< Previous70 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYEDUCATIONThe soundofmusicMusic is a skill for lifeif learned young, butwhen is the right ageto learn and what canit teach your child?The general opinion on learning toplay an instrument is to start young,but how young is too young? As longas children can grasp the idea ofrhythm and key, then there seems tobe no limit. The only disadvantage cancome from physical limitations. Ifyour child’s hands are too small, thenthey may not be able to hold aninstrument correctly and equally,during bone and muscle development,posture and strength could be changedpermanently. Imagine the effect aheavy brass instrument or thestretches required in the hands bysome instruments and you will soonunderstand why. The best way to introduce your childto music is to start simple. Usesomething as basic as a wooden spoonand a bowl for the very young toteach rhythm with nursery rhymesand simple songs to encouragemelody. Repetition of songs will stickin a child’s minds, encouraging themto associate singing with pleasure.When they are able to maintainthese simple methods, rhythmicinstruments such as rattles, smalldrums or xylophones can be useful forteaching them the basics, or even arecorder or penny whistle can help.Once you are confident of yourchild’s apparent abilities, moving to areal instrument should not be aproblem. Most music teachers willonly take on children from aroundthe age of six or seven and even then,lessons will only range from 20 to 45minutes at the most. Any more couldactually be detrimental or off-puttingfor a child as their concentrationlevels tend to wander after a certaintime.That said, as children learn music,their concentration levels willgenerally improve along with theirrecognition of different sounds, suchas voices in a crowded place. People’shearing systems are sensitive to themusical experiences they have hadthrough their lifetime, being in tunewith music can obviously aid thisfrom an early age.Practicing an instrument is also theonly way to progress, so it teacheschildren at an early age aboutmalleable skill. Persisting and makingmistakes, then fixing them, is a greatattitude to have. They will come tounderstand that by, say, learning theguitar they can move from singlenotes, to chords, to more complexmethods as they practice and moveon their skills. This can be applied tolife-long learning, with the samemethods applying to revision,language skills and writing.If a child expresses an interest inlearning an instrument, it may bodewell to listen - it could improve theirfuture prospects.070-071:Layout 1 8/12/11 16:09 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY71EDUCATIONLyndhurst SchoolFrom the earliest years, Lyndhurst School’s approach tolearning and development is shaped around the well-being ofeach individual. They offer a safe environment for youngchildren with lots of space for outdoor play and flexible after-school care.A positive atmosphere prevails by encouraging good behaviourand celebrating it daily. Strong pastoral care means every child isknown to all staff who share in their care throughout the day.Personalised learning ensures each individual reaches theirpotential. From the age of seven pupils follow a traditional subject-based curriculum with increasing subject specialist teaching. MostLyndhurst pupils transfer to Pocklington School at the age ofeleven, where strong pastoral care, learning through creativity andenjoyment continue into the sixth form. This, together withopportunities to try a varied range of extra-curricular activities,help individuals develop initiative and independence.A wide range of boarding options from full-time to casual isavailable from the age of eight. Casual boarding enables parentsto take a child-free break in the knowledge their children are wellcared for by experienced staff. Contact admissions for furtherdetails about boarding at Lyndhurst and Pocklington Schools. Lyndhurst has been helping young people fulfil theirpotential since 1947. For a personal appointment orOpen Morning reservation, call 01759 321228 or emailenquiry@lyndhurst-school.com.St Martin’sPreparatory SchoolSt Martin’s Preparatory School is celebrating its appearance inthe Sunday Times’ annual Parent Power guide, ranking it amongthe best schools in the country.The list, ranked by recent results from public examinations, isconsidered a definitive guide, and St Martin’s performance in itsKey Stage 2 results over the past three years saw it placed 52nd outof the top hundred prep schools nationally – making it the bestperforming independent or state primary school in the area.Head teacher Stephen Thompson says, “We were the only localprimary school that was in any of the lists. There are more than2200 prep schools in the country so we have been placed in thetop 3%, which is fantastic. So as well as being named as the toplocal primary school, we are also one of the top schoolsnationally.