DIAL UK News

Latest News

Scope has new Chief Executive Richard Hawkes has been appointed as the new Chief
Executive of Scope.Richard will join Scope in early January, succeeding Jon Sparkes,who is standing down to become director of workforce development for NHS Cornwall and
Isles of Scilly.Richard is currently International Programmes Director at the international development charity VSO, with responsibility for VSO’s programmes in more than 40 countries across the world.
Prior to that, Richard was the founding Director of Sense International, an international nongovernmental organisation (NGO) working throughout the world to support deafblind people.

Alice Maynard, Chair of Scope, said: “Richard’s appointment is great news for Scope. We have an ambitious agenda for change and development over the next few years which will beneﬁt enormously from his leadership experience across the sector and his strong personal commitment to the rights of disabled
people and their families.” Richard Hawkes said: “I am absolutely delighted to be taking up the position
of Chief Executive of Scope – which I believe to be one of the great jobs in the UK charity sector and which will be both an enormous privilege and an exciting challenge. Over the last three years Scope has undergone a signiﬁcant transformation and I am looking forward to continuing the development of innovative services and inﬂuential campaigns which are led and shaped by the rights, needs and
opinions of disabled people.”

News Archive

Blue Badge Map on Internet Mobile
Phones

Blue Badge holders can now use an
internet-enabled mobile phone to access
Directgov’s interactive Blue Badge map
online.

The map can find Blue Badge parking
bays, local council parking rules,
accessible public toilets, train stations,
ServiceCall petrol stations, shopmobility
centres, accessible beaches (and much
more) near you and across the UK.
Directgov is UK government citizen
information website. To get the Directgov
Blue Badge map on your internet-enabled
mobile phone, text BLUE to 83377.
To view a demonstration video and to get
instructions on how to use this service, visit:
www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople

Update Newsletter – June-July 2009

Advice Week 2009

In October, Advice Week celebrates the
advice sector and can be a great way to
raise awareness of your services.
This year’s Advice Week will take place
from 12 – 16 October, with a theme of
getting advice before a problem escalates
into a crisis.

Co-ordination of Advice Week is being
undertaken by Citizens Advice and they are
offering a range of materials based around
the four objectives of this year’s theme:

Raising awareness of services and
in particular self help materials.
Raising awareness of advice services
amongst hard to reach groups,
specifically those who have English
as a second language.
Raising funds for your charity.
Recruitment volunteers for your charity.

For more information about Advice
Week, please email:
advice.week@citizensadvice.org.uk or
Visit: www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Inform and Advise Magazine – Issue 31 – July 2009

Permitted Work

A new permitted work earnings disregard
of up to £92.00 a week will be introduced
from April 2010 at the earliest.

The disregard will apply to Housing
Benefit/Council Tax Benefit customers
who are claiming contributory
Employment and Support Allowance
(ESA), Incapacity Benefit (IB) or Severe
Disablement Allowance (SDA).
Visit the website of the Department for
Work and Pensions at:

www.dwp.gov.uk

DWP Touchbase Magazine – June 2009 – Edition 55

Equality Bill Update

The Equality Bill has now been published
and contains a raft of measures designed
to tackle inequality and help Britain
become a fairer society by simplifying
legislation, improving public services and
extending protection to a wide range of
groups facing discrimination.
Trevor Phillips, Chair of the Equality
and Human Rights Commission, today
said that the Equality Bill will “remove the
roadblocks to finding the talent to drive
our economic recovery”.

Full details on the bill, including an
outline briefing on the Commission’s
response, can be found on the EHRC
website at:
www.equalityhumanrights.com/
en/projects/newequalityact/pages/
newequalityact.aspx

Calling All Disabled Artists!

A joint committee of representatives from a number of disability organisations are organising Disability Pride 2010. This exciting event will take place at the Oval Basin , Cardiff Bay on Saturday 12 June 2010 . Disability Arts Cymru is looking for a striking image they can use as a logo to publicise this important event.

Disability Pride is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements and talents of disabled people from across Wales.The day will also promote the work of the organisations involved, raise awareness but most of all be great fun. If you are interested in submitting a piece of original artwork for consideration then please email your image to post@dacymru.com.

