Your Voice, Shropshire Disability Network Newsletter, Issue No 10April 2011

1

Your Voice, Shropshire Disability Network Newsletter, Issue No 10April 2011

Your Voice, Your Connections

Item 1

In this Issue:

Out & About

Walk & Roll – You don’t want to miss it! – Item 2 – Page 2

Miles Without Stiles – Item 36 – Page 29

Disabled Sport in Shropshire – Item 43 – Page 34

Care Matters

Carewrite – Item 8 – Page 9

The true face of carers – Item 16 – Page 14

Are you a carer? – Item 18 – Page 16

Young Carers Project – Item 27 – Page 21

Support Dog honoured at Crufts – Item 38 – Page 31

The Cuts

The impact of the Big Society on Shrops – Item 5 – Page 5

March for the Alternative – Item 20 – Page 16

Pickles makes it plain – Item 21 – Page 19

A man walks into a bank – Item 28 – Page 22

Benefits

New funding to help disabled people – Item 4 – Page 4

Get 1/3 off rail fares – Item 11 – Page 11

Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme – Item 13 – Page 12

New funding for disabled MPs – Item 12 – Page 12

NHS Low Income Scheme – Item 14 – Page 13

Carers Allowance and state pension – Item 17 – Page 15

Benefit Changes – Item 29 – Page 23

Disabled hit hard in welfare reform – Item 33 – Page 27

Work capability assessment criticised – Item 41 – Page 36

SDN

Street collections – Item 3 – Page 4

SDN General Meeting 10/03/2011 – Item 6 – Page 6

General

Community Sector found-up – Item 19 – Page 16

Learning IT skills at home – Item 10 – Page 11

Shrewsbury MS Society – Item 15 – Page 14

Age concern Pub Clubs – Item 22 – Page 18

Shropshire VCS Assembly – Item 23 – Page 18

Help urgently needed – Item 24 – Page 19

Whack it Smack it! – Item 25 – Page 20

Independent Living conference – Item 26 – Page 20

BIBEC Outreach Service – Item 30 – Page 24

Cool Kids – Item 31 – Page 24

Disability Football at Manx Youth Games – Item 32 – Page 26

Message in a Bottle – Item 34 – Page 27

How to get website problems fixed – Item 39 – Page 31

A new approach to SEN & disability – Item 40 – Page 32

Listen not label Telford & Wrekin – Item 44 – Page 35

Mental Health & Debt – Item 42 – Page 34

Health matters

NHS managers blocking GP referrals – Item 7 – Page 9

Blood test for Alzheimer’s – Item 9 – Page 10

Health Information News – Item 35 – Page 28

Shropshire hospitals decision – Item 37 – Page 30

What’s On

General Events – Item 45 – Page 35

Events: Conferences etc. – Item 46 – Page 46

The Crippen Cartoon – Item 47 – Page 48

Item 2

Walk & Roll – three times better than rock ‘n roll – you don’t want to miss it!

You are most cordially invited – along with your family and friends – to take part in the Shropshire Disability Network 2011 Walk and Roll in Shrewsbury Quarry on April 10.

Our sponsored spring ramble along the Severn starts at 12.00 but please be there by 11.30.

There will be three routes, all starting at the riverside entrance to the Quarry at the end of Quarry Avenue.

Ramble No 1 is one kilometre in the Quarry, on super paths for wheelchair and scooter users and for families with young children.

Ramble No 2 is four km - a gentle stroll along the River Severn crossing Porthill Footbridge, along the Severn to Longden Coleham, then crossing back at Greyfriars Bridge and continuing along the river to the Caste before turning back and returning to The Quarry along Victoria Avenue (ie, in The Quarry)

Ramble No 3 – for the more energetic - is six km. Starting as Ramble No 2 but continuing along the river to the weir and back along Victoria Avenue.

Whichever route you take you are bound to see plenty of wildlife and spring blossom. All routes have marshals at regular intervals and St John Ambulance will be in attendance.

The more people with disability, carers, friends, family, and advocates who can take part in this event, the more we will be able to:

raise awareness of disability in Shropshire, through positive press coverage

help Shropshire Disability Network to continue providing its service to disabled people in the county

make the day enjoyable for everyone taking part

Please, please, come along and get as many people as possible to sponsor you. It's only a small time commitment but can help a lot of people with disability in Shropshire.

Just return the form on the next page to Geoff Forgie at The Old Barn, Llwyntidmon Mill, Maesbrook, Oswestry, SY10 8QD (01691 830662 e-mail: ) as soon as possible.

I/We wish to take part in the SDN Walk and Roll 2011

On the 10th April in the Quarry arriving by 11.30am for 12.00pm Start

Name: ______Telephone: ______

Address: ______

______Postcode ______

No. Adults: ______No. Children: ______No. Dogs: ______

Firstly we appreciate every single penny you are able to raise, and would like you to do what is easiest for you.

