Multi-layered and informative: the latest blog from Greg Smith for the William Temple Foundation on some of the political, economic, ethical and theological responses to immigration - attempting to bring some light to the heat and as ever, based on extensive personal experience in the field.
Thursday, 18 June 2015
Right to Light... New Blog on TL Stories and Reflections
As he prepares to leave Preston after many years at the Foxton Centre Tim Keightley reflects on what he has learned, and is learning still.
Wednesday, 17 June 2015
Help Direct is Ending .... Here are LCC's new plans for The Integrated Wellbeing Service
Stakeholder update – May 2015
The Integrated Wellbeing Service
Introduction
You may be aware that Lancashire County Council is developing a new Integrated Wellbeing Service which will replace Help Direct and other related services such as Connect 4 Life, Social Prescribing and Health Trainers. We realise that these changes may affect you and your service and want to keep you updated on what is happening and when, to ensure as seamless transition as possible into the new service. We will be providing a number of briefings like this over the coming months but please do let us know if you no longer want to receive the updates.
What is changing and why?
Lancashire County Council is committed to improving 'wellbeing' across Lancashire. 'Wellbeing' is defined as a proactive, preventive approach that emphasises the whole person and which works to achieve optimum levels of physical, mental, social and emotional health, opposed to a silo focus on one aspect of a person's health.
We want a consistent approach across Lancashire working in the locations that people need the most help. At a time when contracts across various services were due to expire, we have taken the opportunity to look how we can bring some of the great learning from different services together and create a revised service. This is not about reducing services and support but providing a more holistic approach through a new contract which in fact will see more money being spent on this area of need and mean better outcomes for everyone.
Therefore from 1 September 2015 Help Direct, Connect 4 Life, Social Prescribing and Health Trainers will not exist in the same guise but will be replaced by what we are calling an Integrated Wellbeing Service, part of which will be provided in-house by Lancashire County Council's telephone line, and part of which will be provided by a commissioned Wellbeing Worker Service. Please note this is not a public facing title but more one that we will use with stakeholders such as yourself to describe the area of work.
The Wellbeing Worker service is currently out to tender and the successful applicant/s will be announced towards the end of June or early July, and we will let you know of the outcome.
The Integrated Wellbeing Service
From 1 September 2015 the Integrated Wellbeing Service will include telephone and website information, guidance, and support to help adults in Lancashire to stay well and maintain independence. In addition there will be a face to face service delivered by a 'Wellbeing Worker' which will mainly be accessed via referrals from primary care and other partners and will focus on supporting vulnerable adults at risk of a health or social care crisis. The Wellbeing Worker will empower individuals to build resilience and be in control of their own health and well-being with a focus on three main outcome areas:
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Improving mental wellbeing
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Reducing loneliness and social isolation
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Improving ability to self-care
The Wellbeing Workers will be oriented round neighbourhoods and work closely with GP practices and other partners to identify and support vulnerable people who could benefit from the service.
In essence the service for individuals will only be improved, as advice and signposting over will still exist from the Lancashire County Council telephone line and improved website content (from Oct 2015), and those in need of more intensive support will be assigned to a Wellbeing Worker who will provide a holistic approach to helping the individual with their needs. The main difference is that we will be using all the best practice and learning from a collection of previous services under one contract.
How will the new service be accessed by the customer?
There will be two different levels of access into the service for individuals needing help. Those looking for advice and support can visit www.lancashire.gov.uk/health or call 0303 333 11 11 for signposting and advice over the phone. From October onwards the advice and support on-line will become more in-depth and will eventually include a diagnostic self-assessment tool. You will note that the telephone number is the same number as the Help Direct line which will allow continuity for those who have previously used the service.
Access into the Wellbeing Worker Service will mainly be by referral and the details of the referral process will be the responsibility of the new chosen provider/s, in partnership with referring agencies and stakeholders, when decided. We will keep you updated on how this will work over the coming months. We know this is crucial to helping some of the vulnerable people you may come across professionally and you will want to be involved in shaping the pathways so that they meet local needs.
