After October eye tests reception questions and hand sterilising in Maylord
Street, Hereford, I asked my own waiting room question: “The toilet?”
Answer:
“Our customer toilet is currently out of bounds — no-one to clean it at present. If you are
desperate, you could nip over to the toilet at M&S and then get back
here for your appointment.”
Customers’ mobility and other
requirements vary, as do toilet queue lengths with or without ‘social
distancing’. (And nearby Widemarsh Street is a notorious falls hotspot.) So it’s better that we ask our own questions before we are
desperate.
Even before a dodgy post-Brexit US-USA trade deal
wipes out our NHS, how about these questions affecting more people than
those of us going for free eye tests:
What toilet provisions have
been accounted for in the planning of Hereford GPs’ ‘Super Surgery’ on
which construction has already begun?
What impacts does Post-Covid-19 lockdown bring to Planning considerations?
The
deadline for responses to the UK Government’s Planning White Paper is
October 29th, while that White Paper is oriented to central government
overruling local democracy. Whose interests does it serve, and therefore
what institutions are more likely to devote staff time to responding
while local democracy is starved of cash while laundered money from abroad further damages UK democracy?
PS: From my e-mail inbox, fresh in today:
"oh golly, toilets are such an issue for me. at present, it is difficult
to escape hereford. i would like to catch bus to ross just for a change
of scene but am anxious that i won't find a convenience in ross! with my
elderly female bladder, i don't travel far
from sanctuary of my own bathroom these days!
"another unexpected result of covid restrictions!"
American Academic Author, Community College Counsellor and Private Practitioner Left with > $114K medical debt to pay off after drunk driver incident
"You don't know what you've got till it's gone" — Joni Mitchell
As a disabled lifelong learner determined to make the most of my possibilities on a limited income and now a pensioner, I have a lot of decluttering to do. Thus last night I returned to a printout of publisher's information on a book, Moving through Life Transitions with Power and Purpose, 2nd Edition, by Cara DiMarco, Ph D of Lane Community College, Oregon, USA.
As can be seen from the above screen capture taken from Waterstone's Bookshops website, the book costs £42.49 — that's about 1/4 of my weekly State Pension in the UK (that is paid monthly), and a much more sizeable portion of a UK jobseeker's income. I had kept the original publisher's information from Pearson's for something like 20 years, as the very idea of the title inspired me, but not got into purchasing the book.
Yet with advances in home computer technology since I originally saved the Pearson publishing page as print-out and going through my decluttering, I looked up Cara DiMarco, Ph D on youtube last night and came across the video of a training session that I present above. In the videoed session, Cara DiMarco talks about student's capacities to rcover from 'developmental trauma' (relating to early socialisation, as I would describe it, family influences as she puts it), and 'shock trauma' (relating to later life incidents). She observes that the intakes of American Community College students, being largely for poorer students, generally have much greater levels of 'developmental trauma' than students at universities.
(Meanwhile, those rejected by the admissions system and/or those turned off by the prospect of student debt are presumably left to flounder.)
Yet she notes that Community College students probably have greater coping strategies than those who get turned down for places at Community Colleges, and humour in responding to students' distress helps them progress. None the less, I was struck by the nonchalance with which she stated in response to an audience member's question about what she meant by "Stop waiting for motivation"? that starts at about the 10 mins 16 secs mark of the 22 mins 50 secs video.
"Oh, yes, if you want the full chapter, from my third book, I could e-mail it to you; it's about three pages, it's not very much. But it's part of the example I explain in there is, I work a 15 hour day most days [as a hit-and-run driver] that didn't stop left me a million point three and medical debt and so I work a full-time faculty position and a nearly full time private practice in order to pay $3,000 a month on the medical debt which will be gone in 38 more months, which is, yes, there will be a party you're all invited and then I will sleep for two days...."
"So, I never feel like working a 15 hour day. I don't think many people do, even though I love my work and to get in exercise I get up at this time of year around 5am and go into the dark rainy cold Oregon weather and go for a run, and no part of me goes, 'The alarms can go up at 5am, I get to leave this warm bed and put on 10lb of rain gear and run with a miner's light on my head flopping around my neighoburhood and then come home and get ready for my and if that was the case I'd never work out right.' No part of me at the end of the evenening goes, 'It's going to be so good to floss my teeth and clean the cat box or ....'"
