Archive Page 2

Working with Birmingham Sands

SAFSS have recently supported the work of Birmingham Sands by providing volunteers and free transport.

Birmingham Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, donates Precious Memory Boxes to 7 hospitals in Birmingham and the Black Country. The boxes are given to bereaved parents to enable them to start creating memories of their babies life. Each box contains two teddies, a hand knitted blanket,cards,  poems, information leaflets and a disposable camera. Birmingham Sands relies on volunteers to distribute these boxes and to provide transport.

SAFSS Chief Executive Parpinder Dhatt donated the use of our minibus and a driver to enable Birmingham Sands to move the important keepsake boxes. She said:

 ”As a charity SAFSS is committed to working in partnership with, and supporting other local organisations. All organisations who work with families know the impact that losing a child can have. I am pleased that SAFSS were able to support Birmingham Sands in this way. “

Ritu Sharma  from Birmingham Sands said “Voluntary organsiations working together is really important and SAFSS moving our Precious Memory Boxes really helped us. We are all in the same boat and we are very grateful to SAFSS for supporting us.

Birmingham Sands offers support to families whenever a baby dies. The organisation also works with professionals to improve the quality of care and services offered to bereaved parents and to promote research and changes in practice that could help reduce the loss of babies’ lives.

For further information about Birmingham Sands please email  birminghamsands@btinternet.com or contact the helpline on (07709) 425001

Good luck Sanjiv!

We have nominated Sanjiv Verma, our volunteer and Board Member, to be a torchbearer for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Sanjiv is an inspiration to us all here at SAFSS and we have nominated him for his commitment to volunteering in Sandwell. Sanjiv has volunteered for SAFSS for almost 20 years and also volunteers at the local CAB and Ideal for All. Sanjiv makes an enormous contribution to the local community and we believe that he fits the two torchbearer themes of ‘always being the best they can be’ and ‘making a real difference to the community’. It really is Sanjiv’s time to shine and to recognise the commitment he has to his community.

Shortlisting commences on the 8th August 2011, with final decisions being made in December 2011. We are keeping everythign crossed for you Sanjiv!

For further information about the London 2012 Olympic Flame visit London 2012

Pampering Event for Carers

To celebrate Carers’ Week we will be holding a Carers’ Pamering Event at our centre in Smethwick on Friday 17th June between 10am-2pm.

Come and receive free beauty treatments including Mehndi, Nail Art, Yoga, Indian head massage, threading and enjoy a free lunch!

To book a place, for directions or for more information please contact: Kam on (0121) 558 2198

SAFSS would like to thank ASRA, Smethwick and Sandwell Primary Care Trust for supporting this event.

The event will be held at – SAFSS, ASRA Building, Fenton St, Smethwick, B66 1HR

Call to donate blood in the West Midlands

SAFSS are pleased to support National Blood week and the call to ‘make a date to donate’.

Only 8.5 percent of blood donated in the West Midlands comes from the South Asian Community and during National Blood Week (13th – 19th June), NHSBT is urging the community to step forward and ‘make a date to donate’ blood in the coming weeks.

With specific blood groups, like type B, more common amongst South Asians it is crucial that people from this ethnic group donate blood: 25 percent of all South Asians are blood type B, compared to only nine percent of Caucasians. Also, conditions like Thalassaemia Major, which require regular blood transfusions, are more prevalent amongst this community.

Every year thousands of lives are saved or improved thanks to selfless blood donors. It is essential that new people register to become blood donors; the NHS needs 7,000 units of donated blood every day to be used for a wide range of reasons: not just for rare blood disorders, but also for surgery, to treat cancer patients and for use in difficult childbirths.

For more information about blood donation or to make an appointment visit www.blood.co.uk, call 0300 123 2323 or follow NHSBT at http://www.facebook.com/NHSBlood or www.twitter.com/NHSGiveBlood.  

We wish NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) all the best with their campaign.

Carers Direct

Carers Week is here and  we have updated our links section to include Carers Direct. This service from the NHS provides information, advice and support for all carers. Please take a look at our links section to find out more.

Funding for Carers

We have been asked by our friends at Sandwell Parents For Disabled Children (SPDC) to tell you about an exciting funding opportunity.

Carers of a child with a disability can apply for a one off grant under a small pilot programme being administered by Sandwell Parents for Disabled Children. Carers can apply for up to £100.00. Exact details of who can apply and what the money can be used for are given in the application form below. 

Funding Application Form

The deadline for receipt of application forms is the 24th June 2011 but more importantly applications are being dealt with on a “first come first served basis” and only £10,000 of funding is available.

If you require any further information or clarification please do not hesitate to contact Linda Lloyd at SPDC on 0121 544 8880.

Come and join us!

We are pleased to announce that we have the following vacancies to join our enthusuastic and committed team. Please contact us if you would like further information about any of these posts.

