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Dear
All
Well, it is that time of year again. This newsletter is packed with
information. Please take the time to read this. Some of the issues are
very important as they relate to employment issues.
In this edition
we cover:
v
Direct Payment news –
important information
v
Our stand at the Dolphin
Centre on 10th June
v
Charity Coffee Morning
on Wednesday 25th June
v
Our new Conference Room
v
Local and National News.
*DIRECT
PAYMENT ISSUES*
IMPORTANT
HOLIDAY PAY
Just to remind everyone
that statutory holiday entitlement went up in October 2007. It is now 4
weeks and 4 days per year. As most of your PAs work part time this is
not very easy to work out. If the PA works a full 37 hours per
week, they would be entitled to 24 days paid holiday a year; so if they
are part time then this will be pro rata, based on the equivalent number
of days or hours usually work per week. If you would like any further
advice on this then please don’t hesitate to call the office
(01202 723301).
DIRECT PAYMENT HOURLY RATE
As you know your hourly
rate has gone up as from 1st April 2008 to £11.00 per hour.
This represents a 3.3% increase.
FISH INSURANCE – EMPLOYER’S
LIABILITY INSURANCE
All Direct Payment users employing
their own staff have a legal duty to have current employers' liability
cover. Fish now offers two levels of cover. After seeking advice to
ensure that the cover is sufficient, Poole will reimburse Direct Payment
users the cost of the lower rate, which is £76.65. If you wish to
purchase the higher level you may choose to pay the additional amount
by using your own money, or surplus funds (if
you have any) from your Direct Payment.
For
Children & Family clients – you can only purchase the higher rate of
insurance if you pay the additional money from your own private funds.
DOLPHIN
CENTRE
We
are back at the Dolphin Centre on 10th June. So, if you are
around, come and see us. We will be promoting Direct Payments, and the
role of the personal assistant, and our coffee morning, (see below)
NEW
CONFERENCE ROOM AT PRO Disability
COFFEE
MORNING
On Wednesday 25th
June we are holding a Charity Coffee Morning from 10.00 am to 1.00 p.m.
at our office.
We will be raising funds
to support Alisa, our finance officer who is going to do the Survival
Challenge in Wareham Forest. This is Dorset’s equivalent to I’m a
celebrity get me out of here. She is raising money for the Anthony
Nolan Trust and Oakhaven Hospice in the New Forest. Please come on over
and support these worthwhile causes, whilst seeing our new conference
room, and enjoying a good piece of homemade cake!
TRAINING
PA’S
Skills for Care are running a national project to explore the training
and qualifications agenda for Personal Assistants. ARC and ILA have
joined forces to conduct a consultation exercise with PA Users and PAs
themselves. The aim is to develop a training ‘matrix’ that ensures that:
-
PAs have access to
the right skills and knowledge to do a good job;
-
PAs can develop a
career pathway;
-
PA Users can
decide what training they might want or need for their PA;
-
PA Users benefit
from employing PAs who they want to employ;
-
Funding is easier
to get as PAs will be taking recognised qualifications
The
consultation involves a series of events where people can say what
skills, knowledge and approaches PAs need to do the best job. As places
at the events are very limited, it is also possible to make your
opinions known through a questionnaire.
Workshops are
being held in:
Southampton
on July 9th – Bristol on July 9th
Worcester on June 24th
Nottingham on July 2nd -
Newcastle on July 10th
To
book a place please contact ARC on 01246 555043 or
email
Dorothy.robinson@arcuk.org.uk
LOCAL NEWS
ACCESS IN POOLE
Do you have problems with access in
Poole? Getting in to shops or over kerb stones or maybe queuing for
services in the Bank? What ever your concern we would like to hear from
you to set up an Access Forum for Poole to improve access in the
community. We would want to liaise with existing groups to promote
improvements locally. Do contact Marice or Kelvin on 01202 723301
THE NEW NATIONAL BUS PASS.
From 1st April 2008 if
you’re 60 or over, or eligible disabled and live in England, your bus
pass has changed. The new pass allows you to enjoy free off-peak travel
on local buses anywhere in England. All cards across the country are
being reissued to the new St George’s flag design.
For further details please contact Borough of Poole 01202
633633.
