Shelter Bristol are recruiting for a new Women’s Peer Research Volunteer and have asked us at the Forum to promote the role.
You would conduct research into the issues women and families are experiencing when it comes to bad housing and homelessness. The role would also involve you conducting research into the barriers that are preventing women from accessing the advice and support they need.
The role would take up seven hours a week for four months but can be fitted around your schedule. The job is home based and in the Bristol hub (in line with government guidelines).
We’re sharing an online Change.org petition created by Trina Thompson that is calling for the Government to reverse “do not resuscitate” orders on COVID-19 patients with Learning Difficulties.
People with Learning Disabilities have been given do not resuscitate orders during the second wave of the pandemic, in spite of widespread condemnation of the practice last year and an urgent investigation by the care watchdog.
This is a serious human rights issue and cannot be allowed to continue in this day and age. We must join together and show we will not stand by and allow this horrific practice to continue.
Hartcliffe and Withywood Community Partnership who run a Community transport scheme for South Bristol are offeringfree transport to anyone who has mobility issues and needs to get to vaccination centre – in South Bristol these are at Knowle West Health Park and Ashton Gate.
They have so far taken 84 people. You don’t need to be a member and it is open to all ages.
Their phone number to arrange this is 0117 377 3451 or email them onthecattbus@hwcp.org.uk.
We’ve been asked by Ellen, a Trainee Clinical Psychologist based at the University of Bath. to share the details of a recent project she has launched.
“How can we measure the patient experience of compassionate care?”
Compassionate Care is really important, so there is a need to capture patient experiences to check that the care they received was compassionate.
The Compassionate Care Measure (CCM) is a new questionnaire that aims to measure these experiences. This project aims to check that this measure is of good enough quality to be used to improve services and patient care.
She and her research partners are hoping to include the experiences of as many people as possible, including persons with Disabilities, in the research
The research project is being conducted as part of Ellen’s Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. It focuses on the development of a questionnaire which aims to capture patient experiences of compassion within healthcare. This questionnaire will help to inform and improve care received from healthcare staff.
Participating in the study involves completing an online questionnaire about your experiences of attending a healthcare appointment. This takes approximately 20-25 minutes to complete.
To take part, people would need to be 18 or over and need to have attended a healthcare appointment (face to face, video or phone call) within the past month.
Rapid (lateral flow) testing is available to certain groups who do not have symptoms of COVID-19. You can get regular testing if you:
need to leave your home for work or volunteering,
are employed as a PA or Support Worker for a Disabled person,
live with a child or young person going to school, college or nursery, or are in a childcare bubble or support bubble with them,
live with someone who works in a school, college or nursery, or are in a childcare bubble or support bubble with them,
work in a school or in the wider school community, for example as a school bus driver or an after school club supervisor,
are a childminder or work in childcare.
For information on where to get regular on-site testing (those leaving home for work) or where to collect home test kits (all other groups mentioned above) visit the Council’s website.
If you do get symptoms of COVID-19, you and those you live with must self-isolate and you should book a test at: nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119.
If you do get syptoms of COVID-19 but are unable to get to a test site, you can order a home test kit using the Government’s website or by calling 119.
The completed test kit can be returned at a priority postbox, but if this is not possible they can call 119 to arrange a courier collection and receive advice on the correct time to take the test. Those who are physically unable to use the test kit, and have no-one who can do it for them, should use the contact info provided for those who can’t get to a priority post box.
There will be a significantly reduced vaccine supply from the week of 29 March 2021, which means that there won’t be as much for first dose vaccinations, so they will be limited.
There are enough second doses available though.
Everyone in the top nine priority groups can now book their COVID-19 vaccination, and millions of people have done exactly that over the last few days. Appointments for first doses are still available for the rest of March, but they are filling up fast.
If you are in any of the groups of people who can now get vaccinated – that is, you are:
aged 50 or over,
have a health condition that puts you at greater risk, or
a health or social care worker,
and you haven’t booked your first dose yet, the time to do so is right now.
It’s quick and simple to book at: nhs.uk/covid-vaccination, by contacting your GP or by phoning 119.
Part Exchange Co. Theatre are delighted to tell you that, after two years since the project’s beginnings, the City of Threads podcast has officially ‘dropped’ (as they say in the podcast world)!
You can now find their Welcome episode and first full episode, We’re Going In, on all major podcast platforms. Go to Apple, Spotify, Amazon or Google podcasts to take a journey with them.
Here’s a glimmer of what to expect in ‘We’re Going In’, the first full episode…
Meet Lou and her daughter Emily, and Holly and one of her oldest friends Ant as they all head off on the first of the city journeys. You’ll come across the perils’ of A boards, ‘maverick sight’, singing fountains and a very melodramatic cathedral organ. Featured theme; Neuroscience and the Sensory City.
Part Exchange Co. will be releasing an episode on Thursday each week, along with a sister episode two days later which takes a deeper dive into the places and moments of the journeys, using immersive sound design – best listened to on headphones!
Make sure to follow @PartExchangeCo on Twitter and Facebook, where they’ll be sharing weekly glimpses into each episode.
They look forward to you joining us on the journey, into the City of Threads.
If so, you may be able to apply for a £500 grant if you have lost income because you have had to self-isolate because of having COVID-19. You must be in low-paid employment or self-employment and unable to work from home.
You can now also apply for the grant if you are caring for a child who is self-isolating.
To get a Test and Trace Support Payment you must either:
Have been told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace team or the COVID-19 app.
Be looking after a child under 16 years of age who usually attends an educational or childcare setting but is self-isolating on or after 8 March 2021.
Be looking after someone under 26 years of age with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) who usually attends a nursery, school, college or university but not going because they are self-isolating on or after 8 March 2021.
You must also be receiving one of the following:
Universal Credit,
Working Tax Credit,
income-based Employment and Support Allowance,
income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance,
Income Support,
Housing Benefit, and/or Pension Credit.
If you don’t receive one of the benefits, you may still be able to get payments if you meet all other criteria.
As of Monday 22 March, census officers are out visiting those households that did not respond to the national survey. They will encourage you to complete the form and give you help if needed.
All field census officers will be carrying official identification cards. The card will have a photograph and the officer’s name. Officers will work in a socially distanced way; they will all be wearing PPE, will not enter anyone’s home and will not visit before 9am or after 8pm.
Anyone concerned that the person on their doorstep is not a census officer can call the number on the critical workers letter that the officer can show them. You can also ring the contact centre for further advice on 0800 141 2021.
For more information on how to complete the census go to www.census.gov.uk.
