Speak Out Groups in. September Story inside. You are invited to take the chance again this year to tell ARK what you think about your support.

Transcription

1 September 2015 Speak Out Groups in ARK It is an exciting time for Speak Out Groups in ARK. ARK now has 18 groups across the east of Scotland. The latest new groups are meeting up in Forres and Buckie, as well as Arkgrange in Grangemouth. We would also like to welcome new Speak Out Workers for Grangemouth Outreach and to welcome Chris Fotheringham back for Glenrothes. More and more people take the chance to meet together to talk about what is important in their lives... Story inside You are invited to take the chance again this year to tell ARK what you think about your support. You will get your copy of the questionnaire over the next few weeks. Make sure you fill them in and send them back to ARK. This is a great way to make sure your support is what you want it to be! 1

2 What you can read about Page ARK Voices Update 3 ARK Working Group Update 6 Active Citizenship 8 Health and Safety 12 Complaints Update 14 Staff Recruitment 16 Speak Out Groups Update 19 Tenants News 31 This Newsletter is made into a CD that you can listen to please let your staff know if you would like a copy. Your support worker can help you to read the Newsletter. 2

3 This group is an open forum for all people who get support from ARK. The members talk about things that are important to them. The Review Group is now called ARK Voices There were 23 people at the meeting; people who get support came from East Lothian, Edinburgh, Grangemouth, Perth and Alloa. Tracy Lynch, the ARK Working Group Chairperson, gave out leaflets and updated everybody about the hard work done by the members of the group. This was our first meeting in the new Training room at the Priory - it was good to be back in the Priory! Patricia, ARK Finance Manager, joined us to get to know the members of the group - she said she really enjoyed the meeting. ARK Voices Group The group also voted for their new logo! 3

4 Welfare Reform There are some changes to Welfare Reform to the benefits that people get. From October 2015 everybody who gets DLA (Disability Living Allowance) will get a letter saying that in 4 weeks time the benefit will stop. You ll have to phone to claim the new benefit. The new benefit is called PIP (Personal Independent Payment). If you forget to phone, your benefit will stop after the 4 weeks. But, you can still claim the new benefit (PIP) but you ll have to wait for the money to come. Remember to open your letters! Pensioners (people over 67) - there are no changes to benefits. So no letter! For many that will get PIP there won t be any changes in the money they get. Others might get more money. It is very important that people get the best help to fill in the forms. The forms need to have all the important information about your life and your needs. Staff might need to have special training to help people in filling in the forms. 4

5 LDAS has made some easy read information on how to claim PIP. These booklets will be sent to ARK services. More information can be found on the Benefits and Work website: or to the Citizen Advice Bureau and Advocacy Organisations like People First. To address all these issues you can speak with your Councils and your local MSPs (Members of the Scottish Parliament). You could invite them to your local Speak Out Group at least once a year so they will get to know what life is like for people with learning disabilities! For help on benefits you can call Drew on Care Charges is when Local Authorities ask people to pay for their support. For some people this might be a problem if the Council didn t know about all the extra costs that people have if they are a disabled person. For example somebody may need to travel by taxi, others may need a warmer home or special food. If you, or somebody you know is struggling to pay care charges they need to work out all their extra costs and tell the Council to take those into account. The next meeting for the ARK Voices Group will be held in Edinburgh. The meeting is on the 18th December. It will start at and finish at 3pm. Please let Gloria or Sue know you are coming

6 ARK Working Group To be a member of this group you need to get support or housing from ARK. William Harley Grangemouth Shirley Goodfellow Hawick Furniture Policy The group checked the easy read version of the new Furniture Policy. David Tawse Peebles Suzie Whiteford St Andrews This version has more information about how the rules work and what choices and rights ARK tenants have. Tracey, Housing Officer, was there to answer the members questions. The easy read version of the Furniture Policy has been sent to ARK offices with this September Newsletter. Agnes McFerrin Musselburgh Chair Tracy Lynch Edinburgh Billy McInnis Arbroath Making a complaint DVD The Participation Team is working on the DVD so that we can have it ready soon for the new ARK website, and also to send out to you. 6

