Frequently Asked Questions about the flu vaccination

Below are answers to some of the frequently asked questions people ask about flu and the flu vaccination.

You can get the flu from a flu jab? False

This myth really caught on over the years. Flu jabs are made with dead viruses or pieces (proteins) from the flu virus. You can’t catch the flu from getting one. Your arm might hurt after the jab. You might have aches or a low fever. But you’d feel a lot worse if you caught the flu.

You can spread the flu before you know you’re sick? True

Here’s one of the tricky things about the flu: You can pass it to someone before you have symptoms, while you’re sick, and up to a week after you start feeling bad. Some people, especially kids and those with weakened immune systems, can be contagious even longer.

The flu isn’t serious? False

Some people get so sick that they need to go to the hospital. They can get pneumonia or even respiratory failure. The flu is most dangerous for children, people ages 65 and older, and those with other health problems. About 90% of people who die from the flu are older adults. Flu is the top cause of vaccine-preventable deaths.

Who should get the flu jab? Everyone

Getting the flu jab is the best way to protect yourself. Everyone 6 months and older should get it every year. It will help guard you against the 3 or 4 strains predicted to strike hard that flu season. Scientists update the vaccine each year. Talk to your doctor if you have any health concerns or questions.

The flu virus changes all the time. True

The flu that’s keeping your partner in bed might not be the same one that made your aunt sick last year. That’s because flu viruses are always changing. They can vary from year to year. They can even change in the middle of a flu season.

Getting a flu vaccine in December is too late? False

Its recommended that people get vaccinated as soon as the vaccine becomes available and that vaccination continue in December, January and beyond. Influenza activity normally peaks in February most years, but disease can occur as late as May.

Government post advising people to get a flu vaccination.

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Photo of Ricky in his shades

From Sofa to Sweden

Ricky is travelling to Sweden in October to embark upon a 50 km Trek, he will be joined by his support team and family.

Since moving into his own home over 2 years ago and being supported by Beyond Limits, Ricky has tried and enjoyed a number of new activities. He regularly goes rock climbing, walking and has recently enjoyed his first festival, Latitude.

Ricky is blind and he previously presented with significant distress because his life was so closed in, since he has started doing more with his time and becoming more active, his distressed behaviour has become a rarity.

Ricky is currently in training for the trek and is gradually increasing the lengths and varying the terrain of his walks. This is a big challenge but Ricky supported by his team and family is doing really well.

Ricky, his support team and family would like to raise money for ‘Blind Sailing’, a registered charity which provides sailing opportunities to Blind and Visually Impaired people with a view to developing sailing and racing skills either just for fun or to take part in National and International Competitions. Maybe sailing will be Ricky’s next adventure!

If you know Ricky, or even if you don’t but you feel inspired by him, please donate by following the link below:

Just Giving logo

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rickythebigcheese

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Gloriously Ordinary Lives

Gloriously Ordinary Lives: Challenging us to see support through a different lens and – using the four tests – consider what would it take for everyone to have Gloriously Ordinary Lives.

The Four Tests for creating Gloriously Ordinary Lives, are not a checklist or a process. The tests are simply a lens through which to view any support we consider for a person or their family.

If you apply the Gloriously Ordinary Lives lens to the support you get or offer – what does it show? What does it tell you? How far from Gloriously Ordinary is it and what would it take to get there?

Gloriously Ordinary Lives launched earlier in October, but it is far from being a new concept for founder, Tricia Nicoll. Tricia has been using the idea of something being ‘gloriously ordinary’ for over 10 years when supporting her two, now adult, kids. Telling people repeatedly that she wanted things for her kids to be ordinary – ‘gloriously ordinary’, she found that this resonated with others too.

Now, Gloriously Ordinary Lives is really coming to life! Tricia is launching a training programme as an introduction to Gloriously Ordinary Lives. Initially, the training will be offered to organisations who offer direct support to people and who are in a strong position to enable people getting Gloriously Ordinary Lives. The training will be offered to people who draw on support or who support someone directly – from families to local councils, and beyond.