They request that images are not too large and fit on to an A4 sheet of paper. If you want to include Disability Pride / Balchder Anabledd as part of the design, then please do so. Disability Arts Cymru cannot offer any prize or payment for submissions but the winning image will be used on all Disability Pride publicity, including a t-shirt, and Disability Arts Cymru will credit the artist and make a presentation on the day itself. The closing date is Friday 29 May 2009 . For more information see the website of Disability Arts Cymru at www.dacymru.com

Sara Beer , Disability Arts Cymru, 24 March 2009

Charity Merger Interest

Growing numbers of charities are seeking
advice on mergers and collaborations
as a result of the recession, according
to consultants working in the field.
Enquiries from voluntary groups about
working together have increased by
50% in the past three months, according
to a partner at management consultancy,
BlueSpark Consulting.

The Government’s £16.5m
‘modernisation fund’ for mergers and
partnerships, part of the £42.5m action
plan for the third sector, recently
announced, had got chief executives
talking about collaborations, and it is
expected that such projects to become
more widespread this year.
The Charity Commission is shortly
to publish research on the effect of the
recession on charities. It is expected to
include detailed information on mergers
and collaborations.

Third Sector Magazine – 10 March 2009

Time to Get Equal Week 8 – 15 June 2009

Time to Get Equal Week aims to support
disabled individuals, groups and their
allies to campaign on the things which
matter to them in their local community.
The week is a focal point for raising
awareness and amplifying the voices of
disabled people – and this year we really
hope that DIAL groups will get involved.

As well as running your own local
campaign, taking advantage of the
support and materials offered by Scope,
this year we will be launching a new
fundraising activity in Time to Get Equal
Week, enabling groups to organise
sponsored events in your local area.
Called Time to Get Active, these events
can be anything, but we encourage
something active, fun and accessible
which will help you achieve your
campaigning goals, as well as raise some
money for your group.

We will be creating a whole set of
materials to support you design, organise
and deliver events and provide advice on
how to maximise sponsorship.

This is a fantastic opportunity for DIALs
and Scope to work together under the
banner of a national campaign and to
engage with as wide range of people
as possible.

More information about Time to Get
Equal Week, how to get involved and how
to register your interest in running a Time
to Get Active event will be available soon.
We will also be discussing how DIAL
groups can work with Scope on these
activities at the forthcoming Regional
Meetings.

If you want more information in
the meantime you can email
ttge@scope.org.uk or call
020 7619 7370.

Can you believe it? – Here we are again with
Christmas upon us.

We would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas
and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.
The DIAL UK Office will close on Tuesday
23 December at 4.00pm and re-open on Monday
5 January 2009 at 10.00am after the festivities.

I have to say this year has been very busy but
interesting, with the merger taking place, but we now
have a more secure future after the merger with Scope.
I am pleased to say that almost all the members who
voted for the merger have now renewed membership
and we have managed to encourage some old
members to rejoin.

Countdown to the CIO - 10/11/2008

The Charities Act 2006 introduces
a new legal form of incorporation, which
is designed specifically for charities.
It is called the ‘Charitable Incorporated
Organisation’ (CIO).

At present, charities can be set up with
a corporate structure, but this means that
they normally fall within the requirements
of company law as well as charity law. In
particular, charities have to register both
with the Charity Commission and the
Registrar of Companies (at Companies
House) and provide accounts and returns
to both. As the framework of company law
was designed primarily for commercial
organisations, this may mean that it is not
always suitable for charities.

The Charitable Incorporated
Organisation (CIO) will combine the
advantages of a corporate structure –
such as reduced risk of personal liability –
without the burden of dual regulation.

For more information, please visit
www.charity-commission.gov.uk/
registration/charcio.asp

Employment and Support Allowance
(ESA) is go…September 2008

On 27 October, the ongoing Welfare Reform
programme passes a major milestone when
the Employment and Support Allowance
(ESA) goes live across the country for new
customers with an illness or disability.

