Contribute to new disability strategy
On 1 December 2011, the government announced a discussion with disabled people to gather suggestions for a new cross-government disability strategy.

The Government’s ambition is to enable disabled people to fulfil their potential and have opportunities to play a full role in society. To realise this ambition, they want to tackle barriers to realising aspirations and individual control, as well as change attitudes and behaviour towards disabled people.

This new strategy will build on previous discussions with disabled people, including the Independent Living Strategy, the Roadmap and the UK’s report to the UN on implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Disabled People.

ODI has worked with disability organisations to create a discussion document which is available to download below.
They would like to hear from disabled people, and the people and organisations that support them.

Please send your response by 5pm, 9th March 2012.

Business Planning & Enterprise – free training
Date & Time of Training: Tues 7th Feb 2012 - 10am - 4.30pm
Venue: Friends Meeting House, Mount Street, Manchester

Please see below the description of the courses:

The ‘Teach Others’ course will be run in Manchester on the following dates (the dates may be subject to change) – January and February dates:
1. Day 1:  18^th Jan and Day 2: 2^nd Feb
2. Day 1:  8^th Feb and Day 2:  23^rd Feb

To apply, participants just need to fill the application form on the following website:
http://www.moneyforlifeprogramme.org.uk/qualifications/

>>Teach Others Financial Capability
What is it? Teach Others Financial Capability is a two-day course which will enable those who are not qualified teachers – such as community or advice workers – to plan and facilitate financial capability sessions and workshops.

You will gain: -Facilitation skills
-The confidence to deliver short programmes or workshops
-A nationally recognised OCN qualification (Level 3)

Who is it for? This course is for anyone who wants to deliver financial capability sessions to their learners or clients, and does not already have a formal teaching qualification. You could be an advice and guidance worker in a further education college, working for a housing association, or volunteering for a charity that works with disadvantaged communities.

Apply: http://www.moneyforlifeprogramme.org.uk/qualifications/

>>Teach Me Financial Capability
What is it? Teach Me is an online course in Financial Capability.

You will gain: -Confidence and knowledge around key financial capabilities topics (key financial products; implications of financial exclusion; key terminologies…)
-Resources to teach your learners
-A nationally recognised OCN qualification (Level 3)

Who is it for? The course is for anyone who is looking to improve their knowledge of financial capability. It would be suitable for someone already delivering financial capability, or planning to do so upon successful completion of this course. (N.B. You can take the Teach Me course as preparation for the Teach Others course).

How long does it take? Approximately 30 hours, plus a final assignment.

Apply: http://www.moneyforlifeprogramme.org.uk/qualifications/

This year’s event will again be arranged by North and East Manchester regeneration teams, in close partnership with colleagues across the other regeneration teams, EDU and key partners including Jobcentre Plus, Work Solutions and local social housing providers.

“I started to write this article twenty four hours before last month’s riots exploded onto the streets of our cities. Tempting though it has been, I have resisted making straightforward causal links between what happened over those four days and nights and Government policies which since April have done their own vandalising job on youth work and local authority Youth Services.

Those ‘disturbances’ anyway have left me deeply confused over a release of a level violence which, sometimes apparently tinged with racism, killed and injured people and put others in their own communities in extreme danger while often seeming to be inspired more by capitalist consumerism than by a social activism aimed at challenging this.”

…For the full critique please click here

This workshop will bring together practitioners and researchers in health and social care from across the region, to learn from each other and develop ideas about new ways forward.

The workshop will also introduce Ketso, a hands-on kit for creative engagement that has been used in a range of health and wellbeing contexts. It will give an opportunity to experience this innovative tool in action.

You may wish to view these case studies about the use of Ketso in health and wellbeing:
http://www.ketso.com/examples-case-studies/health-wellbeing

The workshop will be held at Manchester Metropolitan University on Fri 10^th February, from 10am – 1pm.

Info: http://www.ketso.com/news-events/upcoming-events
To book: http://ketso.wufoo.eu/forms/ketso-workshop-health-and-wellbeing-feb-2012/

“Dear Colleagues and Partners,

Wai Yin Chinese Women Society is dedicated to supporting and empowering Chinese communities in the UK. Wai Yin’s Family Unit is divided into four projects, each addressing the needs of Chinese families, including Family Learning, Safe in the Northwest, Women and Youth Projects.

I would like to draw your attention to the Safe in the Northwest Project, funded by Comic Relief. The aim of this project is to support young Chinese people who left their home country for different reasons and are living alone in the UK. These young people are often vulnerable and isolated and they are in desperate need of immigration advice and health and social care. Living in difficult circumstances, many young Chinese people struggle to lead a normal life and they require special services to support their ongoing difficulties.

I understand that your organisation has opportunities to reach BME communities in the North West. In order to work together for the benefit of BME children and families, we would like to invite you to join our Family Unit Open Day on 2nd February 2012 from 10:30 to 13:00 (a free lunch will be provided). We are hoping to share good practice and strengthen our network of partners for future development of family and children services. Please help us to organise the event by returning the reply slip attached before 20^th January 2012 to confirm your attendance. Thank you for your time and support.

I look forward to meeting you in the New Year.

Yours faithfully,

Alfred Chung
Safe in the Northwest Project Worker”

NCVYS has published the 5th edition of the Funding Guide for Workforce Development:
http://www.ncvys.org.uk/Funding.html (web page )

http://www.ncvys.org.uk/UserFiles/Workforce%20Development/Funding_guide_FINAL_VERSION_LOW_RES.pdf (Guide pdf)

Eclypse is Lifeline Manchester’s Drug and Alcohol Service for children, young people and families. Working in a holistic way Eclypse provides advice, support and interventions to young people using substances and to families where there is parental/carers substance misuse.

The aim of the Screening and Assessment training is to increase confidence in practitioners to be able to identify and respond appropriately to issues in this area by:

• Having a better understanding of the Eclypse service
• Understanding of different substances and how young people use these
• Highlighting the importance of assessing substance use in relation to national policy  and guidance
• Enabling professionals to confidently assess young people’s substance use, using the Substance Misuse Assessment Tool (SMAT) and to identify appropriate referrals
• Developing practitioners understanding of motivational and engagement skills to use with children, young people and families where substance misuse is a presenting issue.
• Access to interventions to deliver to young people experiencing substance misuse
• Outlining the referral pathways and processes.

For more information regarding this or for bookings contact:
Gary Heaford on 0161 227 3218 or gary.heaford@manchester.gov.uk
(Spaces are limited)

Date: Wed 29^th Feb 2012
Time: 1pm- 4pm, Sandwich lunch from 12.30pm
Venue: Manchester Metropolitan University Didsbury Campus (Behrens 0.0)

The youth and community work team at MMU are supporting an In Defence of Youth Work workshop in your region - one of a series running across England between now and Easter.

Via a participative approach, they aim to use “This is Youth Work: Stories from Practice”, the book and DVD they published in October in collaboration with Unison and Unite/CYWU, to clarify and reaffirm the kinds of emancipatory and democratic practice which IDYW was set up to defend and which are now under the greatest threat for 60 years.

The book and DVD are available at: http://www.indefenceofyouthwork.org.uk/wordpress/?page_id=837

To book your place please contact Katherine Roycroft: k.roycroft@mmu.ac.uk