SIAA E-Bulletin - Friday 5th February
The Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance (SIAA) weekly e-bulletin
If this e-bulletin was forwarded to you click here to subscribe and get future e-bulletins sent directly to you.
SIAA NEWS
Launch of Independent Advocacy: A Guide for Commissioners and Independent Advocacy: An Evaluation Framework
The SIAA Guide for Commissioners, updating the Guide published by the Scottish Executive in 2000/01, and the SIAA Evaluation Framework were launched at an event held in Our Dynamic Earth on Wednesday 3rd February. There were over 100 attending the launch including Commissioners of advocacy from many parts of Scotland. Speakers at the event included Fiona Montgomery, Head of Patient Focus and International Issues Branch, Scottish Government Health Directorate, Linda Taylor, Voluntary Sector Manager, NHS Tayside and Simon Reilly, Planning and Development Officer, East Dunbartonshire Council. Copies of the Guide and the Evaluation Framework can be found on our website.
GENERAL NEWS
Dundee City Council tender for an independent advocacy service for older people
Dundee City Council wishes to commission an independent issue based advocacy service for Older People in Dundee. The Contract, with an initial value of approximately £47k, will be for two years duration and is a new opportunity for suitably experienced service providers. The successful provider will be required to undergo assessment for inclusion on the Council's Approved Provider List. For more information, contact: Laura Menzies, Contracts Officer, Social Work Department, Dundee City Council, Crichton Street, Dundee DD1 3RN Email: laura.menzies@dundeecity.gov.uk
Public Services Reform (Scotland) Bill
PSR Bill, which contains the provisions to establish the two new improvement and scrutiny bodies, HIS and SCSWIS, passed stage 1 of the Parliamentary process on 7th January 2010. You can find details of the debate on the Scottish Parliament website.
Stage 2, the line by line scrutiny of the Bill and any proposed amendments to it, commenced on 26th January and is expected to conclude on 9th March, with the Stage 3 debate at the end of March. Royal assent is expected in late April/ early May 2010. The Scottish Government expect the new bodies to come into being April 2011.
Ask the Experts
GCVS, in partnership with Glasgow Community Planning, is hosting a two day, drop-in consultancy event for Glasgow’s voluntary and community organisations on 24th and 25th February. Expert help and advice on funding issues, legal issues, business plans, employment issues, capacity building and much more will be available. For more information click here.
EVENTS
Collaborative Working - A One Day Workshop
This one day workshop will
consider the options open to housing support providers to work collaboratively
and will be an opportunity to consider the benefits and risks of doing so. Of
course, collaboration can take various forms and this workshop will explore
some of them as well as the implications for tendering.
The workshop is aimed at Managers and Board Members from service providers in
the voluntary and independent sectors as well as commissioners within Local
Authorities and is being delivered in Edinburgh on 26th February 2010 at the
McDonald Rooms Conference Centre, McDonald Road, Edinburgh. For further
details and a booking form click here.
PUBLICATIONS
Inclusion Scotland Newsletter
Inclusion Scotland’s February newsletter includes articles on Margo Mcdonald’s End of Life Assistance Bill, the UK Life after Stroke Awards and the appointment of the new Disability Committee Chair for the Equality and Human Rights Commission. To read the newsletter click here.
CONSULTATION
‘We Exist: A Bill for Autism, A Bill for Scotland’
The National Autistic Society Scotland are campaigning for the Scottish Government to implement a national strategy, backed with legislative power through a Scottish Autism Bill, to meet the needs of people living with autism in Scotland. Hugh O’Donnell MSP has published his proposal for a draft Scottish Autism Strategy Bill in the Scottish Parliament. The public consultation is open and all responses must be submitted by Tuesday 30th March 2010. The consultation can be found on the Scottish Parliament website here.
Service users’ and carers’ views of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland Survey 2010
The Mental Welfare Commission (MWC) is seeking the
views of people who have used services offered by them. The aim of the survey
is to gather views based on people’s own experience of the Mental Welfare
Commission. This will help the Commission to improve their work with service
users and carers.
This
survey is being conducted by the Scottish Development Centre for Mental
Health (SDC) to ensure that the survey is independent and that individual
responses are confidential and will not be shared with the Mental Welfare
Commission.
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
ABOUT THIS EMAIL
This is the weekly e-bulletin for the Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance. If you have any questions about the e-bulletin please contact enquiry@siaa.org.uk.
Please note that the SIAA is not responsible for the content of external websites.
Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance
Scottish Charity No. SCO33576
Company No. 236526