The new Work Capability Assessment
(WCA) will provide the gateway to ESA.
Importantly, medical assessors won’t look
at what the customer cannot do (as with
incapacity benefits) but will instead look
at what they can do.

The WCA will incorporate a Work Focused
Health Related Assessment to help identify
the support that the customer may need to
achieve their aspirations.

Further information can be found at
www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/customers/

WorkingAgeBenefits Touchbase Magazine – Edition 52 – September 2008

CRB Guidance

In June, the Office of the Third Sector issued new guidance to help organisations better under when Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks need to be carried out on volunteers. The new guidance responds to recommendations made by the Commission on the Future of Volunteering, which found that “inappropriate and often unnecessary application of CRB checks by organisations that involve volunteers” as being a barrier to volunteering.

The guidance has two aims:

To establish good practice in the application of CRB check
To ensure balance between the need to protect vulnerable groups and the need to take a proportionate approach to risk management.

The new guidance can be downloaded from
www.crb.gov.uk

Third Sector Magazine – 30 July 2008

DIAL UK and Scope merger comes into force

The merger will bring significant benefits for both organisations, combining their resources, skills and infrastructure to create an expanded national advice and information network that will meet the needs of a greater number of disabled people.
There is still a pressing need for this kind of specialist advice service for disabled people. A recent Scope survey revealed that 36% of disabled people say they find it difficult to access the information that they need to make informed choices. With the move towards personalised budgets and complex application processes for funding and support, the need for clear and impartial advice and information is increasingly crucial for disabled people and their families.

The merger will also bring together the campaigning influence of both organisations to create a new and powerful voice for disabled people to lobby on disability issues, whether at local, regional or national level and to join forces behind Scope’s Time to Get Equal campaign.

The local DIAL groups, who voted in favour of the merger, will be consulted on how DIAL UK and Scope can best meet their needs and it is expected that support in terms of capacity-building, quality standards and training will be some of the key areas of focus.

Jon Sparkes, Scope’s Chief Executive, welcomed the merger saying: “The union of our two organisations, who share a similar vision of disabled people’s equality, will deliver many lasting benefits, particularly in enabling us to meet the advice and support needs of many more disabled people across the UK. “Scope is working towards becoming an ally of disabled people and their organisations and this merger is an excellent example of how we intend to use our organisational capacity to enable local disabled people’s organisations to thrive. Our immediate priority will be to listen to and understand the needs and plans of individual DIAL groups in the network and identify the support that they want from us and DIAL UK in the future.”

Jane Thompson-Brierley, Operations Director for DIAL UK, said: “We are delighted that our members voted in favour of the merger. This marks the new start of a whole new future for DIAL UK and our network and we are looking forward to working with our members and with Scope on plans for the future.”

DIAL UK will retain separate branding although there are likely to be some changes to its main logo, which will include Scope’s corporate colours. Consultation will begin soon with DIAL UK groups to assess their needs for the future.

Review of Social Care and Disability Benefits - July 2008

The Government has launched a consultation on the need for a ‘new care and support system’. Worryingly, the major driving force appears to be a projected £6 billion ‘funding gap’ over the next 20 years, resulting from ‘rising expectations and life expectancy’.

The review will consider the balance of funding between individuals and the state. The provision of disability benefits is included as a major source of public support, against a background of a projected 50% increase in expenditure over the next 20 years if funding continues on the present basis. The consultation will continue until November 2008.

DIAL UK and Scope join forces to offer enhanced national information and advice service - posted by - PRESS @ 08:07 PST 14th July

DIAL UK – the umbrella organisation for a network of disability advice groups – is to merge with leading disability charity Scope in a move that will create an expanded national advice and information network for disabled people.

DIAL UK has a national network of around 120 local DIALs (Disability Information and Advice Line) groups, which provide information, advice and support to disabled people. Under the merger these local groups will remain independent and members of the national DIAL UK network, but DIAL UK itself will be run as part of Scope Response, the national charity’s information and advice service.

The merger - which takes effect from 1 August – will bring significant benefits for both organisations, combining their resources, skills and infrastructure to create an expanded national advice and information network that will meet the needs of a greater number of disabled people.

