Volunteers "step up" at George House Trust

posted: 26/07/2011

George House Trust is delighted to announce that it has received a grant from Awards for All to create an exciting new volunteer role, within our busy Services Team.

Advice Support Volunteers will be matched to individual staff members and will support with a range of tasks including researching information, making phone calls, completing financial applications for service users, contacting volunteers and supporting around monitoring and evaluation and administration.

This is fantastic opportunity for volunteers to develop skills and experience in health and social care and advice work.

The grant from Awards for all will enable three volunteers to undertake an NVQ Level 3 in Advice and Guidance, as part of their volunteering. It also provides vital funds to reimburse volunteer travel expenses and help with childcare costs for volunteers to attend the induction training for this role.

Deadline for applications for this volunteer role is Monday 1st August 2011.
If you are interested in this role, please take a note of the following dates. If we invite you to interview, interviews will take place on Thursday 4th August. There will also be training taking place on the 10th, 11th and 12th August.

Please email: volunteering@ght.org.uk for a copy of the role description and information about how to apply. Priorty will be given to applications from people living with HIV.

Laura Hamilton
Volunteer & Development Manager

Amanda Orr
Adviser 

City and Guilds in HIV and AIDS

posted: 14/04/2010

Terrence Higgins Trust runs an accredited City and Guilds HIV course. The award in understanding HIV and AIDS is a formal qualification to help people improve their own knowledge of HIV to be able to talk confidently with people about HIV. The qualification

• Is for people who want to work within the HIV sector (paid or voluntary)
• Helps people challenge misunderstandings and inaccuracies
• Improves HIV knowledge and supports delivering HIV information to young people in school.

Course content

The qualification is at level 2 of the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) is awarded on successful completion of three units:

• Unit 001 Transmission and Prevention of HIV (3 credits)
• Unit 002 Stigma and discrimination in HIV and AIDS (3 credits)
• Unit 003 Managing HIV and AIDS (4 credits)

Distance learning

This is a distance learning course, spread over three months and involving attendance at a training centre for two days, one at the start of the course and one at the start of month two.The distance learning course has three units with two face to face study days held in eg central Brighton and 44 hours of study time for all units.

• Day 1 Participants will attend a training centre for Induction and Introduction to Unit 001.
• Month 1 During the first month, participants will work remotely with phone support on course work. The deadline for remote learning on Unit 001 is one month after Day 1.
• Day 2 The second day of attendance at the training centre will take place shortly after completion of unit 001. Day 2 will give an introduction to Unit 002 and Unit 003.
• Months 2 and 3 The deadline for coursework for Unit 002 and Unit 003 is two months after Day 2.

Cost
The cost for ordinary customers is £350 + VAT, but for public and voluntary sector customers £250 + VAT, with the possibility of reductions in cases of hardship.
 

Next courses

• Cardiff: 13th May Day 1 and 17th June Day 2
  
• Brighton: 25th May Day 1 and 23rd June Day 2

Courses are also held in Manchester, Leeds and London - ask when the next local course is planned.

Download an application form, or email,  or ring Justin Barrett on 020 7812 1727

Past students say:
‘The course is a must do for all working in social care or sexual education, no-matter the level.’

‘I would recommend the course to anyone non-medically trained working, or hoping to work, in the field of HIV.’

GHT Speakers Highly Commended!

posted: 12/11/2009

The George House Trust Positive Speakers Programme received a Highly Commended citation at the North West Public Health Awards at Manchester Town Hall on Monday night.

The awards recognise excellence and innovation in public health development across the North West. Two positive speakers were present to accept the award on behalf of the programme and the certificate was presented by Ruth Hussey, Regional Director of Public Health.

The Positive Speaker Programme is a unique and innovative programme that directly challenges HIV related stigma and stereotypical views of who is at risk through personal perspectives on living with HIV. For more information on the programme click here.