The recording was uploaded in January 2017 [the month of President Trump's inauguration], and I believe that it helps to set the backdrop to the extent of Covid-19 pandemic in the USA, as student debt and medical debt etc. can be regarded as forms of debt slavery.
In the UK, we still have some level of 'free at the point of delivery' health care, though that does not apply to social care. For further information on the erosion of our welfare state, I refer my readers to the website of medically retired RAF medical veteran Mo Stewart, Mo Stewart Research.
In 1982 the Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher called a
special Cabinet meeting to discuss the future demolition of the UK
welfare state. With cross-party agreement, every government since
Thatcher has worked towards that ultimate goal without the mandate of
the British people.
In 1992 the John Major Conservative administration invited the
American corporate giant UnumProvident Insurance to consult with the UK
government regarding future welfare claims management, for claimants of
long-term sickness and disability benefits.
By 1994 the company were
listed as official government advisers, and by 1999 UnumProvident
Insurance were identified in a Parliamentary debate as refusing to pay
income protection insurance policies to genuine claimants. Yet, this
American corporate giant’s influence with UK social security policies
helped to create the agenda for the future demolition of the welfare
state, with a 2005 official corporate document quoting Unum’s Chief
Medical Officer confirming that the future UK welfare reforms were ‘…to a large extent being driven by our thinking and that of our close associates ’.
There are unaccountable drunk-drivers, and there are ideologically driven governments.
For information on how things could be in terms of Basic Income, I refer my readers to the work of Prof. Guy Standing and Basic Income Earth Network:
The justification for basic income is ethical
In conclusion, I state here, that my insights as a disabled person combine with my drive to fulfil my potentials, in order to help create a more humane world.
To parody Phil Ochs' song 'What — and Who — are You Fighting For?' that was addressed to willing draftees to the Vietnam War, 'What are You Working For or Toward?' What is precious in our lives?
I am posting this to help highlight the human decency of the man.
Due to the competitive nature of election campaigning, policy emphases
and tribal allegiances, such matters tend to distract from what we have
in common.
Labour leader of four years announces plans to step down
13 December, 2019
Jeremy Corbyn arriving at the count. Photo: Islington Tribune
(Islington Tribune is the sibling paper of Camden New Journal.)
ISLINGTON North MP’s full speech after announcement he had retained his seat.
Could I start by
saying a huge thank you to the returning officer and all the staff and
the police that have ensured a fair and democratic election has taken
place today.
And also
to congratulate and thank my fellow candidates for their participation
in this election. And also a very heartfelt thanks to the people of
Islington North for electing me again for the 10th time to represent
Islington North in Parliament.
I’m very, very
proud to do so and I’ve learned so much from the people of Islington
North and it’s my pride and my pleasure to continue to be their
representative in Parliament.
I also want to
thanks Ruth Hayes our agent for this election, and all of the wonderful
friends, comrades and supporters in Islington North Labour Party for the
huge effort they put in in this election campaign and they put in all
the time to carry a message of hope and justice, all over our
constituency and through me, I hope to a wider world.
The pressure on
those surrounding politicians is often very, very high indeed. The media
intrusion on people’s lives is very high indeed. And the attacks that
take place against family and loved ones of politicians continue and
they are disgraceful and frankly, they are disgusting.
I want to take
this opportunity to thank my family, my close friends, and those that
have been close by and been very supportive during this and every other
election campaign. I want to thank my three sons for the huge support
they give me and I thank my wife, Laura Alvarez for all which she puts
up with because of the way in which the media behave towards me, towards
her and indeed, towards my party during this election campaign.
This is obviously a
very disappointing night for the Labour Party with the results that
we’ve got. But I want to say this, in the election campaign, we put
forward a manifesto of hope, a manifesto of unity and a manifesto that
would help to right the wrongs and the injustices and inequalities that
exists in this country. For those who need housing, those who need an
effective health service that will deliver for them. And those children
that need a school that is properly funded, and they’re not being taught
in oversized classes. And a manifesto that gave hope in dealing with
the environmental crisis the world faces, by investing for the future
through a green industrial revolution.
All of those
policies were extremely popular during the election campaign and remain
policies that have huge popular support all across this country.