After the training, people will:

  • Understand the concept of Gloriously Ordinary Lives
  • Be able to give examples of how the Four Tests work
  • Have some clear plans for how to move towards more Gloriously Ordinary Lives
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Heather’s Midnight Walk for St Lukes

Heather’s Midnight Walk for St Lukes

Heather volunteers at St Luke’s charity shop every Monday, she is an avid fundraiser and wanted to show her support for the work that St Luke’s do and so she decided to take part in the Midnight Walk.

The walk took place on Saturday 21st July 2018 and the theme was neon. There were lots of glow sticks and sparkles. Everyone started at the Piazza on Royal Parade, Plymouth and Heather walked 3 miles and raised £100.00 for St Luke’s Hospice, a charity that supports people with end of life care.

Photo of Heather dancing not walking and having fun.
Heather dancing not walking and having fun.

Heather having fun on the walk

Well Done to our very own Heather and everyone else that took part, its great to give something back to others.

Photo of Heather with her medal for completing the Midnight Walk
Photo of Heather with her medal for completing the Midnight Walk
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Heather’s pasties are a ‘proper job’

Heather really fancied a pasty but with everything closed Heather and her team decided to make their own Gluten Free Pasties.

The photos below show Heather’s pasty making, start to finish.

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How to deal with cold callers

Keeping you safe in your home.

What is a cold caller

A cold caller is someone who comes to your door that you are not expecting. They can be men or women.
They will try to sell you something that you do not want or need.
Cold callers will be polite at first and will seem friendly. They might ask you how you are.
Do not give your personal details out to strangers on your door.
If in doubt keep them out!

Opening your door safely

When someone comes to your door it is important to remember the following things:
Look through a spyhole or window to see who is there.
Hold the bold as you open the door or put a chain across the door before you open it.
Always ask for I.D if you do not know the person.
Do not say you are alone.
Close the door if you are unsure or unhappy.

If cold callers become a worry or nuisance:

You can go into your local police station and show your safe place card.
You can tell your local PCSO.
You can dial 999 if you are threatened or abused.
You can phone 101 if they have left but you are upset.
With thanks to Dawn from the Crownhill Comms Room and Plymouth People First who worked with Devon and Cornwall Police to produce this information.
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Ricky and his team on a training walk.

How we support people

On this page we describe how we keep Beyond Limits support focused on the person we are supporting. How we don’t just talk the talk…

Everyone we support has:

  • their own budget for their support – usually in the form of an Individual Service Fund (ISF) – it’s not mixed in with other people’s money
  • tailor-made support – this means no two support services are the same
  • their own staff team – support staff matched to what they need and are interested in
  • their own home – which they can choose to share with someone else if they want.

Our support is based on careful and detailed individual planning. An overall Individual Service Design (ISD) sets out how we will support someone. A Working Policy (WP) sets out how to respond in difficult times when, for example, the person’s behaviour tells us we’ve got something wrong.

Word pattern graphic

The plan

The Individual Service Design is worked out in a person centred planning meeting with the person, people close to them and professionals. The person must agree who is at the meeting.

The Working Policy is developed mostly by speaking to people who have supported the person previously, finding out about all the issues and challenges the person has presented, reflecting on this and working out what worked and did not work in the past. This leads to a set of policies and staff guidelines that describe in detail how to support the person when things are not so good. All staff are required to work according to the WP, to ensure consistency of support.

Respect

By individualising the services we provide we are immediately treating people with respect and giving them control over how they live their lives. This in itself goes part way to reducing any so called challenging behavior. All behavior is communication, and challenging behaviour is a method people use to tell us they are not happy.

Beyond Limits won’t provide group or shared support unless people with learning difficulties or mental health issues ask for it. In practice this rarely happens. In our experience group services often cause ‘challenging behaviour’.

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Ian makes an Easter cake

Ian and his team made a delicious looking Easter cake for Easter Friday.

Watch the video below to see how he made it. We’ve got a feeling there won’t be any left when the Government’s Social distancing ends.

Ian looks pretty pleased with the finished cake!
Ian sitting at a table with his finished cake on a silver paper tray.

