I can now confirm that a final decision has been made by the Police Authority and Chief Constable in relation to the proposed changes to operating hours at Wednesfield Police Station.

The decision to amend the opening hours as proposed has been ratified, therefore from 1st April 2012 Wednesfield Police Station will close between the hours of 1800 x 1000 hrs.

The decision was not taken lightly and followed a further period of consultation and footfall analysis to increase the volume of data available to help provide direct comparison between different months of the year.  The overall demand profiles were very similar and therefore justified the decision to amend the opening hours due to a lack of demand for front office opening outside of the new opening hours.

Can I again reassure you that the change to opening hours does not mean that we will be reducing the service we provide to communities. Officers will continue to work within communities, patrol neighbourhoods and work with local people and partners to identify and solve issues of concern. There is also the intention to have an enhanced number of officers working from Wednesfield Police Station in the future in support of further organisational developments.

In summary:

The Police Authority have made the decision to amend the opening hours based on: Public protection being the main priority when making choices on savings. Having a duty to secure value for money from the services we provide by reducing unnecessary demand, changing work practices or service levels. Assessment of future service provision being made previously on actual demand.

Should you wish to view the full Police Authority document which outlines the report from the Chief Constable for consideration as to the revised operating levels it can be found on the Police Authority website at www.west-midlands-pa.gov.uk.

If I can be of any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact me. Jan Thomas-West. Superintendent – Local Policing. Wolverhampton Local Policing Unit. West Midlands Police Tel: 01902 481360 Mobile: 07796 181501

j.thomas-west@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk
Website: www.wolverhamptonpolice.org.uk
Twitter:   www.twitter.com/wmpolice
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wolverhamptonpolice
YouTube:  www.youtube.com/westmidlandspolice

Lunch at the Bluebrick Pub

Tuesday 6th March 12.30pm

Join us for lunch at this popular venue just outside the City centre, it offers a varied menu and a relaxed atmosphere.

The Bluebrick Pub, Broad Gaugeway, Wolverhampton

Ten Pin Bowling

Monday 12th March 12.00pm

Stryker’s, Shaw Road, Bushbury

£1 per game

Do you want to get a STRIKE! And have a bit of fun.

Then come along to a afternoon of Bowling where each

game costs just £1 to play. To book your place, get in touch.

The Woman in Black

Wednesday 14th March 2.00pm

Light House Cinema, Wolverhampton

£ 3.80 including tea/coffee

Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) is a lawyer who is forced to leave his young son and travel to a remote village to attend to the affairs of the recently deceased owner of Eel Marsh House. Working alone in the old mansion, Kipps begins to uncover the town’s tragic and tortured secrets. His fears escalate when he discovers that local children have been dying under mysterious circumstances. When those closest to him become threatened by the vengeful woman in black, Kipps must find a way to break the cycle of terror.

If you would like more information about Activeyes or want to join in any of our activities please contact Tim Jukes at the Beacon Centre on 01902 880111 or email tjukes@beacon4blind.co.uk

From March activeyes is going to give you the opportunity to get active with weekly walks across different areas of
Wolverhampton. Please see below for details.

Hickman Park, Bilston
Thursday 8th March 11.00 am
Meeting at Bilston Park Shelter which is in the park.

Northycote Farm Walk
Tuesday March 13th 11.00 am
The walk will last for approx an hour.
We meet outside the tearooms.

West Park
Tuesday 20th March 11.00am
We meet outside the Tearooms.
The walk lasts for approx 45 minutes and is suitable for all.

Bantock Park
Wednesday 28th March 11.00am
Meeting outside the front of the house and the walk lasts
around an hour.

If you would like more information about activeyes or want to join in any of our activities please contact Tim Jukes at the Beacon Centre on (01902) 880111 or email tjukes@beacon4blind.co.uk

The DWP has launched a consultation about the effects of cancer treatment on whether someone passes the 2 medical test in the Work Capability Assessment. Here’s the easy read version.
Note—the deadline for submitting views is 9 March 2012.
More clients with cancer are placed in the support group since amendments to the regulations from 28th March 2011 to include those-
(i)receiving treatment by way of intravenous, intraperitoneal or intrathecal chemotherapy; or
(ii) persons who are likely to receive chemotherapy treatment within 6 months. or
(iii) recovering from that treatment and the Secretary of State is satisfied that the claimant should be treated as having limited capability for work-related activity/ limited capability for work.
Macmillan Cancer Support have stated -
‘ …… cancer patients receiving oral chemotherapy are not exempt, and have to go through the medical assessment, even though their condition may be just as debilitating as someone receiving non oral chemotherapy. Similarly, those receiving radiotherapy are also not exempt. Macmillan believes this differentiation between cancer treatments is unfair, and does not have a clinical justification.’

Disabled people risk losing out because government benefit reforms are overly based on the medical model of disability, MPs have warned in a report.

Parliament’s work and pension’s select committee said that the proposed assessment for personal independence payment (PIP) did not take sufficient account of the social barriers to living faced by disabled people. PIP is due to replace disability living allowance from 2013 for people of working-age.
“The PIP assessment criteria, as drafted, tend towards the medical model of disability,” the report on the proposed reform said. “[The mobility criteria] concentrate heavily on ability to move a fixed distance and do not include barriers to accessing public transport, or the difficulties of some locations for individuals where routes to shops, public transport etc are particularly hilly or stepped,” it added.

