Sustaining African Community Leadership

posted: 14/01/2010

Sustaining Community Leadership is the theme of the latest issue of the African HIV Policy Network’s Newsletter. It has pieces on

• surviving the economic downturn
• the importance of Africans and others making their voice heard by voting in the general and local elections (which will almost certainly be on May 6th)
• HIV positive people being leaders and making a community impact
• Africans disappearing from HIV clinics (by Chris Morley, George House Trust’s policy expert)
• Resources and working to improve Faith responses to HIV, (they have more information on their website)
• HIV and the workplace – meeting the needs of staff with HIV
• Their media toolkit for working with journalists – details and download it from their website
• Young people using the web and mobile phones for HIV messages
• Fighting HIV stigma
• Using SHoutloud to have your say about your local HIV and sexual health services.

This Sustaining Community Leadership issue

 Past issues of AHPN's newsletters

Positive Gay Outcomes on the Mersey

posted: 15/10/2009

Positive Outcomes is a half day mini conference for professionals. Sahir House, with George House Trust, the Armistead Centre and Terrence Higgins Trust Wirral, are promoting new services for HIV positive gay and bisexual men on Merseyside and improving how the statutory and voluntary sectors work together.

The aims are:
• up to date information on the wide range of community services for HIV+ gay and bisexual men
• joined-up services for HIV positive men across the sectors
• fast and effective referrals
 

The programme will include:
• Details of newly diagnosed courses, residential weekends and other services from Sahir House and George House Trust;
• Details of peer support, home visits, specialist counselling, in depth one to one casework services from THT and Armistead;
• Discussion on improving partnership working to meet people’s needs
 

Who for?
Anyone involved in supporting or improving the lives of HIV positive gay or bisexual men in Merseyside, including commissioners, community nurses, drugs workers, GPs, health advisors, medical specialists, nurse specialists, public health specialists, social workers and support workers are invited.

Where and When?
Friday 09.30-12.30, 23 October 2009, in Liverpool City Centre.
 

Booking essential
Free but you need to book in advance. A few places still available – to book please email Nicholas Kavanagh at Sahir House or ring him on 0151 708 9080.
 

Positive Outcomes in Merseyside

posted: 28/09/2009

Positive Outcomes is a half day mini conference for professionals from across a range of disciplines. Sahir House, with George House Trust, the Armistead Centre and Terrence Higgins Trust Wirral, want to share information about new services for HIV positive gay and bisexual men and to discuss better ways of working between the statutory and voluntary sectors.
 

The aims of the event are:

• up to date information on the wide range of services available from community organisations
• provide a more joined-up package of services for HIV positive men across the voluntary, statutory and community sectors
• help practitioners make fast and effective referrals

The programme will include:

• Information about services run by both Sahir House and George House Trust – newly diagnosed courses, residential weekends etc;
• Information on services from THT and Armistead (peer support, home visits, specialist counselling, in depth one to one casework etc);
• A chance for all delegates to contribute their views about partnership working to meet patient/client needs, and how this can be improved

Who for?

Anyone involved in supporting or improving the lives HIV positive gay or bisexual men in Merseyside, including commissioners, community nurses, drugs workers, GPs, health advisors, medical specialists, nurse specialists, public health specialists, social workers and support workers are invited.
 

Where and When?

The event is on the morning of Friday 23rd October 2009, in Liverpool City Centre.

Booking essential

Attendance is free and by prior booking only by Wednesday 7 October. To book a place please email Nicholas Kavanagh at Sahir House or ring him on 0151 708 9080.
 

programme

9:30 Arrival and refreshments
9:45 Welcome and introduction
10:00 Info blast – a rough guide to services for gay & bisexual men at Sahir House
10:15 Info blast from Armistead
10:30 Info blast from THT Wirral
 

10:45 Break
11:00 George House Trust – Newly Diagnosed Courses and Residentials
11:15 Course participant speaks about positive experiences
11:20 Q&A session
 

11:30 Introduction of group work session
11:35 Delegates split into groups to look at unmet needs, partnership working etc
12:05 Groups feed back
12:30 Close

The second half of the morning is dedicated to an open table discussion where all delegates can have a chance to speak about what they feel are the unmet needs in the sector, discuss closer partnership working and networking and plan future activities.
 

This partnership event is unique in this year’s calendar in terms of the organisations it is bringing together and the subject matter under discussion.

The organisers would like to invite any interested parties but would particularly hope that among the delegates there will be clinicians, managers and/or workers from each hospital trust GUM, each PCT, each public health department and a range of related 3rd sector organisations in sectors such as housing, homelessness, drug and alcohol etc.
 

