Shaw and Crompton Children’s Centre – The Children’s Society

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Dear Councillor,

I hope you are well and enjoying the start of 2016.  I wanted to make you aware of a forthcoming change to the services provided by The Children’s Society in your ward.

At The Children’s Society we are committed to making the greatest possible impact on the lives of the most disadvantaged children, teenagers and their families through all of our services and campaigning – in Oldham and nationally.  Following a national review of our strategy we have decided to focus our work upon supporting disadvantaged 10-18-year-olds.  We are looking to build upon our track record of working with those with the most complex needs who are all too often let down or abandoned – including the most disadvantaged older children and young people suffering from poverty and neglect.

Our contract with Oldham Council to run six children’s centres – including Shaw and Crompton Children’s Centre – ends on March 31 2016.  Following the review of our strategy we have decided not to re-tender for this contract.  It was a difficult decision to make, especially given the hard work and commitment of staff and volunteers at our Oldham children’s centres in supporting local children and families.  However, we are confident we will be handing the centres over in good shape when our contract ends.

The new provider of our children’s centres has been chosen by Oldham Council.  From April 1, 2016, Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust will run the Oldham children’s centres.  Children and families will still be able to access the Oldham Children’s Centres and we are fully committed to ensuring a smooth handover and supporting the new providers as the services transfer to them.

The Children’s Society remains committed to changing the lives of children and teenagers in Oldham, including through our advocacy work with children in care, as well as our Resolve counselling service and our family support service.  We are continuing to work closely alongside key partners including Oldham Council.

 

Yours sincerely, Rob Jackson, Area Director, North of England

Free bikes for job seekers

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Hundreds of free bikes are ready to be handed over to Greater Manchester’s job seekers to help them start 2016 with a new career.

Transport for Greater Manchester’s (TfGM’s) Bike Back to Work scheme has around 400 recently refurbished bicycles to help people commute to their new jobs.

A bike can be a vital alternative for jobseekers who might struggle to get to work without one because of things like shift patterns and a lack of alternative commuting options.

Eligible applicants will also receive free equipment, such as helmets and hi-vis vests, and access to free cycle training.

TfGM can supply bicycles anywhere across Greater Manchester. Job seekers can collect them from suppliers in Wigan, Trafford, Bury, Manchester, Oldham and Stockport.

People should apply for bikes directly via their JobCentre Plus or Work Programme adviser.

For more information on the Bike Back to Work Scheme, visit www.tfgm.com/travelchoices and click on the ‘Jobseeker’ section.

URGENT CARE NEWS – RIGHT TREATMENT RIGHT PLACE

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AS MANY AS 1 IN 3 PEOPLE WHO GO TO A&E DON’T NEED TO BE THERE.

Urgent care services are sometimes used because people don’t know where else to go, or think it might be difficult to be seen somewhere else.  We want to help you get the right treatment at the right place as this does not always have to be provided in a hospital building.  Please click on this link for more details: Think! Leaflet Urgent Care

Can you help? – addressing barriers to participation to physical activity

Physical-activity-2Oldham Council are looking to recruit local residents to take part in research being undertaken by the Public Health Team.  The aim of this research is to gain insight and an understanding into how best Oldham shapes their approach to get people more involved in physical activity;

Additional supporting information click on this link: Addressing barriers to participation in Physical Activity

Should you know of individuals who can commit to contributing to this research; they can get involved by contacting any of the District Teams or by registering with the Public Health Team directly via following details;

Bronwyn Raper  bronwyn.raper@oldham.gov.uk  0161 770 1828

Koser Khan koser.khan@oldham.gov.uk 0161 770 8223

Details of the sessions are as follows:

Wednesday 10th Feb – 6pm-7.30pm (people to arrive for 5.30pm, if possible), Lees Suite – general session.

Thursday 11th Feb 1-3pm, Crompton Suite – session specifically for low income / unemployed people.

As a thank you for taking part in this research there is a £15 shopping voucher on offer for each participant.

Dementia Awareness Event recently held in Shaw and Crompton

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Liberal Democrat Councillor for Crompton ward and Chair of Shaw and Crompton District Executive Diane Williamson has hailed the Dementia Awareness Event at the Lifelong Learning Centre a tremendous success after over 50 people attended the sessions. The event which in addition to the Dementia Awareness sessions offered legal advice from Brearleys Solicitors (Manchester) and was attended by partners Caremark Oldham, Oldham Millercare  Healthwatch Oldham together with pupils and staff from The Radclyffe School.

