Unwanted fuel grants could help vulnerable

WILTSHIRE Community Foundation is asking pensioners who do not need their winter fuel payment to donate it to help prevent vulnerable people from dying in the cold weather.

The foundation is running its Surviving Winter campaign for the third year. Last year it raised £70,000 and supported 338 households in Wiltshire.

It asks pensioners who can afford to live comfortably to donate their Government winter fuel payment to the foundation, who will then distribute it to elderly and vulnerable people who need help to pay their fuel bills.

Full Article on Gazette & Herald

EVENT: Supporting family carers into employment in Wiltshire

A work event is being held at Devizes Town Hall on Friday 29^th November from 11am – 2:30pm to help support unpaid carers into employment.

The event, which is being hosted by Carer Support Wiltshire as part of Carers Rights Day 2013, will give carers the opportunity to meet with organisations who can provide them with useful information and advice about holding down a paid job alongside their caring role.

People available to talk to on the day will include the National Careers Service, Job Centre Plus health and disability advisors, Department for Work and Pensions, Wiltshire Citizens Advice, Wiltshire College and a local community-based UK online centre run by and for carers.

The main elements of the event will be information about carer-related benefits, one-to-one budgeting advice, CV writing skills, interview tips and the best ways to hunt for a job online.

Debbie Martindale, Events Coordinator at Carer Support Wiltshire, said: “There are over three million working carers in the UK and trying to juggle caring for a relative or friend with a job can be incredibly stressful and hard to manage.

“Carers Rights Day is the perfect time for us to inform carers of their rights in the workplace and give them the opportunity to meet with people who can give them guidance to cope with the pressures of work.”

Admission is free and refreshments will be available.

If you would like to find out more about the event, please contact Alison Crangle at Carer Support Wiltshire on 0800 181 4118 or email alison@carersinwiltshire.co.uk  

Dementia Carers Information Support Groups in Salisbury

This programme has been developed to provide information and support to carers of people living with dementia.
 
You are invited to join Alzheimer's Society for a series of six workshops covering issues that may arise for family members and friends of a person who has had a recent diagnosis of dementia.
 
The programme provides an opportunity for you to talk in a friendly and confidential environment about your experiences of caring and supporting the person with dementia and the impact it is having on you.

Topics covered:
1. Introduction to Dementia
2. Understanding Dementia
3. Welfare Rights
4. Support services available
5. Planning for the future
6. Nominated speakers & light buffet lunch

Starting fortnightly from:

Wednesday 15 January
10:30am - 12:30pm
Alzheimer's Society, 29A Brown Street, Salisbury SP1 2AS

For more details and to book a place contact Julia Burton on 01722 326236.

 

Many health and wellbeing boards giving ‘little priority’ to mental health

Mental health is a standalone priority for care in less than half of the strategies drawn up by health and wellbeing boards to meet local health needs, a report has found.

While 91% of the strategies made some mention of mental health, only 46% identified it as a dedicated priority, an analysis by the Centre for Mental Health found. Almost one in ten (9%) strategies did not include mental health at all.

Health and wellbeing boards bring together local authorities, NHS commissioners and other groups to set local health priorities through joint health and wellbeing strategies.

Full article on Community Care

Welfare Reform: Over 50,000 Disabled People Could Lose Their Jobs, Charities Warn

The Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC), an organisation of over 50 leading charities, has warned that coalition reforms to disability benefits could lead to over 50,000 disabled people losing their jobs.

The government is reforming benefits for disabled people by replacing Disability Living Allowance (DLA) with a new benefit called Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

The government’s own projections suggest that as many as half a million disabled people could lose part, if not all of their benefit when they are migrated away from DLA to PIP, due to a toughening of the eligibility criteria.

Full article on Welfare News Service

HAVE YOUR SAY: Health & Care services at Bath Royal United Hospital

Healthwatch Wiltshire has been working closely with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) about their previous and planned inspections and visits to the Royal United Hospital (RUH) in Bath.  The CQC will be inspecting the Hospital again on the 4^th – 6^th December.

It is important that they hear from anyone who has recently used health and care services about their experiences to give a full picture of how care is being provided at the hospital.  You can share your views and comments in a number of ways.

An online survey by visiting https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HJXCW99

Via the CQC website on their ‘Tell us about your care’ page http://www.cqc.org.uk/public/sharing-your-experience

By email enquiries@cqc.org.uk by letter to CQC National Customer Service Centre, Citygate, Gallowgate, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 4PA by telephone 03000 616161 or by fax 03000 616171

Or by attending a Listening event for members of the public on Thursday 5^th December between 18.30 and 20.00 at Bath Race Course.  At the event you will be able to talk to the CQC about your experience, share your feedback on how improvements need to be made, and find out how the new inspections will be carried out.