Exciting new volunteering opportunity for African people!
posted: 29/11/2011
Building on the success of the last year, George House Trust is looking for enthusiastic, committed and reliable people from African communities who are living with HIV, to join our team of African Support Volunteers.
African Peer Support is the perfect volunteering opportunity for anyone who feels that they have wisdom to share, or if you are looking to gain voluntary experience of working in the health and social care sector. In fact, many of our previous volunteers have now gone on to paid work or vocational training as a result of their developing their experience through volunteering here at George House Trust.
You will receive full training to enable you to provide one-to-one support to other African people who are living with HIV through things like:
• sharing your own experiences to help other individuals
• providing basic information about HIV
• offering emotional support
By volunteering on this project, you could help change someone’s life for the better. That is because nobody understands what it is like to be an African person living with HIV more than you.
To apply for this role, fill in this simple application form and return it to George House Trust by Tuesday 13th December, 2011.
Successful candidates will be invited for a volunteer interview on either 17th or 18th January, 2012 and those chosen at interview will be invited to induction sessions on 30th January, 3rd February and 6th February, 2012
For further information contact Susie
Please read a copy of the volunteer role description here
You can apply online here for the role or you can download copies of the application fom
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Have Your Say - Manchester Cuts
posted: 17/05/2011
People living in Manchester are asked for their views on the future of adult social care services in the city. The council has to save £109m this year, rising to £170m next – 25% of its whole budget.
The council’s plans for making cuts in adult social care are now available and there are 24 local events in May and June where council staff can explain the proposals, answer questions and help fill in questionnaires.
There are four main things the city council is asking residents about
- Supporting people services
- Cuts and changes in voluntary and community sector
- Changes to social care services
- Charges for social care services.
The city plans to change the way it allocates money to the voluntary sector and for supporting people, by assessing the quality and cost of services, and make more use of Telecare and equipment, and change the way it allocates money.
Manchester also proposes to change its charges for social care, for example, by ending its maximum charge so people who can pay more will pay the full cost, whatever that is.
How to have your say
You can read the proposals and then answer questions online, or you can visit one of the 24 events being held over the next three weeks.
Please take part
The more people with HIV living in Manchester who take part the better.
The main proposals and consultation for people with HIV is here. The last public event where you can ask questions is on Friday 3 June and you must send any comments in on this one by Wednesday 6 July.
Some of the documents are PowerPoint presentations that show you what they propose and you will need a computer programme to see this. Here is a link to the free Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer for you to download and install if you need this.
Councillor Glynn Evans, executive member for adults services at Manchester City Council said: "Manchester looks after a large number of vulnerable and elderly people who need support and care, and we remain committed to ensuring that we provide the best possible services, despite the very challenging circumstances.
"These proposals will affect people’s lives, so it is vitally important that all carers, residents and people who use our services themselves, tell us what they think and have their say.
"The council has to make significant savings to balance our smaller budget and we have seen a massive reduction in our budgets like supporting people. We believe these proposals are the fairest we could draw up in these very difficult times, but this is an open and genuine consultation process and all views and ideas will be considered."
Events across the city now
The adult social care consultation events began on 9 May and the last is on Friday 3 June.
Deadline for public comments varies with each of the consultations, two are on 14 June, another is 6 July, the last is on 8 August:
Social Care Consultations or phone the Contact Service on 0161 234 5001.
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Hardest Hit March - Wednesday
posted: 09/05/2011
1 in 6 people living with HIV have lived in severe poverty in the past three years. On Wednesday 11th May there is a national march in London and mass lobby of MPs at the House of Commons to protest against the government's planned cuts and changes to benefits.
The cuts and benefit changes will make matters worse for the many people living with HIV who rely on Disability Living Allowance, Incapacity Benefit and Employment Support Allowance.
National march and lobby of MPs
People from across the country are coming together on May 11th in London to protest against these cuts and changes and to the cuts to local services which provide key services for people living with disabilities including HIV.
