Expert Voices Eastern

Expert Voices Eastern

A Message From Dee Frost, Co-Chair of DPUN


In March of this year I became a member of the board of Expert
Voices Eastern. The terms of how/why/what the group are for, are
listed below. The Group has come together to act as a forum for the
sharing of information and knowledge in relation to training and
work-force Development across the Social Care and Health sectors.

Aims of the Group
(1)
To offer the unique viewpoint of People Who Use Services and Carers in relation to Skills for Care activity.

(2)
To develop a clear identity to enable the group to act as the main point of reference for Skills for Care Eastern in respect of People Who Use Services and Carers consultation on matters relating to Skills for Care Eastern activity.

(3)
To ensure that information is disseminated via members’ networks across the Eastern region.

(4)
To develop, support, guide and influence proposals for workforce development and to encourage creative thinking and initiatives.

(5)
To support Skills for Care Eastern to develop links with existing Users of Services and Carers networks across the board.

The reasons for my decision to be part of this group are as follows:

I believe it to be important that as co-chair of DPUN, elected to represent your views as employers on the training of your P/A’s, to represent the views of DP/PB service users in Essex on workforce development. Also to be a conduit regarding the work of Skills for Care so that we as DPUN and all DP/PB users know and understand what is happening at regional and national level.

DPUN and many of our members have been concerned regarding the issue of training of P/A’s, as they feel it of utmost importance to take into consideration that they feel as individual employers that the majority of training needs to be done on the basis of individuality. The employer / user need to train their own P/A’s to work in the way they need. All people who use/need the help and support of their own P/A and that in the main it is necessary that we train the P/A to work and be of assistance to our individual needs. Although we, as service users agree that universal training on such things as moving and handling, first aid, is of paramount importance.

I wanted to be in a position to be able to put over these points, but also to be able to discuss points like how do we promote working as a P/A or social care in general? And to think of ways that these jobs are thought of as careers (valuable and worthwhile). How can we develop a career path within this work? That does not just impact on the user because career paths often mean that good P/A’s/ social care workers move on from working with us, at grassroots, to being in a managerial position away from actual users of services or individual employers.

For all people who use services especially in the areas concerning Self Directed Support Personal Budgets and Direct Payments, I want to be able to support, guide and influence by telling what it’s really like. Unless people who use services are involved with Skills for Care, it will not be possible for them to do a full and competent job of work. As is said in the terms of reference for EVE They and DPUN need to establish links with each other and with other support organisations especially peer supprted networks across our Eastern region.

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