17/12/2013 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

In Look North tonight, against the clock ` calls for an end to council

is limiting home care visits to 15 minutes.

After the floods, the anger. Traders vented their anger after the North

Sea surge. We joined the Royal Mail staff

coping with an avalanche of seasonal business on their busiest day of the

year. The most successful team in British

basket will history show their support for Newcastle's children's

heart unit. It really puts life into perspective.

The white stuff might be conspicuous by its absence so far but Britain's

highest pub is taking no chances. We will be at the stadium of light

in advance of Sunderland's match with Chelsea.

And Ben Stokes makes cricketing history down under.

They're some of the most vulnerable people in society and could not

survive without professional care ` but many disabled people are visited

at home for less than a quarter of an hour. Those 15 minutes may

include vital tasks like meals, washing and medication. Tonight, we

can reveal that nearly 90% of local authorities in the North East

provide 15`minute home care packages, far higher than the

national average, and campaigners are calling for an end to what they

say is a scandal. Damian O'Neil has tonight's Look North report.

Rochelle Monte works for a private care agency contracted to Newcastle

City Council. Like many care workers, she's on a zero`hours

contract, but compared to some others, she's relatively well off.

She says most agencies don't pay travel expenses and don't allow

travel time between appointments, and it's the clients who are

suffering. It is absolutely impossible to

provide dignified, safe care in 15 minutes. By nonpayment of travel

time, most carers effectively have to steal time off people so a 15

minute call is more than likely going to be cut bound to five or ten

minutes. But providing care is about much

more than practicalities. Sometimes you are the first contact

that person will have all day, maybe the only contact. All they want is,

good morning, what are you doing? It makes a hell of a difference to come

to somebody's house with that attitude first.

So what level of care can you provide in 15 minutes? We tried to

find out. I have just arrived at my next 15 minute slot and I had to

park around the corner so we are running five minutes late. This

client is not very mobile and it takes a while for her to answer the

door. So we are in the house and I have introduced myself to the

client, who I have never met before, and I need to go through her care

plan. Before I do that I need to call and log in with my employer. I

then have to prompt her to take her medication.

I have done my call, made sure the client took her medication and I

have logged it. I now have to call and tell my employers I am leaving.

I would like to stay and have a cup of tea and a chat but I need to get

to my next appointment. Eight out of nine local authorities in our region

deliver 15 minute care packaging, around `` compared to a national

figure around 60%. Only Newcastle City Council does not. Its minimum

time is 22 minutes. Middlesbrough Council has the highest number. Over

20% of its home care visits are 15 minutes but they say that their

visit are never used for personal care, only medication. This week the

care bill was debated in parliament and campaigners say a minimum of 30

minutes needs to be set into legislation. I don't think telling

local authorities they need to think about well`being is going to stop

them commissioning 15 minute visits so we think the care bill needs to

go much further. Who came up with the idea of 15

minute packages? Local authorities would argue it is a direct result of

the cuts from central government. There has been a reduction in social

care budgets of about ?2.5 billion. Does the government think it is a

good idea? I think it would be hard to find anyone to defend the

practice but the Care Minister, Norman Lamb, said it is stripping

away the human care and 15 minutes is not enough time, some people do

not even have a chance to have a chat with their home care worker.

Any chance of a carer `` change of heart? There are two local

authorities in London who have committed to a minimum time of 30

minutes but campaigners want the government to go further and make

that 30 minutes a statutory minimum for all. Thank you very much.

A body's been found on a west Cumbrian beach. A member of the

public called the police around half past 12 today after making the

discovery between Maryport Golf Club and Allonby. No formal

identification has taken place and the coroner has been informed.

Police in the area have been looking for missing 17`year`old Callum

Chapman, who was last seen on Sunday morning. He was staying with

relatives in Maryport. A body which was recovered from the

River Wear earlier this month has been formally identified as that of

missing student Sope Peters. Sope was an American in his second year

at Durham University. He was last seen on a night out in the city, at

the end of October. An inquest will open on Thursday.

