Announcements

“Training to make a difference”

Are you a member of LINk?

Do you want to make a difference to health care services in Wandsworth?

Do you want to contribute your experience as a patient with a long term health condition or as a carer?

Do you want to be listened to as an equal with NHS managers and clinicians?

If so, this innovative and challenging training programme could be just what you need.

“Training to make a difference” is the first of a rolling programme of training which will be presented in six 2 ½ hour sessions from 10 am to 12.30 at accessible user friendly venues. Refreshments will be provided. Travel and other out of pocket expenses will be reimbursed.

The training sessions will include personal and electronic presentations and there will be visiting VIP speakers from NHS Wandsworth and local health providers.  The style will be participative with interactive exercises and in depth discussion that will challenge everyone’s preconceptions representation.

If you want to join “Training to make a difference” you need to be committed to attending the full training programme with a view to being actively involved in the future as a lay representative with NHS Wandsworth’s committees, working groups and consultation procedures.

On completion of the training you will receive a “Training to make a difference” certificate. We hope this training will be useful to participants in their own personal and career development.

The programme is designed to ensure the following outcomes for participants:

• Can participate fully at NHS Wandsworth committees and working groups
• Understand the way the NHS in England and NHS Wandsworth operate
• Have an understanding of the legislation and guidance governing involvement and engagement in the NHS
• Understand the roles of users and lay representatives and health professionals

• Can develop their communication skills
• Gain experience of developing involvement and engagement techniques

• Have knowledge of the barriers and benefits of working together

• Have the confidence to present the views and experience of patients to senior managers and clinicians

For further information, application form, and to sign up for this training, please contact:

Colin Smith, PPI Manager, 0208812 7743 or email colin.smith@wpct.nhs.uk

Michelle Heller, Patient Relationship Manager on 0208 812 7577 or email michelle.heller@wpct.nhs.uk

“Training to make a difference” is developed and presented by the Moore Adamson Craig Partnership LLP – consultants in public involvement – www.mooreadamsoncraig.co.uk  on behalf of NHS Wandsworth.

Last week saw the launch of the exciting new Newspaper for people with a learning difficulty in Wandsworth, WORD UP!

People with a learning difficulty have been involved in all aspects of the newspaper’s production and WORD UP! is the first of its kind in Wandsworth.

The launch event held at the Trident Business Centre last Friday was hugely successful  and very well attended by service users and supporters.

If you would like to be involved in the next issue please contact Tom on 0208 516 7785

If you would like to receive a copy of WORD UP! Please send your details to newspaper@wandacreall.org.uk or phone Tom on 0208 516 7785.

This is a collaborative event between the National End of Life Care Programme abd NHS London to launch the national E-Learning in End of Life Care for All (e-ELCA)

e- ELCA is an exciting and free on-line resource to help train and educate health and social care staff delivering end of life care. For more information visit the website www.e-elca.org.uk.

REASONS TO ATTEND

• Dr Bee Wee, Senior Clinical Lecturer in palliative Medicine at Oxford University will be presenting on the development of the e-ELCA resource.
• Test drive e-ELCA training modules and hear from the experts.

This is an exciting and essential event suitable for:

• Senior managers and clinician in health and social care organistions.
• Local education leads in health and socila care orgamisations.
• E-Learning leads from across health and social care.
• Those who mentor colleagues whose work involves end of life care.
• Anyone whose work involves caring for those approaching the end of life and would like an early look at what the new resources offers.

to book your free place go to www.eventprouk.com click on EVENT REGISTRATION then input:

username: EP1152 (Please use capital letters)

password: EL250310 (Please note that 0+ zero and use capital letters)

Wandsworth Borough Council & DisabledGo invite you to join them at the Steering Group Meeting

on Tuesday 9th March,   2.30- 3.30 p.m at Wandsworth Town Hall, Wandsworth High Street

Wandsworth, SW18 2PU.

About DisabledGo

DisabledGo has been working in partnership with the Wandsworth Borough Council since 2004 to produce an online access guide to Wandsworth

So that the DisabledGo-Wandsworth guide develops in the way that local people want it to, we invite you to the steering group to give us feedback on the following:

- New venues that you would like to see added

- The new DisabledGo website

- Online steering groups

RSVP INFORMATION

Please RSVP using the attached reply slip as soon as possible with any specific requirements you may have to:

Tom Felton, DisabledGo, Ardent House, Gates Way, Stevenage, SG1 3HG.

    E: tom.felton@disabledgo.com 

    Tel: 01438 842710 

     Fax: 01438 842717

If you know of anyone who may be interested in hearing more about the service we provide, or would like to attend the meeting please do not hesitate in forwarding this information on

Wandsworth Care Alliance invites you to attend the launch of the new newspaper for people with learning difficulties in Wandsworth.  Come and celebrate our first issue and take away your copy.

