Minister Paul Burstow MP Backs "Clear Plan of Action for the People of Reading"



Today it was a pleasure to welcome Paul Burstow MP - Care Services Minister to Reading. This is the second ministerial visit we have had in recent weeks in support of our local election campaign - following Andrew Stunell MP's visit a few weeks ago.

The Lib Dem team in Reading works hard all year round to improve the lives of local residents so it is nice to get support and recognition for what we do from senior figures within the Party and within Government.

I was particularly pleased Paul Burstow chose to visit us as social care is one of the issues closest to my heart. 

Like me Paul is passionate about this area of policy- in particular improving the lives of vulnerable people and championing the rights of carers - the unsung heroes in our community.Thanks to the hard work done by Paul Burstow and his team improving care and support for carers and vulnerable people is right at the heart of national government policy and The Coalition Agreement.

I have got to know Paul quite well as he holds regular conference calls with councillors so he can keep us up to speed with issues in Government and so more importantly we can feed key issues and concerns back to him.

I had been badgering Paul to come and visit us for a while. He has had a good excuse having been very busy leading the Coalition Government's health and social care agenda for the Lib Dems.

Paul Burstow came to Reading to help us launch our Local Election Manifesto: "Six to Fix".

This is focussed around 6 broad themes:

1. Cut waste, protect services and keep taxes low.
2. Protect services to the vulnerable.
3. A cleaner and greener Reading.
4. Cutting crime in Reading.
5. Giving children and young people the best start in life.
6. Better housing and decent neighbourhoods for all.

I sent Paul a copy of our manifesto before he arrived and he told me:

 'It looks like a solid record of delivery and clear plan of action for the people of Reading."

Paul was a councillor in Sutton for a number of years before he became an MP and has visited many councils up and down the country so I really respect his opinion.

 I talked to him about the work I have led to transform adult social care in Reading to make it fairer and more sustainable. We also talked at length about the work we have been doing in Reading to help improve the lives of carers.

Cllr Kirsten Bayes talked to Paul about the work she has led to balance the Council's budget whilst protecting vital services - no easy task.

After the manifesto launch in Forbury Gardens we took Paul to meet a couple who live in West Reading who have benefited from Direct Payments. She is a full-time carer to her husband who suffered from a Stroke a few years ago.

Direct Payments enable carers and the people they care for to choose what they spend their personal budget on. The Coalition Government is looking to extend this to a wider range of people in the future. 

I have got to know this lovely couple through my work as Lead Councillor for Community Care in Reading. I went to meet them a few of weeks ago to learn first hand about their experiences with self-directed support to help inform my decisions around social care in Reading.

I was very keen to see how they were doing and introduce them to Paul who I know cares deeply about these issues. 

Paul listened intently to what they had to say and talked about the Government's desire to promote choice and independence for people through the reforms he is leading on social care.

Speaking to the residents afterwards they said they enjoyed meeting Paul and really liked his informal style. He really knows his stuff so it was great to hear what he had to say.

I also picked up a few pointers from the visit about how we can make life easier for carers around planning respite care. I will be taking these issues up with Council officers to see what we can do to help carers.

Paul seemed very impressed by what he saw in Reading today and has promised to return to see the work we are doing again soon.

Caring for carers in Reading

A couple of weeks ago I was privileged to attend the launch of the new Action Plan for carers in Reading, as part of national Carer's Rights Day. This plan details real commitments to carers made by Reading Borough Council, NHS Berkshire West, the Princess Royal Trust Carers' Service, Crossroads and JobCentrePlus. It has been developed by members of the Reading Carers Steering Group which includes local carers and it is an excellent example of co-production.  It calls on local agencies to do more to support carers and help carers live happier, healthier lives.
I never cease to be amazed by the work done by thousands of selfless carers in our community.
The Council estimates there are around 11,000 carers in Reading - across all age ranges and backgrounds.The Council recently surveyed local carers. The survey revealed that more than 2,000 people spend more than 50 hours a week caring for someone close to them. More than 900 carers responded to the consultation and told the Council about their priorities. They said they wanted short respite breaks, access to on-call emergency assistance, advice in looking after their own health and general well-being, and to ensure new and existing carers had access to information and guidance on support and services.
 It is now up to the Council and other local agencies to listen to local carers and do more to ensure the support they need is available in the community. As I explained a couple of weeks ago our plans to transform community care in Reading (currently out to public consultation) include plans to improve the support available carers, as well as promoting the independence of carers via  direct payments and personal budgets.
We really do owe our local carers a debt of gratitude for the work they do week in, week out, which is why I am pleased that nationally the Coalition has placed carers at the heart of it's plans to improve social care services. I am particularly pleased that the Lib Dem manifesto commitment to provide guaranteed respite care for carers is now being implemented in government by Lib Dem Minister, Paul Burstow MP. This commitment to providing more support to carers was underlined recently when the Coalition published it's Vision for Social Care.
If you or a member of your family live in Reading and have caring responsibilities please visit the dedicated carers page on the Council's website which sets out the services which are there to help support you.
Finally, don't take my word for it - watch this video clip to see Paul Burstow MP talking about his committment to carers:

Government will deliver on commitment to extend "Talking Therapies"

On Monday, in a speech Lib Dem Care Services Minister Paul Burstow announced plans to make psychological therapies available to more people suffering mental health problems via the NHS. This is very welcome news indeed - particularly when we know that one in six people are likely to suffer from a mental illness and an estimated one in four people out of work claiming incapacity benefit are experiencing mental health problems. In his speech, Paul Burstow referred to his recent visit to an innovative "Talking Therapies" service at Shinfield Health Centre, within our local PCT area, Berkshire West, earlier this year .

Mr Burstow said:

"I had the pleasure of meeting some of your professional colleagues at a centre in Reading a few months ago.

I spoke to the service users, learnt about how these therapies had changed their lives, transformed their confidence, their outlook, their aspirations for the future.
There was a time when diagnosis of a mental health problem was the end as far as work goes. IAPT is changing that. Everyone I met there had had their lives turned round by the services they received.
One lady had suffered a serious physical illness and had to leave her job. Going in and out of hospital, and then being stuck at home, she became depressed and withdrawn.
And so when she’d recovered her physical health, she was paralysed with fear and anxiety and couldn’t return to work.
Therapy made all the difference. She regained her confidence, she eased herself back to work, she got back to her normal self.'

We are very lucky in Reading to have such an innovative service so close by.  And the results achieved for patients at the Shinfield Health Centre speak for themselves.  The Berkshire West plan was by March 2011 to get 106 people off benefits and back to work (either returning from sickness or into new employment). The service has surpassed this plan and, to date, has enabled 140 to move off sick pay and benefits since January 2009.  Leaving aside the benefits to them financially the benefits to their quality of life is hard to quantify but even more important.

The service has also exceeded planned numbers of people entering therapy and puts Berkshire West Talking Therapies among the top national IAPT services.
Last December, as the then Chair of the Reading's Health Scrutiny Panel I requested a report on this innovative programme being carried out in our area. The Panel noted that, as well as the obvious benefits to patients’ health and wellbeing, the service could also have benefits to the economy if it kept people in work. We recommended that the programme (which was being piloted by the then Labour government) be continued and extended.

I'm delighted that nationally the services being carried out by health professionals in the Reading area are being recognised and am hopeful they will be extended to enable more local people to benefit from them.

So what will the government do now to ensure this excellent work continues and more people benefit? Back to Paul Burstow's speech:

"First, we need to complete the existing training programme.


Two-thirds of the country already covered.


By the end of this financial year, 3,700 newly trained staff will be on board.


We will then go much further.

The funding we’re releasing from the Spending Review will mean that by 2015, every patient in the country should be able to get timely access to proven psychological therapies.
And, wherever possible, they should have real choice of approved therapies.
At the moment, IAPT is a little too much like Henry Ford’s business philosophy … you can have any therapy as long as it’s CBT.
To be fair, it wasn’t a bad model to get us on the road. But we do need to diversify. To open the door for other, equally effective therapies to help people with different needs.
So we’ll invest the money and work with the local NHS to upskill staff across four other NICE-approved therapies:-
- In counselling
- interpersonal therapy
- brief dynamic therapy; and
- couples therapy
Something the last government promised 12 months ago. We’ll actually deliver it."

You can read Paul Burstow's excellent speech in full here.

The government's strategy on mental health is expected in coming weeks. I am very encouraged by other public comments Paul Burstow has made on this issue so far which suggests that treating poor mental health will finally be seen as important as tackling other forms of ill-health.
As I blogged in April I am fully commited to doing everything I can to campaign for more support for people with mental health problems in Reading. This was a key plank of the Lib Dem general election manifesto in 2010 and included in the Coalition Agreement signed by Lib Dems and Conservatives.
I am very pleased to see the Coalition Government sticking to promises it has made in this regard and putting it's money where it's mouth is in relation to mental health.