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Contents

• Corrections
• Legislation
• Office of National Statistics
• Provisional benefit rates for 2010
• Safeguarding Update
• Features
• The Rowan gains two awards
• The Welsh Office Opening
• Learn how to use the internet
• Open Minds Group
• The Bond Hotel
• Accessible Cinema
• Reader writes

Note from the editorial team...

Welcome to this spring edition of our Directions Newsletter.
We can now start to leave behind the thought and feeling of the cold weather and dark evenings and look forward to warmer weather and more daylight hours.
In this issue you will find out about the Rowan's two prestigious awards, the successful opening of our Welsh office, how to use the internet, the Open Minds social group and the accessible Bond Hotel.
Our focus in legislation this edition relates to the Office of National Statistics, provisional benefit rate increases for April 2010 and ISA registration. We hope you find this edition of the newsletter interesting.

As far as we are aware there were no corrections to be made to the last issue of Directions. If any of our readers did spot an error, please do not hesitate to inform us. Contact details appear on page 1 and on the back cover.

Government survey Annual hours and earnings

Please read this if you employ personal assistants or carers.

Every year in April, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) sends out a survey to one percent of all employers in the UK. The Form is called the ‘Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings'.

Every employer that receives the Form has an obligation under legislation to complete the survey and return it by post to the ONS.

So, it's possible that as an employer of personal assistants/carers, you may be one of the 1% that gets this Form through your letterbox.

The majority of information presented on the Form relates to the person or people who you employ and requires details of their hours and earnings for a particular pay period, rates of pay, annual earnings, holiday entitlement etc.
As an employer, you should have records for all of the information required, but if needed, you could get help to complete the Form from family members and, if necessary, from your Payroll Service provider or the local Rowan support team.

If you are one of the few who receive the Form in the post this April, please try to ensure that you complete it and return to the ONS (although the ONS will send out a reminder in June to those who have not returned their completed Form).

Provisional Benefit rates for 2010/2011

Statutory maternity pay £124.88
Statutory paternity pay £124.88
DLA (Care) higher £71.40
DLA (Care) middle £47.80
DLA (Care) lower £18.95
DLA (Mobility) higher £49.85
DLA (Mobility) lower £18.95
Attendance Allowance, higher £71.40
Attendance Allowance, lower £47.80
Statutory Sick Pay £79.15

After the 1st of April you can check on the DirectGov
website (www.direct.gov.uk) for the confirmed amounts.

Safeguarding Update

In our Autumn edition of this newsletter, we highlighted the introduction of new statutory procedures for the registration of people who work with children and vulnerable adults (as defined by the legislation).

At that time, we were of the opinion that the laws would mean that personal assistants/carer, directly employed by Direct Payments users, would be required to register with the Independent Safeguarding Authority. However, after seeking clarification with that organisation, we have been informed that, as things currently stand, personal assistants/carers will not have to register (unless they wish to do so). The employer however, can check the ‘Barred List' providing they have the consent of their employee to do so.

We will keep you informed if this situation is likely to change and provide further information in the next Newsletter issue.

Positive about disabled people

In the Autumn of 2009, the Rowan Organisation was awarded the ‘Disability Symbol' (Positive about Disabled People) by Jobcentre Plus. The symbol is awarded to employers in England, Scotland and Wales who have made commitments to employ, keep and develop the abilities of disabled staff.

Employers who use the disability symbol make five commitments regarding recruitment, training, retention, consultation and disability awareness.

These commitments are:

• to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a job vacancy and to consider them on their abilities
• to discuss with disabled employees, at any time but at least once a year, what both parties can do to make sure disabled employees can develop and use their abilities
• to make every effort when employees become disabled to make sure they stay in employment
• to take action to ensure that all employees develop the appropriate level of disability awareness needed to make these commitments work
• to review these commitments each year and assess what has been achieved, plan ways to improve on them and let employees and Jobcentre Plus know about progress and future plans.

Investors In People

We are very pleased to announce that the Rowan Organisation has been awarded the Investors in People standard.

The Investors in People (IIP) Standard is a national quality standard which sets a level of good practice for improving an organisation's performance through its people and is one of the most respected benchmarks of excellence for organisations, both large and small.

Doors open to Welsh speakers

The Rowan Organisation, opened its new office in Carmarthen on the 9th of December. This is the first office in Wales for the organisation and will provide bilingual services to people who receive Direct Payments.

The Rowan Organisation is currently managing three projects in Wales; two being Conwy and Denbighshire with a third covering Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. These projects offer support to people who receive Direct Payments from their Local Authority as an alternative to care provision arranged by social services.

Although services have been delivered in the counties for several years now, there has been limited opportunity for Welsh speakers to contact the service in their language of choice because of the location of the Information and Payroll/Salary elements of the service being based in Nuneaton, England.

Only local frontline services to Direct Payments recipients have been available in Welsh during this time.

Now, bilingual staff have been recruited to establish and run a bilingual office, based at the Carmarthenshire Association of Voluntary Services (CAVS) in Queen Street, Carmarthen. These staff will provide a bilingual information and payroll service which will be available to disabled people, older people and carers throughout Wales.

The office launch comprised of a formal opening ceremony followed by an open drop in session. Over 60 people were present during the day to learn about the new office and the services it will provide.

In the opening ceremony, the Chief Executive of The Rowan Organisation, Mr Rob Wilson, started his address in faltering Welsh words before reverting to English. He said, ‘This is the reason for opening this Welsh Office, for there aren't many Welsh speakers in Nuneaton (the organisation's Head Office) where these services are currently being provided." He added, "We see this as a major part of achieving real parity for all and meeting the principles that we have laid down in our Welsh Language Policy".