Sorry about that. Just under a fortnight ago, they

were inundated by the worst North Sea flood surge for 60 years. And

businesses in Whitby say they were given insufficient warning. As the

clean`up continues, some of them have been making their feelings

clear to the National Flood Forum, a charity that advises on how future

flooding can be better dealt with. Our business correspondent Ian Reeve

reports. This is the snug which we had

refitted in April. It is all going to have to be replaced. This pub saw

the worst of Whitby's flooding 12 days ago and its manager, the aptly

named Stormy Coulson, thinks the warnings could have been better

organised. We had already retreated upstairs when we got a call to say

we were on flood alert. I called the council asking for sandbags and they

said there were people out with them and to grab one but we missed them.

Jeff Carlton and his motorbike garage so little carefully targeted

help. The insurance company classed it as urgent and that was maybe ten

days ago. The only warning I got was about half past three the council

came with some sandbags. I said, is it going to be a high tide? He

said, I have just been told to give you some sandbags, and within ten

minutes it started coming across the road. Today flood hit homeowners and

businesses were being given a chance to tell a national charity about the

problems. The National Flood Forum recounts people's experiences to

councils and the environment agency with the intention of improving

resilience but the question is, will they act on it? They do act on it.

It is crucial that people are learning from this experience and

whether it is the council, the environment agency just the

community, they need to understand what went wrong, what can be

improved. Today was Whitby's turn, tomorrow the National Flood Forum

will be in Scarborough to hear more tales of the world. `` tales of

woe. A fishing boat hit the South Pier at

the mouth of the Tyne early this morning and began taking water. The

Grenaa Star was escorted to Little Haven Beach at South Shields by

other local boats and the Port of Tyne pilot launch. The boat suffered

slight damage and her skipper was taken to the RVI in Newcastle for

treatment. John Darwin, the convicted fraudster

who faked his own death in a canoeing accident, is back behind

bars after breaking the terms of his prison licence. Darwin, who went

missing from his home in Seaton Carew in 2002, was jailed for six

years and three months for fraud but was released early on certain

conditions, including not leaving the UK. He was arrested last night

at Newcastle Airport. Attacks on ambulance crews in the

North East have fallen. Figures just released for 2013 show there were 48

physical attacks on crews while they were treating patients. That's nine

fewer than 2012, and down 39 on the total for 2011.

Does it steal up on you every year, too? This time next week it'll be

Christmas Eve! Millions of men will be out shopping, won't they? But for

the Royal Mail today is the busiest 24 hours of the entire year. The

sorting depot at Gateshead's Team Valley employs hundred of extra

staff to help it deal with the huge seasonal workload. Gerry Jackson

sent this report. They're like worker bees at

honeycombs and their hive is the size of an aircraft hangar. More

than 13 million items of post will be handled under this roof today.

We bring 500 extra people in at Christmas to supplement the 900

staff we have through the year. With a significant volume of extra

collections, we work seven days and 24 hours for the weeks leading up to

Christmas. Just as well then that each of these

machines can read 30,000 addresses every hour. But when it comes to

checking, deciphering indecipherable handwriting and sorting into

delivery batches, it seems there's still no substitute for the human

eye. It is just the same, one person, one

letter in the pigeonhole. That will never change, I think. It is a

pretty good method, tried and trusted.

In the changing postal market, it's been swings and roundabouts for

Royal Mail. Email has certainly cut the volumes of traditional letters

but internet shopping has boosted the parcels market. Luckily most of

us are still fond of the 170`year`old tradition that keeps

these postmen busy. Last year each of us posted an average 17 Christmas

cards, two up on the year before. And on this single day 370,000

parcels will pass through this one centre. So spare a thought for

Heather and all of her colleagues on a 12 hour shift tonight. It is good

fun to get it out and there is good camaraderie. It keeps you on your

toes, keeps you going. I will be ready for a cup of tea when I get

home! Plenty more to come tonight. Next,

how North Yorkshire's Gurkhas `` former Gurkhas are learning about a

Christmas tradition. Tomorrow's temperatures could reach

double figures but we will have some wet and eventually very windy

weather. All of the details later. They've gained a reputation as brave

and fearless soldiers. Today, though, former Gurkhas who've made

their homes in Catterick in North Yorkshire have been showing their

softer side. The men and their families are part of a growing

Nepalese community in the county, and this year many are looking

forward to their first traditional Christmas. Phil Connell has been to

see the preparations. A big one for the top and then

little ones to go around. New beginnings in North Yorkshire and

for many a new experience of Christmas. The army town of

Catterick is now home to one of Britain's biggest Nepalese

communities, many of them format Gurkha soldiers who have had their

first real taste of the traditional British Christmas. Christmas is not

celebrated in Nepal in any big way but it is important in two ways,

because they are becoming part of the community and most people have

children and grandchildren so at school they are learning about all

of this. Myself and my family, we like Christmas and New Year and we

are very happy. It was 2009 when Gurkhas got the right to live in

Britain following a campaign by the actress Joanna Lumley. Thousands,

like Sandip Ray, have decided to stay, attracted by Catterick and its

connections to the Army. People feel like this is their home, where they

belong. It might be difficult for some of us to adapt to the culture.

