Social care services at Lime and Sedgemoor in spotlight

THE next phase of a campaign to promote Liverpool City Council's social care services is getting underway.  'The Care to Know Campaign' is designed to raise the profile of adult social services and public health services to help people to stay independent for as long as possible and improve their wellbeing.  Now 2 short films have been produced featuring the Lime Hub in Kensington and Sedgemoor Dementia Support Centre in Norris Green.  Sedgemoor Dementia Support Centre provides a day service for individual's including facilities such as a 4D interactive suite and a sensory garden. The Lime provides day services for people who have a learning or physical disability with facilities such as a hydrotherapy pool and 4D sensory room, as well as a community cafe.  Each of the films showcases the innovative features of both services and through interviews with the staff, service users and carers, highlights the benefits it has brought to their lives.

Cabinet member for adult social care and health, Councillor Roz Gladden, said:- "We want to help people understand what services are available and how they can access them.  We understand that health and social care can also be seen as a maze, with patients and carers finding it difficult to find credible and reliable information and people can be reluctant to ask for help. By raising awareness of what services are on offer for individuals with low and moderate needs that can help people to keep their independence and self manage their health now, will help to prevent people from needing more critical care in the future, which is really important due to the 58% cut in council funding from Central Government."

The films can be found at online and will also be aired on Liverpool TV station Bay TV (Freeview channel 8 and Virgin channel 159) for the next 6 weeks. The campaign website also has further information on the range of care and support services funded by Liverpool Council, Adult Social Services and Public Health.

Self balancing scooter users take note!

OVER the last few years more and more people have been getting use to devices like the infamous Segway "personal transportation device", but they have come on a long way now and the latest evolution of it, called Self Balancing Scooters are being sued the world over. Sadly, with recent surge in sales, thanks to them becoming ever popular among footballers and rap stars, the UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has looked into the use of them, following complaints. The authorities found that under both European and British schemes it is illegal to ride on public roads and also under UK laws, the pavement as well! This is down to the fact they don't meet the requirements to be registered under either the European or British schemes for road legal vehicles. Plus as they are powered vehicles, they are illegal to ride on the pavement, under Section 72 of the Highway Act 1835, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, where the Act does not apply, they are still illegal! The scooters then fall foul, on pavements, under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, but like in other parts of the UK, they can be ridden on private property, but only with the landowner's permission. This has also opened up questions about Mobility Scooters and also insurance for them as well! As although insurance for mobility scooters or power chairs is not a seen as a legal requirement, under a EU Directive it is, as first highlighted back in April 2015, following a EU court case decision. No matter what it is always highly recommended you have insurance even if on private property for any personal transportation devices, including Self Balancing Scooters and Mobility Scooters.