However, Brexit has so polarised and divided debate in this country, it
is overridden so much of a normal political debate. And I recognise that
has contributed to the result that the Labour Party has received this
evening all across this country. The issues of social justice and the
issues of needs of people will not go away. Just because Brexit is dealt
with in the way in which Boris Johnson presumably plans to deal with at
the moment, all those issues will come back centre stage in the debate.
And the
fundamental Labour message about justice and equality within our society
is going to be one that is there for all time because it’s the very
core of what my party believes in and what I will always advocate on
behalf of my constituency, and on behalf of my party.
I want to also
make it clear that I will not lead the party in any future general
election campaign. I will discuss with our party to ensure there is a
process now of reflection on this result. And on the policies that the
party will take going forward. And I will lead the party during that
period to ensure that discussion takes place and we move on into the
future.
I’m very proud of
the trust that our half million members put in me to lead this party.
And I’m very proud of the way that we fought this election campaign. We
did not descend into the gutter, we did not undertake personal abuse, we
undertook the task of getting a message of hope and justice to every
part of this country.
And I’m very
grateful to the Labour Party in Islington North for being very tolerant
to the fact that I didn’t spend as much time in this election campaign
in Islington as obviously I would want to do because I’ve been traveling
around the whole country to ensure that Labour message is put there.
But I want to say
this, I will remain the MP for Islington North and I’m proud to
represent the people of Islington North, and I’m proud in Parliament and
outside, that we will forever continue the cause for socialism for
social justice, and for a society based on the needs of all rather than
the greed of a few.
That is what makes
our party what it is. And I’m very proud of the achievements of our
party and the development of its manifesto and its ideas.
And I tell you
what, those ideas and those principles are eternal, and they will be
there for all time. I thank the people of Islington North once again,
for putting their faith and trust in me. I will work as I always have to
represent and defend the people of my constituency, because they’re
very special and I owe them so much and they have all taught me so much.
Thank you very much.
Recent reports in Hereford Times (1) (2) (3) flag up quality deficits in social care provision in the County that I recognise as borne largely of cuts in public spending that actually predate the 2010 General Election and the 2008 banks collapse. And those deficits – relating to residential homes and social worker working conditions – are likely to be exacerbated by Prime Minister Boris Johnson’ vow to “get Brexit done” (4) while Government Minister Liz Truss has stated that the Social Care Green Paper [public consultation document] that Johnson claimed would ‘fix’ social care’ does not exist!(5)
I was born with an invisible disability and that helped me connect with adults with learning difficulties when I was a Basic Education Learning Support Volunteer in 2004 and latterly domiciliary care worker to learning disabled adults in 2005/06 on 3 hour contact sessions with inadequate in-service training due to cuts in central government funding of local authorities. My metaphor for the latter role was ‘an all-terrain vehicle’: the term ‘learning difficulties’ covers a very broad constituency.
Nowadays, many care sessions are just 15 minutes long, and the workers are still not paid for travel between care sessions and/or preparation time. Low quality, negligent care arising from this has been identified in a Kings Fund charity report “consistently identified by service users, carers and families, policy-makers and people working in the sector. ”(6)
Like the NHS, UK social care is largely dependent upon skilled staff trained abroad, including EU migrant workers without whom social care in the UK would be the poorer.
Boris Johnson said in Downing Street in July after becoming prime minister: “… and so I am announcing now – on the steps of Downing Street – that we will fix the crisis in social care once and for all with a clear plan we have prepared.” (7) With prospective post-Brexit trade deal terms and conditions yet to be determined, I am reminded that as Green Party Spokesperson on Disability in 2008 confronted by a ‘No-one written off: Reforming welfare to reward responsibility’ Green Paper in which the consultation questions related more to ‘rewarding’ work-for-your-benefits global corporations than even recognising the existence of disabled jobseekers of which I was one.(8)
• Professor Tobias advises us to vote appropriately and also to watch The Dirty War on the NHS. (Letters,
9 December). I Googled it, to discover that this new film by the highly
respected John Pilger, described by ITV as “a powerful and timely
investigation [which] gives voice to those who warn that time may be
running out in the battle to save both the NHS and the fundamental human
right to medical care” is being broadcast, by ITV, on 17 December.