Manchester HIV Social Care Consultation

posted: 31/07/2009

If you have used HIV social care services in Manchester, including George House Trust, have your say now about the future for HIV services provided or funded by the city council. The consultation is for all people living with HIV and carers living in Manchester.

Manchester Adult Social Care Department is consulting HIV service users and carers during August and September.

Workers and volunteers can have their say too - volunteers and workers online questionnaire.

The consultation is about social care services provided by, for example, Barnardo's, Black Health Agency, Body Positive North West, George House Trust as well as the council's own HIV Care managers.

The department wants

• Service users and carers to feel they have a voice and can suggest improvements or change
• To know what service users and carers think works well in HIV social care
• To know what service users and carers think needs improving
• To know if service users and carers think there are any gaps in services
• To find out why some people don’t use services.

The department will then discuss these with service providers and the people who plan services and develop an Action Plan for what should happen next.

Confidentiality

If you decide to get involved what you say will be kept confidential so no-one will be able to identify you from your answers and you will not be asked for your name. You do not have to take part, and if you do decide to take part, you can withdraw at any time without giving a reason.

How to have your say

• You can ring Judy Sutton, the Consultation Worker, on 0161-273-2016 or email her. She can then arrange to meet you somewhere private near where you live, or talk to you on the phone
• Judy will be attending group meetings in August and early September at George House Trust, Barnardo’s , Black health Agency and Body Positive North West - when these are arranged the dates and times for those at George House Trust will be added to our website diary - please check
• You can complete a printed questionnaire at one of these service consultations
• You can answer this online questionnaire for HIV+ service users and carers                 
• Volunteers and workers can answer their own questionnaire online or write and post, or email their answers to these staff and volunteer questions (FREEPOST address and email below)
• You can complete a printed questionnaire and return it in a freepost envelope to Judy at the council - address below
• Carer? If you care for someone who is HIV positive you can attend the Focus Group at Manchester Carers Forum, Swan Buildings, 20 Swan Street, Manchester, M4 5JW on Wednesday 9 September between 12 and 2pm, or contact Judy to arrange to meet, or complete a questionnaire.
• If you would prefer, Judy can arrange for you to speak to a worker you already know.

Please take the time to have your say - it will help to make sure that you and others are getting the services needed.

This consultation is not about the services at the hospital, health centre or GP’s. If you want to talk about these services Judy can let you know who you can talk to.

Contact Judy Sutton if you have any further questions; by phone 0161-273-2016  
 

FREEPOST address

Judy Sutton
Freepost- MR1514
Town Hall
Manchester
M60 2 BR  

More information - Information Sheet for people taking part

Questions form

Council's letter to people living with HIV and carers

Consultation poster

George House Trust and outside consultations
 

George House Trust is committed to involving HIV positive people in consultation work undertaken by Local Authorities, PCT and national bodies (such as the Department of Health). We are committed to this because we recognise the importance of having a strong service user voice within consultation work.

When we are involved in this work we want to make it clear that we have no control or influence over the outcomes of any particular consultation in which you, as somebody living with HIV may be involved.

• We ask the people / organisation undertaking the consultation work to be clear from the out set what can and cannot be influenced by you as part of the consultation.
• We also ask that the outcomes of the consultation work are made clear including feedback to participants in the consultation. 
• Sometimes a member of staff from GHT may be asked to facilitate a particular event. They will always make clear at the beginning of the event that George House Trust has no control over the outcome of the consultation.

Arras People Donation

posted: 27/05/2009

Arras People, a national project management recruitment agency based in Heywood, (between Rochdale and Bury, north of Manchester), has made a £500 donation to support our services. Dan Strayer and Nicola Thorp of Arras People toured our Ardwick offices, meeting volunteers and staff, and presented Jim Vann, George House Trust’s chair, with a cheque during their visit on 20 May.

The donation came after Arras People had conducted a series of Project Management Careers Clinics for nearly a year. Arras People asked for charitable donations for this valuable service. The total sum of the donations made for each clinic were rounded up by Arras to support four different charities based around the Greater Manchester area, including George House Trust.

Nicola Thorp, a consultant with Arras People, commented,
‘I feel pleased to be donating to a worthwhile charity which is tackling an issue that often gets overlooked. I didn’t realise George House Trust do as much as they do, and I think most people wouldn’t be aware, for instance, of the support services provided by George House Trust. I can speak for Arras People when I say that we’re honoured to contribute in whatever positive manner we are capable of doing.’

Jim Vann, chair of George House Trust, said of Arras People’s visit,
‘The opportunity to talk to the forward thinking staff at Arras People about our services is a fantastic way to connect up the voluntary and the private sectors. We’re hugely grateful to Arras People for their donation of £500 to support our work.’