SUMMER 2010
Supporting dignity and independence
What it‟s like to be a
male community carer
Where your money
goes All Seasons‟ role as part of a
Community Interest
Company
Sunshine soups Delicious recipes plus advice
on maintaining blood sugar
levels
Poetry page Poems from an All Seasons
service user
2
CAN YOU RECOMMEND US TO A FRIEND?
IF YOU KNOW OF SOMEONE ELSE WHO CAN
BENEFIT FROM OUR TOP RATED SERVICE
PLEASE LET THEM KNOW ABOUT US
THANK YOU
FOR CHOOSING
ALL SEASONS
3
W
elcome to All Seasons first
quarterly “Choice” magazine.
All Seasons is passionate and
committed to providing quality
tips for the garden (p12), two quick and easy recipes (p15) and your chance to win with a
summer word search (on the back page).
Did you know that we have received the highest possible rating by Care Quality
Commission inspectors? We strive to always provide you with the best possible service and
most suitable care.
We want you to be involved in the design of our service. If you are interested in shaping
the future of All Seasons then please see page 11 for details of how to join a Service User Forum.
This publication is our way of saying thank you for choosing our service and to show we are a
caring company built on integrity and values.
All that‟s left for me to say is that I hope you enjoy the many features of our brand new
publication and fingers crossed for some sunshine and your chosen team‟s performance in the
World Cup, for me it‟s England so, COME ON ENGLAND!
David Stone - Registered Manager
P.S. We would love to hear if you like the new magazine, so please send us your thoughts, plus any
of your stories, tips and ideas - contact details are on the back page.
care to enable you or your loved one to remain at home
for as long as possible.
This magazine will provide you with information on
where your money goes (p8), plus seasonal hints and
4
Christopher Bedford is a 27 year old Care Worker with All Seasons and is currently
one of only a handful of male carers working within the local community.
“The work is very varied and it is
a great feeling knowing I‟ve
helped someone get ready for
their day”
Iconic figures like Florence Nightingale
unwittingly created a long held stereotype that
nursing and care are the exclusive domains of
women. Male community care workers can be
discriminated against. Chris Bedford is an
example of how a male community care worker
is just as equipped for the role as a female. This
view is a surprising form of reverse
discrimination, given that nowadays few would
question the validity of a female doctor or
dentist. A vocational professional should be
assessed by their abilities and performance, not
their gender.
In a recent report, the Royal College of
Physicians suggested that the introduction of a
new genre of staff called „Health Practitioners‟
would address the lack of men coming into the
profession. Currently men account for only
10% of nursing staff and barely 3% of community
care workers, a sign that there is still a strong
stigma attached to men working directly in the
care sector. This is strange considering that
empathy, commitment, patience and a good
sense of humour are the most vital elements
required by an effective care worker and these
characteristics are just as prevalent and
developed in men as they are in women.
At the age of 20, having finished school and not
knowing what he wanted to do next, it is ironic
that Chris was pointed in the direction of social
care by a couple of male friends who were
working in a care home for children with special
needs. They told Chris that the work was
interesting, challenging and very rewarding, so
he decided to find out for himself.
Chris has been a community care worker for 6
years now and much prefers working in the
local community to being in a residential home
environment as “the work is more varied and it
is a great feeling knowing I‟ve helped someone
5
6
What do you think?
Write to us with your opinions and
experiences (contact details on back page).
get ready for their day when they couldn‟t do it
on their own.”
Chris is planning a lifelong career in social care.
Having fully qualified to NVQ level 3, he is now
concentrating on his continued professional
development through direct care work
experience. In a few years‟ time he would like
to move up to co-ordinator level and ultimately
move across into management, knowing that he
has learnt the job from the ground up and is
able to provide understanding, support and
encouragement to his clients and colleagues.
Subsequent to Chris becoming a care worker
his mother was attracted to the job and having
worked her way up from entry level is now the
registered manager of the domiciliary care
facility where Chris originally trained, and his
brother is now also a fully qualified care worker.
Chris is an inspirational care worker who
perfectly illustrates the vital role that men have
to play in providing high quality care to the
community.
7
I Can’t Remember
Just a line to say I‟m living
That I‟m not among the dead
Though I‟m getting more
forgetful
And mixed up in my head
I got used to my arthritis
To my dentures I‟m resigned.
I can manage my bifocals
But God I miss my mind.
But sometimes I can‟t
remember
When I stand at the foot of the
stairs.
If I must go up for something
Or have I just come down from
there?
And before the fridge so often
My poor mind is filled with
doubt
Have I put my food away
Or have I just come to take
some out?
Then there are times when it is
dark
With my night cap on my head
I don‟t know if I‟m retiring
Or just getting out of bed.
So if it‟s my turn to write you
There‟s no need for getting
sore
I may think that I have written
And don‟t want to be a bore.
