Local Maternity Services Views

As your local health and social care champion, we are looking to understand how women access maternity services in the borough, what their experiences are, and identify areas that require improvement. 

Who can participate? Anyone who has given birth in the last three years would like to share their experience with maternity services in Hammersmith and Fulham. 

How to participate? Click on this link: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/Z4VETF/ to take the questionnaire.

If you prefer to complete the questionnaire over the phone or receive a paper copy at your home, please call Healthwatch H&F. We will arrange a time to call you back and assist you in completing the questionnaire. 

Alternatively, contact us for further support, such as if you need the questionnaire in another language or an easy-to-read version: Telephone: 0203 886 0386; WhatsApp: Send us a message on 07944387895; Email: info@healthwatchhf.co.uk 

Deadline: 1 February

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Online Safeguarding Training for Charities: 06.02.24

What can you expect from this course?

Topics:

  • What is your charitable safeguarding duty?
  • How the Commission assesses safeguarding compliance and what that means for your charity
  • Reporting serious incidents
  • Safeguarding children and adults at risk
  • The importance of an organisational safeguarding culture
  • Setting and measuring your safeguarding practices

Plus:

  • Opportunity to discuss safeguarding practices with your peers and consolidate key points from the training for practical application
  • Expert course leaders from law firm VWV – Tabitha Cave heads the Regulatory Compliance team and Kate Sherlock is a solicitor on the Charities team
  • The course will take place online via Zoom

A £40 discount for Governance & Leadership subscribers

View the full programme and book your place.

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Data Protection Training for Charities: 30.01.24, 10:00-13:15

We are pleased to announce the return of Data Protection Training for Charities, an online course enabling charity leaders to ensure their organisations are fully compliant with the latest data protection regulations.

Led by Vicki Bowles, data protection partner at law firm VWV, the session will take place on 30 January 2024 at 10:00 – 13:15.

View the full programme and book your place today.

Discounts are available to Governance & Leadership subscribers.

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Round 3 of the Windrush Justice Programme Opens for Applications (UK)

Grassroots organisations based in the UK can apply for funding from the Windrush Justice Programme to support their advocacy efforts for those seeking to access the Windrush Compensation Scheme. The programmme, which is being made available through Action for Race Equality, is offering small grants of £22,000 (over two years) to help organisations cover the costs of caseworkers, administrative expenses, venue fees, and staffing costs. The programme aims to provide support to those affected by the scandal, helping them navigate the complex process of applying for compensation and securing their legal status. Currently there is no application closing date given. Round 3 of the Windrush Justice Programme Opens for Applications (UK)

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Funding to Support Challenged & Vulnerable Young People (UK)

The 7stars Foundation is offering grants of up to £2,500 to registered charities in the UK that support challenged and vulnerable young people under the age of 16. These grants are specifically designed to aid projects that empower young people who are surviving abuse, coping with addiction, facing the risk of homelessness, or serving as young carers for loved ones. The grants are available to registered charities with an annual turnover of less than £1.5 million. Additionally, the Foundation provides grants for charities to purchase educational, wellbeing, or recreational items for young people. Further, the Foundation offers grants of up to £500 to individuals represented by a safeguarding, legal, social, or outreach professional. The next closing date for applications is the 31st January 2024. Funding to Support Challenged & Vulnerable Young People (UK)

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New London Posts at Locality

We’re hiring for two fantastic posts in the Locality Team:

Project Support Officer

Working to support a team that is providing high quality organisational development support to community-based organisations and other stakeholders in a dynamic environment  – you’ll bring your experience of the diversity of the people and communities across London – details here

Community Organisation Development Officer

Providing high quality organisational development support to community-based organisations and other stakeholders. You’ll bring your experience of the diversity of the people and communities across London – details here

For both posts there’s a digital Open Day on the 19th Dec and closing date is the 8th January.

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New VCS Energy Efficiency Scheme now Open to Applications

The Government has opened a £25.5 million funding scheme to help voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations in England improve their energy efficiency. Eligible organisations will be able to apply for 1) an independent energy assessment and 2) capital grants to install energy efficiency measures. Find out more here.

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Vulnerable Support Champions – Extreme Right-Wing Training (MOPAC Funded)

Exit Hate is a charity that aims to reduce extremism, via education, understanding, and compassion, educating people on the dangers of far-right extremism and supporting people to leave the Far Right and their families, so that all can rebuild their lives free from the influence of extremism, which harms, the victim, perpetrator, and their families.  

Exit is unique, with many of those working with Exit being former Far Right members themselves, parents who have had a loved one involved themselves, or trained counsellors with expertise in how to engage and support vulnerable individuals.

Vulnerable Support Champions 

As a charity supporting individuals to leave ERW (Extreme Right-Wing) groups, we have noticed that over the last 3 years, we have mentored many people who have identified themselves as vulnerable, including having having Autism, (our current support rate is 38% who have notified us that they identify as autistic.) 

Seeking to support vulnerable communities we want to develop the specialist skills of dedicated support workers and give them the knowledge to challenge this extremist activity and offer people help to either get a safe way out of extremism or educate people about the dangers of ERW extremism, so they do not get involved in the first place and be used.

