Who can refer? Expand Anyone can refer someone to us. To help generate referrals, we will be working with local health partners, Shropshire Council’s Community Enablement team, voluntary sector organisations in local communities. It is possible for people to self-refer onto the programmes, although we encourage all to check the criteria first to avoid disappointment.
How is the project funded? Expand The project is a pilot, which has been funded by the ‘The Independent Better Care Fund’ through Shropshire Council. Energize are commissioned to deliver the project, working in partnership with a team of professional self-employed instructors. We are funded until February 2020.
What happens after the classes? Expand We will be working with local partners to identify and create a range of classes and activities for people to enjoy ongoing to maintain their activity levels.
How can I encourage someone to attend? Expand Whilst there are many benefits in attending, going to a new class can be intimidating. The classes are designed to be for smaller groups of about 12 people, and have seated and standing options so that everyone can work at their own pace. The instructor will greet them when they arrive and spend some 121 time with them to understand their needs and ensure they have an enjoyable class. You are very welcome to visit a class to see what it is like.
Will I be informed of how a referral I have made is getting on? Expand We will encourage the participant to let you know how they got on at the end of the programme. If an individual drops out of the programme we will do our best to let you know, just in case there is something that we can do to encourage them to attend, or if their health may have declined for any reason.
How do they book on? Expand It is essential that they are invited to attend a class as places are limited. Once we receive the referral form, we will send them a welcoming letter and invite them to the next available class. Depending on their locality, we may need to generate more referrals to establish a new class for them. Referring them will ensure that the instructor has their details and that there is a place for them. Anyone who arrives on the day without an invitation will not be able to take part.
What if they live outside the authority area? Expand Shropshire Council’s Help2change team have subsidised the costs of classes for their residents, or those that are registered with a Shropshire GP. If they live outside of this area, you are still welcome to attend the programme, but the charge will be £5 per session. Telford & Wrekin residents will be charged £5 unless they have a Shropshire authority GP.
What if they can’t come one week? Expand We understand they may not be able to attend every session, but if there is a problem, please let us know. If they don’t attend for 2 sessions the instructor should get in touch, just to check everything is ok.
What do they need to wear or bring? Expand We suggest they wear comfortable clothing that they can move about in and flat footwear. There is no need to buy sports or fitness clothing. All equipment will be provided as part of the session. And they will also be provided with an ‘Otago’ exercise booklet which will help them to complete their exercises at home. There may be an opportunity to purchase an exercise band affordably from the instructor, but they can buy these on the internet / local shops as well, just check what the best strength of the band is.
What are the classes like? Expand Our partner organisation in Worcestershire runs a similar project and has created a helpful video which will show you what the classes look like and also shares some of the feedback from the participants themselves. Please click HERE to see their video (although please note the end contact details are not for Shropshire). Referrers are very welcome to come along free of charge to view a session and meet the instructor, just let us know you’re popping along. The classes are approximately 50 minutes, with a bit of time at the end for refreshments and social time. Classes can be delivered as a seated or standing exercise and we aim to progress each participant over the weeks to be more mobile. At the start of the class, we will complete some very basic skills with them to check their mobility. These are very simple, e.g. the amount of time they take to walk to a chair and back. The skills will be completed at the end of the programme to see how they’re getting on, to help us suggest the next steps.
What can the participant expect? Expand Depending on if there is a class ready for them to start, we will write to them, either with a class invitation letter, or a welcome letter to let them know they have been referred. If they are one of the first to join the class, their first session will be an assessment and the class will start the next week. If the class has already started, they will ‘roll in’, and will arrive early to be assessed and then join in with the class.
Where are the classes happening? Expand We are prioritising community delivery in the market towns. We will set up classes where there are enough referrals in more rural areas, but we will require support from the local community to enable this to happen successfully. The classes are progressive so there is a set period of time that you can refer in. Therefore, we are not sharing details of individual classes online. You are very welcome to contact us to see what is happening in your area, but we are keen to encourage all referrals and shape delivery in relation to local demand. The classes will take place in the local community and this could be in a local village hall, a community or leisure centre. We will ensure all facilities are easy to access.
What if they decide to drop out? Expand Whilst we hope they feel the benefits, we understand that sometimes other aspects of life take over. We would really appreciate you / them letting us know if they are no longer able to attend the sessions, so someone else can benefit from their place. You / they are welcome to get in touch if you wish to start again at another time, although it is likely they will need a new referral. If there is any feedback as to why they dropped out, please contact us.
