Community Lives Consortium

Relatives Forum

We’re happy to say that the Forum continues to go from strength to strength with 20 Relatives attending our March meeting!

Ainslie Aldron, Contracting Monitoring Officer from the City & County of Swansea Contract and Monitoring Department joined our December meeting to explain her role within the monitoring procedure and how it links in with the service we deliver to your relatives. The discussion was very informative with lots of questions for Ainslie and some positive comments from relatives who have had involvement with the Monitoring Department in Swansea in the past.

If you would like to talk to Ainslie or her colleague Chris Scullion about any concerns you may have in relation to the care and support offered to your relative by The Consortium, their address and telephone number are as follows:

City and County of Swansea, Commissioning Support Unit,
Oldway Centre (4th Floor)
36, Orchard Street
Swansea
SA1 5LD
Telephone number 01792 637220

Ainslie and Chris will also visit relatives in their own home if requested.

Meanwhile, don’t forget that Gary Smith, Care Standards Inspector, can be contacted at CSSIW offices on the Enterprise Park Swansea telephone number 01792 310420 if you have any issues you wish to discuss with him.

The subject of organ transplants and organ donation in relation to someone with autism or other significant learning disabilities was discussed. For example, can they carry a donor card and who would have the final say in an emergency situation?

Since the meeting, Mr Mike Power has sent us some useful information contained in The Mental Capacity Act and subsequent Code of Practice.

The act talks about ‘people who lack capacity’ the ‘inability to make decisions’ and what proof of capacity the Act requires. lt goes on to say that cases involving organ or bone marrow donation by a person who lacks capacity to give consent should be referred to the Court of Protection.

At our March meeting we looked at some of the issues surrounding the Protection of Vulnerable Adults especially in relation to the rights of families and Mike Power gave a short presentation which everyone agreed was very informative and well delivered.

Meanwhile, if you want to raise any issues with the Relative Representatives on The Board, please ring Janice Connick, on 01639 701040 or

Cliff Alden on 01792 424947,

or you can ring

Wendy Evans

or Alice O'Sullivan at the Consortium Office on 01792 646640.

All meetings are held at the Consortium Office in Walter Road between 5pm and 6.30pm. Wendy Evans will be writing to those relatives who have already requested information about the Forum before each meeting so if anyone else would like to be added to the list please give us a ring or just turn up on the day, call Wendy on 01792 646640 or send a letter care of the Consortium Office.