Changing Lives, Changing Services
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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.

Gateway Fun Run 2013 Posted on by

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We’re pleased to announce that we have a date for the 2013 Gateway Fun Run!

Gateway Fun Run 2012This year’s run will be on Saturday 20th July in Cannon Hill Park.

It’s a 5km course (that’s just over three miles) and everybody’s welcome, whatever your ability. You don’t even have to be able to run the course – you can walk it if you like.

Following the success of last year’s run, when around 70 people took part, we decided to make it an annual event. There were runners, walkers and even mums with buggies! Most people were linked to Gateway in some way – lots were current or past clients of our Health Trainer or Lighten Up services – but some were people who had just seen the adverts and turned up on the day.

The Gateway Fun Run is part of our ongoing work to provide a variety of easy and accessible ways to get active. This is just one option but this gives people the opportunity to do something as a group knowing they’ll draw support from each other.

Last year, Joan was the oldest participant at 80. Following a serious illness, she’d been working with one of our Health Trainers – and increasing her walking was something they’d been doing together. So they suggested she come along and take part, which she did as part of her recuperation. Joan said: “the best thing about today has been walking in company and, of course, the sense of achievement at the end”.

Charlene also took part. She came along with her slimming group, many of whom had signed up through the Lighten Up weight management scheme. She too had health issues, so decided to walk – but was delighted with herself for completing and said: “Coming here today has given me the boost to get out there and do more walking”.

Watch Charlene’s video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0Cdvsa1wcU

If you’re looking for a way to get more active and you want some motivation, a fun run is a great thing to aim for.

As NHS Choices explains:

Running is free, you can do it anywhere, and it burns more calories than any other mainstream exercise. Regular running and walking can reduce your risk of chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke. It can also boost your mood and keep your weight under control.

If you’re interested in taking part in the Gateway fun run, give us a call on 0121 456 7821 or email maxine.brown@gatewayfs.org to register your interest.

We’ll then be able to tell you about the group training we have planned as a warm-up to the July run. We’ll be offering a weekly walking group and a running group to cover different abilities, to help you get into training. We’ll also put your name down for a goody bag!

Ideally, we hope that people who take part in the fun run will get a taste for it and perhaps think about joining the weekly Cannon Hill Parkrun. Around 200 people complete the Parkrun every week – why not you?

Can you live on £53 a week? Yes… if you don’t have to Posted on by

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The media has been full of people talking about how they could live on £53 a week recently but, even if someone takes up the challenge, it will not prove a thing.

If anything, it will camouflage the reality of living in poverty and hardship.

Many people think that it’s possible to live on £53 a week. Those people generally don’t have to – but they are right, it is physically possible. After heating, lighting, phone and a few bus journeys there may be about £12 a week left for food – and, yes, with careful buying and home cooking it could be done, although there would be no cleaning or washing of clothes or people.

But all of this misses the point.

The message seems to be: if you live off the state then you have to live a joyless existence. And £53 a week, every week, is certainly joyless.

The real point, and the point the government seems to be trying to make, is: if you want nice things (or even just things) then you must earn your own money. This is where the stunt of living on £53 a week, a stunt that Iain Duncan Smith or others will inevitably pull, will camouflage the real issues.

Most people who can’t make ends meet, who struggle to feed their families first and themselves second, who are the most punished by these reforms, aspire to better things. The politicians  who insinuate that people don’t want to work, and therefore deserve all they get, can never emulate the lives of real people in poverty.

In these times getting a job is not easy. Many more people are out of work and competition for work is high. To secure a job, you need – at the very least -:

  • Basic education and key skills

  • Family support

  • A network of supportive friends and peers

  • Work experience opportunities

  • Experience of different places and people

  • Self-belief and confidence

  • Financial help at key times

  • Role models

The majority of the population (and almost certainly Iain Duncan Smith) have had most of these in their lives.

And the point is, if you have them, not only could you live on £53 a week, you could lift yourself out of poverty, get a job and reduce your benefit dependency.

But without them? Well, Iain Duncan Smith will never know.

Pregnancy Outreach Workers Handing Over Posted on by

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POWs can support women all the way through their pregnancy and then for a short time post natally (usually a maximum of 8 weeks). In total the support can last for almost a year. This gives the POW the time they need to tackle the woman’s issues, but equally it gives them the opportunity to forge a useful and trusting relationship.  

However they always have an eye on when their support will end – and much of what they do is to prepare the woman for this.  Ideally she will be on a more stable footing and well able to be independent.  For some women the journey is longer so there will still need to be a support network in place that adequately meets her needs.  The aim to to ensure there is a seamless transition and that she doesn’t get lost in the system.

