SANDWELL ASIAN FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICE

Members of the SAFSS Adults group are holding workshops on healthy eating and keeping active.

 The group, made up of members who have a learning or physical disability, will learn about having a healthy heart, making a shopping list, going shopping, making a plate of food and keeping active. Members of the group are also involved in the planning of the activities and the workshops. The group will also be making hearts and organs out of play dough and understanding more about how their bodies work.

Supported by Sham Malhi Health Education Support Officer from the Saathi Project, the group are working to the Sandwell agenda of being healthy and being safe. Consultations, led by Birmingham City University Social Work Placement Student Kelly Grubb,  ensure that the workshops are working to the Personalisation agenda and involving all members of the group.

We will report back with some photographs in due course!

For further information on the adults group please contact Arathi Nahar on adults.safss@btconnect.com (0121) 558 2198

We were told by one of our families about the difficulties some adults with disabilities face in getting a passport.

One member of our adults group Baksho* has had a passport application refused because her disability meant that her photo was not within the passport guidelines. Baksho was due to go on holiday to visit family in India. Baksho’s mum came to SAFSS and asked for help.

A SAFSS Support Worker supported Baksho to get her photograph taken at a photo booth. SAFSS wrote a letter of support to the passport office outlining how her disability would affect her photo. Baksho has Global Development Delay and is unable to look directly at the camera.

We have had an excited phonecall and a letter from Baksho’s mum saying that Baksho has now been successful in obtaining a passport! SAFSS were also commended by the Passport Office for the initiative taken in supporting Baksho and her family.

” I am writing to say thank you very much for your help and support as you took out your time to write a letter for Baksho* passport as our Doctor refused to write a letter about Baljit’s disability, we count on yourselves SAFSS to take your time and write a letter, this was very much appreciated…”

By sending a letter from SAFSS with the application and anticipating the difficulties Baksho would face we turned a stressful situation into a positive experience for the family.

SAFSS are committed to ensuring that adults with disabilities are supported to participate fully in family activities and activities within the local community. SAFSS works to the Personalisation agenda.

Baksho can now go on holiday with the rest of her family. Have a wonderful time!

For further information about our services for adults with disabilities please contact Arathi on asc.safss@btconnect.com or (0121) 558 2198

*names have been changed.

Chief Executive Parpinder K Dhatt is participating in the YMCA Sleep Easy and sleeping rough for one night.

If you would like to support Poppy please log onto her donation site at:

http://http://my.artezglobal.com/personalPage.aspx?SID=311936&Lang=en-CA 

The event takes place on the weekend of the 28-30 January 2011 and we will let you know how Poppy gets on! Keep warm Poppy!



At our AGM on the 10th December 2009 the Board of Directors presented our new Annual Review for 2008-09. We are pleased to now offer this as a pdf on our website.

Alternatively, if you would like a copy of our latest annual review sent to you in the post please contact Claire on devmgt.safss@btconnect.com

SAFSS Annual Review 2008-09

All SAFSS staff are to sign up to The Department of Health’s Dignity Challenge. The initiative, led by Manager Neelam Pallen, will see all SAFSS staff and Board Members signed up by the end of the financial year.

The DOH initiative aims to stimulate a national debate around dignity in care and create a care system where there is zero tolerance of abuse and disrespect. Individuals sign up to become a Dignity Champion and make a statement about how they individually will challenge dignity in care.

To become a Dignity Champion sign up on www.dignityincare.org.uk or for more information please see

http://www.dhcarenetworks.org.uk/dignityincare/

We look forward to reporting back to you on our progress with our Dignity Challenge. For more information on how SAFSS is participating in this challenge please cotact Neelam Pallen safss@btconnect.com or (0121) 558 2198

Congratulations to our Childrens Care Service Co-ordinator Hardeep Sandhu who is the first member of staff at SAFSS to complete the Artemis Training!

Artemis is a quality e-learning package, developed by the Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) to embrace the ‘One Children’s Workforce’ philosophy.

The package acts as an introduction to the Every Child Matters (ECM) five outcomes and outlines seven induction standards to which all people working with children must meet. The ‘One Children’s Workforce’ includes the statutory, private, voluntary and independent sector and includes the unpaid workforce such as volunteers running a football club.

Hardeep will now work with all her care staff to complete the training.

For further information www.cwdcouncil.org.uk

Our Chief Executive Parpinder K Dhatt has been announced as the new Chair of the Board at Sandwell Council of Voluntary Organisations (SCVO). For further information please see: http://www.scvo.info/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/SCVO.pdf