The joining of the two organisations will mean there is once more a dedicated national advice and information service for disabled people of all ages. A similar helpline run by the Disability Rights Commission ceased operating after the commission disbanded in September 2007. There is a pressing need for this kind of service as many mainstream advice organisations often do not provide the level of specialist advice required, and indeed are rarely staffed by people with personal experience of disability.

A recent Scope survey revealed that 36% of disabled people say they find it difficult to access the information that they need to make informed choices. With the move towards personalised budgets and complex application processes for funding and support, the need for clear and impartial advice and information is increasingly crucial for disabled people and their families.

Jon Sparkes, Scope’s Chief Executive, welcomed the merger saying:

“The union of our two organisations, who share a similar vision of disabled people’s equality, will deliver many lasting benefits, particularly in enabling us to meet the advice and support needs of many more disabled people across the UK.

“Scope is working towards becoming an ally of disabled people and their organisations and this merger is an excellent example of how we intend to use our organisational capacity to enable local disabled people’s organisations to thrive. Our immediate priority will be to listen to and understand the needs and plans of individual DIAL groups in the network and identify the support that they want from us and DIAL UK in the future.”

Jane Thompson-Brierley, Operations Director for DIAL UK, said:

“We are delighted that our members voted in favour of the merger. This marks the new start of a whole new future for DIAL UK and our network and we are looking forward to working with our members and with Scope on plans for the future.”

Notes to Editors:

One of the key aims of Scope’s Time to Get Equal campaign, which works to promote disabled people’s equality – is to build a mass movement of one million people to help achieve this. The merger with DIAL UK will mark an important step towards achieving this.

The merger follows extensive discussion and consultation between Scope and DIAL UK and was formally agreed after an overwhelming majority of DIAL UK members (88 per cent) voted in favour of the merger, following Scope Trustees approval.

Scope Response is a free and confidential information, advice and support for all disabled people and their families in England and Wales. It is designed to be very accessible and can be contacted in a number of ways including online, by phone, email, text or type-talk

The network of local DIAL groups provides impartial information and advice to around half a million people each year and DIAL UK, as the national point of contact, handles a further 25,000 enquiries each year.

ENDS

United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - June 2008

On 4th May 2008, the first human rights treaty of the 21st Century came into force. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was ratified by 20 member states in record time, aims to address the fact that disabled people are still discriminated against across the globe.

The new convention does not create any ‘new’ rights. Instead, it categorically states that disabled people are entitled to the same rights as any other person. The fact that the UN has found it necessary to negotiate a so-called ‘minority treaty’ on behalf of disabled people can be seen as a tacit admission that their human rights are often violated.
For more information about the convention, visit the United Nations website at www.un.org/disabilities
Mobilise Magazine – June 2008

Right Payment Programme

The Right Payment Programme helps to ensure that the right amount of Disability Living Allowance is paid to the right people at the right time. Introduced in May 2007, it builds on the previous Periodic Enquiry process, and is part of DWP’s wider strategy for welfare reform and tackling benefit error.

Under the programme, samples of cases are reviewed each year to measure and correct any error and ensure customers receive the benefit they are entitled to. The programme focuses on whether the DLA payment is correct and looks at potential underpayments. as well as overpayments. If the review finds a change in entitlement, the award is adjusted.

For more information, please visit the DWP’s website at www.dwp.gov.uk

Touchbase Magazine – March 2008 – Edition 50

Charities and Public Benefit - 31 / 03 /2008

In January 2008, the Charity Commission published its statutory general guidance ‘Charities and Public Benefit’, which explains that to be a charity in England and Wales, an organisation must have charitable aims that are for the public benefit. The Charities Act 2006 explicitly included public benefit in the definition of a charitable purpose and removed the presumption of public benefit that had applied to charities for the relief of poverty, advancement of education and the advancement of religion.