7 Keys to Life - Campaigning At the meeting in June we talked about the Keys to Life plan and what the Scottish Government is planning to do for the future of people with learning disabilities. We also talked about how Speak Out members could invite their local Members of the Scottish Parliament to their meetings to talk about things that are affecting them. Effectiveness Report Those involved in participation groups in ARK have filled in a questionnaire in the past months. Sue collected all replies and made a Report about it. The Report says what is good about the groups in ARK but also what could be better. The group talked about what actions the Participation Team should take for the future of the Speak Out Groups, ARK Voices and the ARK Working Group. If you would like to join the ARK Working Group please get in touch with Sue Tait or Gloria Greganti - Thanks! 7

8 Interview with Tracy Lynch about First Bus Training Hate Crime for People First Speak Out Group. The reason for the training is so that organisations like First Bus will learn to respect people with learning difficulties. We showed a film and made a presentation about Hate Crime. We also gave some scenarios; one in particular was when I was bullied on the bus. The First Bus Managers then asked us some questions. We talked about access for wheel chairs on the buses. When parents with their baby buggies take up the spaces where wheel chairs are supposed to go, parents are supposed to collapse them and let the wheel chair on. But drivers find it difficult to tell people to do that. What has happened in the past is that people argue and it makes it hard. Some buses have 2 spaces now, which is a bit better. The Managers were happy that we came to do their training, but were shocked when they saw in the film that some people are hurt badly or even killed because of Hate Crime against them. The best bit about the training is that I like to learn different things, to be part of educating people to understand the needs of people with learning difficulties and to tell stories about some of the issues that we face. The managers will be passing the training on to the bus drivers they will organise each region and show the DVD and ask the same questions. The aim of People First Speak Out Against Hate Crime group is to talk to schools, social workers, the council and Lothian Buses to encourage other people to speak up telling stories helps to say that hate crime is not OK. I am proud to do this work. People First film about Hate Crime: 8

9 Euan's Guide has disabled access reviews from disabled people and their friends and families. As well as tourism and entertainment venues such as hotels, restaurants, bars, theatres & visitor attractions, Euan s Guide has disabled access reviews of any place that is visited as part of everyday life such as post offices, railway stations, supermarkets and many others. Search to find a venue in your area and, if there isn t one, write a review now! Please write a review today so that we can create a knowledge bank that disabled people and their families and friends can use to search and plan visits with confidence. Euan MacDonald Founder of Euan's Guide "The aim of Euan s Guide is to empower disabled people by giving information that will give confidence and choices for getting out and about. Euan s Guide is an alternative to hours of web searching and phone calls and, most importantly, removes the fear of the unknown when visiting a venue for the first time." Changing Places Toilet Opening 9 Just to say a massive thank you to all Loo Tour de Britain 2014 friends, followers, sponsors and supporters. We are pleased to say that the money raised did help ensure that a Changing Places toilet be installed in Arbroath. On Friday 7th August the Changing Places Toilet was officially opened.

10 Learning Disability Alliance Scotland Learning Disability Alliance Scotland is a group of people and organisations that meets every 2 months to talk about different things that affect people who get support... At the last meeting the group talked about how the Scottish Government wants to create a fairer Scotland. Some things are good but some improvements are needed. For example: Scotland is a wealthy country but 1 in 6 people live in poverty. We are healthier but people who live in poor areas live 10 years less than people in richer areas. More people have jobs but many people who have a job are still poor. Although things have improved women still earn less than men. The group talked about solutions but the Scottish Government would like to know what everybody thinks would make Scotland a fairer place. For more information and to have your say go online to National Involvement Network Robert, Ann and Tracy went to the NIN meeting in Edinburgh in September. The group spoke about what needs to be done to promote the Charter for Involvement. The Charter can be found online at arcuk.org.uk/scotland/charter-forinvolvement 10

11 Feeling safe in the community Some people who get support said that they do not feel safe where they live. Speak Out Groups have workshops to talk about Hate Crime and being safe in the community ARK will continue to support everyone to deal with these issues. Many of you who get ARK support have spoken to a Care Inspector and told them how you are getting on with your support remember you can always get in touch with them if you are unhappy with your support. Care Inspectorate Telephone: The Care Inspectorate checks that service providers like ARK are doing a good job. Speak Out Groups will still have workshops on the Care Inspectorate Reports. Ask your Speak Out Worker if you would like to talk about this! To find out more about human rights you can go to: 11