Highlighting concerns around homelessness, we are aware ERW activists are offering food to homeless people and including extremist propaganda that seeks to blame people from other nationalities, ethnicities, and religions for the homelessness of indigenous white Britons.  This is a callous attempt to take advantage of vulnerable people suffering and what we want to do is educate key workers working in this field, so they can explain to people that these extremists don’t care and are seeking to manipulate and use them. By doing this we hope to reduce tension and potential racial attacks, which may escalate from this approach by the ERW who are seeking to build hate amongst homeless Britons against other communities.

The session

Workshops will include:
– Introduction to workshop facilitator. All facilitators are either former ERW (Extreme Right Wing) activists or mentors who currently engage with people to leave ERW extremism.
Highlighting their lived experience will help gain the attention of participants and demonstrate their authority to speak on ERW extremism, which will help to ensure that participants are receptive to workshop content, highlighting what works and what doesn’t.
– Awareness raising of ERW activism specific to the locality in which the workshop is based. This will build knowledge of participants of the extremist messaging and methods of promoting this messaging within local communities. Prior to workshop delivery, we will use online research and consultation with local authorities, community groups and the police to build an understanding of any local extreme right-wing activity, including any specific grievances, in the locality that is being used.
– Awareness raising of the impact of ERW activism on those involved in extremism and their families through sharing real case studies, this will motivate participants to support people away from extremism. This will include a newly produced film between the mother of an ERW activist and a mother whose son joined ISIS and sadly passed away. This film will highlight all extremism is wrong and the clear need for early intervention and support and why this is so critical before things develop into terrorism and people loose their lives.
– Guidance on how to spot the signs that an individual is on the path towards extremism (e.g. hiding phone/laptop, withdrawing from family activities etc)
– Guidance & information on how and when to seek help from the authorities/other support agencies because evidence indicates that communities often lack this knowledge (“64% of Londoners would not know how to seek help from the authorities”, The London Countering Violent Extremism Programme Report 2018-2019).
– Coaching on how to deconstruct and discredit false narratives and negative stereotypes.
– Coaching on how to have difficult conversations that challenge extremist messaging whilst avoiding confrontation.
– A call to action for participants to develop their skills and network so they can advise others of the dangers of ERW extremism and support people away from extremism, including signposting people to specialist support services.
– Development of a bespoke online vulnerable support worker hub, which would keep people updated on ERW developments and allow training attendees to engage with each other following the course and empower each other. This would continually be supported by Exit staff who would continue to update attendees on ERW developments and alternatives to extremist messaging, so people have the latest information on what the ERW is doing and how to counter it.

Please do let us know if you are interested, – it’s a first come first serve, and we have a couple of sessions left now.

I have attached a leaflet here with contact details that you may also wish to share.

 

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16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence 2023 in H&F, Sharon Tomlin, Sobus Community Organiser

Historically, the World Health Organisation has called for an end to violence against women and girls through 16 days of activism that runs from 25th November (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) until 10th December, Human Rights Day.

As a Community Organiser, I have met both women and men in this borough who have experienced violence and abuse that for some has lasted for many years. The impact of living with and in this experience has had a measurable impact on the mental health of those who have survived. This article will focus on the experience of women in recognition of the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence of women and girls.

For one local resident, she described living with the effects of her experience as impacting on the wellbeing of the children – now young adults – she was trying to raise. She shared that she feels tremendous shame and guilt for what she described as “not protecting my daughters enough” , the poor relationship with the people she was closest to and initially was unsure of who to seek support from.

Some women now describe themselves as survivors – including the female resident above.

Hammersmith and Fulham are fortunate to have a number of organisations – charities and charitable, public and statutory, forums and networks seeking to support residents in need of help, raise awareness and work both collaboratively and in partnership with agencies and organisations to address this.

Events occurring in Hammersmith and Fulham:

Tuesday 12th December – H&F Council – 16 Days of Activism to end Violence Against Women and Girls event.

For tickets, visit Eventbrite: Making an IMPACT on Domestic Abuse Survivors’ Criminal Justice Outcomes Tickets, Tue 12 Dec 2023 at 18:00 | Eventbrite

Useful web links:

Some local voluntary and community organisations operating in Hammersmith and Fulham supporting women and girls experiencing domestic abuse and violence:

 

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Westminster Insight’s Mental Health & Wellbeing in Schools Conference: 28.02.24

With the growing prevalence of mental health problems in children and young people, this conference will be a timely opportunity to discuss next steps for improving mental health and wellbeing in schools and colleges.

Understand the current challenges facing young people and how schools can work with other services to provide appropriate support. We will discuss government plans to expand access to Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) by 2025 and hear how schools can access training grants for senior mental health leads in schools until March 2024.

Learn from best practice case studies on developing a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing through early intervention, empowering staff and engaging parents and carers. Support staff to manage their own mental health, and embed mental health and wellbeing in teaching practices and RSHE curriculum.

NHS Digital has found that 18% of children aged 7-16 and 22% of young people aged 17-24 have a probable mental health disorder. There are particular concerns about issues including self-harm, anxiety, and loneliness. Learn from practical and targeted initiatives to build pupil emotional resilience, create safe spaces and manage difficult conversations with students.

Some pupils with social, emotional or mental health needs face greater barriers to attendance than others. Hear from best practice case studies on reducing emotional based school avoidance.

Bringing together Headteachers and Senior Teams, SENDCOs, mental health support teams, CAMHS and more, take the opportunity to network and share learnings with peers from across the country.

View agenda

Book now

 

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