“The list is judged on average results over three years, so wehave been recognised for consistently exceeding nationalexpectations. We don’t blow our own trumpet often, but we feelthis is a significant achievement for our staff, pupils and parents.”Class sizes are kept to a maximum of twenty pupils at StMartin’s, and Stephen Thompson says, “We’ve written to theEducation Secretary to say we are really happy with our resultsand that we believe it is down to our smaller classes, traditionalmethods and careful monitoring.”ST. MARTIN’SPREPARATORY SCHOOLGiving children from 2 to 11yrs the best possiblestart in educationSmall ClassesWe know that children can get lost in crowded classroomsOutstanding 11+80 - 100% success year-on-yearWe know that quality, traditional teaching in a familyenvironment encourages the best results from every childLimited places for 2012 and 2013 still available - please call forinformation on availability.St. Martins Preparatory School63 Bargate, Grimsby, DN34 5AATelephone: 01472 878907Email: secretary@stmartinsprep.comwww.stmartinsprep.comTop 60 UK Prep School 2011“Best performing primaryschool in Grimsby & North East Lincolnshire”070-071:Layout 1 8/12/11 16:09 Page 2072:Layout 1 8/12/11 16:12 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY73EDUCATIONAnyone who has watched the newsrecently will know that HigherEducation in Britain is changing.What people may not know is that aquiet revolution has already beentaking place with 200,000 people inthe UK studying HE at their local FECollege. In fact, Lincoln College hasrun courses at this level verysuccessfully for over thirty years. Fewerpeople in Lincoln and Lincolnshirehave studied a higher education coursethan nationally, so the College hasworked hard to provide courses thatare linked very closely to the skillsneeds of the local and regionaleconomy – in other words trainingpeople with skills businesses neednow, or will need in the near future. In an effort to make HigherEducation accessible to all, thegovernment are keen for a proportionof all University-level courses to beavailable at a lower cost than themaximum £9000 per year thatuniversities can charge. This is whereFurther Education Colleges come in.Increasingly Further EducationColleges may be offering coursessimilar to those offered by traditionalcompetition, because the learningexperience is more on a par with whatmany potential students are lookingfor. Most of the Higher Educationcourses available at Lincoln Collegecost just £5,500 per year, £3,500 lessthan local universities. Students canalso apply for £250 cash bursaries andmay be eligible for a share of £15,000the college has to support thosestruggling financially. While there areno up-front fees (course fees aredeferred until graduates are earning£21k per year which equates to apayment of just £7 per week) this stillmeans Lincoln College graduatescould be facing a debt £10,000 lessthan their university peers. Studying a higher level course at aFurther Education College is adifferent experience to attending alarge University. For example, teachingtends to be more interactive withsmaller class sizes. Teaching also tendsto focus on the practical application oftheory to practice via laboratory andworkshop environments. The collegehas a supportive tutorial system toenhance academic progress andprovide pastoral and personal support.The learning resources centre has arange of books, journals and e-resources and partnerships withUniversities mean students can accessthe best resources. Specialist workshop,laboratory, computer rooms andsporting facilities also exist for HEstudents providing practicalenvironments for applied and workrelated learning. Most courses areaccredited by local partners, includingthe University of Lincoln, NottinghamTrent University and Sheffield HallamUniversity and all foundation degreescan be converted into a full degreewith partner universities.The college is currently awaiting theoutcome of a bid to hefce (the HigherEducation Funding Council forEngland) on whether it will shortly beable to welcome even more studentsto study Higher Education at LincolnCollege. It is certainly an amazingtime to start: hot on the heels of aGrade 1 Outstanding Ofsted reportand with the imminent opening ofDeans: Sport and Leisure, it’s a greattime to learn at every level withLincoln College. University-levelcourses withoutuniversity-level fees073:Layout 1 8/12/11 16:14 Page 174 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYCARE FOR THE ELDERLYCare Services Minister Paul Burstow recently announced aradical shake-up of the care system, including the creation ofcare budgets for around a million adults in need of socialcare by 2013.The budgets can seem confusing, adding to the worries ofdealing with care in general, but as Barry Earnshaw from AgeUK explains, taking things one step at a time is a key tokeeping things running smoothly: “Personal budgets are anew way for people who are eligible for help from LocalAuthorities to get the social care support they need. Theyhave been introduced by the government to enable people tohave more choice about the support they need as individualsto improve the quality of their lives and live asindependently as possible.”