The criteria for referral will include:
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Mild mental health problems (such as low mood, anxiety, stress, mild depression)
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Social isolation, few or poor social networks
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Experiencing difficult circumstances, e.g. problems with family, finance, employment
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Struggling to cope/ feeling overwhelmed, particularly in managing long term conditions
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Behavioural risk factors e.g. substance misuse, smoking, weight, and need more help to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
What will happen to Help Direct?
Help Direct is currently run by four different providers across Lancashire and this contract comes to an end on 31 August 2015. Over the coming months Help Direct will be winding down its large scale promotional activity due to the changes but will still be providing a service until the new contract is in place. The current Help Direct providers will stop taking long term referrals from mid-July as these can take some time to complete which would take them beyond their contract date. However, they will continue to provide general support and advice and will work with the successful applicant/s of the new contract to ensure vulnerable individuals are not overlooked during this handover period. The finer details of this will need to be discussed once the new contract is awarded and we will keep you updated.
Once the contract for Help Direct ends on 31 August the brand name will no longer exist and all materials, shop branding etc. will be removed from circulation as far as possible. The general telephone number 0303 333 11 11 will remain and calls will be picked up by Lancashire County Council as they currently are now.
What will happen to Connect 4 Life?
Connect 4 Life is a project which works in partnership with GP surgeries, Health Professionals and the community, voluntary, faith sectors across central and west Lancashire. This contract was due to end at the end of September 2015 but will now be mainstreamed into the new service.
The project involves taking non clinical, social related referrals from GP multi-disciplinary team meetings and direct referrals from other health professionals. One strand of the project focuses on empowering patients, primarily with long term conditions, to manage their conditions and to lead fulfilling and well supported lives in their communities. The other strand focuses on strengthening the assets of local communities through partnerships with district stakeholders.
Similar to the current model for Connect 4 Life, the Wellbeing Worker Service will support people to connect with the assets in their community, and also to realise their own assets and strengths. The Wellbeing Worker Service will play a central role in determining the need for and development of other interventions and activities especially those that will contribute to the main outcome areas of improved mental health, reduced loneliness and social isolation, and better ability to self-care.
Over the coming months Connect 4 Life will also be winding down its activity, but will still be providing a service until the new contract is in place. The Connect 4 Life team will continue to attend multi-disciplinary teams to maintain relationships, offer advice and signposting to other services. After 19 June, the team will take referral information to transfer to the new provider when the contract is in place. Any urgent referrals (as determined by the MDT) can still be progressed to ensure vulnerable clients are not overlooked during the transition period. However, we need to keep the number of clients still in the system at the end of August to a minimum. Further details will be worked through with new provider as soon as possible and we will keep you updated in the next bulletin.
What is happening and when?
| Activity | Timings |
| New Integrated Wellbeing Service contract awarded | Late June / early July 2015 |
| Transition/implementation period | July – August 2015 |
| Service starts | September 2015 |
Although inevitably there will be some disruption, we aim to minimise this as far as possible. There will be a two month overlap between the new contract being awarded at the end of June and the Help Direct and Connect 4 Life contracts ending on 31 August and we will be working closely with all involved to get the new service up and running as fast as possible, with key early actions being to work with GPs and referring partners to co-produce the pathways and processes. Please bear with us during the transition period and we look forward to working with you to help shape the new service.
What are the benefits of the changes?
By bringing a number of similar services together and using best practice from each, a Lancashire wide service will be offered that provides consistency across the county
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The Wellbeing Worker Service will provide targeted support and will mainly be a referral based service, this will ensure the right people get the additional support that they need
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GPs and other partners will be able to refer patients directly into the service
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The patients who can benefit from the service will include people who are currently accessing the GP advisor Help Direct Service, Connect 4 Life and Social Prescribing and these interventions will be brought together under a new more streamlined approach
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The service will help patients with non-clinical issues and support practices to reduce demand for GP appointments where there is no obvious clinical need
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The service will be aligned with multi-disciplinary teams to form part of the overall care package for high intensity users of health and social care services, to provide an integrated approach
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Simple information and signposting needs will be dealt with outside of the Wellbeing Worker Service therefore freeing up more time to be spent with people who need more intensive support
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The service will support CCGs to reduce health care usage and associated costs
For more information
We will be sending out monthly updates but if you need further information please do get in touch. Or if you know anyone who would benefit from getting this update please let us know.