Timely? Time is running out. Come on ITV, show it on the 11th, at peak time. Mary Brown Chiswick, London
If any News Forwards From Alan Wheatley blog readers feel bold enough to make calls on any subject or topic, perhaps they could start a petition with the aid of petition website Change.org? Petition signatures can be a news item in themselves. https://www.change.org/start-a-petition?source_location=header
Over £5,000 in one day for Mandatory Reconsideration challenge
Benefits and Work readers donated over £5,000 in the 24 hours after our
last newsletter appealed for support for a crowdfunded legal challenge.
The judicial review, which will
now definitely go ahead, is seeking to outlaw the cynical practice of
mandatory reconsideration (MR).
Since the DWP [Department for Work & Pensions] introduced MRs
they have succeeded in dissuading hundreds of thousands of claimants
from challenging a benefits decision.
Michael Connor, who launched the challenge, thanked Benefits and Work readers for their support, saying:
“I still cannot quite believe the amount of support.
“The support from donations
and encouraging comments for my case has meant the world to me. I have
been informed that the DWP have employed two barristers to oppose my
case. But they will not undermine my determination to fight and win this
case. The court fees are paid. I have the finance to pay for any court
filing, court order application and appeals if needed.
“I am so grateful and energised by the support for not now my, but our, case.”
Pressure for criminal investigation of ministers for claimant deaths increases
The campaign for a criminal investigation into the actions of
former Conservative ministers in relation to claimant deaths is
gathering pace.
Last week, John Pring of the Disability News Service (DNS) published a 12,000 word article DWP: The case for the prosecution which set out the links between the deaths of six claimants and flaws in the work capability assessment.
Pring has argued that Iain Duncan Smith, Chris Grayling and senior
civil servants in the DWP ignored concerns raised by a coroner about the
WCA.
DNS now says that Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has agreed that the article provides “strong and clear evidence” that Duncan Smith, Grayling and senior civil servants should be investigated over the WCA scandal.
“Labour will fulfil the promise Jeremy Corbyn and I gave during
our campaigns to highlight the tragic deaths of disabled people
resulting from austerity under the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.
“We will hold an inquiry into these deaths.
“It’s critically important that people are made aware of the
brutal treatment meted out to disabled people and lessons are learnt so
that this never happens again.”
“We will hold an inquiry into these deaths.
“It’s critically important that people are made aware of the
brutal treatment meted out to disabled people and lessons are learnt so
that this never happens again.”
'Drill & fill' dentistry is not as effective against tooth decay as treatment that focuses on preventing tooth decay, say researchers at University of Dundee
A study by of 3-to-7-year olds by researchers at University of Dundee showed that avoidance of tooth-rotting sugary substances is the best treatment for tooth decay. That, of course, involves responsible parenting and avoidance of what critics have dubbed 'Big Soda'. Eg, https://cspinet.org/new/201303191.html Title: Soda Industry's "Selfish Giving": [Center for Science in the Public Interest] Report Tells How Big Soda's "Philanthropy" Buys Friends, Sliences Critics, and Sweetens Profits.
It also strikes me that dentistry has been one of the main branches of our National Health Service has been far from 'free at the point of delivery' for many years and the underfunding of public services such as sports provision increase the influence of 'Big Soda' on society. Advertising revenue from 'Big Soda' is also likely to quell the willingness of a lot of MainStream Media from publicising this piece of dentistry research. But as the NHS has been largely privatised now and is likely to become a terminal case in the event of trade deals with the USA post-Brexit, I believe that the question needs to be asked, "Are 'free at the point of delivery' health services more or less likely to foster preventative medicine than privatised medical services?"
How healthy are our hospitals' finances even before the 'no deal Brexit' that our new Prime Minister Boris Johnson and ally Michael Gove seem hell bent on aiming for?
There is this from the freebie newspaper Camden New Journal of my former local area:
Royal Free faces debt of £240million
NHS Trust posts record deficit, with 'significant doubt' over whether it can go on
The Royal Free Hospital AN NHS trust that balanced its books seven
years ago has posted a record deficit and is fore- cast to have racked
up £240million in repayable loans by the end of the year, an independent
audit has revealed.
The Royal Free London Group’s debt is casting a
“significant doubt” about its ability to “continue to provide healthcare
services”, the Pricewaterhouse-Coopers report said.