“The event proved so popular that we had to put on an additional session.  It was fantastic to see so many people keen to learn about Dementia.  Every single person that I spoke to knew someone who was affected by this disorder” Cllr Williamson added “I would like to thank everybody who made this event possible and hopefully we can do another in the not too distant future”

The event funded by local Councillors is all part of trying to get Shaw and Crompton a more Dementia Friendly community – Shaw ward Councillor Howard Sykes MBE who took part in a session said “Whilst I have taken part in a full day’s training session previously, I was keen to have a bit of a refresher.  When this crippling disorder affects people’s loved ones, it is good to hear of other people’s experiences and how they cope with it.”

Time to Talk Day – 4 Feb 16

Time to Talk Day Is On The 4th Feb 2016The next Time to Talk Day will be on Thursday 4th February 2016.

Join us and let’s get the nation talking about mental health to help end the misconceptions around it.

Mental health problems affect 1 in 4 people every year, yet too often people are afraid to talk about their experiences because they fear it will affect their jobs or relationships. That’s not right and it’s why we need your help to break the silence and end the stigma.

Talking about mental health doesn’t need to be difficult, order your Time to Talk Day pack for everything you need to take part on the day.

http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/timetotalkday

Shaw and Crompton dementia awarness drop in event 23 January 10am – 2pm

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Dementia Awareness event
There are over 820,000 people living with dementia in the UK & estimated to be 670,000 family and friends acting as carers. Quality of life remains extremely varied. Through us coming together, we can create dementia friendly communities where there is a greater awareness and understanding of dementia.Those living with dementia and their carers can feel better supported to remain independent and have choice and control over their lives.Together, we can make a difference.

• There will be free dementia friends sessions at 11am and 1pm.
• Stall holders with partner agencies
• Free parking • Everyone welcome

Dementia Awareness Event, Lifelong Learning Centre, 6 High St, Shaw, OL2 8RQ.

Keep your home healthy this winter: free advice pack launched

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Click on this link for more information: Winter Wise A4 Poster 2

North West water company United Utilities, has produced a free advice pack to help people keep their homes ‘healthy’ this winter.

‘Fight the freeze: a guide to winter warmth’ features advice on how to avoid frozen pipes, what to do if a pipe should burst, and a range of additional tips and hints to help homeowners keep the heat in, and cold out, as temperatures start to drop.

According to the guide, one of the simplest things people can do to protect their homes from the cold is to lag their pipes, especially those located in the garage or loft as these are most likely to freeze and burst during periods of colder weather.

As well as potentially leaving homeowners without water for hot baths and showers – a disaster during winter months – burst pipes can also be expensive to fix. In the North West the average cost for an emergency plumber is £120.

Homeowners are also encouraged to locate and label their stop tap – the tap which controls water supply to a house – so that in the event of a burst, water can turned off immediately to avoid water damage that may leave properties cold and damp.

In addition to home health tips, the new guide from United Utilities also includes broader advice to help with winter wellbeing, such as where to access financial support with heating bills, where to look for warming nutritious recipes, and who to turn to with concerns for loved ones or neighbours who might be vulnerable to colder conditions.

‘Fight the freeze: a guide to winter warmth’ is available to download for free from www.unitedutilities.com/winterwise

Poowatch – New Technology solution to an Old Oldham Problem, says Sykes

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The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, was impressed to read recently of a new mobile phone app developed for Worcester City Council.

Cllr Sykes said: “Poowatch, which is a new free web app for smartphones, tablets and personal computers, was launched a couple of months ago in Worcester to help clean up the city’s streets and to shame irresponsible dog-owners to clear up after their pets.  I think this technology could be of great use in helping Oldham Council tackle this blight in our borough.”

Through the Poowatch app, residents can record any dog litter they spot in the city. The information they provide will help identify dog litter hotspots so action can be targeted in areas of greatest need.

Cllr Sykes added: “The good thing with Poowatch is that the public can be the Council’s eyes and ears in the community, and they are reporting real incidents in real time to enable prompt action to be taken.  This app gives residents the ability to help change the behaviour of irresponsible dog owners and to contribute to both a more co-operative and a cleaner borough.”

The new web app has been jointly developed by the Safer Worcester Partnership, the Duckworth Worcestershire Trust (DWT) and Worcester City Council with funding from West Mercia’s Police and Crime Commissioner.

The web app – which is free to access – uses GPS locaters to provide a simple and easy way for people to report dog mess and will help create an interactive map of the city showing the worst affected areas.  It also shows the nearest bin to the location of the person accessing the app.

Cllr Sykes added: “As this is free there is no deterrent to residents who are tech savvy from accessing it and using it.  Councillors are constantly approached by constituents, many who are responsible dog owners, who are enraged by seeing dog poo on our pavements and who demand some real action.  Poowatch allows them to be part of that action and make a difference rather than simply registering a complaint.”

Cllr Sykes has written to Helen Lockwood, Executive Director of Co-operatives and Neighbourhoods, and Carol Brown, Director of Environmental Services, asking them to investigate the merits and costs of bringing Poowatch to Oldham Borough.