Adela, a Women's Award Winner

posted: 30/06/2009

Adela has won one of the Manchester Awards for Women 2009. The awards featured a stunning line-up of strong, focussed women who are working hard to improve women's lives in the city of Manchester.

The awards took place in Manchester Town Hall on Thursday 25 June and they were presented by the Lord Mayor of Manchester, Councillor Alison Firth, Councillor Val Stevens, Deputy Leader of the Council, and Councillor Mary Murphy.

The awards covered seven categories, and included women who have made outstanding contributions to health, business, culture or the environment. There were also awards for women contributing to the lives of older women, one for an outstanding young woman, and a special award in honour of Kath Locke (1928-1992) for the person who made the biggest contribution to the role of women in public life.

Unseen but vital work

Councillor Val Stevens, Deputy Leader at Manchester City Council, said: "This was a wonderful and moving occasion and I was honoured to be around these strong women who have all made an impact on the lives of people around them and the wider community. I think it is important that we take time to recognise this often 'unseen' and vital contribution that they make to so many people's lives. This was an opportunity for us to celebrate our pioneering and determined women and a chance to thank them for their roles in making our city a better place to live."

The women's awards are part of the Council's 'Proud of Manchester' year-long campaign which recognises outstanding citizenship in the city.

Winners

Women and Health Award was won by Adela

• Adela is a postive speaker volunteer with George House Trust who talks to people all over the city about HIV. She works tirelessly to challenge stigma and discrimination against HIV positive people.

Women and Culture Award was won by the LIS Team for the feminist play - LIS - performed in prisons. The LIS team are based at the University of Manchester Students Union. LIS is a modern day adaptation of Aristophanes' Lysistrata - a 2,400 year old Greek drama about ending war, women's rights and gender roles. The adaptation was set in Manchester to make its feminism relevant to women today. They perfomed it in local prisons and drrg and alcohol services.

Women in Business Award was won by Christine Humphrys for the alcohol free shop. Christine, from east Manchester, set up an alcohol free shop in the city centre 3 years to help make alcohol free alternatives to people who need to reduce their intake or abstain from alcohol to improve their chances of better health. 

Women and the Environment Award was won by the Manchester Women's Design Group. It is made up of volunteers from Manchester with a commitment to ensuring that the built environment is created with women's needs at heart. The group have recently created a gender checklist, a best practice guide that planner can use to ensure they meet women's needs when planning in the city.

Valuing Older Women Award was won by Amina Latimer and Rebecca Asgill.

• Amina is from Hulme and is a well known volunteer in the city - events have included International Women's day, Commonwealth Games, children play schemes, Manchester Art Gallery and Manchester paralympics at SportCity. She actively looks for volunteering opportunities that will bring her into contact with a wide variety of people.
• Rebecca is from Moss Side and has dedicated her time over the past 11 years working the community and at the Windrush Centre helping yournger and older women of all nationalities to improve their lives and their language skills. She has also worked tirelessly with older people on adult literacy classes and on programmes with regugees and asylum seekers on Esol courses.

Outstanding Young Woman winner was Charlotte Hughes.

Charlotte is from Hulme, she was 20 when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She has been actively campaigning www.charlottesshiningstar.org.uk and lobbying to change the law so young women can have smear tests earlier to detect cancer sooner and save lives. Charlotte has been caring for her daughter on her own since her daughter's father died, all whilst battling her own illness and campaigning so other young women don't lose their lives. 

Kath Locke Award was won by Ruth Ibegbuna.

Ruth developed the Reclaim girls project in Moss Side to encourage young woment to have self-esteem, ambition and pride in their community. Reclaim's mission is to work with vulnerable young people in areas associated with crime, unemployent or social instability. Reclaim acts as a tool to inspire, provoke leadership and challenge negative behaviour and to offer positive life choices to young people.

