Liverpool Personal Service Society
Encyclopedia
Liverpool Personal Service Society (PSS) is a UK charity covering North West England, Staffordshire, North Wales and Scotland. PSS provides a personal service and practical help tailored to meet the individual needs of people in their community. The charity provides a range of community based social and healthcare services, enabling people of all ages and needs to live independently within a community setting.
Established in Liverpool 1919, PSS is responsible for social innovations such as Age Concern, Young Carer’s project, Relate, and www.dementiacentre.com, providing information and resources for people with dementia. PSS funding comes from a variety of sources including legacy and donations income which directly funds new innovations to support future generations.
Shared Lives Services - (formerly known as Adult Placement), which offers day care, short breaks, intermediate care and long term support in the homes of specially recruited carers.
Extra Care Housing - providing discreet support to vulnerable people to enable improved health and well-being.
Training - to provide increase in community understanding and capacity.
, who was instrumental in the founding of what was later to become Age Concern
.
Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia
are a huge worldwide problem. In Britain alone some 750,000 people are affected - and this number is set to double in the next 25 years.
Due to the huge impact of this issue, PSS has a special initiative and is dedicated to finding new ways to help carers to care and help support people with dementia to cope better with the effects of their illness.
The challenge for PSS is to listen and respond to what carers and people with dementia themselves say about their needs and wishes, enabling them to have as much control over their lives as possible.
Innovation, co-operation, assistive technology enables PSS dementia support services,www.dementiacentre.com, to provide a wide range of help to people with dementia and for those who care for them.
Health Trainers & Community Health Ambassadors
Health Trainers are a dynamic team recruited from, based in, and working across Liverpool communities, supporting individuals to make healthier lifestyle choices. Health Trainers are aware of the health inequalities that exist in communities and their training coupled with a good local knowledge means they have the right tools to support individuals to lead a healthier lifestyle. Health Trainers work with people on a one to one basis to assess their lifestyle and wellbeing and identify areas of their lifestyle they wish to work on.
The main role of a Health Trainer is to offer support and signposting to individuals who want to make positive lifestyle changes. For example, they made some additional support in relation to, diet, exercise, stopping smoking, alcohol reduction. Health Trainers spend time completing lifestyle assessments, setting goals and developing individual health plans. Health Trainers will work with an individual over a three month period to support and review their health plan and lifestyle changes. Health Trainers are a resource which GPs and other health professionals can easily access to support patients make positive lifestyle changes. They are a vital link between GPs and the community and are a visible and accessible resource to local people.
Mental health resource centres and community based projects
PSS mental health resource centres and community based projects provide counselling and listening services as well as therapeutic, socially interactive and educational group work and activities focusing on achievement and positive outcomes.
Postnatal depression
Postnatal depression (PND) occurs in some women after the birth of a child. It affects women world wide, of all ages, of all cultures and from all backgrounds. Any new mother can experience PND however, in areas where there is greater socio-economic deprivation new mothers are more a risk. The most common treatments for women with symptoms of postnatal depression is GP prescribed antidepressants.
The focus of the PND Project is to enhance and complement current service delivery with the development of an early intervention strategy. The Project’s approach to PND is holistic, supporting women and their families. The PSS service works on the premise that the earlier that postnatal depression is identified the better. It makes recovery easier and mother and baby will be less affected. This approach is complementary to the medical model and successful in reducing the demand on mainstream mental health services.
The service adopts a holistic approach to service delivery and the programme of activities includes:
The PND model enables the service to be delivered across all areas. The service is unique in that it provides enhanced listening at home and access to qualified Counsellors in local community settings with childcare facilities.
The service provides the following inputs:
The service looks to achieve the following outcomes:
Location Map
Offices in England
Offices in Wales
Offices in Scotland
Established in Liverpool 1919, PSS is responsible for social innovations such as Age Concern, Young Carer’s project, Relate, and www.dementiacentre.com, providing information and resources for people with dementia. PSS funding comes from a variety of sources including legacy and donations income which directly funds new innovations to support future generations.
