Chair of Health and Wellbeing Board, Councillor Dickinson, visited the Aln Valley Railway project this week to see first- hand how the community project is helping adults with learning disabilities to shine.

Councillor Dickinson visits Aln Valley Railway community project
17 October 2013

Chair of Health and Wellbeing Board, Councillor Dickinson, visited the Aln Valley Railway project this week to see first- hand how the community project is helping adults with learning disabilities to shine.

Railway themed snacks were dished up at the Aln Valley Railway Café as part of a partnership project with Northumberland County Council learning disability day services. Bright flowers and plants also adorn the flower beds surrounding the café, thanks to the hard work of the Aln Valley Railway volunteers and adults with learning and physical disabilities based at Pottergate Pantry and Pottergate Potting Shed day services run by Northumberland County Council.

The two projects have teamed up to work at The Aln Valley Railway tourist attraction in Alnwick which is being restored by the Aln Valley Railway Group to offer a railway link to Alnmouth to join the East Coast mainline. The original steam engines are being restored at the attraction which was open this summer for visitors to enjoy.

The site received a visit from Councillor Scott Dickinson, Chair of Northumberland’s Health and Wellbeing Board, who was keen to see how this scheme is combining enhancement of the county's tourist attractions with greater inclusion for adults with learning disabilities.

Councillor Scott Dickinson said: “I visited Pottergate earlier in the year and met the people who work at the day service there. Both the Café and gardening projects at the Aln Valley Railway are a great way of giving the clients experience in customer service and working as part of a team on a local project. The project is also helping the Aln Valley Railway to offer a good range of services for visitors.

“This project demonstrates what can be achieved when we work together. It is a good example one of our five key priorities which is ‘supporting people with long term conditions to be more independent’ and is ultimately helping to improve the health of the adults who take part by helping them to have full choice and control over their lives’.”

The Health and Wellbeing Board has been established to improve the health and wellbeing of Northumberland residents and to reduce health inequalities by encouraging better partnership working between organisations involved in buying and providing health services, adult social care and children’s services.

The visits by Councillor Dickinson are part of a rolling programme and will continue throughout the year.

Cllr Dickinson said: “Now that the Health and Wellbeing Board has moved from being in shadow form to fully fledged, I think it is really important that as the chair I come out and visit each service and talk to staff and patients.

Chair of Health and Wellbeing Board visits front line health services
Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board Councillor Scott Dickinson has been out on a series of visits to see first hand how our staff are working to support patients and service users.

The Health and Wellbeing Board is the a statutory body set up to oversee the integration of health and social care services, and wider integration with other public services to support ill and disabled people. It brings together organisations involved in buying and providing health services, adult social care and children’s services

The visits which took place in August have so far been to Wansbeck General Hospital and Blyth Community Hospital.

Cllr Dickinson said: “Now that the Health and Wellbeing Board has moved from being in shadow form to fully fledged, I think it is really important that as the chair I come out and visit each service and talk to staff and patients.
“I’m going to be out and about on more visits in the future because I am determined to make sure that I know how communities feel about their services , what's working and what needs improving. I hope to be able to use these visits to become the ‘voice of the patient’.”
Cllr Dickinson visited Foundry House in Bedlington, Northumberland to meet the contact centre telephone staff for Northumberland Telecare Service, the Single Point of Access, the Out of Hours Nursing Team and the Emergency Duty Team and occupational therapists from the Short Term Support Service. Cllr Dickinson also stopped by to meet the nursing team at the TESA (Treatment, Education, Support and Advice) Unit, Blyth Community Hospital.

Sister Rexie Akwei, team leader at the TESA (Treatment, Education, Support and Advice) Unit, said: “We are a busy unit seeing around 900 patients a month and so it’s great that the chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board has taken the time to come and see how we work and values what we do.”

The rolling programme of visits is ongoing and Cllr Dickinson has also Northumberland County Council day services at Pottergate Centre and Hepscott Park, specialist mental health and learning disability services at Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust and the North East Ambulance Service in August.

Pupils from Grange View First School in Widdrington Station being presented with certificates from Coun Scott Dickinson after completing the Summer Reading Challenge.

Young readers claim their medals

Pupils from Grange View First School in Widdrington Station being presented with certificates from Coun Scott Dickinson after completing the Summer Reading Challenge.

Published on the14 October 2013

Morpeth Herald

YOUNG bookworms have picked up prizes after enjoying a summer of reading.

A record-breaking number of children took part in Northumberland’s Summer Reading Challenge this year to read at least six books during the school holidays.

The scheme, co-ordinated by the Reading Agency, was taken up by 3,657 youngsters aged four to 11, and included games and crafts in libraries.

All of those completing the challenge received a medal and certificate, including several pupils from Grange View First School in Widdrington Station.

County council Policy Board Member for Culture Val Tyler said: “I’d like to congratulate every single child who took part.”