In the general guidance, the Commission has established two key principles of public benefit and within those principles, some ‘important factors that must be considered in all cases’:-

Principle 1:
There must be an identifiable benefit or benefits
(a) It must be clear what those benefits are
(b) The benefits must be related to the aims
(c) Benefits must be balanced against any detriment or harm

Principle 2:

Benefit must be to the public, or section of the public
(a) The beneficiaries must be appropriate to the aims
(b) Where benefit is to a section of the public, the opportunity to benefit must not be unreasonably restricted:
by geographical or other restrictions, or
by ability to pay any fees charged
(c) People in poverty must not be excluded from the opportunity to benefit
(d) Any private benefits must be incidental
To read the Charity Commissions full statutory guidance on Public Benefit, please visit www.charity-commission.gov.uk/publicbenefit

Charity Matters – PKF Acctants & business advisers – Winter 08

Statutory Dispute Regulations - 05 / 03 / 2008

The Employment Bill, which should come into force in spring 2009, will bring welcome changes to employment law, including the abolition of the statutory dismissal and grievance procedures. Charities will therefore no longer face dilemmas about what constitutes a grievance and the complicated ways in which the statutory procedures interact.

The provisions concerning procedural unfairness in dismissal cases will be abolished. Before the statutory dispute regulations came into force, employment tribunals needed to consider only whether the employer acted reasonably at the time of dismissal.

The bill also includes provisions to clarify and strengthen the enforcement framework for the national minimum wage and provision to strengthen the employment agency standards regime.

Reasonable Adjustments for Disabled People - 25 / 01 /2008

Did you know that there are over 8.5 million disabled people in the UK with only 2 million of those in employment?
It is against the law for companies to discriminate against employees, potential employees and in some cases volunteers who are affected by disability, at any time.

This includes the failure to make reasonable adjustments, which will enable people to start or remain in employment.

A few examples of reasonable adjustments could be:-

Flexible working hours
Providing extra training
Providing modified equipment
Allowing people to work some hours from home
Providing a reader or interpreter
Making adjustments to buildings (eg Installing a ramp)

People who feel that an employer has discriminated against them during recruitment or during the course of employment can contact the Equality and Human Rights

Commission Disability Helpline on 08457 622 633 or textphone 08457 622 644

The DIAL UK office will be closed during the following period:

From 2.00pm on Friday 21st December 2007
Until 10.00am on Thursday 3rd January 2008

Please note that an answer phone service will be available during the festive season and this will be checked periodically.

All the staff and volunteers at DIAL UK would like to wish you all a very merry christmas and a happy and prosperous new year.

Yours sincerely,
Jane Thompson-Brierley
Operations Director

Companies Act Implementation - 30/11/2007

Many of the provisions that were due to come into effect on 1st October 2008 have been postponed until 1st October 2009, including:

Company formation
Company constitution
Company names
Directors’ right to give a service address rather than residential address
Removal of former members from the register of members

For the following provisions, implementation may remain 1st October 2008 or postponed to a later date:

Directors’ statutory conflict of interest duties
Minimum age for company directors
Right of a person with goodwill to object to a company name

Independent Living Review - 26 / 10 / 2007

As part of the Independent Living Review, two executive summaries have been published from reports commissioned by the Office for Disability Issues. The first “Better Outcomes, Lower Costs”, presents evidence from existing literature that savings to health care and social care budgets, could be made by investing in housing adaptations. It also shows that investment in independent living benefits individuals and wider society. The evidence in the reports supports the Audit Commission’s recent recommendations for greater investment in adaptations and equipment to secure better value for money, reduce waste and deliver better quality of life.

The second report is a review of existing literature on the cost and benefits of an “independent living approach” to service provision. This has involved analysis of over 100 documents in the public domain. It also features specific case studies, which investigate different types of support in detail to form a view on the best approaches. It assesses costs and benefits at an individual, service delivery and national level.

The full reports are available on the Office for Disability Issues website:
www.officefordisability.gov.uk/publications
Hard copies can be requested at
office-for-disability-issues@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

Positive about Disabled People Symbol - 30 / 09 / 2007

We are please to anounce that DIAL UK has recently been assessed by Job CentrePlus to use the Positive about Disability Symbol. The symbol is awarded to employers who show their commitment to employing and retaining Disabled People. Employers who use the symbol have agreed with Jobcentre Plus that they will follow 5 areas of Commitment:

To interview all disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for a vacancy and consider them on their abilities
To ensure there is a mechanism in place to discuss, at any time, but a least once a year, with the disabled employee what can be done to make sure they can develop and use their abilities
To make every effort when employee’s become disabled, to make sure they stay in employment
To take action to ensure all employees develop the appropriate level of disability awareness needed to make these commitments work.
Each year, to review the five commitments and what has been achived, to plan ways to improve on them and let employees and Jobcentre Plus know progress and future plans.