12 Brian Gunn ARK H&S Adviser The kitchen is where some of the most serious accidents in the home happen. Take extra care with kettles, hot water, tea, coffee and hot soup. You can scald yourself and others; look out for electric cables on the floor, pets and others when carrying hot liquids. Keep sharp knives in a safe place when you are not using them. Keep pan handles turned inward when cooking so that you don t knock the hot food over you or others. Always make sure your hands are dry before touching anything electrical in the kitchen; such as light switches, plug switches, kettle, toaster etc. Toast that is stuck in a toaster! Never try and get it out while the toaster is switched on, especially with a metal knife. Take the plug out of the wall and let the toaster cool down before trying to remove the toast. 12

13 Think about buying a fire blanket or a small fire extinguisher for your kitchen. Make sure you regularly clean your cooker, your oven and your grill... Use tinfoil on the grill once then throw it in the bin. A build up of fat and grease on cookers is a major cause of fire in the home. Did you know? To keep your eyes healthy you should get your eyes tested every 2 years. And sometimes more often. People with learning disabilities are 10 times more likely to have serious sight problems than other people. 6 in 10 people with learning disabilities need glasses and often need support to get used to them. For information about assessment and learning disability outreach: Top Tips for healthy eyes Stop smoking smoking is bad for your eyes, more risks of eye disease. Eat healthy food and watch your weight foods low in saturated fats and green leafy vegetables help to keep your eyes working well. Keep your eyes covered in the sun sunlight can harm your eyes. Wear good sunglasses to protect your eyes. 13

14 Tenant and Service User Newsletter Complaints Update 2015 Here is our update on what has been happening with complaints in ARK during April - June During these 3 months ARK received and dealt with 18 complaints. The complaints were made about different ARK departments: Care and Support 15 Housing 3 Of the 18 complaints that we dealt with between April and June: 8 were upheld, which means that we agreed with the person complaining. 7 were not upheld, which means that we did not agree (although we may still have done something about the issue that was raised). 3 were partially upheld, which means we agreed with some of what was complained about. We dealt with all of the complaints within the time limits that we were supposed to. Of the 18 complaints made between April and June people complained about ARK staff s attitude or behaviour: We agreed that it had been an issue in 3 cases. We did not agree that it had been an issue in 2 cases. We partially agreed in 1 case. 14

15 10 people complained about the service that they had received from ARK. We agreed that it had been an issue in 5 cases. We did not agree that it had been an issue in 4 cases. We partially agreed in 1 case. 2 people complained about both ARK s service and the attitude or behaviour of staff members. We partially agreed in 1 case and did not agree in the other case. ARK had less complaints in this time compared with last year (29). Learning from Complaints - Improving the way we give our service. 2 of the main issues that we identified during this period were: Concern about the management of staffing rotas. Dissatisfaction from 2 members of the public and 1 Social Worker about the service provided by ARK to people who get our services. Care and Support teams are working to manage the challenges that they face with rotas. Where we ve been contacted by members of the public, action plans have been put in place in services to address the specific concerns raised. And to put in place improvements in those services, where needed. Thank you John Rankin (Quality and Compliance Manager) 15

16 Choosing New Staff Staff recruitment training in Forfar Everyone worked very hard at the Staff Recruitment Training in Forfar. Most people managed to do all of the training (4 days) and those that did miss a session were able to catch up after the training. There is a lot of information to think about a lot to talk about. Thanks to staff who really helped to make this great training. Well done Forfar!! 16

17 The Team get their certificates for the training. Forfar are now ready to take part in Staff Recruitment Interviewing... Staff Recruitment Training in Forres People who get support from ARK Forres services also did their training Usually the training is done over 4 weeks but this time everyone worked over 3 whole days well done Forres. 17

18 Choosing New Staff in Forres Some of the team interviewed candidates the same day as they finished their training, and some the next day. They prepared for this during the training. Very good timing! Thanks to the Team Leaders and Staff who were at the training. 18