“What a personal budget could mean for you is getting theright kind of support, when you need it, and getting the helpyou need quickly and in a way that fits into your lifestyle. Itis allocated to you by the Local Authority, leaving you free tochoose the support you need, this is more of a tailoredapproach. Previously, if people were eligible to receive socialcare from the Local Authority, a social worker wouldhave arranged for them to receive the support they need,referred to as a ‘care package’. This may have included a visitto a day centre, transport to the centre, home care or meals-on-wheels services.“By offering people a personal budget, they now havemore choice and control over how they live their lives. Somepeople want to attend college, go swimming or go to thecinema instead of going to a day centre. People can stillchoose traditional methods of support, but the importantthing is that with personal budgets, choice is down to theindividual, as long as it is used to support social care needs.“To secure personal budgets, the Local Authority carry outan assessment of your needs to decide if you areeligible. They currently use the government’s ‘Fair Access toCare Services’ guidelines to work this out.“If your needs are assessed as ‘critical’ or ‘substantial’ youwill be offered a personal budget, although you are under noobligation to take it. The assessment will help the LocalManaging your financesThe creation by the government of personal budgets for elderly care means you now have asay on how your money is spent in old age, but what form do the changes take?Having control overyour care packagecould mean you feelmore independent andless reliant on familyCliff Bradley & SonsFuneral Directors LtdFor a prompt, sympatheticservice from a recognisedfamily businessPrivate Chapel of RestDay and Night ServicePre-paid funeral plans41 Heaton Street,Gainsborough, DN21 2EA(01427) 810619074-077:Layout 1 9/12/11 11:52 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY75CARE FOR THE ELDERLYAuthority to determine how much a person’s budget will be, basedon their assessed needs. If you are not eligible for social careservices, the Local Authority will refer you to other sources ofsupport, such as Age UK.“A social worker will tell you how much the personal budget isgoing to be, based on the information given to the Local Authorityin the assessment stages. “The next step is to write a care support plan, put together by asocial worker on your behalf, a friend or a relative. The plan willgive details of what is important to you, what you want to changeor achieve in your life, how you will be supported and how you willuse your personal budget. It also covers how your support will bemanaged, how you aim to stay in control of your life and includesany contingency plans you have in place in case somethingunexpected happens. This is to ensure the best outcome for allparties, although this may seem like personal information in somecases, letting the authorities know your needs and plans can make adifference to your circumstances and allows planning in advance onboth sides.”But what can you spend the money on? Many people will stillspend their budget on traditional social care, like attending a daycentre or receiving support at home to help them get up, washedand dressed. Lots of people have personal assistants to help themCare ServicesMinister PaulBurstow77 074-077:Layout 1 9/12/11 11:52 Page 2Our Care HomesLocationOur ServicesTallingtonFinalist074-077:Layout 1 9/12/11 11:52 Page 3Charlotte Rose HouseCharlotte Rose House is a homefrom home where care andcomfort count. It offersaccommodation for the over 65sfor long term or short term respitecare. The Home is situated withineasy reach of Skegness towncentre and the beach, with theGibraltar Point Nature Reservebeing a short car journey away.Facilities consist of single anddouble rooms, all with washbasins and some have en-suitefacilities. Residents experiencecare from qualified andexperienced staff 24 hours a day.Food provided is of an excellentstandard and cooked on thepremises. Charlotte Rose offersgood facilities, including a garden.1 Norwood Road, Skegness Tel: 01754 762119LINCOLNSHIRETODAY77CARE FOR THE ELDERLYCountryCourt caresOver the past 28 years, Country Court Care ofMarket Deeping has become an established leaderand benchmark of excellent careA family business, with a strong family ethos, Country CourtCare includes eight nursing and care homes and a thrivingdomiciliary care department. Combining family values withinnovative business ideas, the Country Court Care brand issynonymous with both quality and care. This pervades theway in which residents are looked after, the actual buildingsand interior decoration. Happy residents have fun, and allhomes provide a relevant variety of diversions and activities, aswell as outings in the company minibus.These quality andcare characteristicsoverflow to thedynamic andmemorable trainingprovided by thecompany’s director oftraining anddevelopment. All staffundergo stringent induction training, as well as refresher coursesto keep up to date with constantly changing regulations andrequirements. The end result is the contentment and satisfaction of theirresidents, under the care ofa round-the-clock team ofmotivated and committedcarers and nurses, incomfortable