For a lot of people this is now their home. They visit Nepal on

holiday and if England is their home they want to know about Christmas.

The Gurkhas have served the British Army to 200 years with a loyal and

fearless reputation. Today, though, or gentle side was seen, learning

their first Christmas song and opening their first Christmas

stocking. Just a tiny bit bemused!

Players from our region's top basketball side took time out to

visit the children's heart unit at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital today.

The Newcastle Eagles squad was there to confirm a new partnership with

the centre. It's another boost for the unit, which has faced

uncertainty after the cancellation of a national review into children's

heart surgery. Andrew Hartley reports.

Little meets large. These giants of the game made short order of

bringing some festive cheer to patients, parents and staff.

It humbles you, it shows how fortunate and lest we really are. It

puts everything into perspective. `` fortunate and blessing. I don't have

up problem in the world after seeing the joy, what a little mini

basketball can do, what 12 tall guys can do.

This is Oscar. He's four months old and he's already undergone ten

operations ` with more to follow. On Sunday we had our first night

back home with Oscar, which was emotional, to say the least. He has

come in for a couple more days and hopefully we will get him home for

Christmas by the end of the week. It will be short lived, we will be home

for a couple of weeks, and then he will be in for more investigation

and surgery. It's the start of a partnership

between the Newcastle Eagles and the Children's Heart Unit Fund.

It's very much more than just a visit on to the ward, it's about

creating a long`term relationship between the fund and the Eagles.

What we stand for is something they do as well.

Big men with big hearts. A timely shot in the arm for a unit

facing months more of uncertainty over its future.

I don't know if you conceive the I don't know if you conceive the

circles under Jeff's eyes. What time were you up to watching the

cricket? About half past five. It was worth

it for one reason and one reason alone.

Durham all`rounder Ben Stokes has been the one bright spark in a

dismal display that finally saw England lose the Ashes in Perth this

morning. The 22`year`old Cumbrian hit 120 in only his second Test

match to at least give England and the Barmy Army some brief hope of

avoiding defeat. Stokes is the only England batsman to have scored a

century this series and just the third to have hit a hundred at the

WACA ground since 1987 in an innings that included 18 fours and a six. He

was finally out, caught behind by Brad Haddin. But we may look back on

today's final day of the Third Test as the start of something special.

Now, Sunderland might be bottom of the Premier League but tonight they

have the chance to make it through to the semi`finals of the League

Cup. To do that, though, they'll have to beat Chelsea. And while cup

statistics might be on their side, from recent experience they know how

tough that can be ` as Dawn Thewlis reports.

Not one ` not two ` not even three goals were enough to beat Chelsea

when the two sides met a couple of weeks ago at the Stadium of Light.

The Blues might not be firing on all cylinders but they're still just two

points off the top of the league and the Sunderland boss says his side

have a lot to learn from that game. Plenty. We need to make sure we do

write the things that we didn't. Trying to score three goals again

would the fantastic. It is a shame when you score three and don't win

the game. I want to have a new Chelsea, eight Rand new Chelsea.

Believe it or not Sunderland have never lost to Chelsea in cup

competition. But history may not be on their side. In 1985 the Black

Cats recorded a 5`2 aggregate win over two legs in the League Cup

semifinals to reach Wembley. But they were subsequently relegated.

And for Gus Poyet the competition provides no respite as he battles to

save Sunderland from the drop. We would like to become as a team

winners, whether it is a league game or a cup game. I hope it is the same

for the players, even as a bit of revenge we are going to try to beat

Chelsea. So just play, be winners, and if we are winners I am sure we

will get out of the relegation zone because we will play winning

football. It must feel a bit like round

Hobday. `` groundhog day.

