SIAA E-Bulletin - Friday 7th August
The Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance (SIAA) weekly e-bulletin
This week’s bulletin contains SIAA news, general news, events, consultations and recruitment.
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SIAA NEWS
SIAA AGM Thursday 27th August 2009.
The 2009 SIAA AGM is taking place on 27th August 09 in Perth at the Salutation Hotel. Tea and coffee will be available from 10.00 and the AGM will start at 10.30. Following the AGM we will be further debating how to improve the quality of advocacy in Scotland. Anyone interested or involved in advocacy is welcome to attend. If you do wish to come along then please email us at enquiry@siaa.org.uk or telephone us on 0131 260 5380.
SIAA TRAINING
Misuse of
anti-psychotic medication - free training workshop for advocates working with
older people
Advocates working with older people are invited to attend a free training
workshop, exploring issues around the misuse of anti-psychotic medication. This
one day event will be facilitated by an expert in the field on Thursday 26th
November in Glasgow. To book a place please e-mail enquiry@siaa.org.uk
or download a booking form from our website at www.siaa.org.uk
Human Rights and Older People training
Places are going fast for The British Institute of Human Rights training
on human rights and older people for independent advocates. Participants should be experienced advocates who work with older people and have at least some basic knowledge of the Human Rights Act. The training is free and will take place in Glasgow in Tuesday 15th September from 10.00 until 4.30pm. To book a place e-mail enquiry@siaa.org.uk or telephone 0131 260 5380 and request a booking form.
GENERAL NEWS
For Scotland’s Disabled Children
Scotland’s Disabled Children (FSDC) has launched a Scotland wide coalition campaigning for rights and justice for disabled children and young people. FSDC want families with a disabled child to enjoy the same quality of life as other families. Over the last ten years a range of policy and legislative frameworks have been developed to enable families with a disabled child to enjoy better lives but too many families still complain that they cannot access the appropriate services. To help support their campaign and for more information please contact Donna Tomlin at donna.tomlin@cafamily.org.uk or telephone her on 0131 659 2939.
Scottish Health Technologies Group
The Scottish Health Technologies Group (SHTG) is an advisory body set up by the Scottish Government Health Directorates (SGHD) to provide assistance to NHS Scotland boards when considering the introduction of new technologies recommended by NICE and other UK and international HTA agencies. The group identifies existing and new technologies including new devices and areas where there may be evidence to support disinvestment, ensures that appraisal of the effectiveness of technologies is carried out as needed, and facilitates the implementation of evidence-based recommendations on technologies. For further information on SHTG visit their website or e-mail tracey.savage1@nhs.net.
EVENTS
Social Networks Training & Scottish Recovery Network
The Scottish Recovery Network and Scottish Social Networks are linking up to deliver two one day training courses for mental health service providers in relation to social networks. Strong social networks are key to wellbeing and mental health recovery. Working with people who may be socially isolated presents staff with an assortment of challenges, not least how to reduce dependency and increase social networks. These one day courses will run once in Edinburgh on September 2nd and once in Glasgow on September 23rd. For more information and to book a place please see their website. These training days are targeted at frontline staff working in mental health services, whether based in a health or social care setting.
Advocacy into Action
Advocacy into Action will be holding an open day in their Falkirk office on 1st October and in their Alloa office on 9th October. They will be celebrating the launch of their new young people’s project which will advocate for young people between 14-18 years old with a learning disability. They will have various pupils visiting from local schools who will be taking part in helping create a work of art for each office. There will be refreshments and entertainment during the day. Please go along and find out more about the whole project so young people with a learning disability know where they can turn if the need arises. If you are interested in attending either of these open days please e-mail nicola@advocacyintoaction.org or telephone 01324 633 321.
PUBLICATIONS
Beating Domestic Violence – Free Survivors Handbook
As many as one in four women will experience domestic violence during their lifetime, and at least two women a week die as a result. This free Survivor's Handbook, from Women's Aid, provides practical support and information for women experiencing domestic violence, with simple guidance on every aspect of seeking support. To read the handbook please see their website.
CONSULTATION
Improve access to communication - Signature
Equal access to service provision for Deaf people is an enormously important equality and human rights issue. Poor awareness and lack of planning leads to poor communication and has the everyday effect of excluding and discriminating against Deaf people. With the right information and advice service providers can plan effectively and build excellent service provision for Deaf people into their everyday activity. Signature is working with other organisations of and for Deaf people to achieve this. Their joint aim is to build an evidence resource that informs public policy development and encourages good practice. They have drafted short questionnaires to gather information and aim to work with all the relevant organisations to publish in autumn 2009 a document that promotes the core principles for achieving best practice service provision for Deaf people. For further information on this project and ways to get involved please contact Dr. Rachel Mumba rachel.mumba@signature.org.uk on 0191 383 7900.
Scottish Government Consultation - The Care & Treatment of People with Mental Disorder and Learning Disability (Scrutiny, Improvement and Protection) - MWCS
The aim of this consultation is to seek mental health stakeholders’ views on what structure ultimately needs to be in place to secure improvements to mental health and disability learning services in the future, and how the MWCS should sit as part of that structure. The consultation paper seeks views in relation to two main issues:
- the future structure of the MWCS in terms of its functions and how it sits within the broader scrutiny and improvement landscape; and
- the future governance of the MWCS assuming it remains an independent entity.
They are inviting written responses to this consultation paper by Friday 25th September 2009. Please send your response together with respondent information form to mentalhealthlaw@scotland.gsi.gov.uk or to John.Williamson@scotland.gsi.gov.uk or for any queries please contact John on 0131 244 2599. To read the full consultation please click here.
RECRUITMENT
Circles Network Advocacy
Circles Network Advocacy is looking to appoint 1 part time administrator, 2 full time advocates and 1 full time advocate. For more information regarding these posts please see their website.
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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