PA Bulletin 22 April 2008
Connexions Surrey PA Bulletin
22 April 2008
The bulletin is produced every two weeks and we aim to keep you up to date with current issues and aware of news that is relevant to your day to day jobs. The bulletin sits alongside the PA Resource section of the website.
1: Mark Your Diaries for the PA Conference!
2. Nightstop launch in Runnymede and Spelthorne
3. In-Volve Training Programme
4. Nurturing Fathers Parenting Programme
5. Beat the Bank Holiday Blues
6. DCSF Updated NEET Strategy
7. Cracking Up! Drama & comedy show
8: NEET Update, inc NEET Activities Flyer April-June 08
Connexions Training Programme
External Training Programme
1: Mark Your Diaries for the PA Conference!
Mark your diaries for the 2008 PA Conference to be held on Wednesday 16th July at the Manor House Hotel, Newlands Corner, Guildford. We look forward to seeing you there for an opportunity to share, celebrate, network, learn and relax. Full details to follow shortly.
2: Nightstop launch in Runnymede & Spelthorne
east to west and Thames Homeless Project have recently launched Nightstop, a new service, providing short-term emergency accommodation for young people in the homes of trained volunteers while a more permanent solution can be found by statutory agencies.
Nightstop provides the young person with a safe home to stay the night; giving them an evening meal and breakfast, their own bedroom for the night and the facilities to do washing.
Andy Burns, director of east to west said, “I’m pleased that we can offer, through Nightstop, a breathing space for the young person and the referring agencies to find the right solution.” Angela Horsey, chair of Thames Homeless Project said, “We are delighted to be working in partnership with east to west to deliver a much needed service for young people in Runnymede and Spelthorne. It’s such a simple concept yet Nightstop can prevent young people becoming homeless and help them turn their lives around.”
Homelessness in Spelthorne and Runnymede may not be as visible as it is in some parts of the UK, but this project was initiated through discussion with local agencies who were struggling to find suitable placements for the homeless young people coming to them for help.
Nightstop is accessed by referral from statutory agencies such as Connexions and the local authorities. With this approach Nightstop is able to keep the emphasis on finding permanent solutions for the young people. For more information visit www.easttowest.org.uk
3: In-Volve Training Programme
In-volve offer a wide range of training opportunities that may be useful for PA’s - please find the training programme attached
Many thanks
Steve
Steven Bird
Connexions Personal Adviser - Substance Misuse
Telephone: 07970 094034 E-mail: bird@surrey.in-volve.org.uk
4: Nurturing Fathers Parenting Programme
Here at Surrey Parenting Education and Support, we are piloting a Nurturing Fathers Parenting Programme in Woking and would be very grateful if you would cascade the attached poster to all relevant colleagues.
Many thanks
Andrea
Andrea Page
Project Worker- Working with Fathers, Surrey Parenting Education & Support
Surrey PCT, Cedar Court, Guildford Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 9AE
01372-227-350 Mobile = 07771-868-987 andrea.page@surreypct.nhs.uk
5: Beat The Bank Holiday Blues
Have you made a new year’s resolution to get out and about, and explore the countryside a bit more this year? Well, Guildford YMCA has the perfect opportunity for you!
Following the success of last years Y2Y Walk, from Reigate & Redhill YMCA across glorious Surrey countryside to Guildford YMCA, this challenging event is being staged again this year on Sunday 25th May (2nd Bank Holiday weekend in May). Guildford YMCA are looking for keen participants for both the 24-mile Y2Y trek, and the shorter, 12-mile Y2½ from Ranmore Common to Guildford YMCA in Bridge Street, in the centre of Guildford.
Entry costs £15, which covers administration, as well as entitling you to a commemorative T-shirt and medal. Participants are asked to get busy raising sponsorship for Guildford YMCA’s Life Change Fund, which supports the organisation’s work with vulnerable young people, through projects like Open House, a free counselling service, and Motivate, which helps people aged 16-25 find their place in the world, develop skills and offers advice and guidance. Each year, this vital project helps over 70 young people get their lives back on track.
Last year, the walk raised over £10,000 for the Life Change Fund. So, if you’re interested in entering, and supporting local young people, all you need to do is visit www.guildfordymca.org.uk to download an entry pack. Or, if you would like more information or a pack sent to you, please call 01483 532555, ext 517 and speak to Lorraine Galliers, the walk organiser. Just grab your boots and get walking!