The government hopes it will save 20% of the amount spent on DLA by 2015-16 through the introduction of PIP, with 500,000 people due to lose out on support as a result of tighter criteria. But the committee’s report raised a series of concerns, including doubts that the savings would be as large as the Department for Work and Pensions envisages.

It also noted that many claimants, including those eligible, would find the face-to-face assessments stressful and a source of anxiety, as has been the case with the work capability assessment used to determine eligibility for employment and support allowance.

Source: Community Care

http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/20/02/2012/117991/mps-disabled-people-to-lose-out-from-medical-model-reform.htm

Safeguarding failings by social work staff left a learning disabled couple at the mercy of a relative who used power of attorney to abuse them for six years, an investigation has found.

The couple, Mr and Mrs D, suffered financial and emotional abuse at the hands of Mr D’s brother that “could have been avoided or lessened” but for statutory services’ failure to intervene, found the report by the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland. Though the watchdog praised council social work staff for working hard to support the Ds, it slammed poor information sharing and case recording - including a two-and-a half year gap in case records - a lack of care co-ordination and a failure to carry out risk assessments.

Council managers also failed to act on serious concerns recorded by a community care officer, while the problems were underpinned by a lack of understanding of the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000.

The brother, Mr E, was granted power of attorney, enabling him to take decisions about the couple’s welfare and financial affairs should they lose capacity, in 2003. Though a GP deemed that the couple had capacity to grant consent to this, the commission found that it was unlikely they understood the implications of the powers they were handing over to him and were pressured into doing so.

In addition, the community learning disability team had not passed on concerns that it already had about Mr E’s undue influence over the couple to the GP, which could have altered his view of their capacity to consent.

Source: Community Care

Link: http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/16/02/2012/117985/safeguarding-failings-left-disabled-couple-at-mercy-of-abuser.htm

16^th February 2012

Member of Parliament PAUL UPPAL will be attending Gorgeous on Friday 2nd March 2012 to speak, take questions and greet.
Paul is Conservative MP for Wolverhampton South West and Chairman of the All Party Urban Development Group.
This is a great opportunity to meet a government MP, ask questions and raise points on LGBT issues both locally and nationally.
The meeting will begin at 5pm with introductions followed by a question and answer session and finally an opportunity to meet and greet with a buffet.

Some long-term sick and disabled people face being forced to work unpaid for an unlimited amount of time or have their benefits cut under plans being drawn up by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Mental health professionals and charities have said they fear those deemed fit to undertake limited amounts of work under a controversial assessment processcould suffer further harm to their health if the plans go ahead. The new policy, outlined by DWP officials in meetings with disabilities groups, is due to be announced after legal changes contained in clause 54 of the Welfare reform bill have made their way through parliament.

The policy could mean that those on employment and support allowance who have been placed in the work-related activity group (Wrag) could be compelled to undertake work experience for charities, public bodies and high-street retailers. The Wrag group includes those who have been diagnosed with terminal cancer but have more than six months to live; accident and stroke victims; and some of those with mental health issues.

In official notes from a meeting on 1 December last year, DWP advisers revealed they were not intending to put a time limit on the work experience placements.

Source: Guardian

Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/feb/16/disabled-unpaid-work-benefit-cuts

16^th February 2012

CASE STUDY: FIVE YEARS IN A BUDGET HOTEL BECAUSE HUSBAND USES A WHEELCHAIR

Angela Brighton spent her 26th wedding anniversary packing up her family’s belongings before returning to the budget hotel where she, her wheelchair-using husband, Mark, and their three sons have lived for the last four and a half years. The family’s housing association landlord has been granted permission to repossess their home, and the Brightons, unable to pay the resulting court costs and outstanding rent totalling £67,000, now face bankruptcy.

The repossession order, approved last week in Manchester crown court, marks the complete breakdown of an increasingly acrimonious relationship between the family and the Guinness Northern Counties Housing Association – a relationship which started with the best of intentions.

A hereditary condition causing the gradual crumbling of Mark’s spine and hips has left him using wheelchair since 1997, and Angela is his full time carer. The family was offered a new property in Ashton-under-Lyne, near Manchester, designed and built to meet Paul’s specific needs by the housing association on land given by Tameside metropolitan borough council. After some delays, including having to apply for a grant to install a lift to the main bedroom, the Brightons signed a tenancy agreement in April 1999 and moved in five months later.

Clink on the link below to read more:-

Source: Guardian
Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/feb/11/disabled-housing-wheelchair-user?CMP=EMCSOCEML657
13th February 2012

Coffee morning for parents/carers of children on the autism spectrum

 The Spurgeons ‘Chill and Chat’ project is running a coffee morning for parents/carers of children on the autism spectrum, on Thursday 16^th February 2012 (in half term), from 10.30am to 12.30pm.

This will be a chance to meet other parents/carers of children on the autism spectrum. You will also be able to find out information on our project, and other organisations/support groups related to ASD. We are running a session alongside this only for children who are already registered with the ‘Chill and Chat’ project, involving arts and crafts activities.

This will be at The Workspace, All Saints Road, Wolverhampton. Please contact the ‘Chill and Chat’ project on 01902 877550 for more information and to request places.