April 20, 2016

Rally Round is an exciting new service available to everybody living inBradford.

It is designed to help individuals stay in their own homes for longer, improve their health and wellbeing, reduce social isolation and limit their need for statutory services

It is also designed to support unpaid/informal carers by helping them share their caring ‘load’ with other trusted family members, friends, neighbours, volunteers or paid workers involved in the caring situation.

Rally Round is an online service that works on desktops, laptops, tablets and phones to keep you in touch on the go.

It is a simple but effective tool that allows those invited into a ‘network’ to create, share, discuss and undertake tasks to help the person/people around whom it is built.

Rally Round can be useful in a number of settings –

Distance caring – if you live a long way from a loved one rally round enables you to help co-ordinate those living closer by and their involvement in the care and support. There are often tasks that can be done at a distance too such as utility supplier switching, online shopping orders or even just keeping in touch regularly

Balancing work and care – if you cannot be available 24/7 and are struggling to keep taking time off to fit in providing transport to regular doctors/dentists/opticians appointments, or making sure medication is taken or food is prepared properly – rally round lets you arrange all these things and more from your office and others can deliver on the ground and let you know they have been done

Coming out of hospital – a stay in hospital can be disorienting for anybody and it can take some time to get back on your feet and in control of everything. Asking those you know and trust to step up and help in those first few weeks is something we can find awkward or make us feel like a burden but through rally round you simply put the tasks into your network and whoever can help, will help. Often many people really want to help out but don’t know how so this works well for them too.

Coming to terms with a new or progressive condition -  a dementia diagnosis, a stroke or even a fall can knock our confidence, make us less likely to do the things we used to or perhaps just leaving the house. Rally round is a great tool to get others involved as much or as little as you want. You can manage your own network, ask people to go along with you shopping or to the exercise group, get help with jobs around the house and as things develop you might find you need it more or less.

Rally Round in your area

Doing the shopping, getting out and about, changing a lightbulb, keeping appointments, tidying the garden, meeting up with friends… things most of us take for granted.

If you can’t manage these things yourself, or you’re struggling to find the time do them for someone else, then Rally Round could help you share the load.

Friends and family who want to help will feel included and no-one gets too stressed. Carers have commented that they find it easier to ask for help in this way as no-one is being put ‘on the spot’ as it were.

It is so easy to use and works on a computer, tablet or phone so you can keep up to date on the go, at work or even on holiday.

It certainly made the festive period be  tter for one couple in Ilkley who told us ‘We asked if anyone would pop by to see us in the Easter holidays and friends from the Church visited on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, which meant we were able to share a lovely weekend.

We would like to know if you think Rally Round is a service you would use if it were available in this area? Please tell us how you think you could use it and those people nearby who would benefit from using Rally Round.

 

Short case studies from users:

Service User study

My name is Louise and I’m from Keighley, until 2 years ago I was in full time employment and making the most of life, getting out and enjoying myself. My son and daughter are aged 19 and 22, so I was free to enjoy life.

Then I became ill. It wasn’t an overnight struck down illness; it was a gradual loss of ability to do the things I used to find easy. After visiting my GP and attending hospital, I was diagnosed with a brain tumour and by this time I was off work and unable to drive.

I still wanted to retain the ‘illusion’ of coping with everything and I found it so difficult to ask for help. So although I relied heavily on my two children I only accepted help from other family members and friends occasionally.

A friend introduced me to Rally Round – it was like someone had looked at my life and designed it for me. I asked those family and friends who had previously offered help if I could add them – they all accepted willingly, many of them said to me they just wanted to do something to help.

Rally Round has made a huge difference to my life. The service provided has been fantastic and everyone has commented to me on what a good idea it is. People want to feel like they are helping in times of need and this is a perfect way for them to get involved. Having a service like this has been invaluable. It has enabled me to ask for help in what I feel is a more dignified way without feeling embarrassed about asking for help.

 

 

Carer case study

Yasmin is 40 with two children, both of whom have disabilities. When introduced to Rally Round by her local Carers’ Centre Yasmin had been off work for several months with depression and things were really starting to get difficult for her.

With Yasmin, the Carers Centre created a Rally Round support network with three volunteers invited in as helpers. A few weeks later Yasmin gained the confidence to ask some friends and family members to join as well. She was glad to find that they were all really happy to join and help out. Initially Yasmin had a number of quite big jobs to do, things that had been building up over a large period of time.

Now, 6 months later, Yasmin is helping to do the jobs with her helpers and this has given her a big boost in confidence. Yasmin has made some new friends and takes part in a knit and natter group, offered by the local Carers Centre. Yasmin found out about this from the online Rally Round noticeboard.

Through Rally Round, Yasmin has been able to manage better at home and work. Yasmin says “I look forward to people coming to help. The support that people have given me and my family has helped me to find my confidence and have a giggle whilst getting the simple things at home done. I’ve been able to go back to work part-time and this is down to the support I’ve gained from Rally Round.”

Find out more by visiting rallyroundme.com/bradford and watch the short introductory film.

 

 

April 17, 2016

Last month Iain Duncan Smith, the secretary of state for Work and pensions, stepped down from his role amid a furore about the planned cuts to Personal Independence Payment (PIP).  Whether his resignation ultimately forced the decision to cut that benefit to be changed or not is not clear, but it certainly felt like a victory for disabled people that evening.
But, many people are still confused about what cuts are going to happen, so we have tried to set out below what is happening.  It is under no doubt that the benefits cuts and freezes since the Conservative part and the Coalition came in to power have affected disabled people the worst.   We have seen the problems moving over to PIP and the confusion of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), which have both seen many people loose out on benefits and also be subjected to assessments by people who do not understand their disability. There has also been “bedroom” tax, the reduction of Council Tax benefits, changes to housing benefit, the end of the Independent Living Fund and its transfer to local councils and the general freeze and cap on benefits.  But what is coming in the future and was the victory about PIP the end of the story.

Twice in the last few months the House of Lords has thwarted efforts for the government to reduce the amount of ESA for people in the Work Related Activity Group, but the government eventually forced the cuts through anyway.  What does this mean?  Well for people who are placed in the Work Related Activity Group (WRAG) as opposed to the Support group from April 2017 will receive the same amount of benefit as a person on Job Seeker’s allowance, a loss of £30 or so a week.  People are generally placed in the WRAG group if they are ill or disabled and need help getting back to work, but would be capable to work in the near future.  It is controversial, although disabled people would welcome helpful and supportive assistance in getting into work, there are many issues to consider, including  employers reluctance to employ disabled people and the effectiveness of the work capability assessments.  This cut has not been reversed, it will still affect people from next year.

There is also the worry about Universal Credit and how the disabled element of Child tax and Working Tax credits and the severe disability premium will disappear when people transfer to that benefit, something that has not been rolled out to Bradford as yet.

So yes, while we can celebrate the win with PIP, it in one more cut that has been deflected, but there is still a fight going on.

April 17, 2016

“There is a life out there”.

SB has Dystonia, a neurological condition which means she does not always have control of her muscle movements.   She is in constant pain, feels conscious of her disability and has mental health problems due to the disability and a fraught family life.   She contacted Equality Together’s Information Team as she needed help with financing new carpets in her flat.  After many long conversations with the information officer, it was clear there were more issues clouding her life than just the carpets, and the information team worked to support her in getting insulation in the house and the boiler repaired, as well as emotionally supporting the client.  After some weeks, it became clear that the client was increasing emotionally distressed and there were periods where she would only cry or was unable to be contacted.  The information team was worried and spoke first to Bradford Adult Services and later to First Contact, mental health team.  It was clear that the information team were not best placed to support he emotional need of the client, and so they referred her on to the Peer Support service.

She began to work with one of our Peer support Workers, volunteers who are disabled themselves, there to support clients through difficult patches and getting back control of their lives.  At first she was very emotional, and had a wide range of issues that she really needed to talk about.

She had had an accident at work, and became isolated when her work was terminated after a period of ill health.

The Support Worker found her some information on her health condition, which made her realise it wasn’t just her, and come to terms with it a little.  She contacted the Dystonia Society, who  got  back in touch with her, and have asked her to do some voluntary work going into hospitals and talking about her condition.  This has given her a great deal of self – confidence and enthusiasm.

She has become more positive and said “There is a life out there”.  “No crying  – it’s all big smiles!!”

April 13, 2016

The Disabled People’s Forum is doing a short survey of disabled people’s experience good and bad when using taxis in Bradford and District. Could you please help us by completing the short survey on our website. In order to approach Geoff Binnington (Principle Officer for Hackney Carriages) the Forum needs to have as much evidence as possible to argue the case of discrimination by some taxi drivers towards disabled people. Hope you will help us!

Click here to download the form and then email it back to us.

Taxi Complaint Form

March 12, 2016

Equality Together took part in Self-care week in November.  Following on from that, a Twitter Chat was set up to encourage us to continue to work together and share ideas.  This is the basis of Peer Support, so who better than Paul Anderson, our Peer Support and Advocacy Manager, to take part and add to the buzz?

There were 5 main questions:

1. What examples are here of citizens actively supporting others in their communities?
2. How can we share good example and encourage others to spread good practice?
3. We’ve been talking about schemes where we encourage mutual support and sharing skills. Is this the key to successful projects?
4. What creative approaches are there which enable engagement with isolated individuals/ groups?
5. What role does technology have to play in building resilience in people’s health and wellbeing?

For the full summary go to   

 

March 12, 2016

Hello, I am Kathy and I work as a volunteer for Equality Together,  At the present my role entails working with our receptionist on the Information and Advice side of the organisation.
I started volunteering for them some years ago when we were DIAL then DaB, and as time has gone on things have changed and we have now become part of a larger setup; Equality Together.
My role as a helper for the reception area entails answering the phone, updating the data base with information about what a client has contacted us for and dealing with the post.  Sometimes we can’t always help, but we do our best to at least suggest other ways to help them.  Sometimes they just need to talk to someone.
When I first started, I had little or no skills on a computer, let alone a database, but over the years I have been able to learn so much and I now have another skill I didn’t have before.
I enjoy helping clients that drop om, and a few years ago I helped clients with form filling for things like a Blue Badge.
I really enjoy my work, and although I am 73 yeas of age. I still feel useful.
I have met many good friends and enjoy the social side of the role as well as meeting the clients.  It keeps my head working, and I always leave with a thank you from those I work with.  I will miss it a great deal, and when the time comes for me to leave I will be very sad.

 

If you are interested in volunteering with Equality Together, give us a call on .

March 10, 2016

What is it?

Attendance Allowance is a benefit paid to people over 65 who need additional care because they are physically or mentally disabled, and who are not on Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence payment.  It is paid at two different rates, depending on the level of care that you need.  It can also affect some of the other benefits you may receive and your carer could get Carer’s Allowance if you need substantial care.  Attendance Allowance does not cover mobility needs.

 What you’ll get

Attendance Allowance is paid weekly at 2 different rates – the one you get depends on the level of help you need.

Attendance Allowance rates

Rate	Level of help you need
Lower rate – £55.10	Frequent help or constant supervision during the day, or supervision at night
Higher rate – £82.30	Help or supervision throughout both day and night, or you’re terminally ill

You could get extra Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction if you get Attendance Allowance – check with the helpline or office dealing with your benefit.

Are you eligible?

You can get Attendance Allowance if you’re 65 or over and the following apply:

• you have a physical disability (including sensory disability, eg blindness), a mental disability (including learning difficulties), or both
• your disability is severe enough for you to need help caring for yourself or someone to supervise you, for your own or someone else’s safety

You must also:

• be in Great Britain when you claim – there are some exceptions, eg members and family members of the Armed Forces
• have been in Great Britain for at least 2 of the last 3 years
• be habitually resident in the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man or the Channel Islands
• not be subject to immigration control (unless you’re a sponsored immigrant)

Assessments

You might be asked to attend an assessment to check your eligibility. You will receive a letter with all the details of the assessment and you can take someone with you.

You will need to take some ID with you, any of these will be best:

• birth certificate
• passport
• a full driving licence
• life assurance policy
• bank statements

How to Claim

You can call the following numbers to order a form to come to your house;

Telephone: 0345 605 6055
Textphone: 0345 604 5312
or you can download the form and print it off the government’s website and fill it and send it back.

How long will it take?

It will take about 40 working days to process your claim and it will be backdated to the day your form was received or when you contacted the helpline

Special rules – if you’re terminally ill

There are ‘special rules’ so you get Attendance Allowance more quickly if you’re not expected to live more than 6 months. You must:

• complete an Attendance Allowance form
• include a DS1500 medical condition report or send it soon after – these are free and you can only get them from a doctor, specialist or consultant

You can do this on behalf of someone else without their permission. The letter about the money awarded won’t mention ‘special rules’.

Important things to note

It is important to keep the Department of Work and Pensions up to date with the following information, as failure to do so can stop the benefit.

• the level of help you need or your condition changes
• you go into hospital or a care home for more than 4 weeks
• you go abroad for more than 13 weeks
• you’re imprisoned or held in detention

• you change your name, address or bank details
• you want to stop receiving your benefit
• your doctor’s details change

If you need any help with this, please contact our Welfare Rights advisers on .

March 10, 2016

“He was a completely different person, happy, smiley and relaxed about life.”

Mr S, who suffers with severe depression along with a number of other health conditions, approached Equality Together for assistance with his benefits through our Duty officer service.

At the first point of contact Mr S was extremely tearful and distressed and it was apparent he would benefit from additional support. Details of all of Equality Together’s other services were given to Mr S who felt he did not want to access them at this time.

After the caseworker had advised Mr S of his entitlements, they were able to assist with his application for Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which was extremely daunting for Mr S. The caseworker assisting was able to offer advice and reassurance throughout the application process.

Once Equality Together had completed the work required, Mr S saw a significant increase in his weekly income, and there was clear improvement in his mood.

The caseworker who had assisted Mr S was able to re-introduce him to our other services, including the trips and activity days we offer, which Mr S showed an interest in. He was placed on a waiting list we hold, from which we contact people when we have trips and activities on offer.

An advisor rang him as there was a trip coming up shortly for disabled people and their carer to see the Blackpool Illuminations with a fish and chip supper.  The client was given all the information about the trip, in a very depressed voice he said he didn’t go out anywhere and generally sat with the curtains closed, he cried openly about his worries over benefits as he was being re-assessed for Personal Independent Payment.  We left the client to think about going on the trip, when he was rung again, he had decided to go on the trip with his carer C.

When the day of the trip arrived, they both really enjoyed it and as the day went on his mood changed, he was friendly and talkative with other people on the trip, he exchanged notes, particularly about benefits.

The advisor saw the client again in Carlisle Business Centre and gave him the details of an upcoming trip to the Yorkshire Dales, he said he had a dental appointment that day, but was prepared to change the appointment in order that he could go on the trip, there was no hesitation regarding the trip to the Dales.

When seen at CBC, he was a totally different person, happy, smiley and enthusiastic about life.  He is looking forward to going on the Yorkshire Dales trip on the 23 March 2016 and had just had a few days in Italy with his carer that he had thoroughly enjoyed also.

March 10, 2016

We recently had a visit from West Yorkshire Fire Service to train some of the Equality Together staff on their new referral system.  They are anxious to get in touch with as many people as possible that they think are in their “at risk” groups.  Many of these are disabled and so more at risk of fire, so they want to help reduce that risk as much as possible.  

The way they can help is in fitting working smoke detectors, vibrating smoke detectors for those with a hearing loss, expert advice and measures to keep your house safer depending on your circumstances.
The people they want to talk to are:

• those who a struggle to get around,
• those with sensory loss,
• those whose medication or illness makes them drowsy or sleep heavier,
• those on oxygen therapies,
• those with alcohol or substance misuse issues
• those with mental health disorders
• those who don’t smoke safely and
• those who have a lot of things in their houses

If you fit into one of those categories, are worried about fire safety in your house or you don’t have working fire alarms you can either ring the Fire Service direct on 0800 5874536 or contact Equality Together on and one of our Information Team will refer you on for a fire safety check.

March 6, 2016

WE NEED YOU!

Equality Together is taking part in the 2^nd The Lord Mayor’s Appeal Dragon Boat Race on the 7^th May 2016, and we need your help!  Our team name is Disability Rocks the Boat.

We need 16-20 people to power our boat, plus a drummer to keep us all paddling together.

We’d like as many disabled people as we can to have the opportunity to have a go, and show the thousands of people who come to watch what Equality Together believes in, which is that if we remove the barriers in our way, anything is possible!

Would you like to take part?

We’re going to have a training session at Doe Park Watersports Centre, Denholme, in April to learn what’s involved and practice how to make the boats go as fast as possible.

We took part last year, and all the racers had a great day, laughed a lot, and stayed mostly dry!

 

Here is a comment from one of last year’s Dragon Boaters:

“I’m 70 yours old, and have been visually impaired for about 25 years.  I got the chance to have a go at the Dragon boat race last year and I’ve never really done anything like that before.  It was a bit cold and wet, but I met loads of new people and really enjoyed myself. There was lots of support, and anyone who wants to can give it a go.” John

On Wednesday 24^th February, all the Captains of registered teams were summoned to City Hall for tea & scones with the Lord Mayor.  This gave us a chance to get to know each other, find out the plans for the big day, and start to build the rivalries!

This year seems to have grown beyond the huge success it was last year, with bands lined up, food stalls, kids’ entertainment, and beer tents to make the day have a real festival atmosphere.  All the races will be shown on the big screen.

It promises to be a fantastic day, and we’d love to see you all there, cheering us on!

If you’re interested, please contact Jane on 494121, e-mail on , or leave a message on our Facebook page – Equality Together

If you can’t join us in the boat, why not sponsor us here:

https://localgiving.com/fundraising/equalitytogether

Or better still, join us on the day in Roberts Park to cheer us on!