Janet.Walton2@lancashire.gov.uk
Tel: 01772 539810
Mobile: 07876 844071
Tuesday, 16 June 2015
Would your Church or Project like a part time volunteer Intern for a year from September 2015 ?
Apologies if you receive this more than once.. it is being circulated on several mailing lists:
As our Together Lancashire workers have got to speak to so many churches and groups who are serving Christ as they serve the poor and needy in
Together
Together Lancashire is inviting young Christian people who are probably recent graduates to offer a year of part time service with a church or faith based project in
- Their commitment would involve offering 15-20 hours per week to a local project for the period from mid September 2015 to summer 2016. The work would be focussed on social and community action among needy and vulnerable people and communities. It would not be merely about sustaining the worshipping life or evangelistic outreach of the church but would need to make an impact on people struggling with issues of poverty in the locality.
- The work would be unpaid although necessary travel and other expenses would need to be covered by the host organisation.
- The assumption is that they would be supporting themselves, including housing costs through other part time work, and / or financial and in kind support they might raise from their church, family or friends.
- The role would involve an occupational requirement to be a practising Christian and to play an appropriate role as such in the spiritual life and activities of the congregation or project in which they were placed.
- Giving a clear commitment to ensure we are confident the intern would be well supported, pastored, managed and mentored locally.
- Providing a clear and personally tailored job description showing that the intern will find an interesting and fulfilling role which would strengthen their CV and help your personal development towards a career or vocation. This would need to make proper use of any specialist skills or training they have in areas such as youth or community work, social work, IT, finance and business management, theology or social research.
- You need to ensure that the Job Description is clear to ensure that it has the necessary exemption from equalities legislation on religious grounds if you wish to ensure applicants are practising Christians.
- Carrying the risk in terms of ensuring the intern was covered on site insurance, relevant DBS status and local health and safety policies and procedures.
- Releasing the intern on a regular (probably one day a month) basis to a wider learning and peer mentoring programme offered by Together Lancashire
- Covering costs of locally incurred expenses such as travel so that the intern would not be out of pocket
While Together Lancashire can offer to support you over these areas we need to make it clear that we are only offering a brokerage and introduction service and even though the intern is unpaid, for legal purposes the local church or project is an employer and so all the necessary policies should be in place.
Churches or groups who are already offering such internships or apprenticeships under their own auspices, or under a wider scheme may also become associates in the Together Lancashire scheme, allowing their interns to benefit from the learning opportunities and peer support groups we will be arranging.
Also if you are in touch with any potential interns please put them in touch with us so we can talk about how the scheme might work for them. You can direct them to this web page if they need further information
http://prestonchristianactionnetwork.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/opportunities-to-serve-and-learn-in.html
If you are interested please contact us by July 14th giving a brief outline of how you might take part in the scheme. If there is a sufficient interest across the county we will call together interested parties to an exploratory meeting in late July or early August.
Email: greg.smith@together-lancashire.org.uk
Or as I will be on leave until about 10th July contact Gillian Beeley Telephone: 07904 919413
Email: gillian.beeley@together-lancashire.org.uk
Shalom
Greg Smith
Development Co-ordinator Together Lancashire / Preston Christian Action Network
Phone - Mobile 07726177044
Postal Address and registered office : Together Lancashire,
UNIT 250, Glenfield Park Business Centre, Blakewater Road, Blackburn, BB1 5QH
Registered Charity no 1147848 Registered company no 07966145
Together Lancashire Website http://www.cuf.org.uk/together-lancashire
OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE AND LEARN IN CHRISTIAN SOCIAL ACTION WORK IN LANCASHIRE
Together Lancashire invites young Christian people who are probably recent graduates to offer a year of part time service with a church or faith based project in
- The commitment would involve offering 15-20 hours per week to a local project for the period from mid September 2015 to summer 2016. The work would be focussed on social and community action among needy and vulnerable people and communities. It would not be merely about sustaining the worshipping life or evangelistic outreach of the church but would need to make an impact on people struggling with issues of poverty in the locality.
- The work would be unpaid although necessary travel and other expenses would be covered.
