Waving not drowning, Working Families’ Project for Carers and Parents of Disabled Children who Work or Wish to Work

Welcome to Waving not drowning’s July e-bulletin

  • I hope you’re able to get a break to enjoy the summer weather
  • I’m still looking for young disabled people to join the advisory panel for Waving not drowning’s booklet on transition. All they would need to do is receive email, or snailmail, drafts and comment if they feel like it. Participation would look good on CVs and college applications. I look forward to hearing from any interested young people, janet.mearns@workingfamilies.org.uk, 020 7017 0072
  • The Tax Credit Estimator on Working Families’ website is being revised and updated. The new version will be available as soon as possible. In the meantime, you may find www.entitledto.com or http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/index.htm helpful
  • If you are a single parent (with main care for your child) Gingerbread would like to hear your views on work. You can take their five minute survey by clicking on https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BGL5KZG  
  • The Department of Work & Pensions has published interesting research on how people perceive and use DLA (Disability Living Allowance). See http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2009/rrep649.pdf  
  • The charity KIDS is setting up a project in the boroughs of Islington, Camden and Hackney to train young disabled people as peer mentors for other young disabled people aged 16-25. For further information contact dan.shelton@kids.org.uk  
  • The deadline for submitting evidence to the EHRC’s (Equality and Human Rights Commission’s) inquiry into disability related harassment is 10 September 2010. See http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/legislative-framework/formal-inquiries/inquiry-into-disability-related-harassment/call-for-evidence/  
  • Payments made by employers into travel and subsistence tax relief schemes will no longer count towards the national minimum wage, starting 1 January 2011
  • Contact a Family have published a report detailing the financial difficulties experienced by many families with disabled children. See http://www.cafamily.org.uk/pdfs/CountingtheCosts2010.pdf They are, as Working Families is, drawing attention to the problems with the 26 weeks service requirement before parents have the right to request flexible working and for the earnings limit for Carer’s Allowance to be increased
  • A poll carried out by the social care organisation, Turning Point, reveals the extent of discrimination against people with learning difficulties and highlights many of the public’s misconceptions. See http://www.turning-point.co.uk/News/Pages/Publicstilldiscriminate.aspx  
  • The Alliance for Inclusive Education is planning to record, through oral history methods, the education experiences of disabled people over the last 100 years. They are recruiting a consultant to support their Heritage Lottery Fund application. See www.allfie.org.uk  
  • Treehouse School for children with autism wants to recruit more governors. See www.treehouse.org.uk  
  • This month’s winner of the Waving not drowning Draw was ticket number 000020. You too could win up to £50 in the Waving not drowning Draw, a fun way you can support the Waving not drowning project. Just complete and return the attached form to buy monthly tickets at £2 each by direct debit.
    • One third of the profits will go to lucky prize winners each month.
    • The more tickets sold the greater the prize money. The rest of the profits go to help the Waving not drowning project including
    • Staffing a helpline advising carers and parents of disabled children
    • Publishing a free newsletter for carers and parents of disabled children
    • Campaigning for a better deal for carers and parents of disabled children in the workplace
  • There is now a Waving not drowning Facebook group. If you’re already on Facebook, join the group and add your comments and questions about combining paid work and caring. If you want to join Facebook go to www.facebook.com. Signing up is very straight forward
  • Working Families’ booklet Getting into Work is still available for you to download from Working Families’ website. www.workingfamilies.org.uk. Please let me know if you experience any difficulties. You can get a hard copy by sending me an A5 stamped (81p), addressed envelope. If you work with parents or carers contact the Working Families office for the postage and packing costs for bulk orders.
  • Please forward this e-bulletin to any friends or colleagues who would be interested. They can contact me at janet.mearns@workingfamilies.org.uk to get on the distribution list for the e-bulletin and for the free Waving not drowning newsletter
  • There’s lots of information about parents’ and carers’ rights in the workplace on Working Families’ website, www.workingfamilies.org.uk . If the website doesn’t answer your questions you can ring me on 020 7017 0072
  • Please remember to let me know at janet.mearns@workingfamilies.org.uk when you change email address so that you always get my e-bulletin. If you put my email address in your address book and/or add me to your ’white list’ it will prevent my e-bulletin being caught by your spam catcher. Similarly, if you move house make sure you notify me so that you continue to get your copy of Waving not drowning
  • If, for any reason, you don’t want to receive the e-bulletin, just email me at: Janet.mearns@workingfamilies.org.uk and I’ll take you off the distribution list.

Janet Mearns
Disability Adviser
Parents of Disabled Children Project
Working Families  

Registered office
1-3 Berry Street
London EC1V 0AA
Direct line: 020 7017 0072
Office Tel: 020 7253 7243 Fax: 020 7253 6253
www.workingfamilies.org.uk
janet.mearns@workingfamilies.org.uk

My usual working days are: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

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