19 Aimee McIntosh is the Forres Speak Out Worker. The group met for the first time in August. There was a lot of people there. The meeting started with a game of bingo and then a chat about what to expect when coming along to the meetings. The next meeting is on the 9th October. The members watched the Staff Recruitment DVD to help people decide if they wanted to go to the training. The group will decide what they want to do at their meetings the next time. For our first meeting we thought it was a good idea to have some lunch together. 19

20 Forfar s next Speak Out Group will be on the 28 th October Forfar Speak Out members were keen to organise a trip to Codonas Amusement Park in Aberdeen for this summer. But it was found to be too expensive and any trips planned may be better done more locally. Lois Laird Forfar Speak Out Worker. Members of the group talked about keeping healthy and safe at home and in the community. It s important to have support plans to help with that. They talked too about ARK s new website some people have internet and some don t. The group looked at the new website at the meeting. Members watched the DVD of the staff recruitment training and said how much thy enjoyed the training. Jackie Murray from Forfar passed her Grade 2 Music theory. Jackie plays the piano and she got a distinction with a score of 94 out of 100. This is a wonderful result for her. You can see Jackie here with her certificate. Well done! Jackie Murray from Forfar 20

21 ARK is keen to share stories about what people are up to in their communities. If you have a good story about what you have been doing please send it to Gloria and Sue for the Newsletter. Thank You. Mandy Cornwell from Forfar has recently completed a 10k walk for Race for life. You can see her showing off the medal she got for taking part. Denise Bell Speak Out Worker. One of the members, Raymond has been very concerned about getting up on to pavements with wheelchairs. The council came along to the last Speak Out meeting and arranged to visit and walk with Raymond to see the pavements he was talking about. The council are keen to see what they can do and the members with staff help will check up on progress. At the next meeting the members will be talking about Dial a Bus, experiences of getting your eyes tested well, and fire safety. The tenants at Arkgrange have regular fire tests where everyone has to get out of the building. 21 Next Speak Out meeting will be on the 28 th September

22 Hawick folk are waiting to move into their new homes - as Maureen Lewis Speak Out Worker soon as this happens we will get more news about how things are going. The members want to share how the move went and will have their next Speak Out meeting as soon as possible after the move. Over the last year a lot of planning has been going into the move and everyone has been involved in choosing things for their new home: Things like carpets, kitchens, flooring and colours to paint the houses. If we look back over the last year you can see what the Hawick Speak Out Group has been talking about to help people with the move. A dream come true Michael Murray from Hawick was one of the lucky winners of a golden ticket for the first Borders train ride. He got on the train at Stow and travelled to Edinburgh. There was music and entertainment on the train. Michael really enjoyed himself he had a great day. 22

23 Paul is handing over his Speak Out role for the next year to Sean Stocks. Sean will be Musselburgh and Tranent s Speak Out worker. Date of next meeting 29th October The members decided to meet in the Ship Inn in Musselburgh for the last meeting for a change. They talked about the staff rota and what it s like getting support hours back when they are missed. The members also talked about getting new support staff in ARK...a few have left recently for different reasons and so ARK will need to replace them. Date of next meeting 2ist October The members enjoyed a game of Rights Bingo as well as making plans for Christmas. Most people like to go out together for Xmas dinner. ARK CHARTER Sheilagh Mcmanus Speak Out The members of the Livingston group going over the ARK Charter. Being supported and valued as an Individual ARK promises to recognise and value that people are individuals with different needs, wishes and dreams. ARK will respect this and support you to develop the way you want to. Being supported to have Choice and Control over your Life and Relationships 23

24 Would like to welcome Chris Fotheringham back to be the Speak Out Worker. It will be good to see Chris again! At their first meeting the members talked about what speaking out is all about in ARK. They said that they would like to speak about Hate Crime, they could have a presentation from People First Scotland and invite ARK tenants from Broomhouse to come along. They also talked about the ARK Charter, about what ARK promises to do for people who get support. You can see Tracy and Alex inviting Broomhouse folk to the next meeting. The next meeting is on Monday 5th October. We invite you to our next Speak Out meeting Helen Anderson Speak Out Worker 24

