SIAA E-Bulletin - Friday 22nd January
The Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance (SIAA) weekly e-bulletin
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SIAA NEWS
The SIAA launch event for the updated ‘Guide for Commissioners’ and the new ‘Evaluation Framework’.
The event will take place 3rd February 2010 at Our Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, 10.00am to 2pm. This is a free event and everyone involved in the commissioning, funding, delivery, receiving and evaluation of independent advocacy is invited. It will be your opportunity to hear about the Government’s commitment to independent advocacy and influence the implementation of these much anticipated documents. If you would like to attend e-mail enquiry@siaa.org.uk to request an invitation and booking form. Places are limited so make sure you book today to avoid disappointment. We look forward to seeing you there.
GENERAL NEWS
More than 7,000 children in Scotland have been admitted to hospital over the last decade for deliberately harming themselves, new figures claim.
A further 160,000 people aged over 16 in such cases were also admitted between 1998 and 2009. Self-harm ranges from scratching and cutting the skin to poisoning, typically begins around 14, and peaks between 16 and 25. Around 150,000 people attend casualty departments each year in the UK because of self-harming, making it one of the top five causes of acute medical admission. The commonest form seen at A&E is self-poisoning by drugs. Those who self-harm are 100 times more likely than others to commit suicide within a year.
General Medical Council (GMC)
A new initiative has been launched to provide more support for those attending a General Medical Council (GMC) hearing into a doctor’s fitness to practise. An online hearing room allows patients, witnesses and doctors to take a virtual step inside a hearing. The site includes virtual versions of all those who might attend a hearing, such as lay and medical members of the panel. All 12 of these characters can be clicked on for an explanation of what role they play in a hearing. The site also shows the reception area and waiting rooms for witnesses and doctors so that anyone attending a hearing can arrive feeling more comfortable with their surroundings.
In addition, the GMC is launching a project to support vulnerable witnesses. This project allows witnesses to come into the GMC’s buildings in advance of the hearing and be shown around. They can also ask to be joined by an independent ‘friend,’ assigned on the day of the hearing, to provide support. The project builds on an existing section for witnesses on the GMC website with photos of the building and information about the processes which they can expect.
Alcohol Pricing
Scotland's largest brewer, Tennent's, has backed the Scottish Government's proposal for minimum pricing for alcohol. In a statement, Mike Lees, Managing Director of Tennent Caledonian Breweries, said he believed that minimum pricing was "part of the solution" to Scotland's £3.56 billion-per-year problem with alcohol misuse.
The support from Tennent's adds to a 'growing consensus' of opinion in favour of minimum pricing, including the four Chief Medical Officers of the UK, the BMA, the Royal Colleges, all 17 directors of public health in NHS Scotland, the House of Commons Health Select Committee, the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) and the Scottish Licensed Trade Association. For more information go to the Scottish government website www.scottishgovernment\newsrelease\2010\january\pricing
Scottish Drugs Recovery Consortium update
The Scottish Drugs Recovery Consortium (SDRC) now has a new Director, Dougie Paterson and an Administration Manager, Linda Swift, in post. They have offices in Glasgow. Here’s a quick update on some of the organisation’s objectives. The SDRC has a key role to promote – in providing a central coordinating and supporting role that will link professional supports to communities, families and individuals. It will work to ensure that recovery is at the forefront of policy and practice in tackling drug addiction, in adults and in young people, across Scotland. Its key message is people can and do recover from drug dependency. To get involved or for further information contact:
Linda Swift
Administration Manager
Scottish Drugs Recovery Consortium
234 West George St
Glasgow G2 4QY
e-mail: linda.swift@sdrconsortium.org
EVENTS
INVITATION TO NEXT MEETINGS OF LOCALITY NETWORKS FOR SUPPORTING VOLUNTARY ACTION (February-March 2010)
The Volunteer Centre is facilitating its next round of SVA Locality Networks for volunteers and volunteer-involving organisations to come together to share key information during February and March.
If you are a volunteer or paid staff member in a local voluntary organisation, and feel you would benefit from coming together with other volunteers and organisations to discuss key issues affecting voluntary action in your town and gain updates on key policy / strategic information affecting voluntary groups, joining a SVA Locality Network could be beneficial for you. For more details of local events see their website at www.volunteernorthlanarkshire.org.uk
Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence
The Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence is holding a one day free seminar on 15 March in Edinburgh at The Surgeon’s Hall to meet representatives from local health charities, to outline how different parts of the health service work together, to form new relationships with organisations that are local to Scotland and to involve delegates to this meeting in our work.
The CHRE oversee the nine health professional regulators such as the GMC, NMC etc. and on 15 March and will have representatives from the GMC and GDC. For further information visit their website www.chre.org.uk. Travel expenses for this event may be available for more information click here https://www.chre.org.uk/satellite/160/
CONSULTATION
In line with National Statistics Best Practice, the Scottish Household Survey is reviewed every two years to ensure that the information collected is relevant to current policy interests and is making the best use of the time in the survey. The survey is regularly reviewed through consultation with external users and internal analysts. For more information click here
https://web.questback.com/scottishgovernment/shssurveyreview2010/
The survey will close on Friday 29 January 2010.
FUNDING
BBC Children in Need Small Grants
BBC Children in Need are inviting not for profit organisations working with disadvantaged children and young people to apply for grants. For more information visit their website at www.bbc.co.uk/pudsy .
Social Return on Investment – Free opportunity to develop your evaluation methods.
Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector is looking for ten ambitious organisations who would like to learn how to use an analytical tool called Social Return on Investment. Contact Duncan Wallace for more information duncanwallace@photocoop.coop
Voluntary Action Fund Community Chest
Community Chest is a small grant programme providing grants of up to £1,000 and free training to help small community groups in Scotland sustain and develop their activities. For more information visit their website at www.voluntaryactionfund.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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