The event will be held on Friday 26^th February from 11am-1pm at Trident Business Centre, Tooting.  A buffet lunch will be provided.

For more details, contact Tom Harrison on 020 8516 7785, or email newspaper@wandcareall.org.uk

Dignity Action Day gives everyone the opportunity to contribute to upholding people’s rights to dignity and provide a truly memorable day for people receiving care. Dignity Action Day aims to ensure people in care are treated as individuals, are given choice, control and a sense of purpose in their daily lives and provide stimulating activities. Dignity Action day asks everybody – members of the public and Health and Social Care staff to give the gift of time. We can all make a difference!

“Dignity in Care must be everybody’s business. I hope people will step up to this challenge and do whatever is in their power to make a difference”
Sir Michael Parkinson, National Dignity Ambassador

Supporting Dignity Action Day will

• Raise awareness of the importance of Dignity in Care
• Provide someone with an extra special day
• Remind society that the dignity of those in your community is not the sole responsibility of health or social care staff- everyone has a role to play
• Remind the public that staff have a right to be treated with dignity and respect too
• Be part of a national celebration and demonstrate solidarity for Dignity in Care

Everyone can get involved- take action now

Dignity Action Day asks health and social care workers to take action in their place of work to promote dignity. It also asks members of the public to do what they can to take action on this day to promote dignity for people in their communities.

• Take a look at the resource packs full of ideas, useful information and support on how you can support Dignity Action Day.
  • Health and Social Care Staff
  • Members of the public
• See what others are doing to give you further inspiration
• Once you have decided what you are going to do please tell us about your pledge or activity to inspire and encourage others to follow.

Wandsworth LINk’s decision to refer NHS Wandsworth’s plans for the Battersea polyclinic hub to the Council’s Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee was the subject of an article in the Wandsworth Guardian today. 

For the full articles please see archived edition 04/02/2010 page 5 in http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/Launch.aspx?refresh=d06W9gP1sL05&PBID=47c1cbbd-4d2d-409e-8458-8703ef40dcda

Why is the LINk is referring the NHS Wandsworth decision on the Battersea polyclinic hub to the Council’s Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee? 

 Wandsworth LINk has now sent Wandsworth Council its reasons for referring the recent NHS Wandsworth decision to create a split-site polyclinic hub for Battersea, to its health Overview and Scrutiny Committee for further analysis. 

Wandsworth LINk considers the new plan to be a substantial change from the previous one and should therefore be exposed to public consultation.  The split-site service will inconvenience patients, sometimes requiring attendances at both sites to deal with a single problem.  The availability of capital finance is being given as the recent for the change of plan.  There was a solution for this in 2008.  Is that solution not available today?  For the full reasons for referral please see attached note.  The Committee will be held in public at Wandsworth Town Hall at 7.30 pm on Tuesday 16th February.

Why are Wandsworth LINk referring the NHS Wandsworth Polyclinic decision to the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Wands worth Care Alliance are looking for people to do the following:

Be 1-2-1 Tutors and support those with Learning difficulties in reading, writing, seaking and attedning meetings around London. Training will be provided and a CRB check is necessary.

Provide Admin Support  and help to produce flyers, minutes, agendas, mailouts and carry out general admin duties using Microsoft Word, photoshop and Access.

Work on the Newspaper and provide technical support, interview and report on relevant issues and contribute to the newspapers content and design. 

For more details and an application form please contact:

Hannah Baker on 0208 516 773  or at hannah@wandcareall.org.uk

Keep your child safe from swine flu this winter

All children over six months and under five years of age in Wandsworth are now being offered the swine flu vaccine.  The under fives are most at risk from swine flu and more likely to need hospital care than any other age group.

GPs across Wandsworth are offering the vaccine and parents of eligible children will be contacted directly by their GP.

Local GP Tom Coffey said: “Even if your child is healthy, it’s extremely important to get them vaccinated again swine flu.  Children can easily catch and pass on the swine flu virus and unfortunately we’ve seen higher rates of hospitalisation in the under fives.”

“It’s impossible to know if you’re child has already had swine flu unless they’ve had a positive laboratory test for the virus.  Our advice to parents is therefore, don’t take a chance, the swine flu vaccination will keep your child safe this winter.”

The under fives are the latest group to be offered the swine flu vaccine.  The vaccine is already being offered to

• Adults and children between six months and 65 years of age in the current seasonal flu vaccine clinical ‘at risk’ groups. e.g. who have a long-term health condition, including chronic lung disease and heart disease;
• Pregnant women;
• People who live in the same house as someone whose immune system is compromised by disease or treatment, and
• People aged 65 and over in the current seasonal flu vaccine clinical “at risk” groups.

For more information on swine flu, visit  www.nhs.uk or call the Swine Flu Information Line on 0800 1 513 513.