The audit is buried in a 330-page Royal Free annual
report that says seven loans worth £243.9m will be owed to the
Department of Health and Social Care by the end of March....
Continue reading at http://camdennewjournal.com/article/royal-free-faces-debt-of-240million
Perhaps an 'advantage' for Boris in 'no deal Brexit' as an exercise in
'disaster capitalism' is that it make the prospect of dissolving the NHS
more feasible?
Shaping Our Lives: A National Network of Service Users and Disabled People bulletin
'No Wheelchair Tax' Campaign #NoWheelchairTax
This bulletin gives an insight into the No Wheelchair Tax campaign, led by Kush Kanodia, alongside Disability Rights UK....
Kush Kanodia,
is leading a campaign, alongside Disability Rights UK, to scrap all
charges for accessible (Blue Badge) parking at hospitals across England.
This follows the decision by Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS
Foundation Trust that holders of blue badges would no longer be allowed
free parking at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. Kush is a patient
governor for this Foundation and has been trying to persuade the trust
for the last year not to introduce parking charges for patients with
blue badges.
Kush’s campaign has grown significantly since it’s initiation on 4th July and has had interest from several national newspapers.
Next Steps (direct from the Campaign):
The NHS in Scotland and Wales (2018) have already abolished all car parking charges from their hospitals!
We are now calling for an “Immediate Judicial Review” and for a Bill to
be passed in Parliament to enforce the Equality Act 2010 and protect
against any further discrimination against disabled people by the NHS
England!
If your local NHS hospital or any NHS
hospitals where you receive treatment still charges for disabled
parking, then please write and complain to the hospital’s Patient Advice
and Liaison Service (PALS).
Send a letter to your local MP (Member of
Parliament) supporting our campaign ASAP. If you are not sure who that
would be please check the following website: https://www.theyworkforyou.com/
Social Media support: please like, tweet, share and sign up as one of the supporters of our campaign #NoWheelChairTax.
We are approaching all stakeholder from
disabled people’s organisations to non-disabled people’s organisation to
support our campaign to help create a fairer, more ethical &
compassionate Britain.
We are now working with all the political
parties to incorporate our campaign as part of their health policy. If
you know of anyone who can help to make this possible, we would love to
hear from you!
The NHS was founded on the principle of Free at the Point of Delivery and this principle must apply to us all!
Further information:
Timelines & Publications:
4th July 2019 – Our campaign was initiated by Kush Kanodia, a patient
Governor at Chelsea Westminster NHS Foundation Trust, at the Public
Board meeting of Chelsea Westminster NHS Foundation Trust after they announced their disgraceful decision to start charging for disabled parking at Chelsea Westminster Hospital.
8th July – The formal launch of our campaign was when Kush Kanodia was
appointed as the new Ambassador and Leader of the campaign with
Disability Rights UK (DR UK). DR UK is the largest pan-disability
charity in the UK that is disabled person led and we manage the
All-Party Parliamentary Group for Disability at the UK Parliament. https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/2019/july/meet-kush-kanodia-mba-our-new-ambassador
10th July – Kush Kanodia attended the King's Fund Annual Leadership and
Management Summit titled “Compassionate and Inclusive Leadership” and
asked Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, the Secretary of State for Health and
Social Care, “What do we do when the people we trust to deliver our
healthcare fail to show compassion or inclusive leadership?” Mr Kanodia
requested support for the new campaign from Mr Hancock and Simon
Stevens, the CEO of NHS England. Kush received no response from either,
but he did receive round of applause from the whole audience at the
Kings Fund when he highlighted the purpose of the new campaign.
16th July – BBC London Radio: On Drivetime with Eddie Nestor who
interview’s Lucy Aliband a Trustee of Disability Right UK (Please skip
to 1:18:53). https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p07fbfhd
25th July – At the Council of Governors’ meeting at Chelsea Westminster
NHS Foundation Trust, the Executive of the Trust announced their
decision is to now delay the implementation of charging for disabled
parking at Chelsea Westminster Hospital. The trust’s plan is to now set
up a Working Group going forward. Kush Kanodia has requested to be part
of this Working Group going forward due to his expertise on disability
and the NHS.
