Consultations: Direct Payments

Direct payments are crucial to achieving the Government's aim to increase independence, choice and control for service users and their carers through allowing them the opportunity to arrange their own personalised care. The Health and Social Care Act 2008 extends the availability of direct payments to those people who lack the capacity to consent to their receipt. In addition, the government is also reviewing the current exclusions to receiving direct payments for those people who are subject to various provisions of mental health legislation in light of the modernisation of mental health law brought about by the Mental Health Act 2007. The Government is now consulting on regulations relating to these two changes.

Closing date: 11 November 2008

To respond to this consultation please go to;
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_087108

Events: Alcohol as a Health Issue Scrutiny

Posted on behalf of Cllr Michael Kelly,Chair, Alcohol as a Health Issue Working Group

Bradford Council Health Improvement Committee
Launch of the Alcohol as a Health Issue Scrutiny
Friday 3 October 2008 at 11.30am
Bradford City Hall, Council Chamber

I am writing to invite you to the launch of the report on “Alcohol as a Health Issue” which has been produced by the Health Improvement Committee’s Working Group.

This issue currently has a very high profile; due both to increased government focus on reducing the physical and social harm caused by alcohol and the widespread media coverage of “binge-drinking” and its impact on health and communities.

Bradford Council’s Health Improvement Committee decided that it was important to see what was happening in Bradford and established a working group to look into the effects of alcohol on the health of people in the district.

We heard from a wide range of witnesses, from the council, the health services, the voluntary sector, the supply side and from individuals whose own lives have been affected by alcohol misuse. From their evidence we were able to build up a picture of alcohol use and abuse in Bradford and to produce the report we are now launching, which contains a series of recommendations for addressing the problems caused to the health of people in the district.

I do hope that you are able to join us for the launch and assist us in promoting the safer use of alcohol in the Bradford district. Tim Gilling, Health Scrutiny Programme Manager from the Centre for Public Scrutiny will be attending the launch and will say a few words about the report and the important role of health scrutiny.

The launch will be followed by lunch and the opportunity to network with contributors to the scrutiny.

Please reply to rosemary.bell@bradford.gov.uk or 01274 431391 before Wednesday 01 October, so that we can confirm numbers for catering. If you have any colleagues who you feel may be interested in attending, please do forward this to them.

Events: New NHS Constitution

From the Department of Health Third Sector Partnership Team

The Department of Health still has space at the forthcoming Learning
Event on the form and content of the NHS Constitution. All NHS bodies and
private and third sector providers supplying NHS services will be
required by law to take account of the NHS Constitution in their decisions and
actions.

The draft Constitution sets out the rights pledges and responsibilities that apply to patients, staff and the public. For further information please see: www.dh.gov.uk/consultations

Don't miss this opportunity to influence this important document by attending the NSPF NHS Constitution Learning Event next Monday 29 September.

To book, please send your name, organisation email address and contact
telephone number to vcsmail@dh.gsi.gov.uk . A formal programme will be
issued by return.

Topics under discussion by delegates will include:

Principles that guide the NHS
Patients and the public - your rights and NHS pledges to you
Patients and the public - your responsibilities
Staff - your rights and MHS pledges to you
Staff - your responsibilities

Event details:
Monday 29 September at Leeds Town Hall, The Headrow, Leeds LS1 3AD.
Registration commences at 1.00pm for a 1.30pm start and the event will
finish no later than 4.30pm.

To book, please send your name, organisation email address and contact
telephone number to vcsmail@dh.gsi.gov.uk . A formal programme will be
issued by return. You can also request to be added to the distribution list via this

A technical glitch

Good morning from Rachel at HealthNet. Over the past week we have been experiencing problems with internet access here at Bradford CVS hence no recent blog activity. Expect all new notifications up here by the end of the day. Rachel.

Bradford LINk, Connect and make a difference

A series of events to celebrate the launch of Bradford Local Involvement Network (LINk) that aims to give people a stronger voice in the design and delivery of health and social care provision.

It is a district-wide initiative and there will be launches at a number of different venues.

Come along and help to make a difference!

Monday 6^th October 2008, Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, Lister Park, BD9

3pm – 5pm followed by light supper

Building the Dream - a Model of Good Practice - Age Concern

Workshop facilitated by Artworks Creative Communities – How you can get involved

Monday 13^th October 2008, Riddings Hall, Riddings Road, Ilkley

5.30pm – 6.30pm Food from 5pm

Commuters Question Time on health and social care in the Bradford District

Tuesday 14^th October 2008, Temple Row Centre, 23 Temple Row, Keighley

1pm – 3pm Lunch from 12.30
Workshop facilitated by Artworks Creative Communities

Thursday 16^th October 2008, Evans Room, Victoria Hall, Saltaire

5.30pm – 7.30pm Food from 5pm

Workshop facilitated by Artworks Creative Communities

For a booking form contact link@keighleyvs.org

Approved List of Suppliers for Supporting People Programme

Approved List of Suppliers for Supporting People Programme

Bradford Supporting People is currently advertising for interested providers to apply to be considered being placed on our Approved List of Providers. The List will be used by us to select providers to tender for new services. The process is open which means there are no deadlines for you to complete the questionnaire but as we are going out to tender for new services in early September we welcome a quick response.

Bradford Metropolitan District Council, on behalf of the Supporting People
Partnership, invites suitably experienced organisations to apply to join
an Approved List of Suppliers that is being formed to provide a pool of
pre qualified suppliers who meet the requirements of Bradford Council’s
accreditation scheme, from which the council will go to tender with. It is
intended that this list will operate on an open ended basis.
Bradford Council currently has a sector that provides a range of services of
housing related support to a wide range of vulnerable client groups including
for example, the homeless, elderly, refugees, young people, people with
mental health problems and people with substance abuse problems.

Application documents and further details of the areas and services
covered are to be downloaded from http://scms.alito.co.uk Please ensure
you have registered for Bradford MDC to enable access to documentation.
If you require any assistance downloading the documents, contact SCMS
help desk on 0113 247 4001.

After downloading the application, any queries arising should be directed
to: Bradford Supporting People Team on 01274 435000 or email
supportingpeople@bradford.gov.uk

It is anticipated that the first tenders will be issued during autumn 2008.

New service developments coming soon:

Floating support for people with complex needs - 12 month pilot.

Floating support for people with substance misuse problems - 12 month pilot.

Later in the Autumn floating support for people with mental health and learning disabilties.

For more info go to:

http://www.bradford.gov.uk/health_well-being_and_care/adult_care/supporting_people/strategy_commissioning_and_procurement/Procurement/