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.
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
The family can be a place of violence and abuse…
Of all our social institutions, the family is perhaps the one with which we are most familiar. As we proceed through our lives, our experiences within the family give rise to some of our strongest and most intense feelings. Within the family context lies a paradox, however: although most of us hope for love and support within the family — a haven in a heartless world, so to speak — the family can also be a place of violence and abuse.
MARILYN POOLE, Family: Changing Families, Changing Times
Farah (not her real name) was physically and emotionally abused by her partner for many years. As Farah was from a Pakistani heritage she was made to believe that this is the norm of every Asian family.
Farah grew up witnessing the same tribulations in her mothers life. Her father used to beat her mother for minor reasons such as; there is mess on the floor which is not cleaned. After questioning her mother Farah’s mother said this is the fate of all women and this is what all men do. Farah grew up witnessing this violence between two people who taught her about life …………….and this is what she was taught, a womans place is in the kitchen, and if she makes a mistake she needs to be punished.
Now Farah is living through the same horror, not realisng this is unacceptable and inhumane. She has a belief ingraved in her from her family that it is normal to live inthis kind of a relationship…….
Saving Money for Local Government and the NHS
A quick and simple public sector reform to save money
The innovation I am proposing is – don’t do anything new - import things from other areas – exhaust all possibilities before starting from scratch – if it is needed it probably exists already.
We have a culture of showcasing our good work and covering up our mistakes – we feel our reputation may be damaged if we share the experiences of getting it wrong, and yet I think if we shared our experiences warts and all, millions of pounds could be saved across the country. Delivering new services in tried and tested ways is the most efficient thing to do. It is about exchanging and unselfishly bringing about social change.
We know that projects are most inefficient at the beginning, cost more and achieve less – it takes at least a year, to test, trial fail and learn how to deliver – then we get really good at it. In other parts of the country people are also testing, trialling failing and learning and getting good.
It’s widely acknowledged that there pockets of good practice – there are lots of them, all over the place. The clever trick is to take the learning and the efficiencies and transplant them into other areas, so that they could benefit.
The constant drive for innovation is tiring and unnecessary – we should prohibit it for a year and see how we get on. The tendency to overcomplicate matters to save money is normal but some solutions are so simple – such as this one from Podnosh - and this is another;
I listened to Sir Michael Marmot describe his findings in the review of Health Inequalities and he correctly identified that people were doing many good things in various places – yet no-one asked how do we replicate. People agree they should ‘share good practice’ – one of the most overused phrases in the Health and Social Care Sector and probably other sectors too – yet no-one really imports good-practice from other areas. I have yet to see anyone else benefit in practical terms from other peoples learning, development, successes and failures and be willing to share their own.
If we want to make cost savings, become efficient and deliver tested effective services then it’s time to stop innovating.
Jacque James tells us how the POW service helps pregnant women
To celebrate International Women’s Day, Pregnancy Outreach Worker, Jacque James, tells us how she is able to support women in all areas of their health and wellbeing during their pregnancy, from housing to diet.
Sometimes, just being there to offer some support is enough….
People Trafficking
I have worked at Gateway for nearly five years. During that time I have worked on all the services including the Pregnancy Outreach Worker Service.
I remember a number of clients who it turned out had been trafficked into this country to be used as prostitutes. Two people in particular stand out in my mind. One was a young girl who had been trafficked from Africa. She was only 19 years old when we met her. She had left her country when she was 14 years old. Once she reached England she was forced to sleep with men every day. The men never used condoms and when she fell pregnant she found out she was HIV+. It was a really difficult time for her. It was a lot to get her head around.
This young woman had a Pregnancy Outreach Worker who was also African. She didn’t come from the same country but there was some common ground. They worked together and the young woman was given a flat to live in, the Pregnancy Outreach Worker carried on supporting her throughout her pregnancy and after the birth of her child.
Fortunately the baby was not HIV+ and mum and baby have gone on to live a happier life.
The other young woman was from China. She was a young teenager. When she got pregnant she was left at a Social Services office by the woman who was handling her. Because she was pregnant she was no longer any use to the sex traffickers.
She had been trafficked by Chinese mafia. She would not disclose anything about them or how she came to the country because she was concerned about her Grandmother who she had left behind. She was so worried about her Grandmother that she kept in touch with her traffickers by mobile and returned to them after the baby was born. That was the last we heard of her.
Social support in pregnancy
Kalvinder talks about the support she got from Gateway.
Being pregnant is supposed to be a happy time, but it can be very difficult. We help mums deal with practical and emotional problems so they can concentrate on keeping healthy – and having healthy babies. After she found she was pregnant Kalvinder came to Birmingham from Southampton to be near her family, but there were problems. We helped her sort out a complicated benefit situation, helped her find somewhere suitable to live - and every problem solved meant there was something less for Kalvinder to worry about – and that’s what our job is all about.
Our Keyworkers get people into the jobs they want
13 weeks pregnant and under a lot of stress, Diane* was a client of our POW service. She was involved with an abusive partner and had suffered an early miscarriage, as well as experiencing the onset of depression. During that time her benefits had also been cancelled.
Diane was referred to the key worker service where she was offered support and guidance from one of Gateway’s Key-workers, Susan Bernard. When Susan met her she was still struggling financially. Susan supported Diane through frequent one to one visits and phone calls and signposted her to relevant agencies, who helped Diane get motivated and search for courses as she was interested in voluntary/paid employment. Diane’s burning ambition since leaving school has been to work in the Travel and Tourism Industry.
Diane was very resilient despite all that she had been through as a young person and had been doing voluntary work with West Midlands Fire Service for a time. She had also managed to find a voluntary placement with Travel Lodge which she has hoped would lead to a permanent position.
She enrolled for a French language class which she has been attending one evening a week to improve her skills but unfortunately had a setback due to a car accident which meant she wasn`t able to continue her role with Travel Lodge. This was really disappointing for her because she had set her heart on working for them as a Receptionist/Front of House role and had done all the required training for the organisation .This was just another barrier to overcome for Diane.
Susan supported her to complete a quality CV and covering letter so she was prepared for future job vacancies.
With the gained confidence and tools for finding employment Diane applied for a job with Birmingham Airport for a Security post. She was not expecting to receive a positive response due to lack of experience but was keen to apply and hope for the best. Diane was then short listed for the interview which was a full days assessment. Diane was very nervous but Susan supported her with interview preparation and confidence building to help Diane focus on the task ahead.
Diane’s application was successful out of sixty applicants and feels over joyed with what she has managed to achieve after such a difficult start
Diane has now started her new job and is finally getting to where she wants to be in life, all with her new baby!
*Name changed to protect identity
POWs get more mums to breast feed
19 year old Jess talking about why she wants to breast feed.
Our latest statistics show that 70% of our mums started breast feeding, compared to 68% across Birmingham.
Most people agree that breast feeding is the best start for any baby. They got all the nutrients they need, it helps give them a strong immune system. It’s so important that UNICEF’s ‘Baby Friendly’ initiative is promoting it around the world. And we always encourage our new mums to breastfeed. Some of them say they don’t want to, but we find that’s because they don’t know how good it is for their babies and how good it is for them.
Some mums simply aren’t confident about trying it, they say they won’t do it right, and sometimes they do find it a bit difficult, and don’t have enough support to get it established.
We visit mums before they give birth to let them know what to expect, and then once the baby’s arrived we visit them at home to answer any questions and help them with any problems. We always encourage mums to give it a go and then support them so they keep going.