You may wish to consider:

1. Start getting your sponsorship a.s.a.p and asking someone each day; or alternatively get it done in 1 go. Either way ensure you have plenty of time to find your Sponsors.

2. Ask your sponsors to give you the money straight way and keep it safe. This saves having to collect it afterwards.

3. It can help to start your list with those you think most likely to be generous.

All money raised will be used for the benefit of persons with disability especially in Shropshire.

Please make cheques payable to Shropshire Disability Network and send to SDN Treasurer, c/o Omega, the National Association for End of Life Care, London House, Town Walls, Shrewsbury, SY1 1TX

1. Bring a bottle of water with you to avoid dehydration.

2. Bring snacks to sustain you throughout the walk and a picnic if you wish to.

3. Wear suitable shoes, walking boots or trainers.

4. Bring a waterproof

5. ENSURE THAT YOU REGISTER AT ALL THE MARSHALL POINTS MARKED WITH A STAR, so we can keep track of everyone’s progress.

6. You will be given details and telephone numbers at registration to call in case you have an emergency. Please remember to bring a mobile phone along if you have one, however there will be a sweep walker following behind that you can speak to if you have a problem.

7. St John’s Ambulance will be stationed in the entrance to the Quarry, so please call the emergency number given on the day if you need medical help. It is a good idea to take some blister pads with you just in case, and a pack of tissues.

8. Do take a camera along and send us any pictures, we would love to see them and we may use them in the publicity for future walks.

9. I am sure you wouldn’t dream of dropping any litter!

10. Children over 10 and Dogs are welcome on all these walks, but please make sure the children are supervised and dogs are kept on a lead at all

Item 3

Street collections coming up – can you help?

Shropshire Disability Network is holding two more street collections this year, one in Shrewsbury and one in Telford. A collection was held in Shrewsbury last month (March). The details are:

Saturday April 30 - Telford Town Centre

Saturday September 17 - Darwin Shopping Centre Shrewsbury

If you can help, please contact Dave Hewetson on 01743-247019 or email . You won't be on your own, as you'll have someone else collecting with you.

Our Darwin Centre collection last August raised over £330,cash much needed to keep Shropshire Disability Network going. This was manned by volunteers from the Steering Group, some of whom will be taking part again this year. But we would love members of the Network outside the Steering Group to come along and help us too. Many thanks to all those who have collected in the past, but if you would be happy to put in an hour or two helping us raise much-needed funds, please get in touch with Dave as soon as possible. You won't be on your own, as you'll have someone else collecting with you.

Item 4

New funding to help disabled people become MPs or councillors

Disabled people who want to become councillors or MPs will have access to a fund to help them overcome the barriers they face, under proposals published by the Government.

The fund is just one part of a planned £1 million package aimed at improving access to elected office for disabled people. Proposals also include the creation of new training and development opportunities and the introduction of a mentoring programme that will allow aspiring disabled politicians to learn from people who have already made it to the top.

The Government is seeking views from across the community, including disabled people and those involved in the political process at all levels. The consultation, which follows a coalition agreement commitment to introduce extra support for disabled people who want to become MPs, councillors or other types of elected position, will run for three months, with the scheme expected to launch in late 2011.

Full details of the consultation can be downloaded from the Government Equalities Office website at (Article courtesy of Warrington Disability Partnership,

Item 5

The impact of the ‘Big Society’ on Shropshire

This was the theme of guest speaker Keith Barrow, Leader of Shropshire Council, who was a guest speaker at the SDN March General Meeting on 10th March.

Keith Barrow (pictured during his address) began by promising to take away a request, made in AOB, about taxi SMS services for people with hearing disability and to see what could be done about it, as it seemed such an obviously sensible suggestion.

Keith said that his background included 20 years as a swimming coach, during which he had coached swimmers with disabilities to Olympic standard. He recalled that blind swimmers were tapped on the head with a tennis ball to tell them it was time to go into a tumble turn!

There is much debate about what The Big Society means, he said. He sees it as turning back the clock to when people in communities were more caring, and would look out for one another.

There is a lot of confusion because The Big Society has been linked with budget cuts, when they’re really different things.

He had heard something on the Politics Show recently talking about people doing ironing and washing, to give respite to carer families. The Council is trying to look at things differently now. For example, they’re planning to spend £12 million working in partnership with voluntary organisations to offer services and help to people. One example was a large sports centre in Market Drayton, which was sold to volunteers for £1.

The centre’s roof needed repairing, and the Council had been quoted £650,000, prior to the sale, for the work. Post sale, the volunteers got the same firm to do the same work for £160,000.

Another example was in Cleobury Mortimer, where the Council was quoted £180,000 to build a block of toilets. The council is looking at providing access instead to existing community halls which have disabled toilets.

Keith said another way we can do things better is through Personal Budgets. His cousin’s daughter, Jane, who has Down’s Syndrome, is now able to spend some money on going dancing, which she loves.