- The assumption is that you would be supporting yourself, including your housing costs through other part time work, and / or financial and in kind support you might raise from your church, family or friends.
- The role would involve an occupational requirement to be a practising Christian and to play an appropriate role as such in the spiritual life and activities of the congregation or project in which you were placed.
In return Together Lancashire would commit to:
- Matching you to a local placement where we are confident you would be well supported, managed and mentored and where you will find an interesting and fulfilling role which would strengthen your CV and help your personal development towards a career or vocation.
- Providing additional personal and educational support through one to one supervision and peer group learning and reflection sessions.
Person specification.
Generally participants should be between the ages of 21 and 30 in a stage of life between completing studies and taking up a career related job. (exceptionally pre university "gap year" placements, or even older "career change" or early retired people might be considered).
Participants should be committed Christians (from any denomination or theological background) willing to engage in the life of a local church, and to work within a Christian ethos
They should be enthusiastic, energetic and have some level of commitment to Christian service and to social justice.
Specialist skills which are relevant to the life of a church or a Christian project such as training in youth or community work, social work, IT, finance and business management, theology or social research would be especially welcome.
JOB / Role descriptions will be tailor made according to your skills and the placement setting
If you are interested please contact us and provide a CV by August 14th
Email: greg.smith@together-lancashire.org.uk
Or as I will be on leave until about 10th July contact Gillian Beeley Telephone: 07904 919413
Email: gillian.beeley@together-lancashire.org.uk
Henry Smith's Charity - Holiday Grants for Children 19 July 2015
The Henry Smith's Charity is accepting applications through its Holiday Grant for Children Programme. Applications can be made by schools, youth groups, not for profit organisations and charities for grants towards holidays or outings within the UK for children aged 13 and under who are from areas of high deprivation, are experiencing disadvantage, or those who have a disability. Applications can be considered for holidays or outings that have the objective of providing children with a break they would not otherwise have the opportunity to experience. The maximum grant available is £2,500 for any one trip. Grants are normally limited to a maximum of two-thirds of the total cost of a trip as we would expect some local partnership funding to be in place.
http://www.henrysmithcharity.org.uk/holiday-grants-for-children.html
Friday, 12 June 2015
Vacancy - Transforming Lives Together - Community Builder
The vacancy below is my equivalent in Chester Diocese for your interest and advertising. Hust about doable for someone living in Lancashire perhaps...
Shalom
Greg Smith
Development Co-ordinator Together Lancashire
Langley House Trust , Lancaster search for a Chaplain
You may be able to assist the Langley House Trust in our search for a Chaplain.. We are currently seeking to fill a vacant position in one of our registered care homes for ex-offenders in Lancaster, Lancashire.
As a Christian Charity providing a range of services to ex-offender we place Chaplaincy at the heart of our services, as we recognise the vital part that they play in the lives of both our staff and Service Users. The Trust was established in 1958 by a group of Christian professionals who heard the heart of God for homeless ex-offenders and set up our first project in Edenfield, Winchester. The trust now serves approximately 800 people each year through our residential, prisons and floating support services.
Our website address is below and is a useful link to find out further information about the Trust.
Yours in Christ,
Head of Housing
HELPING PEOPLE TO LIVE CRIME-FREE LIVES
M: 07958 470412 T: 02476 619703
E: d.graham@langleyhousetrust.org
Twitter: @LangleyHseTrust
Project Manager/Development Worker needed for Church based community project in Runcorn
Job opportunity... not very far away
Vacancy- Project Manager/Development Worker for the Open Door Community Project Runcorn
Open Door is a successful project offering opportunities and activities that enhance the lives of children and adults living in the Old Town area of Runcorn. We are looking for someone who has experience of running a community initiative, is self-motivated, a good organiser and has the vision to develop the work of the project. Deadline for applications: 30 June.
Contact details:
Janice Mason
Director of Social Responsibility/Urban Officer
Church House: 01928 718834 ext 235
Mobile: 07918732805
Email: janice.mason@chester.anglican.org
What a Difference Faith Makes. to Alcohol Use
People in faith communities face real issues with the use of alcohol. However, these problems are often hidden, which can make it difficult both for individuals and for faith groups to address them. We also know that the reach into communities and the trusted status that faith groups can have mean that they are often ideally-placed to help address sensitive issues such as problems with alcohol.
