press adviser, 020 8348 5023/07976 837755

Pictures of ADASS officers and individual quoted directors, as well as their contact details, available on request.

The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) represents directors of adults social services in local authorities in England. As well as having statutory responsibilities for the social care of older people and adults with disabilities, ADASS members might also share a number of responsibilities for the provision and/or commissioning of leisure, library, housing, culture and arts services within their councils. ADASS grew out of the Association of Directors of Social services (ADSS) following the division of local authority services for adults and children.