This week’s update is filled with a variety of interesting learning opportunities from cyber resilience to understanding sight loss. The focus this week is on sharing information for community groups and organisations so we have included some information on funding for your group as well as some local and national support options for your local residents.
This week’s items are:
• Scottish Child Payments
• PKC Funding Alert
• Minority Communities GP Registration Campaign
• CAP’s Debt Counselling Service
• Fuel Poverty Training
• Cyber Resilience Webinar From Education Scotland
• Online Free Training from RNIB
• Letham4All is currently recruiting for Business and Development Manager
• Children’s Scorecard
• Plus a variety of newsletters
FUNDING - Scottish Child Payments
The PKC Welfare and Benefits Team are looking for help to get the word out about Scottish Child Payments. If you know of anyone that you think could benefit from this, please encourage them to check https://www.mygov.scot/scottish-child-payment/who-should-apply/
The PKC Communities Service January 2021 Funding alert is available to download here
SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS - Minority Communities GP Registration Campaign
Support in sharing materials with your service users and stakeholders around the importance of registering with a GP.
As part of our support of efforts to encourage vaccine uptake, PKAVS Minority Communities Hub has developed a series of resources in multiple languages encouraging people to register with their local GP. Learning both locally and nationally indicates that GP registration levels are lower in some demographics of minority ethnic communities, particularly newer arrivals and migrant workers in industries such as food production, agriculture and hospitality, which may impact uptake of the vaccine within those groups. You will note that these materials do not mention Covid or the Covid vaccine. This is by design, and in line with community intelligence which suggests it may put some groups off engaging with the content.
We hope to roll this campaign out over the coming weeks through our own social media, through employers, and via trusted partners like yourselves. I would be very grateful if you could forward these resources to your own teams & contacts, and if you are willing & able, share them through social media channels & directly with community members. For community members with difficulties completing the process, we have included our helpline details in these materials which will allow us to offer support or signpost individuals as appropriate.
The videos can be shared from YouTube and are available here: https://cutt.ly/okcHgKM. If preferable, you will also find all resources on our own social media channels.
These are currently provided in English, Bulgarian, Polish, Romanian and Spanish in line with the demographics we are aiming this campaign at locally, however we are more than happy to discuss collaboration with partners who may be seeking this information in other languages or formats. These resources are also available to download through our dropbox, which we will update when/if new versions or resources are available. You can find them here: https://cutt.ly/0kgP1b2.
Jenni Keenan, Team Leader, Minority Communities Hub, PKAVS. Tel: 07395886672
FUNDING - CAP’s Debt Counselling Service
Christians Against Poverty’s debt counselling service focuses on providing a service which works well for those who are more vulnerable and who need support to help them gain freedom from their debts. Our service is completely free. We are currently temporarily replacing our face to face debt counselling service with telephone and video-based appointments due to COVID-19. Our service is holistic and we give clients the time they need to work with us.
All clients need in order to access our service is a phone and access to the internet or that they are able to get to a post box. Our local service in Highland Perthshire covers an area from Blair Atholl to Dunkeld and Rannoch to Pitlochry and everywhere in between.
Any prospective clients should call 0800 328 0006 (our lines are open 9.30am-5.00pm Monday to Thursday and 9.30am-3.30pm on Fridays.
Once it is safe to do so, and following Government guidelines, we will look to resume our face to face home visiting service for clients. Please click here for more information.
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
Fuel Poverty Training
Latest research for Perth and Kinross estimates that over 17,000 (25%) households are living in fuel poverty and over 5,400 children are living in child poverty. The pandemic is likely to bring many more households into fuel poverty as many people are currently working from home. This will have led to different patterns of fuel use, and many households may also be facing a change in their financial circumstances and may therefore find themselves struggling to heat their home to the recommended temperatures. This module explains what exactly we mean when we talk about fuel poverty. It covers the main factors that can lead to fuel poverty and the impact that living in fuel poverty can have on a person’s health and wellbeing. It shows what to look out for and signposts to support that may be available.
The PKC elearning link is: http://www.pklearning.org.uk/Current-Courses/
Cyber Resilience Webinar From Education Scotland
Scott Hunter, our Cyber Safety Officer developed this session exclusively for CLD Practitioners. During the hour Scott will provide lots of practical strategies for practitioners to protect themselves, the learners they support and communities in which they work.
