VODG Summer newsletter 2017

Welcome to the VODG Summer newsletter. In this issue find out more about our:

ongoing focus on Brexit, including a resource to support social care organisations,
work to support the sector to stop the over-medication of people with a learning disability and/or autism,
partnership report on co-producing technology,
networks and events, and
what is coming up.

Managing Brexit-related risks and issues

Our Brexit risks and issues register and mitigation plan provides a resource to better inform business strategy and operations as the UK negotiates its exit from the EU.

Read the resource which takes the key risks that are likely to impact on providers and suggests some possible actions to mitigate them. VODG is a member of the Cavendish Coalition, a group of organisations focused on securing sustainable approaches to staffing health and social care following Brexit.

Supporting STOMP

STOMP: Stopping the over-medication of people with a learning...

STOMP is a health campaign to stop the over-use of psychotropic medication to manage people’s behaviour. Long-term use of these medicines puts people at unnecessary risk of a wide range of side effects including weight gain, organ failure and even premature death.In response VODG, NHS England and sector stakeholders have developed the STOMP pledge for social care organisations that support people with a learning disability and/or autism.

To keep informed about the work of STOMP in social care sign up to the STOMP news update via this link.

Harnessing digital solutions

This partnership report with the National Care Forum outlines how health and social care providers can collaborate with people who use services when designing apps, websites and other digital technologies. It recommends how providers can maximise the benefits of such new approaches and is part of our ongoing focus on technology.

Our networks and events

VODG works on behalf of its members to influence and promote positive developments in the sector. We create the conditions that enable providers to collaborate. Our programme of regular networks offers space to explore issues and ideas and new ways of working across a number of professional disciplines. (Read more about our networks here.)

Our annual conference on 13 September (London) is an important date in the VODG calendar for member chief executives and senior directors to come together, hear and debate with sector leaders and parliamentarians and to identify approaches for sector development.

An important focus for VODG this financial year is to support approaches to reducing health inequalities. The first phase of the work is nearing completion as we identify resources and good practice. An event on 17 November (Birmingham) is being held for service managers/registered managers to bring teams together to action plan and share learning about progressive approaches.

VODG events are free for members.

Coming up

Our news pages provide the latest updates on our work. This includes information about our continued lobbying and campaigning, with our partners, such as on the sleep in shifts challenge facing providers.

A national Quality Matters initiative has been co-led by partners from across the adult social care sector. VODG has contributed to the development of quality matters and through the action plan will continue to work across the sector to support improvement.