This symbol will be displayed on all job vacancy advertisements, inside and outside of the organisation. It will also be displayed on all the paperwork used by DIAL UK. If you would like further information about the Disability Symbol, contact your Disability Employment Advisor at your Local Jobcentre Plus Office.

To find details of your local Jobcentre Plus Office and information about the full range of Jobcentre Plus disability services and programmes, visit their website: www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk

National Lobby of Parliament On Wednesday 17th October 07

There will be a National Lobby of Parliament to support the Disabled Persons Independent Living Bill

The Lobby will commence at 2.00 pm at Westminster Hall and will be preceded by a stunt event (the details of which will be confirmed later).

If you are interested in attending please let you local MP know and ask them to be there so you can talk to them. (See suggested template letter and campaign details attached separately in mailing)

The second reading for the Bill in the commons is on 19th October 07

If you want campaign postcards, which will be delivered to the PM, please contact:
ruth.scott@scope.org.uk.

If you would like general campaign leaflets contact Sue Bott Director
NCIL,
4th Floor
Hampton House
20, Albert Embankment
London
020 7587 1663

Think Tank Report - 27 / 07 / 2007

A report by an influential think-tank has found that improving the skills of disabled people to world class levels by 2020 would boost economic growth by £35b over 30 years. The Social Market Foundation (SMF) report on disability and employment, produced in association with the Disability Rights Commission, says that such a strategy would also tackle child poverty. The report proposes a national commitment to reducing the skills gap between disabled people and the rest of the population, forcing employers to take more responsibility in employing disabled people and giving those who are unemployed more help to improve their skills.

For more information or a copy of Disability, Skills and Work ring: 020 722 27060 or visit: www.smf.co.uk

2007 – The European Year of Equal Opportunities for All

The campaign was officially launched in the UK on 14th May. The aim of the year is to generate a major debate on the benefits of diversity for European societies. It will make people in the EU even more aware of their rights to enjoy equal treatment and life free from discrimination. The years coincides with the creation of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR)

In the UK its efforts will focus on:

Rights- ensuring people know their fundamental rights to equality and freedom from discrimination, as well as changing negative attitudes;
Representing - increasing the participation of all people in society;
Recognition – celebrating diversity; and
Respect – eliminating stereotypes and prejudice.

The CEHR is engaging ministers, MP’s, senior officials and key national and local equality experts in national and regional talks. This will help create fairness and freedom for all. The outcomes of the discussions will be shared with European leaders in Brussels in December Want to know more? Visit: www.cehr.org.uk/content/european.rhtm Disability Equality at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust is committed to promote equality of opportunity for people with disabilities, both as a service provider and as an employer. Currently the trust is working on its action plan for improving services for service users in accordance with the Disability Equality Act 2005 and the Disability Equality Scheme.

The Companies Act 2006 - 30 / 05 / 2007

The Companies Act explains that directors must act in accordance with company constitutions and exercise powers only for the purpose for which they are conferred.

They should exercise independent judgement, reasonable skill, care and diligence. They must also avoid conflicts of interest, decline benefits from third parties and declare any interests they have in company transactions.

Directors are required to give regard to six factors when making decisions.
1. The interest of the employees
2. The long-term consequences of the decision
3. The impact on the community and environment
4. Fairness between members,
5. Relationship with others
6. And reputation.

These statutory duties do not cover all the duties of the Director. For Charity Directors, as the trustees they have a duty not to profit personally from their position.

For more information on The Companies Act:
www.companieshouse.gov.uk

Smoking Legislation - 30 / 04 / 2007

Legislation to ban smoking comes into effect at 6a.m. on 1st July 07. A similar ban was effective from 2nd April 07 in Wales. Similar to Ireland and Scotland, virtually all-public places, including workplaces, will become smoke free in an attempt to reduce the effects of smoking and passive smoking.