25 Rymonth Speak Out The next meeting is on Monday 10th October. Everyone enjoyed the Garden Party Rymonth Speak Out members celebrated another successful year with family, friends and advocates. The group members shared their thoughts about their group over the year and will be sharing these more at the next meeting. Congratulations Rymonth! Elwin Rennie Speak Out Worker. David Docherty Speak Out Worker Tobar Tigh tenants meet regularly about every month. Everyone keeps up with what is happening in the house and what is happening outside. Recently the tenants have chosen new furniture for their living room and kitchen. 25

26 Wayne Watson Speak Out Worker The next meeting will be on the 8th October For this first all Buckie members meeting, they talked about their rights to speak out in their meetings. We began with a game of Rights Bingo everyone was a winner! The members talked about general rights and the responsibilities in life we have as citizens of Scotland. The Speak Out Members also voted on the venue that they would like best to have their meetings. It was voted that this venue was the best one, mostly because it was bright and had space. 26

27 Lois Laird Arbroath Speak Out Worker. The next meeting will in October Members are planning a disco night in late October. The group continues to talk about the issues with bus transport in the area. It was agreed that some of the members who are keen, will go out together to see how they get on. Like mystery shopping! The group can link up with SHOUT who could help with this. Members have invited their new Manager, Liz Myles to one of their meetings. They would like to get to know her better and to find out more about what Managers do. SHOUT held a meeting about Self Directed Support (SDS) - informing people about what happens. People need more information that is easy to understand Arbroath will carry on talking about this. Wayne Myles who is a member of Arbroath Speak Out decided he wanted to have a Garden Party on the 6 th August. This was a huge success! The weather stayed great and everybody had a good time. 27

28 David McMillan Speak Out Worker Alloa Outreach Next meeting is on the 13th October. Members of Alloa Outreach Speak Out did the Care Inspectorate workshop at their last meeting. The members looked at the last report to see what the scores were for the service. They looked at what action plans were in place to make sure that anything that needs to be better about the service is done. Below you can see members of the group attending the last ARK Voices Group in Edinburgh. It was agreed at that meeting that all the Speak Out Groups who come to the meetings will bring reports about how their local Speak Out Groups are doing. 28

29 Next meeting is on the 13th October. Lorraine Wilson - Speak Out Worker Dunfermline members decided to hold their meetings on Saturday to see if more people would come along. This worked very well. The next meeting will be on a Saturday too. Dunfermline Speak Out is waiting to finish their complaints workshop. Some of the group took part in interviewing for new staff. The interviews went very well. Members enjoy their meetings at the GIG in Blairgowrie at the last meeting, people spent time catching up on their news and deciding what they wanted to talk about at the next few meetings. Some members are interested in joining ARK s Hub Group. Annmarie McLeary Speak Out Worker Next meeting is on the 19th November 29

30 Linlithgow Speak Out Karen Reid Speak Out Worker Members will be meeting very soon in the usual place in the Lowport Community Centre. We can begin to think about what arrangements people want to make for Xmas. Next meeting will be on the 18th October ARK Speak Out Workers are going to be involved in Group Work Training in the Priory on the 14th and 15th of October. This will help Speak Out Workers to understand how to make sure your groups run well. The next Speak Out Workers Information day is on the 12th November Spot your Speak Out Worker! These are very important dates for the Speak Out Worker s diary. 30

31 Macduff Tenants Housing Staff Update Lynn Eagers, our Housing Officer for the North region, has now gone on Maternity Leave and will return in She had a gorgeous baby girl called Lily. We wish her all the best! Maureen Johnston who has worked with ARK before, will be covering Lynn's area working Monday to Thursday. Maureen is at our Edinburgh Office, if you have any questions you can contact her on Works Complete at The Priory We have a new entrance at the front of the Priory, with a wheelchair lift. There is also a new board room which will be available for training. The Executive Management team have offices close to reception and the board room. Donna and Liz look forward to welcoming you through our new entrance which is bright with plenty of space. Donna Morrison, Receptionist welcoming visitors to The Priory 31

