Press Release

Empowering U become a Patron of the Wolves Foundation, the official charity of Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.

 

2024 marks 10 years since Empowering U was founded to provide industry-leading care services for individuals living with complex needs and case management services for those recovering from serious injuries, across England and Wales. As part of their 10^th anniversary celebrations, Empowering U is proud to announce its new role as a Pack Patron of the Wolves Foundation, the official charity of Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.

Empowering U, a leading provider of care services for individuals with complex needs, those with learning disabilities and Autism, and case management services, was established in June 2014 in the heart of Wolverhampton at their Willenhall branch. The Jakhu family, have been involved with care in Wolverhampton for over 30 years, supporting thousands of people through their sister provider, Atholl House Nursing Home, located in Compton.

The organisation has been dedicated to enhancing the lives of its service users, a mission that aligns perfectly with the Wolves Foundation’s efforts to improve physical and mental health, personal development and create better life opportunities across Wolverhampton.

Gulshan Jakhu, Group Commercial Director of Empowering U, expressed his excitement about the partnership:

“We are proud and delighted to announce our collaboration with the Wolves Foundation as a Pack Patron. Our family and wider group are excited to be actively involved in supporting the Wolves Foundation’s initiatives across the city. Our teams are looking forward to fully engaging in Wolves Foundation projects and working hand in hand with the community to bring about positive change. Together, we are committed to creating opportunities, promoting inclusivity, and changing lives for the better.”

Saroj Jakhu, Managing Director of Empowering U, also shared his thoughts on the meaningful collaboration:

“Embracing my Wolverhampton heritage, it is a tremendous privilege for my family and I to take on the role of a Patron for the foundation. Drawing on my 30-plus year career in care, and passion for the Wolves, I am honoured to stand behind their mission and play a role in the fantastic work they do. Our partnership with the Wolves Foundation is a testament to our shared commitment in supporting our local community.”

The Wolves Foundation’s focus on disability sports through Wolves Disability F.C., dementia support with Molineux Memories, and other initiatives to support the local community such as the Head 4 Health Campaign resonates deeply with Empowering U’s core values. This patronage represents more than just a corporate partnership, it is a family-driven commitment to making a meaningful impact in the community. The Jakhu family has long supported initiatives that align with their ethos of care and compassion, making this partnership a perfect match.

Kerion Ansell, Business Development Manager for the Wolves Foundation, welcomed the collaboration;

“Having worked with the Jakhu family and the wider team at Empowering U over the last few years, it gives me great pleasure to welcome them on board as Patrons of Wolves Foundation. Supporting community is in the DNA of the Jakhu Family; their core values are completely in tune with our own, and like us, they enrich the lives of so many on a daily basis. Bringing both entities together is a huge step forward, and we’re delighted to have them with us, creating opportunities and changing lives.”

As the Jakhu family and Empowering U step into this new role, they are excited to work alongside the Wolves Foundation in their shared goal of empowering individuals and strengthening the community. Through this partnership, Empowering U aims to contribute to the Foundation’s efforts in creating lasting change, fostering inclusivity, and enhancing the quality of life for those most in need.

This patronage marks a significant chapter in Empowering U’s journey, reflecting both their growth over the past decade and their ongoing commitment to the local community. The Jakhu family and Empowering U are honoured to support the Wolves Foundation and look forward to the meaningful work they will accomplish together in the years to come.

A message from Dr Nick White, Chief Medical Officer of NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin

 

Dear colleagues,

Services across the health and care system in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin are under extreme pressure due to a sustained and high demand for our health and care services. In the last week, our two Emergency Departments (EDs) have seen an average of 30 patients a day more than they would usually see. These are the Type 1 (very sick) patients, where the ED is the best place for the patients to be cared for. This is also a high number of patients with norovirus (diarrhoea and vomiting) and other respiratory illnesses such as Covid, flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

We know social care staff have been working tirelessly in the face of existing pressures, and I want to firstly thank all colleagues for your relentless focus on providing care to our safe, high-quality patients and residents.