Flexible Working New Legislation from 6th April - 30 / 03 / 2007

Employers are being urged to be prepare for the new legislation on flexible working that come into force on 6th April this year. The Work and Families Act 2006 extends the right to request flexible working. These regulations were introduced for parents of children under 6 yrs (18 if the child has a disability) and those who care for adults at home. The right to request flexible working will be a trigger for employers to do more to recognise the needs of carers and provide extra support for these staff. To be entitled to the right to request flexible working an employee must have worked for their employer continuously for 26 weeks and not have made another application to work flexible in the previous twelve months
For more information on this go to www.dti.gov.uk

BBC Watchdog Programme - 29 / 02 / 2007

The BBC have asked Making the Links Project run by Assist UK to look for stories on the situation with Blue Badges for families with disabled children under the age of two.

They are aware that current legislation does not allow for families with a child under two to have a blue badge and are looking for families who would be willing to talk to them about their experiences. They are also interested in talking to families who feel a blue badge would make an enormous difference to them.

All calls and emails will be treated with confidence. If you know someone who would be interested please contact:
The researcher for BBC Watchdog Maria Atherton directly on:
Phone: 020 8752 4565
Or Mobile: 07766 09467
Email: maria.atherton@bbc.co.uk

Study aims to make Underground travel easier - 26 / 01 / 2007

A major new study aims to make underground travel easier for disabled people. London Underground and Direct Enquiries, a nationwide access register that makes access details more accurate and available, are assessing 274 stations. The three-month project will look at lifts, ticket booths and how accessible the journey from street to platform level is. Once completed the information will be available on the direct enquiries website:

www.directenquiries.com

Legal Update - 20/12/2006

New research, conducted by Business Link for London, reveals that only two fifths of small businesses in London have made reasonable adjustments to accommodate disabled people under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). The survey of 100 small businesses also showed that two fifths were unfamiliar with the DDA and how it would impact on them. Furthermore, whilst 70 per cent of respondents had never conducted an access audit of their premises, 61 per cent still believed that their business was “disability compliant.” A spokeswoman from the Disability Rights Commission said the research showed “ignorance and anxiety” yet also contained positive messages, notably that 63 per cent of those that had made adjustments said it had been less difficult than anticipated.

Legal Definition of Disability - 11/10/2006

The Disability Rights Commission has recommended that the government change the legal definition of disability, in order to allow more disabled people to make discrimination claims.

NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE MODERNISATION A Modern Network Supporting Modern Advice Centres - 25 / 08 / 2006

DIAL UK, adviceUK, Age Concern England, Law Centres Federation and Youth Access – have completed research into the infrastructure support needs of advice networks and how they are currently met from a sample of member agencies.

The research, funded by the Home Office and conducted by ADP Consultancy, examined the potential for modernisation of advice infrastructure, drawing on the views of front line agencies and the advice networks. The purpose was to address the need to modernise the independent advice sector infrastructure through the identification of overlaps and gaps and to make recommendations for improvements. The findings are to be used to develop more joined-up, effective and targeted support for frontline organisations that enables them to be more efficient and sustainable.

Employment

A formal investigation into employment issues has been launched by the Disability Rights Commission (DRC).

New Disability Rights Project

This is the first in a series of articles about an innovative new Disability Rights Project developed in partnership between the Law Centres Federation and the Disability Rights Commission. This article will provide an overview of the project, with future articles providing a more detailed examination of disability rights law.

Funding Crisis is threatening services run by Disabled People across the UK

Last month DIAL UK announced to the network that it has had to make staff redundant due to a funding crisis. It has been brought to our attention that more and more Disability Organisations have had to make staff redundant following a funding crisis In the sector.
It has been announced that The National Centre for Independent Living have issued staff with redundancy notices after they did not have adequate funds to meet its current levels of operating costs after its Department of Health (DH) Development Grant fund ended.