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Ian’s Baba Yaga Circus Skills

We are delighted to able to share Ian’s story with you and to show his progress since his time being supported by Beyond Limits.

Ian has spent the majority of his life in institutional care. Much of this time was to his detriment and he didn’t always receive the care and support he needed. Unfortunately this resulted in a significant decline in Ian’s health and well-being meaning that people, although well-meaning, had very few expectations of Ian and even fewer aspirations for his life.

Since leaving institutional care Ian has been living a fuller life. Below are photos and videos we took when when Ian visited Baba Yaga’s Circus. Baba Yaga is a social enterprise providing accessible, high quality circus for all ages and abilities including specially adapted circus sessions for those with special needs or disabilities.

See more videos on our YouTube channel.

Ian’s a real charmer and he has a great sense of humour, he loves people and likes to spend time chatting. He is a people watcher, affectionate and a little bit cheeky. These are the things we see when we see Ian, we don’t work on a person’s deficits, we look to people’s gifts and talents and support them to be all they can be. We are able to show that with the right support, totally person centred and with a team of people specifically recruited and matched to Ian how a life can be transformed. Ian is proof that everyone has something to offer, everyone can make a contribution and everyone, despite what difficulties they appear to have has a right to be supported in a way that upholds their dignity and respects their individuality.

Ian’s team of staff are dedicated to him and to providing the support and opportunities that have been denied to him in the past, they believe in him and are delighted to share his journey with him. Credit to Ian’s team: Hamish O’Brien, Ryan Burke, Lauren Jenkin, William O’Brien, Georgia Mitchell, David Bray, Amber Smith, Sue Caunter, Paige Kerry, Daniel Southwold and Glenn Bonner.

If you are interested in making a real difference to someone’s life, check out our current vacancies.

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Information about Cuckooing and County Lines

What is Cuckooing?

Cuckooing is when someone you don’t know takes over your home and uses it as a place to sell, supply or store drugs.

What is County Lines?

County Lines is when drug dealers travel to different areas to sell drugs. This includes Devon and Cornwall. They use mobile phones to sell drugs and ‘cuckoo’ taking over people’s homes.

Things to look out for

Someone who stays in your home longer than you want them to. Someone who takes over your home and does what they want in your home.
Someone who threatens or hurts you or someone who invites other people to stay in your home without asking you.
Someone who pays bills for, offers you drugs or gives you gifts or cash or someone who sells, or supplies drugs from your home or stores them in your home. Sometime people even block off your doors so people can’t get in.

What to do to keep safe

Make sure your windows and doors are shut and locked and do not give your door key to anyone.
If someone tries to get in to your home and you don’t feel safe phone the Police on 999. Tell the Police it could be ‘Cuckooing’.
You should also tell your local Police Officer, Housing Officer, Doctor or Drug and Alcohol worker.

Where to get advice or help if you are worried

Talk to your local Police Officer or PCSO
Contact the Devon and Cornwall Victim Care Unit

Visit the Victim Care Unit website

Talk to your Doctor

For information about Drug and alcohol services

Talk to Frank – Honest information about drugs

Talk to Frank website

With thanks to Dawn from the Crownhill Comms Room and Plymouth People First who worked with Devon and Cornwall Police to produce this information.
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Hamish and Ricky and the climbing wall

Inspiring Leaders video

As a new NHS Health Education England web page dedicated to Inspiring leaders in learning disability says, “Strong leadership is vital for the delivery of change needed to achieve the aims of the Transforming Care Programme, and Sir Stephen Bubb highlighted lack of leadership as a contributing factor to the abuse uncovered at Winterbourne View.”

The Inspiring Leader featured in the video above is Hamish from Beyond Limits and the young man he supports.

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Job Fair form

Thanks for taking the time to fill in our application form at a job fair. Having the right staff is crucial for the success of our business.

We have tried to keep the form as short as possible and hope it will be quick and easy for you to complete.

Step 1 of 6
I consent to Beyond Limits keeping my details such as my application form and email address on their candidate database for a period of 12 months from their last contact with me about this vacancy, to inform me of other positions within the organisation that I may be suitable for.