2019 - Disability comes with an extortionate and shocking price tag: One
in five disabled people incur extra costs of £583 per month, with
almost 25 per cent looking at more than £1000 extra. This price tag is
calculated after welfare payments designed to meet those costs have been
considered. https://www.scope.org.uk/campaigns/extra-costs/disability-price-tag/
2019 - Disability Employment Gap: Only 51.5% of disabled people are in
work, compared with around 81.7% of non-disabled people. In 2017, the
government set a goal to see one million more disabled people in work in
the 10 years to 2027. The National Audit Office report in 2019 called
“Support disabled people to Work” concludes the Department of Work and
Penson’s has recognised that it does not understand enough to frame a
full implementation strategy to help more disabled people to work. https://www.nao.org.uk/report/supporting-disabled-people-to-work/
2019 – Barriers to Work: The Greater London Authority tackling London’s
disability employment gap report in 2019 highlights that Disabled
Londoners of working age (16-64) are three times less likely to be in
work than non-disabled Londoners and identifies the following barriers:
Just around half of all disabled Londoners are in work; about 1 in 10 are self-employed.
Many disabled Londoners lack the higher-level qualifications necessary to access many of the jobs London creates.
While there are many governments sponsored
schemes, a third of disabled Londoners were not aware of the schemes,
another third was aware but didn’t know how to access them.
2017 – Missed Opportunities and Failures: Progress towards real equality
for disabled people over the past twenty years is insufficient and
'littered with missed opportunities and failures,’ according to the
Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission following the
publication of ‘Being disabled in Britain: A journey less equal, a
comprehensive analysis on how the rights of disabled people are no
longer protected in Great Britain. https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/our-work/news/disability-progress-‘littered-missed-opportunities-and-failures’
2017 - Systematic violations of disabled people rights: Austerity
policies introduced into welfare and social care by the UK government
amount to “systematic violations” of the rights of people with
disabilities, a UN inquiry has concluded. The UK government is failing
to uphold disabled people’s rights across a range of areas from
education, work and housing to health, transport and social security, a
UN committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities inquiry has
concluded. https://www.equallyours.org.uk/uncrpd-disability-report/
Current - Inaccessible Public Transport - Only 26% of all London Tube
stations are accessible (70 out of 270”. Disabled people often have no
other choice but must drive to hospital due to our inaccessible public
transport. NHS Trusts who charge for disabled parking in London can
therefore amount to Direct Discrimination against Disabled People, under
the Equality Act 2010, where disability is one of the protected
characteristics. http://www.transportforall.org.uk/public/ug/
Campaign Team:
Kush Kanodia: Leader of the Campaign, Ambassador for Disability Rights
UK and Governor for Chelsea Westminster NHS Foundation Trust Hospital:
kushuk@gmail.com
Lucy Aliband: Director of Communications of the Campaign and Trustee for
Disability Rights UK: lucy.aliband@disabilityrightsuk.org
Kamran Mallick: CEO of Disability Rights UK (DR UK) - DR UK is the
largest pan-disability charity in the UK that is disabled person led and
manages the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Disability at the UK
Parliament.
Key Supporters:
Jonathan Ashworth: Labour’s shadow health and social care secretary,
said: “What an absolute disgrace. We need these car parking charges
binned. It’s time ministers intervened and sorted this out.” From News
Papers.
Sir John Vince Cable: Lucy Aliband on 29 July 2019 met with the former
Leader of the Liberal Democrats, who also now supports our campaign.
Camden Disability Action: “Shocking! We support #KushKanodia campaign
and urge other DPOs to join because disabled people are already too
stressed by cuts in social care and other benefits to continue to take
on this burden.” Twitter https://camdendisabilityaction.org.uk/
Campaign Bootcamp: “Kush calls for an immediate Judicial Review, a Bill
passed in Parliament to enforce the #EqualityAct2010 and abolishment of
disabled car parking charges in all NHS hospital in England.” Twitter https://campaignbootcamp.org/
Shaping
Our Lives is a leading national user-led organisation that has
expertise in the inclusive involvement of people from diverse, seldom
heard and marginalised communities, enabling disabled people and service
users to meaningfully influence policy creating relevant and effective
services. Our work has three core elements:
1. Developing, implementing and facilitating inclusive involvement activities.
2. Conducting user-led, experiential and participatory action research.
3. Representing user-led groups nationally.
Check out ourResource Libraryfor an index of titles where you can download a number of free documents of particular interest to the service user movement.
