SIAA E-Bulletin - Friday 26th June
The Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance (SIAA) weekly e-bulletin
This week’s bulletin contains SIAA news, general news, events, publications, funding and recruitment.
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SIAA NEWS
SIAA Board
Linda Bailey has stood down from her position as Chair of the SIAA. We wish to extend to Linda our heartfelt thanks for all her hard work and dedication. Linda will be remaining on the Board of the SIAA to ensure a smooth transition to the new Chair, Damian Sherwood. We wish Damian every success in his new role.
GENERAL NEWS
New Forensic Advocacy Worker for Carers
Edinburgh Carers
Council have recently appointed a Development Worker (Forensic Advocacy) based
at their Canonmills office. Jacqueline Munro took up the post at the start of
June and will be offering individual advocacy appointments from the start of
August.
Re-launching the Carers Group this Saturday 27th June 1.30 -3.00pm that previously ran at the Orchard Clinic it is hoped that any collective advocacy issues can be addressed through the group which runs the last Saturday of each month at the new Craiglockhart Centre within the Royal Edinburgh Hospital. Jacqueline also has a small SeeMe grant and will be tackling the issue of stigma and marginalisation of carers of those in forensic services. It is hoped that as the role progresses a range of information and resources will be developed for this group of carers to address some of the challenges they face. Jacqueline is available to come and talk to your group of service users or professionals about carers needs so please get in touch for more information. Jacqueline Munro, 0131 270 6087/6089 jacq@edinburghcarerscouncil.co.uk ww.edinburghcarerscouncil.co.uk
Lack of staff leads to fears over mental well-being of children
Young children with mental health problems could be "slipping through the net" due to a lack of access to health visitors, a report revealed yesterday. The Scottish Parliament's health committee said it had found "disturbing evidence" that under-fives were not being monitored for mental well-being. Its report states: "The importance of identifying mental health problems in the under-fives was an important theme in this inquiry. Disturbingly, the committee uncovered evidence that this group is neglected." Experts told MSPs that a reduction in health visitors meant fewer young children were being referred to specialists. To read the report please click here.
Group will look at trustee and senior management expenses
The National Council for Voluntary Organisations and the Charity Finance Directors’ Group has set up an independent expert group on trustee and senior management expenses. Chaired by Lindsay Driscoll, the group, working closely with the Charity Commission, will work to develop best practice on how voluntary and community organisations report trustees and senior management expenses in the wake of recent press coverage surrounding the issue. “It is important that voluntary and community organisations get this right to maintain the high levels of public trust that exist in the sector,” said Driscoll, chair of the Independent Expert Group on Expenses. To read the full article click here.
Angus Independent Advocacy
Angus Independent Advocacy (AIA) is featured in the latest edition of ‘Care News’ the Care Commission’s magazine. The BIG lottery has funded AIA to provide support to isolated residents in Care Homes across Angus to complete ‘in-house’ quality of care questionnaires. The main aims of AIA’s lottery funded work are to help reduce elder abuse and safeguard the rights of older people in Angus and this work, specifically involving independent advocates, has been recognised by the Care Commission as best practice for care providers.
EVENTS
Open meetings for deaf people
The Scottish Council on Deafness (SCoD) is holding two open meetings for deaf people in July:
· Tuesday 21st July at the Royal Highland Hotel, Station Square, Inverness from 2.00pm to 5.30pm;
· Wednesday 22nd July at the Pentland Hotel, Princes Street, Thurso from 4.00pm to 7.00pm.
There will be BSL/English interpreters and a note taker at both these meetings. The meetings have been arranged to give deaf people the chance to come along and tell SCoD what barriers and challenges they face on a day to day basis in their local area. The other reason SCoD is holding these meetings is to find out what experiences deaf people have had of the Justice System in Scotland, both civil – adoptions, small claims court, divorce; and criminal – as a victim of crime, as a witness or as someone who has been charge and/or convicted of a criminal act. For more information on the meetings contact Mandy Reid on mandy@scod.org.uk or telephone/textphone 0141 248 1854
PUBLICATIONS
The Social Model of Disability – Scottish Accessible Information Forum (SAIF)
The latest SAIF publication is The Social Model of Disability, written by SAIF member Grant Carson and launched on Thursday 18th June 2009. This 32 page booklet is aimed at policy and decision makers across all sectors. It explains the Social Model and its importance. SAIF is clear that if society adopted and resourced the Social rather than the Medical Model, not only would accessible information provision become commonplace, but the lives of disabled people would be transformed and a huge step would be taken in the fight against discrimination. For the first time there is a cover price of £2. You can order your copies from your local or internet book retailer or from The Stationery Office. ISBN 9780114973490. Alternatively, it can be downloaded free of charge from the publications page of their website.