 

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Photo of John McBride, second from the left, receiving the Radio Plymouth Carer of the Year Award in June 2017.

John McBride wins the Plymouth Carer of the Year Award.

Above: John McBride, second from the left, receives the Radio Plymouth Carer of the Year Award from Beyond Limits Director, Doreen Kelly, June 2017.

Radio Plymouth panelSponsored by Radio Plymouth and Beyond Limits, the Carer of the Year Award is an annual opportunity to recognise people who go the extra mile caring for someone. Nominations are made by family members, neighbours and professionals and voted for by the public.

Below is the nomination from John’s son.

I admire my dad more than anyone. He has been a carer for his son for thirty years, helping him to get along at school and has cooked, cleaned, went shopping for him etc. He has also been a carer for his wife for the last twenty years.

Giving up his dream job my dad has never had a day off in twenty years. As a father to four children he had to take them to school and help with homework, go shopping etc, as well as provide 24/7 care for his wife. She cannot be alone at any time and so this means he doesn’t get any alone time till night time, even then he has to be on alert, he has to plug in her machine to help her breathe. He then sleeps downstairs in his own bed as she is like a child now.

He has to walk her to the bus, catch the bus with her and take her to her group she attends with other people who have mental health issues and disabilities. He then sits with her so she doesn’t get upset, or upset anyone or harm herself or anyone else. He is always in limbo and never relaxed because he always has to be on alert of her unpredictable behaviour. He keeps her safe and protects her from the outside world. He hasn’t had a holiday, he doesn’t smoke or drink and only goes to her groups and shopping and to visit family with her in tow.

She has respite twice a year and then he is away from her for about 5 days, but can’t relax as he has his son near his home who also rings daily for emotional care. He is also then uneasy until she returns home because he then knows she is safe, as it has been known for her to be upset etc when he is not around. He has to protect her as she has the innocence of a child nowadays and can become easily upset by people.

He would love to go back to being a shipwright or working with robotics but he is so loving, through sickness and health he vowed. He cooks for her, cleans and does everything. His caring role doesn’t have a start and finish so I cannot say at such a such time he does this and that, other than the medication he gives her at set times daily. Morning, lunch and dinner time. He has to place them in her mouth and ensure she swallows and doesn’t spit them in her drink. He has had to attend to her toiletry needs when she has accidents, and therefore has to carry a bag of spare clothes etc around with him.

Through all his struggles he always put his wife and children first. He doesn’t have much money these days but would still give his last £5 to someone else if he think they needed it, be it financially, emotionally or mentally. He is the most selfless, kindest and most of all humble man I know. He probably wouldn’t believe he was even up for this nomination. He is my idol! 

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Photo of Guildhall entrance

July 5th 2019 Jobs Fair, Plymouth Guildhall

Beyond Limits is recruiting in the Plymouth area and we have a range of positions available. We offer a competitive starting salary, excellent training and career development. We are looking for staff who can see the person behind the disability, who can help the people we support to achieve their dreams, goals and ambitions. For more information about the benefits of working for us visit Susannah’s “Reasons to become a support worker”.

Current vacancies

For the latest vacancies follow this link

If you are looking for an exciting challenge and want to make a real difference, then come along to our jobs fair on the 5th July 2019 at the Guildhall in Plymouth. We’ll be there from 10am to 1pm and would love to chat to you and tell you more about these opportunities.

Guildhall Square, Plymouth PL1 2BJ

Telephone: 01752 307764

PHOTO from Plymouth Guildhall website

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Keep your heart and yourself Healthy!!

This page will tell you the best ways to keep your heart healthy.

It is very important for all of us to look at the way we live! Eating too much of the wrong food, drinking too much alcohol, smoking, not getting enough exercise and being stressed out can all damage our hearts.
Keeping your heart healthy means you can keep doing the things you like, and enjoying life, for longer!

The heart of the matter!

Your heart is a muscle in your chest that pumps blood around your body. You need this to live!