A new report from Faith Action is here
The church and housing
A new report 'Our Common Heritage' explores the potential for churches and housing associations to transform the lives of many…
There is also a blog summary:
The work of methodist Action NW is one of the case studies
Together Lancashire is planning a day conference on Homelessness, Housing and the Churches in Lancashire this autumn in partnership with Housing Justice http://www.housingjustice.org.uk/ More information to follow.
Monday, 8 June 2015
REMINDER: Care Homes, Housing Schemes and Communities Hearing
----- Original Message -----
From: Third Sector Lancashire
Sent: Monday, June 08, 2015 11:51 AM
Subject: REMINDER: Care Homes, Housing Schemes and Communities Hearing
|
|
sanctionning of vulnerable people
In case you've not seen, the article references new guidance ref
sanctions to vulnerable people -
You can download and read the chapter of DWP official guidance referred to here
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/89023969/dwp%20gudiance%20on%20sanctions%20for%20vulnerable%20people%20wp-pg-chap-4b-v1.pdf
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/89023969/dwp%20gudiance%20on%20sanctions%20for%20vulnerable%20people%20wp-pg-chap-4b-v1.pdf
MONEY MATTERS Church Urban Fund National Conference
CUF is excited to announce the 2015 National Conference!
Financial exclusion is one of the most pressing public policy issues of our time. Through this conference we want to build understanding of financial exclusion, reflect theologically and explore a variety of projects and efforts to build financial inclusion in local communities.
Join us on the 5th November at Kings House Conference Centre in Manchester. You can book your ticket and find out more information at www.cuf.org.uk/moneymatters.
Please circulate this to your networks and register your place. You can find a printable version of the poster here.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Methodist Action NW take one of the Weston Charity Awards, Manchester
The winners of an award that will see charities across the North of England being mentored and coached by senior business leaders are being revealed today. The Garfield Weston Foundation expanded the Weston Charity Awards to reach more organisations after a successful first year working with charities in the North East. The Foundation says the response from charities across
Twelve charities working in the areas of youth, welfare and community have been selected for awards and the winners include:
· Methodist Action North West who work to tackle homelessness in the region, providing support to people to help them achieve stability and independence.
Sunday, 7 June 2015
CHRISTIAN AID RESPONDS TO EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE SURVEY WITH CALL FOR ‘PROPHETIC CHURCH’
This looks to be an excellent resource booklet
From: Joe Ware <JWare@christian-aid.org>
Sent: 05 June 2015 16:57
To: Joe Ware
Subject: Christian Aid Responds To Evangelical Alliance Survey With A Call For 'Prophetic Church'
Sent: 05 June 2015 16:57
To: Joe Ware
Subject: Christian Aid Responds To Evangelical Alliance Survey With A Call For 'Prophetic Church'
June 5, 2015
Following the recent study into evangelical attitudes towards poverty, Christian Aid has encouraged churches to become advocates for the poor with the help of a booklet The Prophetic Church.
The research, carried out by the Evangelical Alliance, showed that 97 per cent of evangelicals believed Christians should work for justice for the poor and 73 per cent had given to a charity tackling poverty overseas in the last 12 months.
Despite having strong views on tackling poverty and injustice (97 per cent agreed that the Government should act to ensure large companies can't avoid paying their taxes) only 30 per cent had written to their MP or campaigned on international poverty issues.
Christian Aid has produced The Prophetic Church as a resource to help churches to campaign, drawing on the rich history of the evangelical tradition in bringing about radical change for the poor.
Project coordinator David Muir said: "It is great to see the evangelical heart for the poor borne out in the new research. Evangelical Christians have such potential to bring about real change by using their democratic voice.
"The Prophetic Church will help churches understand their role, as the bible puts it; "to speak out for those who cannot speak", as well as explaining how this can be achieved through campaigning.
"Evangelicals have a proud tradition of speaking truth to power and calling for justice and I hope this booklet will enable Christians today to follow in those footsteps."
The Prophetic Church can be downloaded here.
Ends
For more information contact Joe Ware at jware@christian-aid.org. The 24 hour Christian Aid press duty phone is 07850 242950.