So, remember that I love you
And wish that you were here
But now it‟s nearly mail time
So I must say good-bye dear.
There I stand beside the
mailbox
With face so very red.
Instead of mailing you my letter
I had opened it instead.
Mrs V James
Thank you to All
Seasons service user
Mrs V James for
providing us with this
thought provoking
poetry.
Please send us your poems
and thoughts and we will try
to publish as many as possible.
8
Where your money goes
All Seasons forms part of
Enterprising Opportunities, a
Community Interest Company
(CIC). A CIC is a type of legal
status created by the
Government in 2005 to
encourage organisations to
operate for the benefit of local
communities rather than
personal profit.
Enterprising Opportunities
provides employment, work
skills and training opportunities
through its operating arms, All
Seasons and Learn to Care, our
in-house training company.
100% of our excess income
is gift-aided to the local
charity Kent Enterprise
Trust (KET) which boasts the
following visions and values:
KET’s vision
“Improving Lives”
KET’s values
“KET is a socially responsible
organisation that supports the
individual”
KET’s mission
“Enabling people to overcome
individual challenges through
training, support and real
opportunities”
Rosie McCartney-Samples,
admin assistant for All Seasons
receiving training from Chris
Abraham, Learn to Care
Maria Cursons with service user Miss Sheila Ayre. Maria is a
Development Manager and Care Ambassador for All Seasons. As
part of her role she promotes careers in Social Care to schools.
Through
using All
Seasons you
are helping to
fund local
community
based projects
9
KET achieves its vision, values
and mission through projects
such as Hambrook Marshes;
Hambrook Marshes is set in
the floodplain of the Great
Stour just outside Canterbury.
It is a site of Special
Conservation Interest and
borders a Local Nature
Reserve.
Hambrook Marshes is
maintained by KET working in
conjunction with over 50
volunteers of varying
horticultural experience and
knowledge, from professional
through to the very
inexperienced. Throughout
the past 12 months the
volunteers have provided over
1000 hours of labour and
support which is very much
appreciated. The general
public, Friends of Hambrook
Marshes and various groups
such as Kent Refugee Action
Network & Kent Council for
Addiction play a key part in the
site‟s management.
Appleseed is another KET
project. It provides a
community based professional
gardening service whilst also
offering training, work
experience and personal
development opportunities to
enable people to overcome
individual challenges in the
work place.
Trainees learn skills in
horticulture while also gaining a
sense of purpose and
confidence.
Volunteers at Hambrook Marshes, a community
resource and an area of biodiversity on the outskirts of
Canterbury. More volunteers are always welcome,
contact Adam on 01227 844476 for further information.
Appleseed volunteer, Nikki Sharp, with his helper Lisa Stock
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Social Care Brokerage
a free service designed to help you
What will a Social Care Broker do?
Get to know you and the life you want to live.
Help you to make choices about the support
you want (but the broker will not make
decisions on your behalf).
Find community resources, services and help
with sourcing equipment.
Work with service agencies to provide the
right help for you.
Help with finding employment, housing
support or further education.
Help you pursue hobbies and interests.
Help you prepare the support plan including
costing, writing and presenting it for approval.
Help you implement your support plan.
This service is free and is available to anybody
who has been offered a personal budget by Kent
Adult Social Services (KASS) following a
community care assessment of their needs and
their financial position.
How can it help me?
It can help you by creating a plan and actions that
enable you to find the best way to use your
personal budget, to help create the kind of life
that you want to lead.
Who can use the service?
call us on 01227 844465
to see how we can assist you
“a little help can
make a big difference”
What is a Social Care Broker?
The Social Care Broker‟s role is to help you
plan any support and changes to your life.
You may choose for the Broker to be
closely involved in preparing and presenting
your support plan for approval.
Alternatively, you may choose for the
Broker to only be involved in part of that
process.
What you want to do needs to be agreed
when the Broker first starts working for you.
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How else can All Seasons
help you?
You are receiving this magazine as you
are already a valued All Seasons service
user. However, you may be interested in
some of the other services we can
provide.
Our wide range of services includes:
Accompaniment to outings, appointments
and social events, e.g. theatre trips, cricket.
Domestic help including shopping, bill
payment and dog walking
Double-handed care packages
Overnight care
Dementia care
Meal preparation
Laundry service
Mentoring
Palliative care
Personal care
Respite care
Some of these services are new to us.
However, our staff have been fully trained to
ensure you continue to receive the highest
possible care. Please discuss any
additional services with head office on
01227 265899.
Service User Group Forum
Your opinions are important to us. You are
the experts and we are here to listen.
Through listening and learning we can shape
the way All Seasons delivers care.
Would you be interested in joining a Forum
Group to strongly influence the way All
Seasons delivers its service? If so we would be
very interested to hear from you as your views
matter and we want to be able to respond to
your needs and wishes.