If you eat too much of the wrong food, or smoke, or drink too much alcohol, or don’t get enough exercise, your heart could stop working properly. You could have a heart attack and die!
Your heart pumps blood around your body through tubes called arteries. They should be nice and clear.
Eating the wrong food, smoking and not getting enough exercise blocks these tubes with fat. They get narrower and your heart has to work extra hard to make the blood flow through them.

Smoking

Smoking is bad for your heart and lungs. The nicotine in cigarettes raises your blood pressure. People who smoke are often short of breath and cough a lot.
It makes you smelly too!
Once you start smoking it’s hard to stop, but there are people who can help if you want to.
Your doctor, community nurse or carer can all help you stop smoking, but you have to want to do it!

Alcohol

Drinking too much alcohol is bad for you in lots of ways, but it’s very bad for your heart.

If you drink too much alcohol you will damage your heart and you may get other health problems or injure yourself.

You may also get drunk, which can cause problems too!

Drinking some alcohol is OK. It’s better to drink small amounts over a time than to drink a whole lot in one go. When you are out in the pub or at a party make each drink last a long time. Have a non-alcoholic drink in between the alcoholic ones.
You should have at least two days a week when you do not drink at all.

Food that’s good for you

One of the best ways to keep your heart healthy is to eat the right sort of food. You should eat five portions of fruit or vegetables each day to stay really healthy. This picture shows are some types of food that are good for you.
If you’re not sure what kind of food is good for you, ask your dietician, community nurse or doctor.

Food that’s bad for you

Greasy fatty food, like chips and pies, and sugary foods like sweets and chocolate are not very good for your heart.
Try not to add salt to your food. It’s probably tasty enough without it anyway! Try to cut out sugar altogether, but if you still need to sweeten your tea and coffee, you can try an artificial sweetener.

How much should you eat?

You should have proper sized portions when you eat. You can see below roughly how much that is. Sometimes people eat too much because they feel down. You’ll be a lot happier if you look and feel good!

How do you know if you have a weight problem?

People are all different shapes and sizes, so it’s hard sometimes to know if you are overweight.
Remember, being underweight is a problem as well! You need to eat more of the right food, and get some exercise.
If you’re not sure, you should ask your doctor for help. They will weigh you and take your blood pressure. This is a good way to tell if you need to lose weight and tell if your heart is OK.

Get some exercise!

One of the best ways to keep healthy and keep your weight down is to get regular exercise. You don’t have to do anything too difficult. A lot of things you do for fun are great exercise, like dancing, swimming or going for walks.
You can even do exercises while sitting watching the telly. Try lifting your feet off the ground and holding them there for the count of ten.
Housework is great exercise. Try a bit of hoovering and cleaning.

Are you stressed out?

One of the main causes of heart attacks is stress – worrying about things all the time and not taking it easy. People can get stressed over lots of things – changes in their lives, moving to a new home, not getting on with people, filling in forms, going to meetings… Aaargh!

Relax!

You can stop feeling stressed by taking time out to do things you enjoy. Listen to music, take a relaxing bath, have a nap.
Pets are great for relieving stress too!

Some people you can talk to

Some community nurses can offer you a free check-up in your own home. Your doctor should be able to help you get in touch with them. Your doctor can give you a check-up too.

 

FAIR in association with Community Nurses for People with Learning Disabilities, NHS Lothian. This work was made possible with support from the The Esmee Fairburn Trust and Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland.

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Keeping safe from loan sharks

What is a loan shark or illegal money lender

Illegal money lenders are also known as loan sharks.
Loan sharks are people who lend money without permission and are criminals.
Loan sharks can appear very friendly and helpful at first if you are having problems with your money. This is because they want to get you into debt.
If you cannot pay what you owe loan sharks will often threaten you with violence to make you give them money.

How to know if you’ve met a loan shark

The Illegal Money Lending Team have the following 4 questions to help you know if you have met a loan shark.
Question 1. Has someone lent you money at your door and are charging you a lot of interest?
Question 2. Have you been threatened when you couldn’t pay?
Question 3. Has someone taken your bankcard to look after until you have paid what you owe?
Question 4. Does the money you owe keep getting bigger even though you are making payments?

