WEDNESDAY 10 NOVEMBER - Easy PC and ATD at RCPA

Another day - another conference! Last week it was global, earlier this week it was national and today, arguably the most important, it was local. It was great to see so many of our Somerset managers at the Somerset Registered Care Providers Association (RCPA) Annual Seminar, held this year at the splendid New Pavilion at the Somerset County Cricket Ground in Taunton. An excellent venue.


This was another very good event that was expertly chaired by RCPA Chairman, our very own Alyson Martin. The agenda was focussed on matters of direct interest to the care provider community of Somerset. The morning session included updates on employment law, where there are important new changes for us to watch out for as a result of the Equality Act 2010 (more nice work for lawyers!), on the imminent introduction of the new Qualification Credit Framework (QCF), on the national social care landscape from Des Kelly of the NCF, and on care for people with dementia. In the afternoon session we had updates on the excellent Somerset "Delivering Choice" end of life care programme and on the new complexities of the CQC regulatory regime. More details and contacts for information via the RCPA website at www.rcpa.org.uk.

Our own Acacia Training and Development was a key sponsor of the event and was prominent with an excellent display in the exhibition area.


Our stand was being manned this morning by our colleagues (l to r) Jane Taylor, Mandy Bridge and Pip Tissington. For more on Acacia Training go to www.acacia.ac.uk.

A further important innovation on display at the exhibition was our newly launched Easy PC product, developed and brought to market by our Care Technologist Jason Shaw, and designed as an easy to use customisable domestic PC for older and disabled people to use either in care homes or in their own homes.


This is a tremendous step forward for Somerset Care and Jason deserves our congratulations on a great job in creating the product. He needs help now from managers and staff across the Group to help with marketing and bringing it to the attention of our customers and their families. This should be the perfect Christmas present for families to buy for their elderly relatives. As an entry level product into the care technology market Easy PC is as good as anything I saw in my recent travels in the US where much investment is going into similar developments by large technology corporations such as INTEL.


Now I am conferenced out for a while and, after 3 weeks away, it is good to get back to my desk and to business as usual!

Location:Taunton, Somerset