In summary, he said, we’re recognising that often we haven’t done things right, and are trying to change the way we do things. In a recent radio interview, the implication was taken from what he said that the Council was going to dump stuff onto voluntary organisations. But that’s not the case - what he meant to get across was that the Council has to work in partnership with these other organisations.

He was asked if moving to unitary authority status had made any difference?

The answer was Yes - they had saved £18m just by doing it. A total of 168 posts were saved. But the Council faces bigger and bigger challenges. Next year it must save £30 million, and this will be achieved by savings in mainly back office positions, largely through vacancy management. It must then save £20 million, £20 million, and £9 million, in the following three years.

Another question was: What services are going to be cut?

His answer: It’s not so much about cuts. It’s largely about doing things differently. For example, changing the stops of mobile libraries to match the demand and allowing volunteers to man local libraries. When he came to office, he found there were 12 solicitors employed by the Council, and is now reviewing this. Moving leisure centres into management by trust is expected to save hundreds of thousands of pounds. The Council is asking business if they would run leisure centres.

Q. Can we have parking bays outside houses to help people with disability?

A. This is a legacy of houses designed in days when the car population was low, and streets were allowed to be narrow. There isn’t the money to address this at the moment, I’m afraid.

Q. Can you please make sure that the way you promote the changes, and the locations for the promotion, are relevant? And can you make the language you use is equality-proof?

A. Yes. We must do better. Recently, a meeting of a Local Enterprise Partnership (where Council meets business people) was arranged for 2.30pm (in the middle of the business day), which was madness. When it was re-arranged for 6.30pm at Ludlow Racecourse, more than 200 people attended. We are listening. For instance, we have casualties with young people falling in the river after a night drinking. There are more mobile smart phones than mobiles now, and an App is being developed to message young people a reminder to book their taxi after a night out.

Q. It was recently reported that four jobs with the Council would cost a total of £380,000 in salaries. How can you justify that in a time of cuts?

A. Keith said he was angry about this story in the Shropshire Star, which was untrue. It is even more frustrating, since the Council places £400,000 worth of advertising per annum with the paper. The truth is that a Senior Management Review has taken place, which had resulted in a saving of £4m. All Senior Managers were given notice, and had to re-apply for their posts, but they were not all retained. However, four senior posts require appointments from external sources. One was a finance officer, and the others may be shared with other Councils.

Q. Personalisation is great, but there are gaps in provision, e.g. specialised childcare, and there is a cost of training for carers.

A. That is a hard question, which in turn asks questions about our economic development. We must create jobs in the wider economy. We’re pressing ahead with Personalisation, but recognise that it poses problems, which we need to address. For example, in community transport, we have to look at our overall strategy. Can we retain bus routes, but run buses less frequently? Recently, when a bus company cut a route at Shawbury, which was used by one person, more than a hundred people met to protest. Is that reasonable?

Q. Why does Mr Cameron insist the cuts are front-loaded, and not distributed over a longer period, which would ease the load on both the Council and the taxpayer?

A. We really have no choice but to make a major start now. Council spending from 2001 – 2005 increased massively. Between Children’s Services, Education, Social Services, and Care Services, the increase was around £80 million.

Q. Can I expect to see my Council Tax come down as a result of the savings?

A. There will be no increase in Council Tax for the next three years, and a slight reduction thereafter.

Item 6

Other highlights from the SDN General Meeting

Chairman Geoff Forgie welcomed 40 people to the meeting, at which the guest speakers were Ann Johnson, SDN Steering Group member and head of our Employment Sub Group, who spoke about changes in the Equality Act, and Keith Barrow, Leader of Shropshire Council, who spoke about the impact of the Big Society on Shropshire (see preceding article).

Geoff passed on apologies once again from our Patron, Emma Suddaby, whom he has visited at the Orthopaedic Hospital several times. “Every time I speak with her I am inspired,” he said. “She truly is a hero and an inspiration in her fight to make the most from her challenging life”.

Ann Johnson began her address by asking: “Is treating someone with a disability equally, fair?” The short answer is NO. Persons with disability should be supported by legislation that makes special provision for them. The Equality Act 2010 replaces nine separate Acts. It is being introduced in 3 parts – October 2010, April 2011 and April 2012. Ann said it would bring common threads together, close loopholes, covers additional discriminations, and aim to improve people’s lives. There are changes to all protective characteristics

Age

Disability

Gender Re-assignment

Marriage and Civil Partnership

Pregnancy and maternity

Race

Religion or belief

Sex

Sexual Orientation

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) is still relevant, and the objectives of the Social Model remain, namely, protecting in the workplace, provision of services, and reasonable adjustments.

But much more emphasis is now being but on Disability Equality Duty, i.e. it’s more about what you are proactively doing as an employer or whatever. Changes include a change of the word “involvement” to “engage” with people with disabilities when reviewing policies and work practices.