What to do if you have met a loan shark.

If you have answered yes to any of the questions you have been targeted by a loan shark.
You can call the Illegal Money Lending Team 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on 0300 555 2222 to make a report.
Talk to your local PCSO if you are worried or suspicious.
Phone 999 if you have been threatened or feel scared.
With thanks to Dawn from the Crownhill Comms Room and Plymouth People First who worked with Devon and Cornwall Police to produce this information.
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Darren Simmons, a support worker at Beyond Limits

Life as a support worker

This article was written by Darren based on his experience of working as a support worker. Darren is currently working as a support worker for Beyond Limits.

How good are you at helping others?

If your friends are upset at stupid o clock in the morning, are you the first person they call? If you like helping others and love the thought of making a difference to a complete stranger’s life, then consider a career as a support worker.

What will you be doing?

The role of a support worker is exactly what it says on the tin. You provide support to individuals and their families who need help, both emotionally and practically, so they can live a happy, independent life.

The finer details…

A support worker role involves working with vulnerable people in different ways. You could be helping people who have mental health problems, learning difficulties, disabilities, recovering addicts, young offenders, those struggling with relationships… it could literally be anything.

No day will be the same. Some people may need emotional support to get them through a difficult time, while others will need a more hands-on approach. It’s your job to analyse their needs and help draw up a plan that’s unique to them.

The good points…

Put simply, you’ll make a genuine difference to people’s lives, which is guaranteed to make you feel all happy inside.

Nobody wants to be stuck in a dead-end job doing 9-5 until they retire, after all. Where’s the fun in that?

Working as a support worker gives you the opportunity to progress, from moving up the career ladder to earning more qualifications. If you get enough experience and study hard to earn a vocational qualification or a degree and you could move up to a senior or managerial role.

…and the bad

Your working hours are often split into shifts and on call hours to ensure there is all day support. This can include evenings and weekends, so there’s no time to be a lazy bones.

Is there study involved?

If grades were never your strong point at school, don’t stress, it won’t affect your chances of being a support worker. What matters most in this job is a passion for helping people and some life experience. Any past experience you have working in a health or support role is also good. You’ll need to show you can help people with a variety of issues and requirements, and that you’ll always remain supportive,

OK, I’m interested… But is it really the job for me?

This job involves helping others, not being judgemental about a situation, and providing support to change lives. It can be difficult so you’ll not only need skills but also patience, compassion and understanding. Basically, if you’re self-obsessed and don’t like dealing with people, this is not the job for you.

Ideal for those of you that don’t want to work a 9-5 repetitive job, some of the things you may be expected to do include:

Being a good listener – A good cup of tea and a hug can do wonders, but in this job you have to really listen, and listen well. One of the most important tasks is simply being there, and listening is a huge part of the job.

Doing chores – Sounds like a simple job but doing chores around the house can be a massive help. You could do cooking, cleaning, shopping as well as helping to pay bills.

Helping people live independently – Teaching life skills and helping people live an ordinary life will be one of your main goals as a support worker. From teaching people how to budget money and getting them involved with the community to getting them suitable housing that accommodates their needs, you’ll be there along the way to help with it all.

Family ties – You won’t just be helping vulnerable people, you’ll also be helping the people that can be forgotten; the families. Some may struggle with their relative’s issues, or they may just need a helping hand caring for them. Whatever their need, you’ll need to support them just as much.

If you are interested in working for Beyond Limits take a look at our current vacancies.

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Lou’s fun day out

Lou spent over 15 years in hospital. In her own words “it wasn’t a home, I had to ask permission for the most basic things like using the toilet or getting changed”.

Beyond Limits started supporting Lou in October 2017 and has slowly started to get her life back. She has been fully involved in recruiting her team of staff and she is enjoying time and space in her own home, the best thing about it she says, is how quiet it is.

Photo of Lou and Teresa

Here Lou is with one of her team enjoying some time out at the local bowling alley.

Photos of Lou bowling and holding a bowling ball in a Bowling alley.

Lou and her support worker Teresa.

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