Gateway Family Services
Changing Lives, Changing Services.
We work to improve health, develop skills and opportunities and fight inequalities. We change the way public services work.
5 reasons why people in Birmingham use our free food services
The free food that Gateway’s pregnancy outreach workers provide to some women has attracted a lot of attention in the press recently. It’s always something we’ve done as a matter of course. Part of the practical way we do our work.
It’s not a food bank in the sense you might imagine – stacks of tins in a warehouse. It’s actually a basket where our staff pop the odd tin or packet.
We are starting to find that food poverty in Birmingham has patterns.
Typically on a Friday mums or mums-to-be are short on food – facing a weekend with no money or access to money. That’s the time we’re most likely to need to take them something to tide them over – see them through a tricky week.
So why is this happening in Birmingham in 2012? Why are people so poor or short of money that they can’t afford to feed themselves or their families.
Below are the five main reasons we have found – in no particular order:
- Women in between sources of income: This could be a change in the benefits someone is entitled to, leaving work or any other change which means a gap in the money they receive.
- Women new to the country or the city: When you have just arrived in the UK it takes time to get registered for support, some people might be avoiding the system altogether.
- Domestic violence: This can range from needing to leave home in a hurry without any money to being controlled by an abusive partner in how you spend money.
- A partner losing their job: This is another interruption in the reliable flow of money into a family. Their is often a gap into the time it takes to receive jobseekers allowance and as unemployment has risen more families find themselves stuck in this temporary hole.
- Delays in the system for registering births: This is relatively new. Because it now requires an appointment to register a birth that alone can take two or three weeks. Following that it takes time for any relevant benefits to become available. Both of those delays can mean a family finding themselves very short of money.
Do you know of any others? Which, if any, are easily fixed?
Not in Education, Employment or Training?
Gateway Family Services are offering support to young people between the ages of 16 – 24 years who are not in education, employment or training.
We will be offering courses in Employability and Personal Development, Customer Service and Preparing to Work in Adult Social Care.
We have a key worker service that can offer one to one support with CV building, looking for jobs and finding the right training.
If you are aged 16 – 24 years and live in the Birmingham and Solihull area please call Chelsea Gaffey on 0121 456 7820 for more information.
Train to Gain the Skills Needed by Employers
Ranjit had worked at Jaguar Land Rover for over 30 years when he was made redundant. Because he had worked on an assembly line for many years he didn’t have skills in other areas.
Ranjit used his redundancy money to open a pub but that was just as the recession started. Costs were high and less and less people were going out to the pub so he decided to close the business.
After five years of being unemployed Ranjit decided to do some courses that would make him more appealing to employers. Ranjit signed up the key worker service so that he could get some support with CV building, training and looking for work.
He also volunteered with the Cardio Rehab Volunteers. Whilst volunteering Ranjit did training with Gateway Family Services in Equality and Diversity, Lone Working, Boundaries and Confidentiality and Understanding Health Improvement.
Because Ranjit knew that he had limited experience and skills he decided to attend the Employability and Personal Development course delivered by Gateway Family Services.
Ranjit needed to gain confidence using computers and the internet so he comes to Gateway Family Services to use the computers so that he can check his email and search for jobs on the internet.
Ranjit said that Gateway gives him a reason to come out of the house and still enjoy life while looking for work.
*Names have been changed.
Key Workers Help with Training and Volunteering.
Karen had been a victim of domestic abuse and as a result had been living in women’s refuges in and around Birmingham. Now that she was settled she wanted to carry on with a job in the care industry as this is what she used to do.
Key Worker Rachel, supported Karen to create a CV and an email address. Karen wanted to do a counselling course and an NVQ in Advice and Guidance as she already had an NVQ in Care. Karen knew that she would need to do some voluntary work to gain more experience. Rachel gave Karen some ideas of organisations that she may be able to volunteer with. Karen made contact with them and one organisation invited her to an interview. Rachel downloaded the company’s volunteer handbook and worked with Karen on her interview skills and techniques.
Karen attended the interview and found out that she was successful four days later.
This is a great opportunity for Karen as she will receive training and gain valuable experience as well as getting a reference for any future applications she makes.
*Names have been changed.
Key Workers Support Client to Find a Course
Jennifer* had been receiving support from another service in Gateway when she was referred to the Key Workers. Jennifer wanted a change in direction from the work she usually did. She wanted to work in Primary Education as the hours would fit in with her family life.
Susan, a key worker, supported Jennifer to write a new CV and covering letter. She helped Jennifer to look for colleges that offered teaching courses. Jennifer didn’t have an email account so Susan encouraged her to set one up and to also look for courses in her local area.
Jennifer found a course at Birmingham Metropolitan College in Supporting Teaching and Learning. Jennifer needed a placement and because she was growing in confidence she was able to approach two local schools who agreed that she could do a twelve hour placement with them as long as she had a clear CRB.
Jennifer continues to do the course and will hopefully go on to university later this year.
*Names have been changed.
Key Worker Support Helps Diane to Find a Job
Diane*, a university graduate, registered with the key worker service in November 2011. She was interested in becoming a cardiac volunteer, and following interview she was accepted for the role.
Gateway Family Services offered all the volunteers a training package and Diane also attended training provided by University Hospital Birmingham.
Diane was still getting support from the key worker service while she was volunteering. During her one to one sessions Diane updated her CV and was given tips to help her with her job search. As it had been a while since she had a job interview she was also given support with her interview skills. Diane and her key worker did mock interviews and the key worker gave her some frequently asked interview questions. Diane was able to go away and think about how she would answer those questions.
Within weeks Diane had secured an interview within the Audiology Department of a hospital in Oxford. Diane was successful and is now working in her new job.
*Names have been changed.
