SIAA E-Bulletin - Friday 4th December
The Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance (SIAA) weekly e-bulletin
This week’s bulletin contains SIAA news, general news, events, a publication, consultation, funding and recruitment.
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SIAA NEWS
***Advocacy Map***
A reminder that information for 2008-2009 to update the Advocacy Map has been sent out to all advocacy organisations. We would be grateful if the form could be completed and returned as soon as possible. If you have not received it or if you would like an electronic version of the form please contact Muriel on 0131 260 5380 or mmowat@siaa.org.uk
GENERAL NEWS
Building a safer and stronger Scotland
Moves to ensure Scotland is safer and stronger moved closer as the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Bill passed Stage One of the parliamentary process. It is the largest piece of legislation introduced by the Scottish Government and includes provisions on more than 80 topics. For more information please see the Scottish Government’s website.
2009 Directory of Opportunities for Disabled People in Fife
This Directory is now ready for distribution across Fife, it is also available at www.fifedirect.org.uk/fenlink. The directory guides disabled people through their options on the employability journey and introduces the people and organisations who can help. It has also proved very helpful to carers, practitioners and family members. If you haven’t received a copy or would like additional copies please telephone Sandra Wilson on 01592 583 378 or e-mail infor@fenlink.org.uk.
Mental Welfare Commission - national survey of service users and carers views
In January 2010 the Mental Welfare Commission (MWC) is launching its first national survey of service users and carers views. The survey will gather the views of people who have used services offered by the Mental Welfare Commission so the MWC can review its practice. Scottish Development Centre for Mental Health has been asked to run the new survey. This will ensure that it is independent. Individual responses are confidential and are not shared with the Mental Welfare Commission. A web version of the questionnaire will be available from 5th January 2010 or if you require a hard copy of the survey please contact Hannah Biggs on 0131 555 5959 or see their website. The survey closes 26th February 2010.
16 Days of Action
16 Days of Action has become a familiar fixture in the diary of events taking place in Glasgow each year. The international campaign dates November 25, International Day Against Violence Against Women and December 10, International Human Rights Day, were chosen to symbolically link violence against women and human rights and to emphasise that such violence is a violation of human rights. For more information on the campaign and events being run around it please contact Fiona Crumlin on 0141 276 9860 or e-mail fiona.crumlin@ced.glasgow.gov.uk.
‘Your Call’ telephone service
'Your Call' is a free telephone counseling service which is open to disabled people from all over Scotland. The `Your Call' counselors are all disabled people themselves and provide an understanding of what it means to live as a disabled person in Scotland. The counselors work as volunteers, and are trained to a professional standard in counseling. The 'Your Call' number is 08088 01 03 62, and the service is open to all disabled people in Scotland who are over the age of 16, and their immediate family members from 11am until 3pm Monday to Thursdays.
Stark Figures on Malnutrition Lead to Child Poverty Call
New figures revealing that 10% of children admitted to Glasgow's Royal Hospital for Sick Kids are suffering from malnutrition highlight the desperate need for funding to tackle child poverty, Barnardos Scotland said this week. Statistics from the survey carried out at the Royal Hospital for Sick Kids in Glasgow also found that 10% of the children screened were obese. It has called on the government, which pledged in 1999 to half child poverty by 2010, to seriously invest in support for struggling families in its last budget before next year's General Election. To read the full article click here.
EVENTS
Positive Approaches to Working with Autism
This one day course provides an insight into autism in all its forms and with all its complexities. The emphasis is on how to provide unique and individual support and aims to give learners the confidence to incorporate the theory and knowledge into their work practice. This course takes place on Wednesday 16th December 09 in Eskbank and costs £78.00 per person. For more information please contact Muriel McLeod on 0131 663 4444 or e-mail her at murielmcleod@arcuk.org.uk.
Free Training – The Poverty Alliance – Voices for Change, Creating Change
Free Training is being held on Wednesday, 9 and Friday, 11 December 2009, in Glasgow (venue to be confirmed). The training is aimed at individuals and groups that have experience of poverty issues and who want to get their voices and experiences heard more effectively in order to instigate change. To register for this training session and to get further information please click here.
PUBLICATIONS
Monitoring poverty and social exclusion 2009
The annual report on the state of poverty and social exclusion in the United Kingdom from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the New Policy Institute has recently been published. Monitoring poverty and social exclusion 2009 is an essential resource for policy-makers and others wanting to take stock of what is happening and understand the challenges ahead. To read the full report click here.
CONSULTATION
Consultation on Public Sector Equality Duty Specific Duties
Inclusion Scotland is looking to submit a response to the Scottish Government’s consultation on Public Sector Equality Duty Specific Duties. The full consultation can be found here. Please could responses be sent to donna@inclusionscotland.org by 24th December 09.
European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) - let your voice be heard - Disability Action Plan
There are approximately 50 million EU citizens who are disabled. They are one of the largest groups of citizens at a disadvantage. To improve this situation, the European Commission is preparing a new EU Disability Strategy for 2010 to 2020. There is an online questionnaire, which anyone can complete. The questionnaire asks for your opinion on the problems faced by disabled people and ways of solving them. To access the questionnaire click here.
FUNDING
People’s Postcode Trust Funding
Funding is available for 3 month projects ranging from £500 up to £10,000 and applications are invited from groups with one or more of the following purposes: to prevent poverty, sickness and distress for the benefit of the public; to promote, maintain, improve and advance health; to advance citizenship or community development; to advance public participation in sport; to promote, improve and advance human rights, conflict resolution or reconciliation; to promote and advance environmental protection or improvement. For more information please see their website.
RECRUITMENT
Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance - Administrator (Maternity Cover, 9 months in the first instance) £15,828.00 (AP1)
We are looking for an enthusiastic and efficient Administrator (Maternity Cover, 9 months in the first instance) to join our team. Your role will involve providing administrative support to the staff team. The successful candidate will be experienced in the use of SAGE, have a good working knowledge of MS Office, an excellent telephone manner and be comfortable dealing with people. You will have a positive attitude, a flexible approach to work, the ability to use your own initiative and work as part of a team. The closing date for applications is 18th December 09. For an application form and for a job specification please click here.
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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