Remember, if you are a member of Shaping Our Lives you can post onto the notice board and update your information on your personal page as many times as you want. Sign up to get our latest e bulletins and newsletters.
If you have a resource you would like to share with other user-led organisations and service users please contact us information@shapingourlives.org.uk
Welcome
to the latest Shaping Our Lives Newsletter this week containing a
variety of requests for support via surveys and consultations.
If you have items you would like shared in a future newsletter or
stories for our Insight bulletin, please contact us using the email
below.
The Rainbow Project – consultation
Birmingham LGBT has received funding from Comic Relief to develop 'The
Rainbow Project,' which is a culturally competent group work programme
for Lesbian, Bisexual and Transwomen (LBT) survivors of domestic abuse.
The aim of the programme is to offer a safe space for LBT survivors to
learn about domestic abuse and healthy relationships, as well as giving
them an opportunity to share experiences and gain peer support.
Whilst the focus of the programme is about domestic abuse, they would
also like to include a range of topics which can help to promote the
health and wellbeing of LBT women.
Being the first of its kind, they are currently going through a
consultation process to collate views about how the programme should be
developed.
They would like people to support them by completing a very short survey. The results of this will help to shape the programme.
Please complete the survey by Tuesday 13th August 2019
Call for Solutions - Ideas and suggestions for a better social security (welfare benefits) system
The
Commission on Social Security led by Experts by Experience are very
keen to hear the view of Shaping Our Lives members regarding ideas and
suggestions for a better social security system.
The original deadline was the 31st July, but they have extended this and responses can now be submitted until the end of August.
National recruitment campaign toolkit – feedback required
As
part of the 'Every Day is Different' national recruitment campaign for
adult social care, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)
developed a toolkit to help employers use the campaign and its materials
in their recruitment efforts. This and other materials are available
are free to download from: www.everydayisdifferent.com/resources.
Skills for Care would like to get your views on the toolkit
and how it could be improved from people who are likely to use it in
their recruitment process. This would then feed into phase two of the
campaign running from autumn 2019.
If you're interested in providing feedback, please let them know when
you'd be available to attend a two hour webinar in August by completing
the doodle poll using your full name. The most popular date will then be
chosen and people informed of joining instructions.
If you have any queries or would like any further information, please email r&r@skillsforcare.org.uk.
Making NHS Screening Tests more accessible – please help
Breakthrough UK
is working with Manchester Health and Care Commissioning to find out
more about disabled people’s experiences of accessing NHS screening
programmes.
Breakthrough is a disabled people’s organisation in Manchester.
Have you ever had?
Screening in pregnancy
Cervical screening (a smear test)
Breast screening
Bowel cancer screening
Eye Screening for people with Diabetes
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening
Breakthrough would love to hear from you if you are happy to talk about
your experiences of any of these tests – or of being invited to a test.
They’re asking:
Was the screening accessible to you?
What were the barriers – they could be things like attitudes, poor access, inaccessible information etc.
Why might you choose not to take part in a screening programme?
What would make it work better for you?
For more information and to take part, please contact:
Crohn’s and Colitis UK, on behalf of IBD UK, have launched a survey to
find out what care for IBD should look like. They are aware there are
variations in care for IBD, and want to ensure that everyone receives
safe, consistent, high-quality, personalised care.
Make your voice heard and complete the new IBD Patient Survey.
The survey will highlight where your IBD team could improve to give you the best possible care.
Shaping
Our Lives is a leading national user-led organisation that has
expertise in the inclusive involvement of people from diverse, seldom
heard and marginalised communities, enabling disabled people service
users to meaningfully influence policy creating relevant and effective
services. Our work has three core elements:
1. Developing, implementing and facilitating inclusive involvement activities.
2. Conducting user-led, experiential and participatory action research.
3. Representing user-led groups nationally
Check out ourResource Libraryfor an index of titles where you can download a number of free documents of particular interest to the service user movement.
Remember, if you are a member of Shaping Our Lives you can post onto the notice board and update your information on your personal page as many times as you want. Sign up to get our latest e bulletins and newsletters.
If you have a resource you would like to share with other user-led organisations and service users please contact us information@shapingourlives.org.uk