surroundingsdesigned to give a home-from-home feel.In October, thecompany proved itself as one the region’s best care providers,gaining a corporate award by Investors In People, and theGreat East Midlands Care Awards Care Employer of the Year. Ithas been acknowledged that Country Court Care is animpressive example of a successful, forward-thinking business,coupled with a determination to maintain a hands-on familyculture.For general enquiries about Country Court Care andinformation on the homes, call 01778 348884 or thehomecare team on 01778 348663, or visitwww.countrycourtcare.comcarry out tasks, such as going to the gym, walking the dog orvisiting the shops.There are however limits on the budget. It must not be usedin any way which will harm your health, safety or wellbeing,or purposely used for an illegal act. It also can’t be used tobuy goods or services which would normally be provided byanother statutory organisation, such as health or housing.Personal budgets can also only be used to support you withcare needs, not for something you would normally buyyourself, agreed by the council.Receiving the money is also easy, you can ask your socialworker to arrange services on your behalf, using the moneyallocated from your personal budget. This means the LocalAuthority will manage the budget for you. You can have thecash to arrange your own services, known as a ‘directpayment’ and will be paid into a nominated bank account atregular intervals. A social worker can arrange services andhave a direct payment to arrange your own services too. Figures surrounding care in general are impressive and as anation, we are generous to a fault. In unpaid care, communityand charity work undertaken by solely retired people inYorkshire and the Humber saves society around £2.31 billiona year. If even half of those people decided to give up, carewould be a huge burden on all of us. While these steps to assist elderly care is admirable, muchmore needs to be done, both on our part and theGovernment’s. Adding more to your pension pot in your 20sand 30s for example is something that would aid gettingolder, but with present cuts and changes to public sectorpensions, who knows what will happen in the future?A group of happy inducteesIn-houseentertainment!074-077:Layout 1 9/12/11 11:52 Page 478 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYCARE FOR THE ELDERLYThe Hica care group has extended itsexisting services in the Lincolnshirearea in a move that will create aboutthirty new jobs in the coming months.Hica, whose staff have beenproviding personal and specialist careto thousands of residents in their ownhomes for almost twenty years, alsonow provide a range of additionalservices. These include non-tradedomestic and handyperson services,cleaning and gardening and also arange of trade services which will becarried out through a Hica At HomeTrusted Trade Partners scheme. Hica Homecare Managing DirectorPenni Brown says, “Service users whoare elderly, frail or vulnerable need tobe able to trust the people who arecoming into their homes. Through ourexisting care work, service users oftenask if we can help in other areas, so weare ideally placed to provide additionalservices, either through the staff theyalready know or through trustedpartners.”The new Hica At Home service waslaunched on 12th December at Hica’sGrimsby offices where social servicesrepresentatives and local groups metthe organisation’s carers and supportstaff. Hica has chosen Lincolnshire topioneer its new service and are lookingto roll it out in other regions in thefuture.For more information, call 01472362022.New launch forHica at Homein Lincolnshire078-079:Layout 1 9/12/11 11:31 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY79CARE FOR THE ELDERLYOver twenty years, Hica hasdeveloped a strong reputation fordelivering excellent dementia care.They are a “not for profit”organisation, meaning that you can besafe in the knowledge that all moneyis invested in the development of ourhomes and the people who work forHica.Each of Hica’s dementia care homesis independently inspected by the CareQuality Commission, formally theCSCI. The homes are all rated eithergood or excellent and reports areavailable for inspection from the CareQuality Commission. Regular andintensive internal monitoring, trainingand inspections ensure that thehighest standards are maintained andHica are safe in the knowledge thatthe people who choose to live withthem receive the best care available tomeet their individual needs.Dementia in all its forms is adebilitating condition but Hica’sexpertise and experience in the field ofdementia care enables them to providean environment in whichindependence of varying degrees and asense of fulfilment can still beachieved with the help of speciallytrained staff.Hica offer permanent, respite andday care services in an exceptionalenvironment and if you would like tofind out more, call the homes at anytime or visit www.hicacarehomes.com.Alderlea, Humberston - 01472 812588Huntleigh Lodge, Cleethorpes -01472 692986The Anchorage, Grimsby - 01472 250817Affordable, professionaldementia care from Hica078-079:Layout 1 9/12/11 11:31 Page 2Next >