Services
Community Services - a range of initiatives that operate at a neighbourhood level including, counselling services, support for disabled and vulnerable adults and children, health trainers and community health champions, dementia advice, information and support, young carers projects, services for offenders and their families.Shared Lives Services - (formerly known as Adult Placement), which offers day care, short breaks, intermediate care and long term support in the homes of specially recruited carers.
Extra Care Housing - providing discreet support to vulnerable people to enable improved health and well-being.
Training - to provide increase in community understanding and capacity.
History
Established 1 January 1919, the charity was created to address the pressing social needs of Liverpool that followed the First World War. PSS met the changes of a rapidly changing society with a pioneering approach that has set the pace for social policy makers ever since the 1920s. One of the founders of PSS was Eleanor RathboneEleanor Rathbone
Eleanor Florence Rathbone was an independent British Member of Parliament and long-term campaigner for women's rights. She was a member of the noted Rathbone family of Liverpool.-Life:...
, who was instrumental in the founding of what was later to become Age Concern
Age Concern
Age Concern was the banner title used by a number of charitable organisations specifically concerned with the needs and interests of all older people based chiefly in the four countries of the United Kingdom....
.
Timeline
- 1927 - Founded the organisation now known as Age Concern
- 1928 - Led the formation of one of the UK’s first housing associations, Riverside Housing
- 1936 - Pioneered Marriage Guidance, a forerunner to Relate
- 1938 - Set up the UK’s first Citizens Advice Bureau
- 1943 - Started one of the UK’s first Home Help Schemes
- 1948 - Established a forerunner of Legal Aid
- 1978 - Pioneered Adult Placement schemes
- 1985 - Launched innovative housing for Ethnic Elders, now replicated across Europe
- 1991 - Managed UK’S first Young Carers project
- 1994 - PSS office opened in Ruthin, Wales
- 2000 - PSS Scottish office, opened in Kirkintilloch, Glasgow
- 2002 - Launched innovative Siblings Project- providing specialist help for brothers and sisters of disabled children
- 2003 - Established UK’s first specialist training for interpreters for counselling asylum seekers
- 2004 - Pioneered assistive technology promoting the safety and independence of disabled people
- 2005 - Developed adult placements to promote the independence of ex-offenders
- 2006 - Launched new community programme enabling people with Dementia to remain in their homes
- 2007 - Led delivery of Liverpool Health Trainers as part of NHS Health Trainer Service
- 2008 - Pioneered a range of online cafes providing support to vulnerable people
- 2009 - PSS awarded Liverpool’s ‘Freedom Roll of Association’
Innovation and Development
PSS has developed specialist knowledge and expertise in the provision of:- Services for people with dementia and their carers.
- Extra care housing which incorporates assistive technology and environmental design.
- Services for children, young people and their families including young carers, children whose parent use drugs, vulnerable young people in transition and women with post natal depression.
- Services for offenders and their families.
- Community health & well-being services.
PSS Case Studies
DementiaAlzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia
Dementia
Dementia is a serious loss of cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging...
are a huge worldwide problem. In Britain alone some 750,000 people are affected - and this number is set to double in the next 25 years.
Due to the huge impact of this issue, PSS has a special initiative and is dedicated to finding new ways to help carers to care and help support people with dementia to cope better with the effects of their illness.
The challenge for PSS is to listen and respond to what carers and people with dementia themselves say about their needs and wishes, enabling them to have as much control over their lives as possible.
Innovation, co-operation, assistive technology enables PSS dementia support services,www.dementiacentre.com, to provide a wide range of help to people with dementia and for those who care for them.
Health Trainers & Community Health Ambassadors
Health Trainers are a dynamic team recruited from, based in, and working across Liverpool communities, supporting individuals to make healthier lifestyle choices. Health Trainers are aware of the health inequalities that exist in communities and their training coupled with a good local knowledge means they have the right tools to support individuals to lead a healthier lifestyle. Health Trainers work with people on a one to one basis to assess their lifestyle and wellbeing and identify areas of their lifestyle they wish to work on.