Hospital Pays for Refusing Treatment

posted: 29/04/2009

An NHS trust in Northern Ireland admitted that it was wrong to refuse a person with HIV medical treatment, has apologised, and paid £4000 compensation.

The man was refused an endoscopy by staff at Craigavon hospital, Portadown.

An endoscopy is a way of looking inside your body with a thin, long, flexible tube containing a tiny light and video camera. The doctor can explore and see what is going on inside you on a TV screen. The Southern Health Trust admitted they refused the endoscopy only because the man has HIV.

He complained of disability discrimination – it is illegal to discriminate against people with HIV from the moment of their diagnosis in health care, employment, education, and the delivery of good and services. His formal complaint was supported by the Equality Commission of Northern Ireland.

No risk
Normal infection control procedures are sufficient to prevent the transmission of HIV to healthcare staff or other patients from endoscopies or other medical procedures.

Southern Health Trust settled the civil court case saying that the behaviour of staff at Craigavon Area Hospital had been “entirely inappropriate.”

A spokesperson for the Equality Commission said the Disability Discrimination Act “was designed to break down barriers to stigma, and fear that prevent people with HIV from accessing services…we are pleased the Southern Health and Social Care Trust has recognised this and agreed to liaise with the Equality Commission to review its practices and procedures and ensure that they are effective and conform to the law.”

Four months wait for second best
Refusal to perform the endoscopy meant he had to wait four months to have an alternative procedure. “The denial of this procedure, and the length of time involved in my treatment, created a great deal of anxiety and distress”, he said. He added “the hospital has confirmed to me that they have the facilities and appropriate procedures in place to perform the endoscopy on patients with HIV and I believe that they should have followed those procedures in my case and respected my dignity as a patient in their care. Thankfully my treatment has now been completed but I wouldn't want other HIV patients to go through a similar experience."

Apology and compensation

The Trust apologised to him for the injury to his feelings and distress experienced by him as a result as it settled his claim in the county court for £4000. It also agreed to undertake a review of its policies which might affect services for people living with HIV.
 

Stigma
"We have accepted that [he] should have received his treatment without delay and have apologised to him for not providing the high standard of care that every patient has a right to expect," said the spokesperson. "The trust is committed to treating all patients who need our help, and we have an excellent record in improving access to our services for patients with a range of disabilities."
 

Equality Commission casework director Anne McKernan said people with HIV were given clear protection from discrimination under changes introduced in 2007. "This change to the law was designed to break down the barriers of stigma, and fear which have prevented people with HIV from accessing many services, such as housing, education or, as in [his] case, appropriate medical services," Ms McKernan said.
 

"We are pleased the Southern Health and Social Care Trust has recognised this and agreed to liaise with the Equality Commission to review its practices and procedures and ensure they are effective and conform with the law."
 

George House Trust comment
The NHS collects the largest number of complaints about HIV stigma and discrimination – it’s a very big organisation and everyone diagnosed has regular dealings with the NHS. The complaints are not about HIV clinics or STI clinics (or very rarely), but about dentists, GPs and other parts of hospitals – like in this case where an endoscopy was refused.

This case shows it can pay to complain. The hospital has had a major wake up call and has to review its policy and practice with the Equalities Commission. We hope this will now means that HIV+ people using this hospital are always treated respectfully and fairly in future.

The man who complained needs applauding. £4000 is not a great deal, but he got the apology he was after, and some reassurance that they won’t stigmatise and discriminate against other people living with HIV in the district.

We believe the hospital staff need better HIV awareness and training. This is not on the list of things the Equalities Commission will now be checking with the Trust. They'll be checking the policies and this does need doing, but what the incident really reveals is the attitudes and knowledege of ordinary nursing and other clinical staff that really needs attention. It wasn't the hospital's formal policy to refuse the endoscopy, it was a member of staff behaving unprofessionally and the wider clinical team's failure to challenge that refusal of necessary treatment and care.

Source - aidsmap

Source - BBC

Photo - David Morley architects