I am sure most fans arriving at the Stadium of Light will settle for

another seven goal thriller as long as their team come out on top. Which

manager once this most? `` wants. Jose`Maria neuro leads a trophy

desperately. `` Jose Mourinho. I believe in the glory of the cup. It

is one thing staying in the league but football is about glory and

glamour and a bit of `` a trip to Wembley. It is not unheard of for

teams to win League Cup finals and get relegated but league survival

has to be the priority. It is, it costs about ?104 million to run the

club and if they lose ?50 million by getting relegated it will be a

financial disaster, with a huge impact on jobs. Would Sunderland

fans take relegation and a trophy? I think many actually word. Do you

think Gus Poyet is the long`term answer? I hope they keep faith in

him in the next season even if they do go down. He almost brought

brighten up last year. We have seen visual evidence of a comeback at

Sunderland, an improvement in play. That has not really been reflected

in results yet. I have heard people say, if we play like that we will be

all right. But it has to start happening now with the results.

Thank you very much. It is looming cold here, back to you. `` blooming.

Meanwhile there's FA Cup action this evening. BBC Tees will have

commentary of Hartlepool's second round replay against Coventry City

at Northampton's Sixfields Stadium. The winners will travel to Barnsley

in round three. Now if you read certain national

newspaper headlines, you'll have been bracing yourself for killer

blizzards, 100 days of snow, and the worst winter ever. Well, I suppose

there's time yet. But despite the absence of snow, so

far, one of our best known pubs is taking no chances. Yes, the Tan Hill

Inn, above Swaledale in North Yorkshire is the highest pub in

Britain ` at an altitude of more than 1700 feet. And the landlady is

taking drastic action to ensure that regulars can get to ` and from ` the

famous watering hole. Phil Chapman reports this week there is more wins

than winter wonderland that if the snow does come then the landlady of

the Tan Hill Inn is ready. We decided to be able to keep the

road open ourselves. People are really interested in this, really

excited. We are quite happy to get snowed in as long as they can get

here. The pub certainly gets its share of the spotlight, most

famously being used by a certain double glazing firm in the 80s.

Ironically it is the isolated a peel of the Tan Hill Inn that led one

annual Scottish regular to help with a plough, potentially enabling even

more people to get here. On a personal basis I like the remark

must of the pub. There are plenty of rallies over the year and it is a

great place, somewhere I could recommend anybody to come. The pub

has applied for permission to use the plough officially and North

Yorkshire County Council told us they are assessing the case. We have

asked the council on numerous occasions whether we could be part

of their contracted snow clearing team. Still waiting. Whatever the

council decides they will be some people who don't mind being snowed

in in a pub like this. Those who want easy access to the Tan Hill

Inn, Tracy wants the council to say yes to the plough.

Any chance of a white Christmas? I think seems like that at the Tan

Hill Inn are unlikely between now and Christmas.

Tomorrow the temperatures will be up a good bit on today, double figures

in a few places, but some wet weather around and eventually some

very windy weather as well. In the meantime, it is a different story.

This evening most places are dry and with clear skies there could be a

touch of frost for a time this evening. Later tonight the cloud

thickens up, patchy rain comes in from the West and the breeze starts

to pick up. Lows of 12 Celsius for a time but milder by the end of the

night. Tomorrow, cloudy from the word go and most heavy and

persistent in the West. The winds will pick up as well, eventually

reaching gusts of 30, 40 mph by the end of the afternoon. Temperatures

mild, in 11 Celsius, but more heavy rain waiting in the West, heading

our way tomorrow evening with even stronger winds. It is courtesy of

this weather front Thomas Strong gusting westerly winds overnight.

Sunny spells, Saturday `` scattered showers on Thursday and then the

next band of wet and windy weather heads our way through the latter

part of Friday. Wet and windy tomorrow in the West, a bit of

brightness in between those blustery showers but still fairly windy

through the rest of the week and more rain coming in from the West on

Friday. Some rain at times tomorrow, the winds will pick up and we keep

the strong winds through the rest of the week. It will probably be Friday

night for the heavy rain returns. You can keep bang up to date on the

free ABC whether app. `` BBC. The coldest place on the Earth is `93

degrees on the East Arctic Plateau. A review of increasing London air

capacity suggests a new runway at Heathrow or a new airport in the

Thames Estuary. And 90% of local councils are

offering 15 minute care visits. Good night.