The level of demand we have seen in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin over the last few weeks is high and shows no sign of relenting. It is the same story across the country, and it is likely to get even more challenging; especially as we enter the festive period. These pressures are being felt across all of our partners and this is not just a hospital or A&E issue.

We are taking additional steps to prioritise and maintain safe services for patients. Where possible, we are bringing in additional staff to work in our communities and hospitals and maximising resources to manage urgent and emergency care pressures in all parts of our system. We aim to prioritise those with the highest needs and ensure that we continue to be able to manage life-threatening emergency care.

We know everyone is working exceptionally hard, and we appreciate everything that you are doing to ensure that despite the challenges we face, our services remain open to anyone who needs them. Partners are also working to ensure that staff are aware of the routes open to them for support.

We, along with our partners across the system, have issued an open letter, outlining the challenges we are facing as we head into the winter months. We are appealing to the public to only use A&E in life-threatening emergencies and offering advice on what they can do to protect themselves, their loved ones and our health and care services. To read the letter in full click here.

Things to be aware of/actions to take:

• Ensure (when appropriate) care homes check Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment (ReSPECT Forms) before calling for an ambulance. The ReSPECT process creates a summary of personalised recommendations for a person’s clinical care in a future emergency in which they do not have capacity to make or express choices. The process is intended to respect both patient preferences and clinical judgement. The agreed realistic clinical recommendations that are recorded include a recommendation on whether or not CPR should be attempted if the person’s heart and breathing stop. For additional further information please see here.
• Care Home Staff Support – if you are concerned about a resident, please contact a member of Shropshire Community Trust Rapid Response or Virtual Ward Teams (7 days a week 8am-8pm) on 07974 080 415or 03333 584 584 for Single Point of Referral (SPR).
• You can also call NHS 111*6 in-hours or out-of-hours to seek advice. This service is available to all care homes across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. 111*6 is for all care homes who need fast access to a clinical team who can give advice and medical input needed for residents.

This is a separate service for care homes and means they will have a quicker response. If you dial 111*6 you will speak to a service advisor who will take the patient’s details and ask a few clinical questions. If admission is required, please ensure patients arrive at hospital with key information (key paperwork, medication, and essential personal items).

• New 24 hour Falls Response Service – From 13 November to 31 March EMED patient transport services (previously called Ezec) will have a vehicle staffed with 2 staff in operation across Shropshire Telford and Wrekin 24 hours a day. The benefits of the service are:

1. Under an hour response service (pilot was average of 51 min)
2. Frees West Midlands Ambulance Services up for category 2 calls.
3. Supports SCHT Rapid Response service to review more people following a fall for risk of future falls and other health or social care concerns.
4. Increases the number of people referred on to falls prevention/postural stability programmes in STW.
5. EMED is a CQC registered service which enables the team to undertake assessment and the lift from the floor but also first aid and personal care reducing dependency on other services at the time of the fall.

Referrals can be made via the rapid response service 8am-8pm or via WMAS out of hours.

Rapid Response or Virtual Ward Referral line: 07974 080 415, 8am – 8pm, 7 days a week.

• New Call before you convey: West Midlands Integrated Care Board’s (ICB’s), Community Teams and West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust (WMAS) have collaboratively identified a consistent regional approach for ambulance clinicians to access community teams for a joint clinical discussion to support the right care for our patients whilst reducing harm – West Midlands Clinical Conversation Before Convey.

Launching on 18 December ambulance crews that attend a call to patients over 75 between the hours of 8am and 6pm will call the local community team number if that patient doesn’t have a life-threatening and emergency illnesses or condition/s requiring immediate treatment from or via ED.  The intention is that suitable alternative services are used to support patients receiving the right care first time, whilst reducing pressure felt at EDs and ambulance handovers to help the ambulance end of shift burden (where a crew must wait until a patient is off-loaded at ED before finishing shift), as well as reduce length of stay.

Thank you for your continued support and relentless hard work.

Dr Nick White
Chief Medical Officer
NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin