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In this month's edition...
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Response to the VCSE Review
Clinks has responded to the Department of Health VCSE Review discussion paper on the challenges and solutions to better investment and partnership with the voluntary sector. The VCSE Review was established to review the role of the voluntary sector in improving health, wellbeing and care outcomes, and aims to make recommendations on how the sector can maximise and demonstrate its impact; build sustainability and capacity; and promote equality and address health inequalities. Our response draws extensively on input and examples from our members and Clinks’ ongoing research with the voluntary sector working with offenders and their families. Download the response here
Celebrating your successes in involving service users
Clinks’ Service User Involvement Managers Network brings together Clinks members responsible for service user involvement within their organisations to share their experiences, expertise, challenges and successes. The Network aims to celebrate your successes in involving service users, support you to overcome the challenges you meet, and promote and build effective service user involvement across the Criminal Justice System; Download our photo-report from the first meeting here, and for more information about joining the Network email hazel.alcraft@clinks.org
Make sure funders and decision makers know what your charity needs
We're inviting charities to take part in the biggest charity survey of 2015. The Voluntary Sector Strategic Partners of the Department of Health, Public Health England and NHS England, are gathering evidence about the support charities need to influence politicians, key decision makers and funders. By taking part in this short 15-minute survey you will be helping make sure that they know about your needs - a powerful way of getting your voice heard! Please also forward this on to anyone else you think may be interested in taking part. Please complete the survey here
The transition to homeless and inclusion health nursing
Queens Nursing Institute (QNI) are seeking the input of those working in homeless and inclusion health to support the development of an online learning resource to support nurses new to this field. Inclusion health covers a range of settings working with people who face some of the poorest health outcomes, including those who are homeless, experiencing drug and alcohol problems or in prison. The resource will suit nurses considering a career in inclusion health, by providing them with information to understand the different skill set and knowledge required to care for people in these settings. The QNI would appreciate your time in answering 11 short questions about your own experiences in the sector, to help inform this resource. Complete the survey here
Plans for services for people with learning disabilities
Local Government Association, Adass, and NHS England have published a national plan to develop community services and close inpatient facilities for people with a learning disability and/or autism who display behaviour that challenges, including those with a mental health condition. 'Building the right support' predicts reducing the number of inpatient beds by up to 50%, and includes new partnerships of local commissioners to implement service transformation plans. Download the plans here
Help with health costs
From 1st November 2015, entitlement to Help with Health Costs (e.g. exemption from NHS prescription or dental charges) for those in receipt of Universal Credit will be determined by two earnings thresholds. Recipients of Universal Credit will be given an award notice that can be used to support their claim of entitlement to remission of charges. Find out more here
NHS Annual General Meeting
This year’s NHS England Annual General Meeting (AGM) took place on 21st October 2015. One year on from the launch of the Five Year Forward View, the event discussed progress made over the previous 12 months towards delivering on a plan for better health, more personalised care, and a financially sustainable health service. It also provided the opportunity to hear about some of the new initiatives the NHS is working on and how it plans to address future challenges. Find out more, and watch the NHS England AGM video here
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Webinar on reducing health inequalities
NHS England and Public Health England (PHE) are hosting the first in a series of webinars [12:30pm 10th December, online, free] which will aim to share practical examples on action to reduce health inequalities. The webinar will be hosted by Vittoria Polito from PHE and a guest speaker from a Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), and will include presentations on the Atlas of Variations, and the Commissioning for Value Packs/Pathways from the CCG perspective with time for questions and comments. Find out more by emailing England.eandhi@nhs.net with 'webinar' in the subject.