Its never too late to learn how to use the internet

Using the internet can open up a whole new world. If you are in the one third of the UK's population that is still not online and using the internet then read on.

Using the internet can:

• Allow you to stay in touch with family and friends even if their on the other side of the world via email.
• Save you money by using price comparison websites for such things as insurance and household bills.
• Allow you to do your banking online, which can save time queuing up in your local branch.
• Open up a huge big book of knowledge on all the things you could possibly want to know and learn about.

There is currently an initiative which the government is running In England, called UK Online. By calling 0800 77 1234 you will be given the name and address of your local centre which runs the courses. Some of the UK Online centres have extra facilities to help disabled people or those with learning difficulty, such as wheelchair access or technology that can read text on a computer screen out loud.

If you live in Wales you can contact Learn Direct on 08000 150 450 or 0800 101 901 who will give you the details of your nearest local centre that runs similar courses you can attend.

Open Minds

Open Minds is a social activities group in Nottingham, organised and run by disabled people for disabled people who may have experienced low self esteem.

Activities

It's down to the members to choose the activities, which are chosen at the monthly meetings. Examples of past activities are: bowling, swimming, going to the pub, partake in workshops, discussion sessions, having a meal or seeing a film at the cinema. In the summer months the group travel to the coast or go sailing on the river.

Where they meet

Open Minds meet 1pm - 4pm on the last Saturday of every month at the Nottingham Mechanics Institute, 3 North Sherwood Street, just off Shakespeare Street in Nottingham city centre.

More information

If you have any questions about coming to the meeting, please contact Patrick on 0115 934 9521

The Bond Hotel - Blackpool & St Annes

The Bond Hotel, Blackpool is an Award Winning specialist Hotel, set just off Blackpool's South Shore Promenade, which has been catering for disabled guests and people with special needs for nearly 20 years. Since 2004, the Hotel has been run by Shaun Atkinson and Jeanette Greenwood who have expanded and refurbished the facilities.

The Bond Hotel Blackpool now has 65 bedrooms, most of which offer wheelchair access, en-suite bathrooms and hoists. Corridors, doors and rooms wide enough to provide easy wheelchair access. Excellent food prepared fresh every day, usually from locally sourced produce to prepare a full menu; from hearty English breakfasts to a 3-course evening meals.

Some of Blackpool's top attractions are virtually on the doorstep! It's just 2 minutes walk to the world famous Pleasure Beach and the Sandcastle Water Park. All of the other great attractions like Blackpool Tower, the Sea Life Centre, and Blackpool Zoo are just a short ride away. The hotel is also able to get you there and back!

There's entertainment every night in the comfortable bar and lounge. Every year there is a programme of artists who will sing, dance, and do
almost anything for a laugh. There are also a range of special events like "Emmerdale" and "Coronation Street" weeks, and top tribute acts that can see anyone from Abba to Robbie Williams on stage!

The Bond Hotel, St Annes, is now part of the same group that run the award-winning Bond Hotel Blackpool. The hotel has been working with people with additional needs for nearly 20 years, and bring the same level of expertise to St Annes that guests have always enjoyed at the Blackpool Hotel.

The Bond Hotel, St Annes, has facilities including a stylish bar and restaurant, both of which are wheelchair accessible ,conference facilities, and a indoor hydrotherapy pool with hoist, changing room and level access shower and WC. Day or night, there's always somewhere to relax, eat, drink, or just enjoy the view.

Due to the hotel's popularity there are big plans to rebuild the Bond hotel Blackpool on the existing site. Blackpool Council has given outline planning consent to a £14 million redevelopment, and a new 142 bed hotel to replace the current building.

Please visit their website, www.bondhotel.co.uk for further information or telephone 01253 341218.

Accessible Cinema

"As if you needed another excuse to go to the cinema"

"Well here it is anyway":

It's called the Cinema Exhibition
Association Card (CEA). The card is hugely popular and has been in existence for five years.

It entitles the holder to one free ticket for a person accompanying them to the cinema.

The card can be used in almost every UK cinema, that's over 500 cinemas, and costs only £5.50 a year.

The card will be issued with your name and photo. This way it allows you to take not only your carer but a friend, relative, partner or parent etc

By accessing the website www.yourlocalcinema.com
you can find cinemas that screen the latest films with subtitles and audio description (a narrated sound track).

There are more than 300 cinemas nationwide that have the facilities to do this.

To get the CEA card you must fulfil one or more of the following criteria:

1. Be in receipt of Disability Allowance
2. Be registered as a blind person

If you are deaf it is suggested that your application form includes a covering letter explaining why you need to be accompanied to the cinema.

Proof will need to be provided. For Disability Living Allowance, photocopies of letters, statements or benefit books (first two pages) confirming receipt of the allowance for the person named on the application. If your registered as blind you will need to provide a photocopy of the certification.

Information details:

To get one of these cards you can either go online to http://www.ceacard.co.uk, get an application form from one of your participating cinemas or call 0845 123 1292 or 0845 123 1295 for more details.

Readers Writes

Neil of Carmarthenshire writes about his experience of Direct Payments:

Direct Payments is a saviour to help people with all disabilities. It has helped me to live independently and to know the value of life. If it was not for Direct Payments lots of people with disabilities would be institutionalised and not have a normal life as best they can.
I am not writing this for myself but to help people help themselves.

Most people are working and living with their parents or living in a group home and go out to organised clubs to see their friend and catch up with news and have a good time. Direct Payments can support you to do this.

There is a People First group that meet every month. They are there to help change things for the best for all disabled people to help them to live a normal life.

Direct Payments cover all disabilities. At the end of the day it is the person that comes first not the disability.

For parents it is a 24hr job, it is not easy. They do it because they love their son/daughter.

They're there for you, that is what you call Loving parents. True Love.