FUNDING
BBC Children in Need Fun and Friendship
This new £3m grants programme will focus on disabled young people aged between 12 – 18 years old living in the UK. BBC is targeting organisations that can provide opportunities for friendship and identify and address the barriers disabled young people face as teenagers growing up. It was set up following commissioned research revealing a significant lack of opportunity for independent socializing for disabled young people. The primary focus of applications should be social interaction, with disabled young people actively engaged in determining how that develops, combined with a commitment to sharing what is learned in the process. The deadline for applications is Friday 31st July 2009. Projects can apply online at http://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/grants/funandfriendship.shtml.
Voluntary Action Community Chest
The Voluntary Action Fund (VAF) Community Chest grant has re-opened for new applications. The grant is aimed at smaller community groups and voluntary organisations across Scotland and will provide grants of up to £1,000 as well as free training to groups with an annual income of under £25,000. The deadline for applications is Tuesday 30th June 2009. For more information click here.
Women’s Fund for Scotland
Grants of up to £5,000 are available for International Women’s Day 2010 events, or for projects that benefit women run by not-for-profit groups. Project funding is for between 25% to 100% of project costs, and projects should support women’s development, self-sufficiency and economic and social equality and applications that incorporate social enterprise are of interest. The deadline is 11th December 2009. For more information please telephone 0141 225 6670 or e-mail grants@scottishcf.org or see their website.
The Self Management Fund for Scotland is now open!
The Long Term Conditions Alliance Scotland (LTCAS) is delighted to announce that following final confirmation from the Scottish Government, the Self Management Fund for Scotland is now open for applications. The Self Management Fund is available to voluntary organisations and community groups throughout Scotland to support work to encourage people living with long term conditions to learn more about the management of their condition, and to become active partners in their own care. The fund is set at £2 million per year, over the next two years. For more information please see their website.
Red Nose Days Funding Programme
Following the review of its grant making programme, Comic Relief has announced that it is now accepting applications for grants through its Red Nose Day Programmes (2009 -12). Grants are available through a number of programme areas such as Mental Health; Domestic and Sexual abuse; Refugee and Asylum Seeking Women; Sport for Change; Young people aged between 11 and 25 in areas such as Sexually Exploited and Trafficked Young people, Young People and Alcohol, Young people with Mental Health Problems, and Local Communities; and Local Communities. Comic Relief has also announced two new programmes coming soon in the areas of; Young Carers (managed by the Princess Royal Trust for Carers); and Older People. There are no minimum or maximum grants in most of these programmes, but on average grants are of between £25,000 and £40,000 per year. Form more information on how to apply please click here.
RECRUITMENT
Person-centered planning facilitators wanted
The Transforming Transitions project provides person-centered planning for children and young people in south and central Scotland as part of planning around school transitions. We already work with a set of freelance facilitators, and we would like to find out if it is possible to expand this group over the next few months or so. We would like to hear from you if you are either an experienced facilitator, or someone with less experience but already with both the competence and knowledge required to facilitate person-centered planning properly. Note that this is not a paid position with Equity in Education – we pay facilitators for this service as and when we require it. Most facilitators are either already self-employed or fit this work in around other employment. There will be no conceivable way to earn a living from this work. Please see www.equityineducation.org/expandingTT for more information, or email Robert Weetman (enquiry@equityineducation.org.uk ).
CONTACT US
Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance, Melrose House, 69a George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2JG. Telephone: 0131 260 5380. Fax: 0131 260 5381. Email: enquiry@siaa.org.uk Website: www.siaa.org.uk
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