This is a new initiative and we need as much
help as possible to get this started. Please
register your interest with us and we will
contact you with details of a local group.
For further information or to register your
interest please contact Maria Nicholls on
01227 844495 or e-mail
Help us to help you
12
Challenge Chrissi
Chrissi Martin, KET Co-ordinator
is a wealth of gardening knowledge. It‟s
a bold statement but what she doesn't
know about gardening probably is not
worth knowing.
If you have any questions, need advice
or have been trying to identify a
mystery flower then either call, e-mail
or write in and she will help.
Go on, challenge Chrissi. Contact
details are on the back page.
Summer survival tips for
your garden
For me the most important tip is check round
your garden daily, preferably with a glass of wine
in hand, looking at what‟s growing well and what
needs some attention as the old saying goes “a stitch
in time saves nine”. Then prioritise the “chores” and
relax and enjoy as gardening even with problems
can be fun.
With the warm weather and recent rainfall weed
seedlings are germinating rapidly so hoe them out
now. If you hoe the weeds out now, weeding
becomes less of a chore later in the summer when
you want to relax in the garden.
Hoeing also breaks up the top layer of soil allowing
water to get to the roots quickly but also reduces
water evaporation in drought situations.
Remember to dead head your summer annuals
as this will prolong the flowering season, all the time
you don‟t allow the plant to set seed it will continue
to produce flowers.
Dead heading of Azaleas and Rhododendrons is also
very important as this allows flower bud to develop
for next year.
Try to mow your lawn regularly as it is easier to
mow and less waste to compost in one go also
broad leaf weeds are discouraged with regular
mowing. Even better if you can leave an area to
become a wild meadow you only have to mow that
twice per year.
13
Summer - the
perfect time
to enjoy your
garden
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Add protein whenever you have carbohydrate
to help regulate it. The difference can be
amazing. Here are some suggestions:
If you are having snacks try choosing mixed
seeds or bananas.
If you are having toast, make sure to add a
protein spread to it (peanut butter, cashew
nut butter is good).
Choose a sandwich with a good source of
protein such as chicken, tuna or cheese
salad. And if you want that fibre content
for healthy digestion then wholemeal bread
is a better option. I am not a big fan of
ham as it has empty nutritional content and
often contains a lot of salt and nitrites. In
one country they were even talking about
putting a government health warning on it!!
If you are having cereal, add in seeds,
crushed nuts and/or fruit. So many are
high in sugar too and make you feel even
more hungry a short time after eating it.
Soups complement sandwiches perfectly,
and if you are anything like me, a nice
simple one to make is more appealing than
lots of fine chopping, peeling, sieving, slow
cooking and faffing about!!
On the following page are two soups that
always seem to get the thumbs up, even from
my husband, who vowed he would not eat
vegetarian food especially lentils!!
“Do you get those sugar
highs and lows?
If so you may need to keep an
eye on your carbohydrate and
sugar. Here are some simple
ways of maintaining your blood
sugar levels for longer.”
Sophie Murray is a Project and
Development Manager for
Enterprising Opportunities.
Sophie is in the final stages of
completing a degree in Nutrition.
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Red Pepper and Lime Soup
Ingredients:
3 Red peppers
Lime zest and juice from 2 limes
Tin organic or 1 lb fresh tomatoes
2 crushed garlic cloves garlic
4 chopped spring onions
½ tin haricot beans (optional) – (these are
baked beans without the sauce!)
1 pint chicken or vegetable stock (Gallo organic
is the make I tend to use)
Simply:
1. Shallow fry red pepper in a knob of butter
and a splash of water, with the spring
onion, garlic and fresh tomatoes.
2. When softened after a few minutes, add in
1 pint of stock
3. Simmer for 20 minutes and a few minutes
from the end grate in the lime zest and
squeeze in the juice
4. Use a hand blender until smooth
5. Add in haricot beans
Red Lentil and
Tomato Soup
Ingredients:
(if you are
hesitant about
lentils, these are the small ones that are very
mild – you probably won‟t even taste them)
1 lb tomatoes,
1 cup raw red lentils
1 tsp asofoteida (yellow powder in the spices
section of the supermarket)
½ tsp cumin
1 tsp mustard seeds
4 cloves crushed garlic,
1 lemon
1 large onion
½ marrow (optional)
1 pint water of vegetable stock (Gallo organic)
Simply:
1. Fry the onion in a little butter with a
splash of water and add spices and
garlic.
2. After 3-4 minutes add the tomato and
put a lid on for a few minutes. Add
lentils and stock
3. Cook for 1 ½ hours and squeeze
lemon juice into the mixture
4. Use a hand blender until smooth
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All Seasons
1 The Links, Herne Bay
Kent, CT6 7GQ
01227 265899 www.allseasons.org.uk [email protected]
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