WEDNESDAY 20 APRIL - The Deputy Prime Minister drops in for a chat and some Somerset Care fun

Calway House in Taunton was delighted to host a visit today by the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, accompanied by Taunton MP Jeremy Browne. Jeremy wanted to show the DPM the most impressive Care Home in his constituency and to give him a chance to experience care services in Somerset at their best. The DPM spent an hour with residents and staff canvassing their opinions and enjoying coffee and laughter in the garden.


The laughter was largely prompted by our own resident comedian, Day Care Co-ordinator Gerri Perkins. While in another conversation Mr Clegg was distracted by riotous laughter amongst a group that included Jeremy.

Upon asking about it's cause Gerri stood up and said "Mr Clegg, I want to make a complaint!". "Oh dear" thought the DPM, "What now?"

"I have been trying to 'poke' Jeremy (on Facebook) but he never 'pokes' me back! What are you going to do about it?". The DPM undertook to address the issue as a matter of priority!


Well done Gerri! You do realise of course that the Honourable Member for Taunton Deane is also Minister of State at the Foreign Office. A Government "Grand Fromage"! Keep 'poking'!

Well done to everyone at Calway for showing off our service to the VIPs at it's very best.

Location:Taunton

TUESDAY 19 APRIL - Out and about

As England basks in beautiful spring weather and with the prospect of our unseasonal mini heat wave extending over the Easter weekend it is definitely time for the Chief Executive to get out of the office. So today I made the most of the opportunity of the cancellation of a meeting that would have taken me to the National Audit Office in London to get out into the Somerset countryside. The landscape is looking spectacular right now with the striking yellow of oil seed rape fields in bloom. Our local cider orchards, about to burst into flower, are providing restful shade for large numbers of young lambs. This is a wonderful time of year.

In our homes there is much activity underway to prepare for Easter and there seems to be some excitement building about a certain wedding due to take place next week. The party preparations for wedding day are in full swing in all our homes.

It was a pleasure to pay a visit to Burnworthy in South Petherton for a chat with our Manager Karen Roberts, some of our residents and members of the staff team. The home was looking bright and very well presented with the gardens looking great in the spring sunshine. There are currently no vacancies but there were two couples visiting while I was there hoping to identify residential places for elderly relatives. It seems that demand for places is as high as ever.

Burnworthy is a typical Somerset Care home that enjoys the strongest of links with it's local community and I was interested to hear from Karen of the contacts she and her staff have with local school and youth groups. We discussed how we want our homes to be seen as focal hubs of community activity. My thanks to Karen and the team for a delightful visit. I hope everyone enjoys the festivities of the coming days.

Location:South Petherton

TUESDAY 12 APRIL - A fond farewell and best wishes to Jackie Porter

Along with our Chairman, Barrie Dale, it was a pleasure to be able to participate in a most enjoyable retirement party on Tuesday at our Somerset Care At Home offices in Taunton. We were marking the retirement, after 29 years service to Somerset community services and to Somerset Care, of Jackie Porter.


Jackie has given outstandingly loyal service over these many years in many capacities and most recently as our Administrator at the Taunton office. We are sorry to see her go but we wish her a long and happy retirement as she fulfils her dream of spending many happy weeks with her husband and family at her caravan bolt hole beside the sea at Newquay.


Many of Jackie's friends and colleagues past and present were on hand to thank her for her service and to give her our very best wishes for the future. We will miss you Jackie. Take care, keep in touch, and enjoy all the pleasure of active retirement!

Location:Taunton

TUESDAY 12 APRIL - Launch of "THINK LOCAL ACT PERSONAL"

My first engagement on return from my sabbatical trip last week was to attend the inaugural meeting and launch in London of the Think Local Act Personal Partnership. This is a major initiative for the social care sector within which over 30 national organisations representing the broad interest in personalisation and community based support have committed to working together in partnership to build community capacity, improve practice in the commissioning, provision and use of care services as well as advising and influencing government and other bodies.





The National Care Forum of which I am Chairman is committed to this important new partnership and will be giving it's full support. I am pleased to be representing the NCF on the Partnership group along with NCF Executive Director, Des Kelly.

I would encourage anyone interested in the development of social care to read the Think Local Act Personal document which represents a manifesto for the partnership. It is a good read and it points the way ahead for the development of social care in England. Please take the time to read it, register to receive e-bulletins on the website and give your support to the direction that it indicates for our sector. The document and further resources that support the initiative can be found at www.thinklocalactpersonal.org.uk.

Location:London

TUESDAY 12 APRIL. - Return to Earth

On the day that marks the 50th anniversary of the first manned space flight and the historic mission of the first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on 12 April 1961, it seems a good day to re-enter the blogosphere and report safe landing back to earth after my three week sabbatical trip to Australia and New Zealand and a wonderful two week road trip holiday in California with Anne on the way home.

We actually got back last week on 4th April but it has taken a few days of catching up with all that has been going on while I was away and for my head to catch up with my body before I have started to feel in one piece again after my round the world adventure. It certainly was a memorable experience and probably a once in a lifetime journey. So many sights and sounds and happy memories. The holiday was fantastic. We rented a great convertible...


...and enjoyed a wonderful journey from San Diego in the south, inland to the Borrego Desert and north via Pasadena, LA and Santa Barbara and up the spectacular Route 1 along the Californian coast. Our progress was only interrupted by a road closure on Route 1 where there had been two dramatic landslides a few days previously that closed the road, trapping many travellers between the two slides for several days. This forced us to make a long detour inland, but again through spectacular landscapes.


We visited Hearst Castle, went whale watching at Monterey and ended our holiday with two wonderful days in the great city of San Fancisco.


A fantastic time away but it was good to get home and to stop moving for a while. My journey was somewhat longer than Yuri Gagarin's circumnavigation and every day was filled with interest and enjoyment. A great adventure and I am extremely grateful to Somerset Care for sparing me to take the trip and to the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust for the funding that made my study tours possible. Now I need to let it all settle and write my report.

Location:Taunton