Voluntary Sector Review

Third Sector announced that the Government is to conduct a wide-ranging study of the voluntary sector’s long-term future. The review will feed into the 2007 Comprehensive spending Review, which will set government spending strategies from 2008 – 2011.

NEW RATE RELIEFS

Under provisions introduced in the Local Government Act 2003 a small business rate relief scheme will benefit businesses (including voluntary organisations which do not get rate relief) that occupy a single property with a rateable value of less than £8,000.

Statement from the Office For Disability Issues

Thank you to DIAL UK for contributing to the consultation exercise we held in September. As you may remember, one of the things that we talked to people about was the establishment of an Office for Disability Issues (ODI) and what its remit might be.

DIAL UK CHRISTMAS OFFICE CLOSURE REMINDER - 13 / 12 / 2005

Another reminder that DIAL UK closes on Friday 16th December 2005 at 4pm and will reopen on Monday 9th January 2006 at 9am.Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Disability Action in the Borough of Barnet Vacancy- 30 / 11 / 2005

Information and Advice Worker

Principles of Welfare Reform - 04 / 11 / 2005

On Monday 10th October the Secretary of State for Works and Pensions, the Rt Hon David Blunkett MP announced the new Principles for Welfare Reform. I am please to say DIAL UK was invited to attend this launch along with many other National Organisations.

WEBSITE TO FIND OUT ABOUT PUBLIC SECTOR CONTRACTS - 04/10/05

The Office of Government Commerce will launch in late 2005 a web portal to help small and medium enterprises, including voluntary organisations, identify and bid for public sector contracts.

CHARITY FESTIVAL WEEK 2005 17th July to 23rd July - 30/03/2005

The above event is specifically for disabled and special needs golfers that hold a current golf handicap certificate. Raising Funds for LOROS & SSAFA Leicestershire & Rutland Open for Disabled Persons

Action Learning for Managers Project (2001 - 2004) - 21/12/2004

Action Learning for Managers was a very successful partnership project that ran from September 2001 to December 2004.

Information Service - 08/12/2004

View and search for latest content: Video, Audio, CD ROM and Factsheets via our Information Service

Evaluation reveals IQP success - 13/10/2004

Research by consultants Bob Widdowson and Christine Forrester has concluded that IQP is a success.

E-RECRUITMENT - 01/09/2004

Job recruitment on-line is growing fast with more than a third of job seekers looking for work via the web in 2002 alone, according to the Employers' Forum on Disability.

Volunteers Needed for Biometrics - 22/03/2004

Enrolment The UK Passport Service (UKPS) is seeking 1,000 disabled people aged 18 or over to take part in a biometrics enrolment trial. The trial will test the registration and verification of facial recognition, iris and fingerprint image biometrics.

Quality Project Tackles Exclusion - 28/10/2003

The Inclusive Quality Project, the only free support service for voluntary groups pursuing the legal advice services Quality Mark, launched its new web site on 23rd October.

Factsheets Available - 28/10/2003

The following Factsheets are available: Independent Living for Disabled People Transport and Travel for Disabled People Disability Living Allowance & Attendance Allowance: Survival Guide For A Doctor's Home Visit How Incapacity for Work is Assessed Incapacity Benefit - Survival Guide To Medical Examinations

DIAL UK receives Visionary Design Award for www.dialuk.org.uk - 06/12/2002

DIAL UK, on the 5th December was presented with a Visionary Design Award for their outstanding efforts in ensuring their web site is accessible to visually impaired people. The Awards were presented at The Lowry, hosted by broadcaster, businessman and author Martyn Lewis, CBE, and sponsored by Barclays.

DIAL UK's Annual Conference and AGM - 06/11/2002

'Connecting the Network',took place at the Hanover International Hotel in Bradford on Wednesday 23rd October.

DIAL UK Launches Campaign to end injustice in Medical Assessments for Disabled People - 27/11/2001

‘A Bitter Pill’ – a campaign calling for the end to injustices within the system of medical assessments for disabled people claiming benefits Was launched on Tuesday 27 November 2001 by DIAL UK, the national disability charity.

DIAL UK launches new web site - 24/09/2001

DIAL UK officially launches their new website - www.dialuk.org.uk - at its 2001 AGM.