People with HIV will be joining the march and lobbying of MPs and if you'd like to be part of this and walk alongside the THT and NAT and other banners, you can find out where and when to meet up by contacting Guy Slade at THT (020 7812 1631). Also register and find out more details on the Hardest Hit website.
Once you've registered, you can email your MP to ask to meet with them as part of the lobby at the House of Commons after the march.
If you arrange a meeting, tell THT, who can advise on what you could say to your MP and ask for.
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Benefits Help Leaflets
posted: 05/05/2011
Many people with HIV are facing changes to benefits and to help with this THT and NAT have two updated factsheets with useful information and advice.
The first leaflet gives general advice and information about benefits when living with HIV – it is for people with HIV who are on benefits, applying for benefits or considering
taking paid work which could reduce or change the amount of benefit.
It is designed to help people find out their entitlement and how best to manage applications, reviews and appeals.
It offers online, written, interactive and phone options for getting help because different people may find different ways of getting the information helpful.
Benefits Advice for People with HIV
On Incapacity Benefit?
The second leaflet is for people already on Incapacity Benefit who will all have their claims reviewed over the next year or so. People will be reviewed and reassessed under the rules for Employment Support Allowance which replaces Incapacity Benefit.
From Incapacity Benefit to Employment Support Allowance
It makes sense to be prepared and seek help.
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HIV and Sickness Benefits
posted: 03/05/2011
Before the May Day holidays the Department of Work and Pensions got a lot of press coverage by claiming that its reforms of sickness benefits were working. It claimed three quarters of the people applying for the new Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) are either fit for work or stop their claim before they’ve had the medical assessment. They claimed this proved the need to urgently reform benefits, and that Ministers are right to reassess everyone on incapacity benefit.
Don't give up on benefits with HIV
People living with HIV who are claiming benefits for sickness – either Employment Support Allowance or Incapacity Benefit - should not feel intimidated. Benefit experts and the National AIDS Trust point out that the system isn’t working properly for people with HIV. But people with HIV very often win if they don’t give up, stick with their claims and get expert help. Very many people with HIV win if they appeal.
False logic
The Department of Work and Pensions is wrong to claim that lots of refused claims and high rates of drop outs from medicals prove the new system of ‘Work Capability Assessments’ is working. For people with HIV these show the system is seriously failing. People with HIV can and do win with help.
HIV and long term conditions
Research by NAT shows that people living with HIV are being found ‘fit for work’ despite medical evidence showing a range of serious physical and mental health problems. These include severe immune deficiency, co-infection with pneumonia or TB, fatigue, depression and debilitating side-effects from essential HIV treatment.
Deborah Jack, Chief Executive of NAT (National AIDS Trust), commented:
‘The refusal of 39% of ESA claims is not conclusive evidence that Work Capability Assessment (WCA) is effective. These claimants may be found ‘fit for work’ under the rules of WCA, but many face very real health-related barriers to work which have been overlooked during the assessment process.
NAT is also extremely concerned by the high drop-out rate of 36% before a decision on the benefits is made. Dropping a claim does not prove someone is not eligibile for Employment Support Allowance. NAT continued ‘An independent review of the Work Capability Assessment revealed serious problems with decision-making and administration, and real failures in the way the DWP communicated with claimants. Stopping a claim halfway, points towards fundamental flaws in the system – which are yet to be resolved.’
More information
If you live in NW England with HIV and and have problems with benefits please contact our support team
DWP statistics can be found here
NAT’s report ‘Unseen disability, Unmet needs - A review of the impact of Work Capability Assessment on people living with HIV’
The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) is the test undertaken to determine whether a person is eligible for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). The WCA aims to identify claimants who have ‘limited capacity for work’ or ‘limited capacity for work-related activity’, so that they may receive the right support to help them live well and (where appropriate) return to work. Those who are found ‘fit for work’ are not entitled to receive ESA. The test contains a series of questions, called ‘descriptors’, which relate to physical and mental functions, and from which claimants score points.
The report of the Independent Review of the Work Capability Assessment
In October 2008, Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) was introduced to replace Incapacity Benefit and Incapacity-based Income Support as the primary income support benefit for people who are unable to work due to disability or illness.
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