Is there any transport available? Expand We appreciate that living in such a rural county, it can be hard to access these opportunities. We are doing our best to create sessions in more rural areas, but will focus on market towns with better transport links. Whilst we cannot provide or fund transport for participants, we will establish links with local community transport buses and where possible, we will try to arrange the sessions when these buses are available. We will provide the contact for this for the participant to make contact with them when we send their invitation (if it is available).
How much will the classes cost? Expand The classes cost £3 per session, and are ‘pay as you go’, which means the participant will pay the instructor weekly as they attend and sign the register on arrival. There also will be light refreshments provided and if you they choose to, they can make a donation. All of the income will be invested back into the project to enable more classes to take place. The cost of the sessions has been subsidised by funding from Shropshire council for residents who live in the Shropshire Council area. If the participant progresses to other activities following completion of the course, these costs may vary, although we will also encourage free activities such as walking and home exercise.
How many classes will they need to attend? Expand The programmes last around 20 weeks, but this may be longer depending on what else is available in their area. we hope to create a rolling class model for areas that are popular. We encourage them to attend as many classes as they can, but appreciate this is not always possible.
How are the instructors qualified and safe? Expand We have recruited a team of instructors who are highly experienced in delivery activity and most importantly, enthusiastic about working with adults and mature populations. All of the instructors have completed a intensive seven month training course and are qualified in ‘Postural Stability Instruction’, a level 4 qualification, delivered by Later Life Training. This qualification is the first and only evidenced and accredited qualification in the UK. The instructors who are delivering the classes on a self-employed basis, are trained in first aid and we have provided a bespoke safeguarding training course in partnership with Shropshire Partners in Care. All instructors will complete risk assessments and have public liability insurance.
How active / able do I need to be? Am I suitable? Expand We are funded to work with people over 60 to improve strength, balance and coordination. The classes can be delivered in both a seated and standing position. We aim to progress you through the weeks and start off with a few simple practical assessments so that we can ensure the class is delivered at the right pace for you. Inclusion criteria You should answer ‘yes’ to the following. Are you: Able to understand instruction and communication? Able to travel to take part in activity in the community? Able to take part in seated and standing activity without 121 support? The classes are designed to be delivered in a group setting and whilst we understand participants may have a variety of needs, if you are deemed as needing more 121 support due to an advanced condition e.g. dementia, unfortunately these classes are not appropriate for you. This decision will be made by the instructor. If we are aware of a more suitable service, we will signpost you accordingly (with your permission). For those who are fortunate enough to be deemed too able / active to benefit from the sessions, we will do our best to identify alternative opportunities to attend. We are in the process of creating a list of activities across Shropshire, and there are other organisations locally who can help.
How can we get in touch? Expand Here are our contact details: Email: [email protected] Call: 07852 871589 or 01743 297191 Address: Elevate, Energize STW, Guildhall, Frankwell Quay, Shrewsbury SY3 8HQ
How is personal information being kept? Expand We are committed to ensuring that your personal information is safe. Please see our Privacy Policy for further information.
How much will the classes cost for participants? Expand The classes cost £3 per session, and are ‘pay as you go’, which means you will pay the instructor weekly as you attend and you will sign the register when you arrive. There also will be light refreshments provided and if you choose to, you can make a donation. All of the income will be invested back into the project to enable more classes to take place. The cost of the sessions has been subsidised by funding from Shropshire council for residents who live in the Shropshire Council area. If you progress to other activities following completion of the course, these costs may vary, although we will also encourage free activities such as walking and home exercise.
What are the classes like? Expand You are more than welcome to come along free of charge and watch a session and meet an instructor, just let us know you’re popping along. At the start of the class, we will complete some very simple skills with you to check your mobility, these are very simple, e.g. the amount of time you take to walk to a chair and back. The skills will be completed at the end of the programme to see how you’re getting on, to help us suggest the next step for you. Classes can be delivered as a seated or standing exercise and we aim to progress you over the weeks to be more mobile. Our partner organisation runs a similar class and has created a video which will give you an idea of what the classes will look like and also shares some of the feedback from the participants themselves. Please click HERE to see the video.
How many classes will I attend? Expand Most classes will take place for about 20 weeks, but this could vary depending on local need. We hope to develop ‘rolling’ classes that continuously run in busier areas to avoid waiting times.