32 Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 The Housing( Scotland) Act is a law that affects all people applying for housing. When applying for houses, what you need to know...there is a new group: Tenants who are under-occupying their home. This means tenants who have too many bedrooms, get more points and have a better chance of getting a house. What if I already own a house? You can still apply for housing if the house you are in doesn t fit your needs. Can the Landlord cancel my application? Only if you have been removed from your house before by the court. Or have not paid your rent and have not tried to get help to do so. If you are homeless the council have to try to help you find a home. Do tenants have the Right to Buy the house they are renting? Because ARK is a charity, you would not be able to buy your house from us. What happens if I break the rules in my house? We have more powers to end or shorten your tenancy. If you have been charged or given a prison sentence, it is easier for us to remove you from your house. How long after a person moves in with me, before they can become a signed tenant? First you must let us know when someone moves in with you. A person must be living in the house for 12 months before they can apply to become a tenant. 32

33 Recovery of Adapted Properties? Landlords can take back a property where it has been adapted and the adaption is no longer needed. Home2Fit is a national online database and self-help resource to assist disabled people to find suitable housing. If you are a disabled person you deserve the same home choices as anyone else - wherever you live in Scotland and whatever you access needs. What should I do if I need their help? Contact: Managing Change - 50 Benefit Fine The Managing Change project is working with John [not his real name] a 45 year old man from Midlothian with a Learning Disability. John received a benefits form and the Advice Worker helped him to fill the form in. But John was also about to come into a large sum of money. The Advice Worker said that the payment would lower the amount of benefit John would get by a lot and said to let him know when the money was paid in and he could let the Benefit people know. John went into hospital and when he got home, his Support Worker noticed the money had been paid into his bank 2 weeks ago! He was told he need to pay a fine of 50! This is an important message: You must let us know if anything is going to change with your money. We hope our Advice worker will help John and he will not have to pay the fine. 33

34 Are you in Fuel Poverty? Why can t we afford to heat our house? Fuel costs are getting higher Or your house is not Energy efficient The property is too big for our needs. Signs of fuel poverty: Dampness Condensation Wearing lots of clothes Warm Home Discount: The Warm Home Discount helps low income and vulnerable households. In the 2015/16 financial year, eligible households will receive a discount of 140 on their electricity account by 31 March If you are in receipt of Guaranteed Pension Credit you will receive this discount automatically - you should get a letter by 24th December 2015 confirming this. People who get Income Support, Employment Support Allowance and Universal Credit and Disability Living Allowance also qualify for a Warm Home Discount however you must apply for this. Our Welfare Rights Manager, Drew McLellan is here to help so if you need help please contact him. 34

35 Gas and Electrical Safety Checks - They are Important As a Landlord we have to carry out: Gas Safety Checks every year Electrical Safety checks every five years. These checks are a legal requirement and we must carry them out. All ARK Housing Association tenancies have a gas & electrical safety check carried out before they move to their new home. Gas Servicing: Maintenance Matters The Annual Gas Service is carried out to comply with the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations. Kingdom Gas will contact you to organise entry after 10 months to allow time to book a slot. If you receive a post card from the gas engineer for a service and the date or time is not suitable, phone the number on the card or contact the office to change the time. The service takes about 30 minutes to complete. Electrical Safety Check: One person dies every week and 350,000 people are injured every year because of an electrical accident. Electrical accidents are responsible for half of all house fires. ARK Housing Association carries out an electrical safety check in all of our properties once every five years. 35

36 Dog Microchipping All dogs in Scotland will need to be microchipped from April 2016 The Dogs Trust charity offers free microchipping services at its rehoming centres. Information on the website below: If the police or local authorities find a dog without a microchip after April 2016, the owner will face a fine of up to 500 per dog. You must ask ARK Housing Association before you get a dog. Quality & Compliance Manager Tel: john.rankin@arkha.org.uk Maintenance Team Contacts repairs@arkha.org.uk Housing Team Contacts Tel: housing@arkha.org.uk Tenant Participation Contacts sue.tait@arkha.org.uk If you have any questions here are Sue Tait and Gloria Greganti s phone numbers and addresses. Sue Tait: and sue.tait@arkha.org.uk Gloria Greganti: and gloria.greganti@arkha.org.uk We will get in touch with you as soon as possible. Thank you. This newsletter was produced by ARK Housing Association Ltd, Scottish Charity Number SC015694, Mutuals Public Register Number 1899RS. 36