Social Inclusion through health volunteering in Birmingham
We had a great time on Tuesday when the Bishop of Birmingham joined the swing dance class which is part of our cardio volunteer scheme. To our utter shamed we filmed him and posted it here!
There is though a serious point.
The Bishop is leading a new Social Inclusion Process for the city. The aim is to understand the impact of social exclusion, explore what works to tackle it, and make recommendations on how to achieve the overall vision for a high quality of life for all Birmingham citizens. Jackie Mould, Director of Birmingham Strategic Partnership, describes it as
“Our vision for this process is to develop a new approach that will help raise aspirations and bring listing change to the quality of life for our most disadvantaged communities and neighbourhoods. “
Gateway runs a unique volunteer programme in Birmingham that both supports people to find a way back in to work, and helps people stay healthy after having a heart attack.
We have strong links with the University Hospital Birmingham and together, through the use of volunteers, run a Cardiac Rehabilitation Programme. So far the project has helped 7 people who were unemployed get jobs, (one of them, who you can see in the video, is our key worker Paul Key) -with one more now in full time training.
Bishop David said:
The cardio volunteer programme is an excellent partnership between Gateway Family Services CIC and University Hospitals Birmingham. These regular dance sessions are a great way of heart patients getting exercise in a supportive and sociable setting, helping their recovery and having fun at the same time.
For more information about the social inclusion process visit www.fairbrum.wordpress.com
Adult Learner’s Week 14th – 18th May
Gateway To Your Future
Are you looking for work, a course or training?
Would you like advice on housing or benefits?
Do you just want to know what is available in your community?
We will be offering workshops in CV building, employment support, volunteering and benefits advice.
Come join us for FREE advice at the following venues:
Monday 14th May Northfield Library 11am – 1pm
Tuesday 15th May Ward End Library 3pm – 5pm
Thursday 17th May Small Heath Library 12pm – 2pm AND Weoley Castle Library 12pm – 2pm
Friday 18th May Shard End Library 12pm – 2pm
For further information please contact:
Chelsea Gaffey 0121 456 7820
chelsea.gaffey@gatewayfs.org
Healthy eating in Birmingham – some myths or facts about food, exercise and weight loss?
Usman Ahmed Health Trainer in South Birmingham
I’m Usman Ahmed – one of the Gateway Family services health trainers and I’m constantly finding myself helping people pick their way through the myths or facts of diet and excercise.
Ever heard of the sayings:
- “Eating late at night makes you put on weight”
- “Carbohydrates are fattening”
- “Low-fat foods always help you lose weight”
- ” You can eat whatever you want, as long as you exercise”
So Fact? Or Myth? Well lets see….. lets take one at a time:
Eating late at night makes you put on weight.
So, you have had a long day. a late night maybe. and now you’re peckish. But its late and you’re conscious of putting on weight by eating late. Well your body system doesn’t actually work like that. The fact is, too many calories during the day will be your downfall. If a late meal is within your calorie limits then it will be used by the body in the same way as having the same meal earlier. So myth.
Carbs are fattening
The amount of times I have heard this is ridiculous. “The carbs I eat is making me put on weight” but the take always, the fried breakfasts, the biscuits and all those other snacks are perfectly fine? I don’t think so. This is a myth. Starchy Carbohydrates such as bread, rice, pasta and potatoes are actually our body’s main source of energy. Its the body’s first choice of energy and should be approximately a third of a normal diet. So next time you think of ditching the bread, first think of the fats and sugars.
Low fat foods always help you lose weight?
Think again. Although some low fat foods may be good for your diet, a fair amount could be doing more bad than you think, thanks to them containing extra sugars and thickeners to boost the flavor and texture. Some people also mistakenly believe they can eat more if they’re choosing low-fat products. But this is rarely the case. In reality, two low-fat biscuits, for example, will probably contain more calories than one standard one. Myth
You can eat whatever you want, as long as you exercise
That’s what our parents always used to say. Well, I just wish that were true… but its far from the truth. The truth is, exercise helps burn calories. So you had two biscuits. lets say milk chocolate digestives. That’s 84 calories each. 168 calories in total. Now to burn off two biscuits sounds easy. Well an adult of 12st would have to run approximately 1 and a half miles to burn off two biscuits. So to eat what you want and to think a bit of exercise will burn it off would be very wrong. Exercise helps, but don’t expect it to work with out controlled eating.
This is my first post on the gateway website – normally I blog over on another Gateway site where we share advice for leading healthy lifestyle in Birmingham (and other places). If you want more good advice and your from South Birmingham (I work in places like Hall Green, Billesley but my colleagues cover much of South Birmingham) on ways to keep healthy then you can contact our health trainers – details here.
This was first published here.
Being a Dad is not as difficult
Being a parent for the first time can be daunting….
Mohammed and his partner Leah are both under 19 years old and have just become proud first time parents to a baby girl.
Mohammed is a full time student studying sports, Mohammed said ” I was scared when I found out that I was going to be a dad, as I did not know what was expected of me to become a good dad”.
Pregnancy Outreach Worker Dee helped and supported Mohammed in making him understand what is entailed in becoming a father. Dee enrolled Mohammed onto Parent craft classes in order to help him understand how to bath and change a baby, how to hold a baby, the benefits of breastfeeding and much more.
Dee helped and supported Mohammed and his partner in various ways, such as; by practically taking them to their appointments in his car, enrolling Mohammed onto Parent craft classes in order to help him to educate himself in raising his baby to the best of his ability. Dee also helped Mohammed in finding a job by referring him to the Concorde centre which is a youth organisation, to help people with voluntary work.
Mohammed is a lot more confident in looking after his baby and is very proud to be a dad, Parent craft classes have increased his confidence and ability to become a dad. Mohammed said he can know tell his friends that being a dad is not so difficult.