Please find attached the latest NEET strategy from the DCSF. They have made a number of changes to their original strategy published last year to ensure that the main elements of careful tracking, personalised guidance and support and the provision of a full range of courses to meet demand are strengthened further. This includes the addition a new emphasis on rights and responsibilities so that there is a clear set of incentives on young people to re-engage as quickly as possible if they drop out. This means that all young people who have been NEET for at least 26 weeks by the time they reach their 18th birthday are fast tracked to the intensive support and sanctions regime of the New Deal.
Justine Khan
Commissioning Executive
Connexions Surrey
7: Cracking Up! drama and comedy show
Dear Colleagues
As part of the Improving Mental Well Being and Suicide Prevention Strategy targets around hard to reach groups, I have attached invitation details for the innovative and successful show Cracking Up! in Woking THIS THURSDAY and Redhill THIS FRIDAY.
24th April – Woking Football Club 8.00pm (tickets: 01483 772 470 ext 240/242)
25th April – Harlequin Theatre, Redhill, 8.00pm (tickets; 01737 765 547)
This show raises awareness of mental health and suicide and challenges stigma - using comedy, sketches and service user's poetry and art (both drama and comedy have been shown to be effective ways to broach sensitive topics and help challenge stigma). The shows are both entertaining and thought provoking and star award winning comedian John Ryan, another stand up comedian with experience of mental health problems and two actors (performing scripts informed by discussions with different demographic groups of men around Surrey).
The opening nights were a huge success and Guildford was a sell-out show -here are some audience comments:
"Interesting, funny and thought provoking" "Very, very entertaining – a triumph!"
"The journey, the multiplicity of views, the comedy - it was all so well balanced - the happy and the tragic
"Brilliant and very informative"
Please feel free to circulate the attached Woking and Redhill flyers to colleagues/friends you think may be interested to coming along and I look forward to perhaps seeing some of you at one of the shows.
Thanks for your help.
Yours sincerely
Maya Twardzicki
Health Promotion Specialist (Mental Health)
Surrey PCT - Pascal Place
Randalls Research Park, Randalls Way
Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 7TW
TEL: 01372 201573
8:
Did you know that there are a wide range of job vacancies, vacant college places and training courses all over the county waiting to be filled? As the majority don’t have particularly demanding entry requirements, they are an ideal choice for many NEET youngsters.
Our Centres produce regular listings of local opportunities. Vacancy Bulletins are now listed on the Connexions website Job search page and you can also pick up copies from your local Centre to share with the young people you are currently working with.
NEET Activities Flyer - April-June 2008
Please find attached a document highlighting a range of NEET activities taking place for young people around the County from April until the end of June 2008. The aim of the document is to give you an indication of the types of activities/programmes that are available or are currently being undertaken.
The next edition of the flyer will cover the period July - September 2008 and ideally I would like to distribute it to you all week commencing 16th June which would allow you some time to speak with your NEET young people and potentially get them signed up onto a course/programme that may be starting within this period.
If you are involved in any NEET (16-18 year old) activities or know of any activities for NEET young people that are taking place between July and the end of September 2008 then please let me have the following details by 13th June and I will include the programme in the next flyer:
- Course title
- Brief description, to include, number of weeks, core content, referral process etc
- Agency/provider
- Dates
- Time
- Costs if any incurred by young person
- Contact name
- Contact details i.e. telephone number and email address
Commissioning Executive
Connexions Surrey
Tel: 01483 519339
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Connexions Training Update
A full training programme and details can be found on the PA resources page Introduction to Adapt• 21st May • 19th June • 6th August • 18th Sept Adapt Workshop • 23rd April • 15th May • 24th July • 10th Sept
We are currently awaiting a full training programme for 2008 Please click here for full details of courses and for courses running until June 08 Nominations for all courses need to be sent to Bernadette Slack at VT Careers Management, Surrey, Sutton House, Weyside Park, Catteshall Lane, Godalming, Surrey GU7 1XJ
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The following training courses are outside the Connexions training programme and therefore any costs will need to be met by your own organisation and not through the centrally funded Connexions programme.
In-volve offer a wide range of training opportunities that may be useful for PA’s - please find the training programme attached
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- November 21, 2008 Light up a Life service
- November 21, 2008 Redhill Connexions Centre Late Night Opening
- October 31, 2008 Linking Young People...
- October 21, 2008 Connexions Direct Chat Room