WELCOME TO CORNWALL
Brandon Trust's Area Director in Cornwall is Lynn Toman Contact: lynn.toman@brandontrust.org |
The Main Brandon Trust office in Cornwall is: Brandon Trust, 19E & F Normandy Way, Walker Lines Industrial Estate, Bodmin, PL31 1RB
Tel: 01208 72142 Fax: 01208 72162 Mobile: 07825928295
The Local Conversation
Brandon Trust is staying local. Although Brandon Trust is developing new services across the South West Region we recognise the importance of providing services and support to people that reflect what is going where they live and work. The following conversation is from Brandon Trust's current annual report and is specific to the Cornwall area.
The Cornwall Conversation
"I like the way staff treat me and I’m feeling better all the time. Getting on with life and not looking back."
Jodie O'Brien left Budock Hospital just before Christmas 2006, Brandon Trust now support her as a tenant in her own home. Gareth Barber and Rachel Roberts are two of Jodie's Support Worker team. Gareth Williams is the Service Co-ordinator for our current Cornwall services. This is a place where really good things happen! Let's talk about it.
Jodie: Moving out of the long-stay hospital has been great. I've got a nice bungalow in a quiet street; I don't need hospital now. I like the way staff treat me and I'm feeling better all the time. Getting on with life and not looking back, that’s important now.
Gareth W: When you tell us those kind of things it makes the rest of us feel privileged to be doing our jobs.
Jodie: It’s true, life has changed big-time for me.
Gareth W: What do you think, Gareth?
Gareth B: I agree; it's been a really special time, being involved in supporting Jodie. Getting to know the new team has been fun too – I think that’s played an important part in how well things have gone.
Rachel: Definitely. Just like Jodie, we’re all individuals with different things to bring to the work we do. I know Jodie really likes that.
Gareth W: One thing about all of this which people sometimes don't realise is that Brandon Trust has been able to give back to Jodie some control over what goes on for her.
Rachel: Yes, being able to play a part in choosing her own team, finding people who she feels comfortable with.
Jodie: I like that.
Gareth W: In my view the way we are working in Cornwall has the potential to be a role model for other parts of the country. Lynn Toman our Area Director says that the commissioners in Cornwall have been brave in not ducking the issue of self directed support. It’s challenging, but exciting too. Jodie getting to know staff, staff getting to know each other and everyone getting to know Brandon Trust! Jodie has settled really well, with staff support she is starting to form her own ‘unique future’.
Rachel: What else is happening, Gareth?
Gareth W: Brandon Trust is expanding in Cornwall, taking on more work with people, not just here in Truro but across the county. We’re also starting up a brand new Local User Forum, similar to the one in Gloucestershire. This is going to give people who are supported by Brandon Trust an opportunity to have their voices heard by management.
Gareth B: It’s important. I suppose it links into the whole idea of being person-centred in the way we do things.
Gareth W: And that’s exactly how it should be. I feel we're working towards a new way of doing things in Cornwall.
Here are some of the questions people have been asking about our work in Cornwall. This is where we reply. As things develop we will be providing you with more information as it becomes available.
Who are the people who are organising things in Cornwall?
Lynn Toman is the Area Director for Cornwall, she is leading on developing new services for Brandon Trust in Cornwall. She is very keen to meet, listen and talk to people who use services, along with their relatives and advocates. You can also use email, mobiles, land-lines, and we still read and write letters! The more contact we have, the better able we are to understand what people in Cornwall want and are concerned about.
Will Brandon Trust want to change everything when they take over?
We want to ensure that there is consistency and minimum disruption. We will work with people we support, their relatives, advocates and staff on how to best support people to get better lives. No one wants lots of disruption, so we are going to try to make the changes are as smooth as possible for tenants in the homes. We're going to ensure that tenants get the support they require and the best way to achieve this is to offer the right support to our staff. Brandon Trust's Training Team has won national awards; we will be making sure there are good learning and development opportunities for staff. All services in Brandon Trust seek to make continuous improvements. One way of doing this is by using person centred plans for the people we support; we want people to have fulfilling lives and the chance of further independence for everyone we support.
Will Brandon Trust make people work in lots of different homes?
Each person we employ will be based in one team in one location and will develop their role in response to what the people we support want and need. We do want all staff to be available to support colleagues when there is a crisis in the same way as they would expect support if their team needed it.
Will Brandon Trust be taking on Relief Bank Staff in Cornwall?
Brandon Trust will be developing a relief staff 'bank' in Cornwall. This will be important to make sure that we can cover absences and leave. We will be holding a relief staff recruitment event in September. If you currently work in Supporting Living we will be pleased to meet you. For details of our bank staff terms and conditions and an application form please contact Di Abrahams (Brandon Trust: Human Resources Tel. 0117 9077200).
What is Brandon Trust's approach to TUPE?
Over the last 12 years Brandon Trust has transferred approximately 1200 staff under TUPE legislation; we have a great deal of experience of the process. In addition to our work in Cornwall, we have also transferred staff from an NHS Partnership Trust in Gloucestershire; 300 staff on Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions were welcomed to Brandon Trust. You can have confidence that we are used to coordinating Agenda for Change conditions for staff as well as the Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF).
Will Brandon Trust work anywhere in Cornwall?
Yes. We cannot do everything at once but we are working on how that might be possible!
Brandon Trust's vision for services in Cornwall
The Brandon Trust mission statement is, 'Supporting and enabling people to live the lives theychoose.' It is this simple yet powerful objective which we want to bring to Cornwall. Our vision for people we support is that they have the chance to lead fulfilling lives. Our vision for the people we employ is that they get quality support, enjoy their work and are passionate about supporting other people in the community.
As part of our five year strategy, Unique Futures, we are working hard to develop better support for people; this includes the development of more Supported Living opportunities. Brandon Trust is committed to running Supported Living Services in line with the REACH standards which make sure that people get the choices and rights they are entitled to.
You can find out more about the strategy by downloading the Unique Futures booklet here (just click on the thumbnail).
Brandon Trust's strategy is to develop services across the South West of England. We believe that a strong regional presence will be the best way to ensure that we remain responsive to local people while at the same time growing large enough to influence the national agenda. We believe in stability, professionalism and positive creative partnerships. This strategy involves our growth in Cornwall. We now have our main Cornwall office based in Bodmin. This will be the main hub of our senior management activity in Cornwall but we will be gradually establishing 'patch' based offices in order to keep things local. 
This advertisement appeared in the Cornish Guardian. Brandon Trust is committed to involving the people we support in a dialogue with management. One way we achieve this is by having regional Local User Forums. Jo Mulkerrin successfully applied to become an independent facilitator for our Cornwall Local User Forum. It is important that these meetings are facilitated independently and that is why Jo is doing this job for us. Representatives from the Cornwall Forum, along with Jo Mulkerrin, met Lucy Hurst-Brown (Chief Executive) and other senior management in October. More meetings will follow.
Brandon Trust's portfolio of support services has grown significantly in Cornwall. We have successfully tendered for over twenty Supported Living Services, from Redruth to Newquay to Truro, as well as undertaking extensive work on an individual basis, supporting people in their own homes.