The main role of a Health Trainer is to offer support and signposting to individuals who want to make positive lifestyle changes. For example, they made some additional support in relation to, diet, exercise, stopping smoking, alcohol reduction. Health Trainers spend time completing lifestyle assessments, setting goals and developing individual health plans. Health Trainers will work with an individual over a three month period to support and review their health plan and lifestyle changes. Health Trainers are a resource which GPs and other health professionals can easily access to support patients make positive lifestyle changes. They are a vital link between GPs and the community and are a visible and accessible resource to local people.
Mental health resource centres and community based projects
PSS mental health resource centres and community based projects provide counselling and listening services as well as therapeutic, socially interactive and educational group work and activities focusing on achievement and positive outcomes.
Postnatal depression
Postnatal depression (PND) occurs in some women after the birth of a child. It affects women world wide, of all ages, of all cultures and from all backgrounds. Any new mother can experience PND however, in areas where there is greater socio-economic deprivation new mothers are more a risk. The most common treatments for women with symptoms of postnatal depression is GP prescribed antidepressants.
The focus of the PND Project is to enhance and complement current service delivery with the development of an early intervention strategy. The Project’s approach to PND is holistic, supporting women and their families. The PSS service works on the premise that the earlier that postnatal depression is identified the better. It makes recovery easier and mother and baby will be less affected. This approach is complementary to the medical model and successful in reducing the demand on mainstream mental health services.
The service adopts a holistic approach to service delivery and the programme of activities includes:
- parent skills training
- creche provision
- activities to support Dads
- outreach - home visits & play worker support
- access to counselling
- complementary therapies
- post natal Depression awareness raising events
- access to mainstream services inc; Welfare Benefit Advice [delivered sessionally at centres]
- direct access to wider community resources and activities programme
- delivered in non stigmatised and fully accessible community settings
The PND model enables the service to be delivered across all areas. The service is unique in that it provides enhanced listening at home and access to qualified Counsellors in local community settings with childcare facilities.
The service provides the following inputs:
- Home visits offering one-to-one support to women and their families
- PND can be a very isolating experience. The Mum’s support Group enables women to engage in discussion about their issues and gain support from their peers.
- Childcare.
- qualified counselling at home to mums who are unable to attend outside appointments.
The service looks to achieve the following outcomes:
- Relationships between mother and child are improved using play therapy.
- Supporting Mums whilst at work to allow them to stay in post. Encouraging mums to enter employment / education
External links
PSS in the United Kingdom:- PSS Liverpool Personal Services website.
- PSS Scotland PSS Scotland website.
- PSS Dementia Centre PSS Dementia Centre website.
Regional offices
Registered Head Office- 18 Seel Street,
- Liverpool, L1 4BE
Location Map
Offices in England
- PSS Sefton
Ground Floor 3TC
16 Crosby Road North
Waterloo
Liverpool, L22 0NY
Location Map
- PSS Staffordshire Adult Placement
Centrix @ Keys
Keys Business Village
Keys Park Road
Hednesford
Staffordshire
Location Map
- PSS St Helens
The Court
Alexandra Park
Prescot Road
St Helens
Location Map
- PSS St. Helens (Young Carers)
St Helens Community Fire Station
Parr Stocks Road
St Helens
Merseyside
Location Map
- PSS Wirral
Leasowe Millennium Centre
Twickenham Drive
Leasowe
Wirral
Location Map
Offices in Wales
- PSS Cymru
Office 3
Plas Eirias
Abergele Road
Colwyn Bay
Conwy
Location Map
- PSS Tegan Project
Canolfan Eiranfa
Factory Place
Denbigh
Denbighshire
Location Map
Offices in Scotland
- PSS Scotland
Enterprise House
South Bank Business Park
Kirkintilloch
Glasgow
Location Map