Play Services Co-ordinator

Salary: Starting Rate £10.00 per hour

Up to 30 hours per week

We are looking for a qualified and experienced Play Services Co-ordinator to manage SAFSS’ Out-of-School Club service, Youth groups and holiday playschemes.

The Co-ordinator will manage an established team of Playworkers who provide sessions term time and in the school holidays.  The Co-ordinator will undertake regular monitoring of sessions, finances and regular staff supervisions to ensure an overall smooth running of the service.

Registered with Ofsted, the Club works to the ECM and EDCM outcomes, the Principles in Play and the Early Years Foundation Stage. SAFSS Out-of-School was also recently awarded the Me2 award for inclusion and is working towards the Quality in Play kite mark. Applicants must have NNEB qualification or NVQ3 in Child Care and Management or equivalent. Applicants must have a good standard of spoken and written English and numeracy. Experience of working with children with disabilities is an advantage. 

Applicants please note that the hours of work are Tuesday and Thursday between 9.00-6.00pm and Saturdays 9.30-4.00pm. Any remaining hours will be undertaken during normal office hours (9.00-5.00pm). During the school holidays all sessions will be held Monday to Friday daytime.           Closing date: 16/5/11 Interview: 20/5/11

Adult Services Support Officer

Salary: £8.50 per hour

Up to 15 hours per week 

We are looking for an Adult Services Support Officer to work closely with the Adult Service Co-ordinator to plan, lead and deliver individual and group sessions for adults with disabilities. The post will focus on consulting with the people who use our services encouraging choice, participation and promoting community integration.

The post will also focus on ensuring that all adult services are CQC compliant, are working to the personalisation agenda and health and safety law.

Applicants must have at least 2 years experience of working with people with learning and physical disabilities, their carers and parents.  Applicants must also have a minimum of a GNVQ in Health and Social Care or equivalent. The ability to work flexible hours is also essential. Closing date: 13/5/11 Interview: 26/5/11

Domiciliary Care Workers (Part Time)

Salary: Between £6.30 and £8.40 per hour

We are currently looking for care workers who will provide domiciliary care for children with disabilities within the home environment. Applicants must work in line with CQC standards and must have experience in care and be qualified to a minimum of NVQ level 2 in care, or have a commitment to undertake relevant qualifications and training. Suitable applicants would be required to work in the daytime and early mornings, evenings and weekends and during school holidays between 6am to 10pm. (possible night sits)

All vacancies require applicants to be able to communicate in at least one of the main South Asian languages spoken in Sandwell and neighbouring boroughs. We particularly welcome applications from individuals who can speak Bengali and male care workers. Closing date: 13/5/11 Interview: 2/6/11

Minibus Driver (Part Time)

Salary: £7.61 per hour

We are currently looking for a minibus driver who will transport children and adults with disabilities within the Sandwell and Birmingham area. Applicants must be aged over 25 years and hold a clean driving licence. Applicants must also have 12 months driving experience with a category D1 licence.

Duties include the general fuelling and maintenance of the vehicle. The hours of work are flexible and will include afternoons, evenings and weekends. All applicants will be required to take a driving assessment and the ability to speak a South Asian language is an advantage, but not essential. Closing date: 13/5/11 Interview: 26/5/11

Male Playworker (Part Time)

Salary: £7.36 per hour

We are looking for qualified and experienced play workers to work with and create play opportunities for children with disabilities at our Out of School Club.

Applicants must work to OFSTED and EYFS standards and work to the ECM outcomes and the Principles in Play. Applicants must have experience in working within a children’s play services and be qualified to a minimum of NVQ level 2 in play work. Suitable applicants would be required to work in the evenings (3-6pm) and Saturdays (11am-4pm). Sessions during the school holidays are 10am– 2pm during weekdays.

Communicating in at least one of the main South Asian languages spoken in Sandwell is desirable. We particularly welcome applications from male play workers. Closing Date: 16/5/11 Interview: 31/05/11

At SAFSS we take the safeguarding of children and adults seriously and all staff will be subject to an enhanced CRB clearance, checks and references. 

For information and an application form for all of the above posts please contact Kam or Amar on

(0121) 558 2198 

SAFSS, Fenton St, Smethwick, West Midlands B66 1HR

Registered Charity: 1098917

Race Relations Act: 1979 Section 5 (2) (d)                    

Sex Discrimination Act: 1976 Section 7.22

 

SAFSS at the Sandwell Parents and Carers Event

SAFSS is one of the lead organisations at the Sandwell Parents and Carers Event.

The event, being held at The Public, will outline the future of services for children and young people with SEN or disabilities.

Come along on Tuesday 22 March 2011 between 9.45am and 2.30pm, lunch provided!

We look forward to meeting you there!

SAFSS promotes healthy hearts!

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

Holiday here we come!

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.

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