IRU- Friday 13th October 2023

Welcome to this week's Information Round-up! 

With the season changing and cooler days on the way, we will be sharing lots of information on the support on offer over the next few months in Stockport. In this Round-Up, there are also  opportunities to support your local Stockport community as well as various training opportunities for professionals.

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If you ever want to promote your work, event or you would like any information circulated please email info@healthwatchstockport.co.uk with all the relevant information.

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Healthwatch Stockport's Inform Newsletter

This week, we released the third issue of our Inform Newsletter. We hope you enjoy reading all we have been up to over the last few months and how you can get involved in the future! Please share this to family, friends and colleagues!

Read the Inform Newsletter here!

Launch of One Stockport Family Hubs

Today Stockport Council and partners have launched One Stockport Family Hubs to support families, from pregnancy to young people becoming independent adults. Family Hubs provide a one-stop shop of information, help and support for families accessed from community venues or online:

More information here

COVID Vaccination Appointments

If you are eligible for a vaccination, you can book appointments here.

Blog post from UK Health Security Agency

5 reasons to vaccinate your under-5s against flu  

Government Cost of Living Support

Message from Stockport Digital Inclusion:

We’re all worried about rising prices and the pressure that puts on household budgets. The government is providing a range of extra support which will be paid to eligible individuals automatically:

• Households in the UK will receive a £400 discount to help with the cost of their energy bill from October onwards.
• The Energy Price Guarantee has been in place since 1 October 2022 in Great Britain. In Northern Ireland the scheme was launched on 1 November 2022, with support backdated to October (via the use of a higher discount rate for bills to March 2023 in Northern Ireland).
• The Energy Price Guarantee limits the amount you can be charged per unit of electricity and gas. It currently brings a typical household energy bill in Great Britain for dual-fuel gas and electricity down to around £2,500 per year, and in Northern Ireland to around £1,950 per year.
• £650 Cost of Living payment for most people on means-tested benefits, the first (£326) has been paid and the second (£324) will be received in November.
• £300 Pensioner Cost of Living payment that will be paid with Winter Fuel Payments to all pensioner households across the UK.
• £150 Disability Cost of Living payment for those on an eligible UK disability benefit, paid from September.

Depending on where you live in the UK, there are different schemes that could help support your household finances:

• Help with your bills: such as low-cost home internet and phone packages available from providers through social tariffs, hardship schemes from water companies, and the UK Government funded Household Support Fund available from local councils to help with essential costs.
• Help with childcare: £2,000 a year of tax free childcare is available to eligible families to help with the cost of childcare.
• Help with housing: council tax support available from local councils and housing benefits are available from the UK Government.
• Help with your income: personalised job support is available through Job Help, tax relief and work-related expenses can be claimed from HMRC
• Help with managing finances: MoneyHelper.org.uk offers impartial guidance and a range of tools to help make your money and pension choices clearer.

You can find out what other support is available at gov.uk/helpforhouseholds

Autism a Hands-on Approach upcoming events

Message from Tanya Farley:

Gender Identity and Autism on Friday 13th October 2023 (today)  at 10.30am to 12.30 pm online workshop

To book: autismahandsonapproach.co.uk/giworkshop /

We have a fantastic lineup of speakers for this year's

Autism a Hands on Approach ONLINE conference on 8th November 2023

To book : https://autismahandsonapproach.co.uk/conference/

Donations for people seeking Asylum

Message from Annie Moulds:

As we welcome people seeking Asylum, we looking for donations of good quality casual clothes, winter coats, warm clothing items shoes and toys.

These are all welcome for all ages and sizes.  

The drop off point for donations for people seeking Asylum is within the following times

St Barnabas Church, Osborne Street, Bredbury, Stockport SK6 2DA ·

Monday at the vicarage, if no one is in there’s a labelled black bin to drop clothes into,

Thursday at church, ring the bell on the side door

Sunday mornings before or after our worship which is between 10:15-11:30.

This is a drop off point only and no distribution – please do advise people not to attend to collect donations.

Black History Month 2023

October marks Black History Month, there is lots going on in Stockport, please check out the events programme

Stockport Black History Month Event Guide 2023 (adobe.com)

Join Healthwatch Stockport's Board of Directors

Healthwatch Stockport' s role is to champion the voice of residents and users of health and care services. We' re looking for new Board Directors to help us go from strength to strength.

You 'll work with the Chief Officer and other Board Directors to develop our strategic direction and business objectives, ensuring we meet our legal and financial requirements, whilst ensuring we are using our public funding to the best advantage. You too will play an active role in quarterly and adhoc board meetings, contribute to relevant activities and help us champion the voice of the people.

The Board posts are voluntary. If you're passionate about shaping Healthwatch Stockport, we want to hear from you. 

Apply here

Suicide Awareness training for professionals

Message from Stockport Wellbeing: 

We are offering new dates for the popular Stockport Council Suicide Awareness for Professionals training, which is free of charge for anyone working or volunteering in Stockport. 

Please circulate to your teams and networks. 

Important: Please only book a place if you can be sure to attend as this is a very popular course which is always oversubscribed, and we are unable to run the course without majority of delegates attending.

Course Details:

Delivery Time: 2.5 hours 

• Develops understanding and compassion.
• Tackles myths, stigma, and barriers
• Introduces concept that suicide is not inevitable – people can be helped, and module includes the latest research and evidence.
• Helps delegates understand how distress develops and how people can be best supported.
• Develops common language between community, services, and those in distress.
• Gives delegates the confidence and the skills practice of talking to someone in distress.
• Develops a compassionate approach for demanding and time-pressured environments.
• Equips the delegate with the knowledge of how to use www.StayingSafe.net to make their own Safety Plan

No prior experience required.

The next sessions available are scheduled for:

• Wednesday 11th October 2023 13:30 - 16:00 via Zoom
• Wednesday 15th November 2023 13:30 - 16:00 via Zoom
• Tuesday 12th December 2023 09:30 - 12:00 via Zoom

To book a place for any of the sessions, please CTRL & click on the following link: 

SUICIDE AWARENESS FOR PROFESSIONALS BOOKING FORM

Please note we do offer new training dates every month but for anyone not able to attend yet still wanting to avail themselves of relevant online self-study options, please find attached a list of alternative training options.

If you require any further information, please email info.wellbeing@stockport.gov.uk. 

Stammer Workshop for healthcare professionals

We’re delighted to announce a free 30 minute online workshop on Friday, 20th October at 1pm for staff working in GP practices and healthcare settings.

It would be brilliant if you could forward these details to GP practices and professionals in your area. The workshop will provide guidance on how to recognise and interact with patients who stammer, so that they don’t get excluded from getting the healthcare they need. It’s open to anyone who feels it would be useful to them.

Sign up for the workshop here.

You can find out about the barriers people face in making appointments hereand detailed recommendations for change here. These include:-

• Flexible appointment booking channels so that people have the choice to call or use an alternative channel.
• Training for receptionists so they can engage with disfluent callers.
• The implementation of opt-in patient record flags for people who stammer. This way, when someone phones up, the system automatically tells the receptionist that the caller stammers.

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