AN EXPLANATION OF WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO
In 1981 a group of Norfolk Care Home Proprietors and Managers got together for the first time with only one thing common, The Client Group, some ran homes that were private businesses, some were voluntary organisations. This was not the problem, in spite, or even perhaps because of different political and ideological views they met and got on surprisingly well. These people got together for many reasons but one of the main motivations were that they were running homes for people with learning disabilities or people who are recovering from mental illness and that whilst organisations were springing up to offer help and support to people running homes for the elderly, their advice and standards were often inappropriate to our client group.
The Association for Residential Mental Care (ARMC) was founded the main aims being:
To improve the standard of care given to people with a mental health need in the community.
To make possible and encourage discussion, consultation, and co-operation between private and voluntary organisations providing care for people with mental health needs.
To foster consultation and co-operation between private and voluntary sectors and local authorities and other statutory agencies.
To advise and assist members with individual problems and to inform collectively on matters of interest.
To provide opportunities to train staff to the specific client group needs.
A new code of practice was adopted in October 1993 to further improve standard from the original code operative at inception.
ARMC regularly conducts "Social Exchange Lunches" to which guest speakers are invited to talk and answer questions on matters of interest and/or concern to members.
These informal gatherings also give members a chance to sit over a light lunch and discuss any issues that might be a problem to them. There are, of course "Annual General Meetings" and the usual sort of social functions that members would expect from an association such as ARMC
ARMC is represented on the Norfolk Joint Care Partnership, Norfolk's Forum for dealing with community care in years to come. Membership of ARMC automatically provides membership of Norfolk Independent Care Homes (NICH).
ARMC fully supports the training options related to NVQ. (National Vocational Qualifications) and is a member of the Norfolk County Council Training Services.
In line with ARMC's objective of good care practice the Association is affiliated to the Social Care Association, which has enabled us to widen the choice of training packages available to our members, also to obtain a National Voice, and to widen Members access to Greater Expertise in the field of Residential Social Work.
STAFF TRAINING
Increasingly, the necessity of providing appropriate, good quality staff training on all levels has proved difficult and extremely costly to obtain by proprietors and managers of establishment caring for our client group.
In accordance with the expressed wishes of our members we have developed a comprehensive cost effective staff training package based on three levels of expertise, they are:
- Learning to care -Care Assistant Level. Induction training for the newcomers to the caring profession.
- The way ahead - Senior Care Assistant and above.
- Professional Care - Managers and Proprietors.
Full details of our current program are available on request.
VACANCY ADVISORY SERVICE
To help members to achieve maximum publicity of any vacancy that they might have, And to assist agencies in the appropriate placement of clients, ARMC has successfully established a Vacancy Register. To make use of it, members simply provide full details of their vacancy position to the register each month.
Information regarding the register and how to access it is regularly circularised to Social Work Departments, Social Services Contract Units, Hospitals, GP's and various Voluntary Agencies.
ARMC is not "political" in the literal sense. However, in the event of a problem, or situation which might prove detrimental to the interests of our members or their client group, ARMC will if necessary act as a pressure group.
ARMC is not a commercial enterprise it is a Norfolk group run by proprietors and managers who work their own establishments and their time is therefore somewhat limited. All work for the Association is done on a purely voluntary basis and obviously members cannot expect a commercial type service. Indeed members are expected to contribute to the Association function not just to rely on it.
Those who care for people with mental health problems or learning difficulty are a minority and are frequently treated as such. If we are to make a difference to the way things are done to assist our clients in a meaningful way we must speak with one informed voice.
If you decide to join ARMC and are accepted into membership, YOU may help to make a difference.
Further details on joining ARMC and membership application forms can be found here