Mental healthcare for people experiencing homelessness
'Improving mental healthcare for people who are homeless' is a Queen's Nursing Institute event [27th January, Peterborough, free] to discuss good practice and the challenges of current mental healthcare for people of all ages who are homeless, alongside community nurses and health professionals. The event will share new perspectives and approaches you could use in practice, and there will be an opportunity to contribute to developing a Homeless Health Network statement on mental healthcare for people experiencing homelessness. Find out more and book here
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Youth volunteering in health and care
NHS England is seeking to award a single grant for up to £35,000 to enhance formal youth volunteering opportunities in health and care. The grant aims to facilitate the development and delivery of learning opportunities for volunteer service managers on youth volunteering and the development of peer to peer learning/networks; and showcase models of youth volunteering that support wider inclusion. The successful grant applicant will need to demonstrate how they will deliver this initiative and provide information on their relevant knowledge, skills and experience. The closing date for applications is 12 noon Friday 11th December. Download the guidance and apply here
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Improving the health and well-being of people with learning disabilities
Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG) has published 'Health charter in practice', a report describing how providers use the Health Charter. The Charter, co-produced with VODG, health service providers, commissioners, self-advocates, carers and health staff, is designed to support social care providers to improve the health and well-being of people with learning disabilities. This report is based on the learning of 20 organisations who have been actively using the Charter to both improve support provided to people with learning disabilities and to directly address health inequalities. Download the report here
Infections among drug users
Public Health England has published 'Shooting up: infections among people who inject drugs in the UK', an annual report to help healthcare professionals understand the scope of diseases affecting people who inject drugs. The report highlights the changing patterns of injecting drug use and the impact local interventions are having on rates of infection in the UK. It finds that almost half (48%) of injecting drug users infected with hepatitis C remain unaware they have it, although rates of HIV among this group remain low (1%). Download the report here
Guidance for work with adults who have autism
The Department of Health has published 'A manual for good social work practice: Supporting adults who have autism', a learning resource for social workers who work with adults who have autism, their carers and families. Research indicates that just over 1% of the UK adult population, or about 700,000 people, are on the Autistic Spectrum. This manual is designed to assist with the very practical and sometimes complex issues that social workers need to know for good practice with adults who have autism. Download the guidance here
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Young people's mental health
NHS England has developed a Children & Young Person's Mental Health Services Information Passport template to help communication and integration between different services. Each passport is to be created by a young person or parent/carer (for younger children) with the support of their practitioner. The aim of the passport is to help young people using services, or parents with younger children, to own and communicate their story when moving between different services, and help them avoid repeating their history and preferences. It provides a summary of the time in the service which will be owned by the young people or parent/carer to be shared with any future services if and when they wish. Find out more here
Public health data and analysis tools
Public Health England has updated their online resource providing data and analysis tools covering a wide range of public health issues. The resource can be used by anyone with an interest in understanding the health of the population and how it varies across the country. They cover areas including specific health conditions; lifestyle risk factors; wider determinants of health – such as environment, housing and deprivation; health protection; and differences between population groups, including adults, older people, and children. Find out more here
The impact of poor housing and homelessness on health and wellbeing
A series of new health and housing resources, commissioned by Public Health England and developed by national partners, aim to better equip professionals in environmental health, housing, public health and social care to work together locally to reduce the impact of poor housing and homelessness on physical and mental health and wellbeing, and the consequent impact on health and social care services. The resources include a website providing evidence, case studies and guidance to enhance local understanding of the relationship between the home environment and health; and a suite of training resources to enable housing providers to further develop their staff to become part of the wider public health workforce. Find out more here
Practical guidance for liaison and diversion
The Offender Health Collaborative (which includes Nacro, Revolving Doors Agency and Centre for Mental Health) has produced a series of eight practical guides covering the key elements of Liaison and Diversion (L&D) provision. The series, commissioned by NHS England, aims to help service managers and practitioners understand how to develop effective L&D services in their local area. They are designed for quick reference, and include case studies, checklists and links to more information. Topics include: developing an all-age response; referral pathways for key vulnerabilities; and service user involvement. Download the guides here
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Support for autistic people in the CJS
In this Network Autism article Dr Colin Dale, Chief Executive of Caring Solutions (UK) Ltd, and Brenda Crossley, an Associate of Caring Solutions (UK) Ltd, discuss the support available for autistic people in the Criminal Justice System (CJS). The article includes a case study demonstrating how a specific intervention model based on positive behaviour and cognitive rehabilitation principles enabled an individual to access community based activities and resulted in a significant decrease in incidents of aggression. Read the article here
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About Clinks Offender Health Bulletin
This regular bulletin provides Clinks members with the latest news for voluntary sector organisations involved in the health and care of offenders. It currently has 2,724 subscribers.
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Designed, composed and circulated by Ben Watson, Clinks.