THE BRITISH DISABLED WATER SKI ASSOCIATION
Would like to try water
skiing? They hold beginners sessions on the first Saturday in the month
until September and on occasional Tuesday mornings during the season at
Ellingham Lake, Ringwood. It will only cost you £9.00 per tow with an
annual one off administration charge.
If you are interested,
contact Peter Viney on 01202 740740 or email him at
pviney@aol.com Trust me, it’s great fun, I’ve done it!
POLICE LINK OFFICERS FOR
DEAF PEOPLE
Poole Community Voluntary
Services News report that the police are operating a new text and email
service. If you are deaf or hard of hearing the emergency number is
07766 425242. You will need to give your name, address, where you are
situated and the problem. Officers will then text you back and send an
officer round to assist you. For non emergencies call 07766 425243 and
they will get back to you. If you need to email them their address is:
plod@dorset.pnn.police (for the attention of James Sharp, Lorna
Gallimore or Paul Kirkby.)
CARERS COURSES
Dorset Health Care is
running some Mental Health Carers courses.
These will be held on
Thursday evenings between 7-9 p.m. at the Training Dept., Trust
Headquarters, Shelley Road, Boscombe. Topics include Medication, Anxiety
and Depression, Nutrition and Mental Health. For further information
please contact Alison Mesher on 01202 305062.
BROADSTONE ACCESS GROUP
Do you live in Broadstone?
Are you interested in access issues? Why don’t you pop along to
Broadstone Methodist Church on 20th June from 2-4 pm. They
even provide refreshments!
WELL 4 LIFE
Do you have a learning difficulty and
like to keep in shape, eat healthily, and be more confident? Well 4 Life
courses can be accessed through direct payments, please contact you
social worker about direct payments and your eligibility.
There are courses on Tuesdays 10-4 in
Parkstone and due to their success, will soon be running on Mondays at
Castlepoint starting with a taster session on July 7th! They will work
on healthy eating (preparing your own lunch), access to local gyms and
the surrounding community.
Please contact David Martin
07939849271 or Linda Davies 07780876591 for more details. If you want
to know more about activities for people with learning difficulties,
contact Poole Forum on 746040.
NATIONAL
NEWS
OURSAY!
Is a magazine run by and for people with learning difficulties.
OURSAY is an independent
group of people. Within the magazine they say “we don’t get paid to do
OURSAY by an organisation – so no one can tell us what to say!” It is
the first and only national magazine written by people with learning
disabilities for people with learning disabilities. If you are
interested please contact our office and we will give you details.”
South West Disability Show
West Point Centre, Exeter
6th and 7th
June 2008 10 – 5 pm
The region’s largest
exhibition promoting independent living and mobility for people with all
forms of disability. Free entry and free parking.
-
See and compare
the latest products and services
-
Test drive all the
latest adapted vehicles
-
Experience the
most innovative home and mobility aids
Further details visit
www.southwestdisabilityshow.co.uk
INFORMATION FROM NCIL
THE INDEPENDENT LIVING
STRATEGY
Lord
Ashley’s Independent Living Bill, drafted by the Disability Rights
Commission after extensive consultation, has passed it’s Lords Stages
twice. The bill has received good support from a range of disabled
people, carer and older people’s organisations. For further information
visit the NCIL website on www.ncil.org.uk
or our office.
COALITION OF CHARGING
There is a group of national organisations who share concerns about
charges for care services. The coalition is jointly working on a report
on changes which we hope will change the government’s thinking on adult
care reform. The adult care reform green paper is to be published during
2008. The government’s independent living strategy (see above) was
launched in May 2008 and committed the Office For Disability Issues to
lead a review of charges for care services. The time frame for this
review is set as 2009-2011 meaning it would happen after or at the
earliest during the implementation of broader care reform plans. If you
have strong views on this please contact NCIL at
policy@ncil.org.uk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you require this
newsletter in a different format, please ring me at the office. If
you would like to have an item in the next Newsletter, please contact
Kelvin by August 4th on 723301.
Disclaimer:
PRO
Disability passes on information on products, services or events
offered by other organisations. This does not
imply that we endorse or support the
products, services, events or organisations
concerned. Readers are advised to check details for themselves and make
their own judgments about the merits of the products, service or events
offered.
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The editor
reserves the right to edit all pieces submitted to the
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