Notes to Editors:
1. Christian Aid works in some of the world's poorest communities in around 40 countries at any one time. We act where there is great need, regardless of religion, helping people to live a full life, free from poverty. We provide urgent, practical and effective assistance in tackling the root causes of poverty as well as its effects.
2. Christian Aid's core belief is that the world can and must be changed so that poverty is ended: this is what we stand for. Everything we do is about ending poverty and injustice: swiftly, effectively, sustainably. Our strategy document Partnership for Change (http://www.christianaid.org.uk/images/partnership-for-change-summary.pdf) explains how we set about this task.
3. Christian Aid is a member of the ACT Alliance, a global coalition of more than 130 churches and church-related organisations that work together in humanitarian assistance, advocacy and development. Further details at http://actalliance.org
4. Follow Christian Aid's newswire on Twitter: http://twitter.com/caid_newswire
5. For more information about the work of Christian Aid visit http://www.christianaid.org.uk
Joe Ware
Church & Campaigns Journalist
Christian Aid
35-41 Lower Marsh
London
SE1 7RL
0207 523 2418
Thursday, 4 June 2015
A new blog on Together Lancashire Stories and reflections
The Church in Society - some thoughts following the general election.
Ken Wales … Chair of Together Lancashire and Methodist Action North West
A philosophical review of poverty .. from JRF
Much food for thought here..
not sure that this alone will provide enough food for all the hungry people in the UK ..
Centre for Social Justice Awards
Max. Value: £ 10,000
Deadline: 12 Jun 2015
Financial awards recognising charities and voluntary organisations in the UK that are working to prevent poverty or that are helping people and families caught in damaging situations, to turn their lives around.
Fw: Methodist Action vacancies
Sent: Wednesday, June 03, 2015 11:11 AM
Subject: Methodist Action vacancies
Methodist Action is currently advertising the following posts:
· Tenancy Liaison Officer
· Development Worker – Bank Staff
· Chef/Project Assistant
Summaries of the jobs are attached. Further details and application packs are available from ruth.morris@methodistaction.co.uk. Please feel free to circulate this information to your contacts.
Regards
Ruth
Ruth Morris
Charity Administrator
Methodist Action (North West) Ltd
Howick House, Howick Park Avenue, Penwortham, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 0LS
Tel. 01772 751000
Wednesday, 3 June 2015
Leeds Poverty Truth Challenge
The principle of the Leeds Poverty Truth Challenge is that decisions about poverty must involve people who have directly faced poverty.
Anybody up for organising something like this in Lancashire?
Monday, 1 June 2015
Morecambe Bay Food bank .. A day of mixed emotions
New piece from Annette Smith... on our stories and reflections blog
Excellent commentary on the Evangelical Alliance "Good news For the Poor" report
From Krish Kandiah president of London School of Theology
Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service Prince's Trust
THE AIM OF THE SCHEME
The Prince's Trust Team programme is a unique personal development programme. It enables young people in the 16-25 year old age group to develop their confidence, motivation and skills through teamwork in the community. It brings together people of different abilities, circumstances and backgrounds - both employed and unemployed.
Whilst continuing to carry out its function of fire fighting and rescue, Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service are striving to prevent and lessen the impact of fires upon the people of
The Prince's Trust Team Programme aims to develop young people by modifying behaviour and changing attitudes. This is achieved through working directly with young people, developing them for further education, progression into the workplace or creating opportunities for those already in employment. All young people on the programme are encouraged to continue to volunteer once they have left the programme and are one of the positive outcomes expected of Delivery Partners by the Prince's Trust.
The process creates 'friends' of the fire service who become socially aware, and respect the dominant social beliefs and values, and can assist with the Service aim of reducing the incidence of arson and accidental ignition. This in turn reduces casualties and death by fire thus corresponding with Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service's objective of "making
Local contact if you want to refer a young person to the scheme or discuss their work programmes
Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service Princes Trust, Unit 6C Oxhey Trading Estate, Greenbank Street, Preston, PR1 7PH
E-Mail: Kirkhamtl@lancsfirerescue.org.uk
Tel: 01772 827925 / 07879 898662
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