Cyber Resilience for CLD Practitioners
24/02/21, 10am – 11am.
Description: This webinar will provide CLD practitioners with a clear understanding of Cyber Safety within a CLD context.
Participants will be provided with practical strategies to build Cyber Resilience within Youth Work, Adult Learning and Community Development.
Link: Cyber Resilience for CLD Practitioners
Dehra Macdonald | Development Officer, Community Learning and Development, South West Region | Education Scotland | Foghlam Alba
Check our live Blog to see a selection of the ‘Upcoming webinars and online opportunities for CLD’
Online FREE Training from RNIB
RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) has a free e-learning course, Understanding Sight Loss for Employment Professionals. If your job involves helping people look for or stay in work, or look at career options, then this is for you.
So far, almost 1,500 employment professionals have participated in the course and the feedback has been very positive, with lots of comments about how useful learners are finding it in their work.
The course gives an overview of the information an employment professional would need to support blind and partially sighted people and is divided into six sections.
Section one - Introduction and Welcome - An introduction to the RNIB Understanding Sight Loss for Employment Professionals course.
Section two - The Facts about Sight Loss - Some statistics about sight loss and its social impact.
Section three - Types of Sight Loss - Some common eye conditions and their functional effects.
Section four - Supporting someone with sight loss to find and retain work - Things to consider when talking about jobs.
Section five - How to Guide a Person with Sight Loss - Some practical tips
Section six - Conclusion - Knowledge checker, further information and resources.
There's no test to take. There's a completion certificate but you don't pass or fail.
When your welcome email arrives, you simply set your password to activate your account and access the course. Once that's done, the course is there for you to complete at a time which suits you. You don't need to do the course from start to finish in one go. You can go in and out as many times and as often as you like. The full course takes about forty minutes in total to complete and it's there whenever you need it.
Please let me know if you'd like me to send you a welcome email for the course.
Heather Barbara, Employment Adviser, RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) Scotland t: 0141 732 9108 m: 07507783685 e: heather.barbara@rnib.org.uk ; w: www.rnib.org.uk <http://www.rnib.org.uk/>
JOB OPPORTUNITIES - Letham4All is currently recruiting for Business and Development Manager
The link to the job advert on Goodmoves is here and if you or any of your contacts need any more information please do not hesitate to get in touch with Suzie, Letham4All, Tel 07811263092
HAVE YOUR SAY - Children’s Scorecard
The Child Poverty Action Group have recently asked Glasgow Caledonian University to conduct research into Child Poverty in Perth and Kinross. As part of this research, the University are looking for families who are on a low income, or in receipt of benefits to volunteer for an interview. A small financial incentive is offered, and if more families offer than are needed, those not chosen for interview will be asked to complete a survey instead. There is a prize draw to incentivise participation in the survey. The ultimate objective of the study is to better understand the levels of and causes of Child Poverty in Perth and Kinross, and how we can work together better to improve outcomes for these families. The project is being badged as the “Children’s Scorecard.”
Services across the Council have been asked to try and secure involvement from families that we work with. As a result, I am sharing background information, the registration document and the privacy notice with you. If you are working with any individuals or families who you think would be interested, please share the privacy notice with them and support them to complete the registration form. Completed forms should be emailed to allin@pkc.gov.uk. Alternatively, if you are working with an individual or family who you think would be interested, but you are unable to complete the registration process with them, you can ask them to email allin@pkc.gov.uk indicating their interest and someone from the Child Poverty Action Group will contact them directly.
Lee Haxton, Community Planning Team Leader , Perth and Kinross Council Email: lhaxton@pkc.gov.uk ; Mobile: 07799 476771
The Public Partner roles and Reference Group are supported by the Community Engagement Team.
West side A9 Strathtay (Bankfoot, Moneydie, Pitcairngreen, Almondbank, Harrietfield, Logiealmond, Bertha Park, Dalguise and Amulree)
Fiona Johnstone (coordinator), Community Engagement Worker
FJohnstone@pkc.gov.uk 07935354561
East side A9 Strathtay (Dunkeld, Stanley, Luncarty, Meikleour, Airntully Spittalfield, Murthly, Caputh, Meikleour, Kinclaven, Dowally etc.) area.
Fiona Johnstone (coordinator), Community Engagement Worker
FJohnstone@pkc.gov.uk 07935354561
