Diabetes Awareness this Summer

HEALTH professionals in Southport and Formby are encouraging people with diabetes to make sure they travel safely this summer by managing their medication carefully.

The summer months are the most popular time for families and friends to get away, whether it is a holiday abroad or somewhere closer to home. The Diabetes Education Team at Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust is encouraging members of the public living with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes who are planning a trip to ensure they have researched the area they are visiting and can plan accordingly for their medication needs.

Laura Chatt from the Diabetes Education Team at Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust said:- "At this time of year, it's so important to make sure members of the public with diabetes know the effects that weather and travelling can have on their condition. Many people will be familiar with these precautions, but it's still critical to communicate the message about travelling safely and getting to know your body, so you stay healthy and fit. If you need advice about any of the above or to talk to someone, contact the local team responsible for your care."

Top tips to remember when travelling:-

►  Insulin freezes, so if you are flying, you need to carry your insulin in your hand luggage along with a note from your GP or your local diabetes service for security purposes.

►  Heat increases the rate insulin is absorbed by your body and may cause your blood glucose level to drop; ensure that you carry your usual hypo treatment with you.

►  Different time zones will affect your normal meal times; if you have any concerns about when to take medication, contact your GP surgery or diabetes specialist nurse.

►  Always check your insurance will fully cover any issues you may have relating to diabetes whilst abroad.

►  Look after your feet whilst on holiday ensuring you do not walking barefoot on the sand and always use sun cream on your feet to avoid sun burn.

Diabetes services in Southport and Formby are delivered by Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust. If you would like to find out more about Type 2 diabetes and how to manage the condition and are registered with a Southport and Formby GP, you are eligible to attend free local structured education sessions. Diabetes education sessions are informal, friendly and last approximately 2 hours with short breaks. They are held in a variety of locations across Southport and Formby with timings throughout the day, evenings and weekends. To find out more, speak to your GP, practice nurse or health care professional and request a referral. Alternatively, contact the Diabetes Education Team on:- 01704 387271 or send an email.  For general advice on any form of diabetes, call the Diabetes UK Helpline on:- 0345 123 2399 or visit Diabetes.Org.UK.

New Regional Adoption Agency launches

A Regional Adoption Agency covering Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton and Wirral is being officially launched. AIM (Adoption in Merseyside) brings together a team of around 50 staff from across the 4 Councils who have been seconded into the new organisation. Responsibilities include recruitment, approval and ongoing support for adopters, tracking, linking and matching of children and the training and development of staff.

Councillor Margaret Harvey, Knowsley Council's Cabinet member for children's services, said:- "Adoption really can change a child's life so I'm delighted that the Regional Adoption Agency could offer greater opportunities for children in our Region. Having shared resources, expertise and processes will provide enormous benefits to our children and young people, as well as the local authorities taking part."

Although the Regional Adoption Agency has a centralised hub, staff still have a presence in each of their Local Authority areas to ensure they retain close links with social work staff.

Councillor Barry Kushner, Cabinet member for children's services in Liverpool, said:- "AIM means we are able to provide a better service for children and adopters.  Previously, each Local Authority has effectively competed with each other for adopters and there has been a great deal of duplication of effort. By creating a Regional agency, we have widened the net of potential adopters, shared expertise and ideas and are making sure adopters and children get a consistent level of support, regardless of where they live. This shows the potential of working across authorities and further collaboration on residential care, fostering and leaving care."

Every year, the 4 local authorities approve around 100 adopters each year and place approximately 140 children for adoption.

Councillor John Joseph Kelly, Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Safeguarding at Sefton Council, said:- "We know that we often receive enquiries from across the Liverpool City Region, so it makes sense that we are collaborating with our neighbours to meet the challenges we face together and increase the potential for our vulnerable children to find a forever family. I'm looking forward to this new Regional Adoption Agency making the process for would-be adopters quicker and more effective as both they and children in Sefton and the wider Region are matched so they begin their new family life."

The launch of the new agency follows a successful bid to the Government by local authorities on Merseyside to create a new shared service to get more children with a plan for adoption placed successfully and as quickly as possible.

Councillor Bernie Mooney, Cabinet member for Children and Families in Wirral, said:- "It is vital we are able to offer fast, effective and safe support to those children who need to be adopted.  Working with our partners throughout the City Region should mean we are able to offer more support to more children, through a quicker and more efficient service."

People interested in adoption can find out more by visiting:- AdoptionInMerseyside.Co.UK or by calling them on:- 0151 477 8700.

North West rents rising slower than UK average

THE HomeLet Rental Index; the UK's most comprehensive and up to date data on rental values in the UK; has shown that while the average rental prices across the UK have risen during the second quarter of 2018, the demand for rental properties remains high; and experts predict this trend to continue as more people, dubbed:- 'Generation Rent,' are choosing to rent for life due to rising house prices and instead spend deposits and savings on experiences and travel.

However, the data for the North West shows slower growth than the rest of the UK, with the average rent in June 2018 being ₤697, up 1.3% on the same time last year.

Commenting on the data, Martin Totty, chief executive of HomeLet, said:- "The data used in the Rental Index gives us a forward looking view of the rental market. Over the next quarter I think there are a lot of factors at play in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) both demand for and supply of properties impacting average rents. We don't yet know if the Government's squeeze on private landlords via taxation changes and more regulation will discourage their continued participation in this important sector and begin to reduce supply. Any constriction of the number of properties available for rent can't be good news for tenants if all it achieves is to increase rents. However, the demand for rental properties remains strong and will continue in the near term, which has to be positive for property owners. If some landlords do choose to sell up there are many who will see that as an opportunity to improve their yields as demand still exceeds supply, a point many commentators have made via the many consultations Government have invited on their proposals for the PRS."

As the UK's largest tenant referencing firm, the HomeLet Rental Index provides the most comprehensive and up to date data on rental values in the UK. The trends reported within the HomeLet Rental Index represent new tenancies which were arranged in the most recent period, providing a forward-looking insight into the lettings market.

Martin Totty continues;- "The data for this month is very interesting when we examine the Regional variations. Tenants in London are paying more than they were this time last year. However, the average London rent is still below where it was 2 years ago, following a dip in the summer of 2017. We are seeing some interesting data in other Regions, including a contrasting picture in Northern Ireland. This Region shows average rental prices growing faster than anywhere else in the UK, but as a tenant you will still be paying a lower proportion of your monthly income on rent when compared to the rest of the UK."

Overall in the UK, rents have risen by 1.8% in the last year, equating to a ₤16 average monthly increase per property. Rents increased in 10 of the 12 areas of the Country monitored by the HomeLet Rental Index between May and June 2018, with only Wales and the North East seeing a monthly decrease. As well as this, Wales has seen the average rental price fall by 0.8% over the last year, the only Region to see a decrease in prices in the last 12 months.