Michelle POW Programme Manager explains; “Ideally handover is something that is thought about before baby comes along.  We like to ensure that every woman has at least one professional to turn to, should they need them. Frequently the handover is to a Family Support Worker so what we’ll try and do is arrange a visit to the local Children’s Centre while mum is still pregnant.  Not only do they get to meet their Family Support Worker and begin to establish a relationship but they see what’s on offer and what they can tap into, so classes, groups etc.”

Michelle continues: “Sometimes mums-to-be, particularly those pregnant with their first baby, may worry about where to get support if they should need it once the POW is no longer around.  This shows them that it’s there.  It’s one less thing to worry about.  It also means that they get familiar with the facilities before baby comes along, which is always a busy time, and it won’t all be new to them.”

Natasha’s coming to the end of her support from Rachael, her POW.  She’s made real progress and it’s hoped that in a few months she’ll be ready to apply for her own house so she and her baby can live independently.  For now, though, Rachael feels Natasha still needs some extra help – which is why she’s introducing her to what her local Children’s Centre can offer – and Natasha’s already applied to do their Positive Parenting course.

Some of the women we support are going to need more help than others.  In many cases the POW has been able to solve the problems the woman was referred to us with, but in some complex cases this isn’t possible.  In this situation it’s about working in partnership with other professionals and ensuring that everyone knows the part they have to play.

Miriam, one of our POWs, has concerns about one of the women she’s supporting: “She had her baby six weeks ago but due to some recent changes both she and I feel she needs some specialist help.  So I’m going to initiate a CAF (Common Assessment Framework).  I’m just filling out the paperwork to get things underway because my aim is to make sure the initial meeting happens before my support ends. I’d like to see who’ll be responsible for doing what and make sure someone takes over the role I’ve been doing which has been sort of co-ordinating things”

Michelle adds: “It depends on the woman.  We take a lead from her and how well she’s coping.  What is set is that handover must happen. There are things we do as part of it that are standard, like making sure mum knows how to register the birth, that she’s getting the benefits she’s entitled to and that immunisations are booked in, but what support remains is a unique thing; it’s tailored to the individual.”

Christmas hampers go out to clients Posted on by

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The last few weeks have seen Gateway staff go into overdrive collecting food and other essentials for our food banks. We’ve been overwhelmed by the generosity of our donors, including many of our partner organisations, like Narthex, Healthy Minds and Birmingham Registry Office, as well as our own staff and members of the public.

In the video below you can see how Gateway staff used many of the donations to put together personalised Christmas hampers for their clients. We also hear from Shanaz, with her new baby, talking about what the donations mean for her.

The hampers include food, but also essentials such as toiletries, nappies and baby clothes; and some small wrapped gifts, so that older children have something to open on Christmas day.

The arrival of a baby should be an exciting time and something to celebrate, but financial issues can make it a time of worry. For families below the breadline, having a baby puts a immediate pressure on already unmanageable finances, so we want to do what we can to ease these concerns. Whether the situation is short term or not, a one-off parcel like this provides food and other essential items to bridge a gap.

“Equality of opportunity” doesn’t just refer to having enough money or food; we think everyone has the right to be happy, too. We hope that by providing some practical help, along with the emotional support that our Pregnancy Outreach Workers already offer, we can take away some of the stress and give families the chance to enjoy bonding with baby.

Gateway welcomes volunteers Posted on by

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This week saw the new volunteers start here at Gateway.  A really diverse bunch, the one thing they have in common is their desire to work with people who need some support in their own communities.

Once they’re out and about, the volunteers will be working as befrienders – offering a friendly face, a bit of a helping hand, some information about local services,going along to groups with people, help with shopping – whatever those who are feeling isolated need!

In the meantime, they’ve started work on the Employability course they’ll all complete as part of their training – a recognised qualification which, along with the work experience provided by volunteering, really helps enhance their readiness for work.  Next week they’ll be working with our Health Trainers and Pregnancy Outreach Workers to get a feel for how they can best support their clients, after that, it’s up to you.

If you know anyone who you think might benefit from a befriender, someone who can support them at home or in getting out and about, someone who can let them know about groups in their area and go along with them to those groups, go out walking with someone or just sit with them at home and share a cuppa, then please contact Chelsea Gaffey on either chelsea.gaffey@gatewayfs.org or call 0121 456 7820.

Gateway gets people cycling with a bike hire scheme Posted on by

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When we have an idea at Gateway we like to get on and make things happen as soon as we can. That’s why, when the Health Trainers realised how many of our clients would like to start riding a bike, we started a bike hire scheme.

Lots of our clients would like to get out and about more, get more exercise and do things as a family. A number of the parents we work with have told us how their children have bikes but they don’t – so we saw a way to help. Cycling is a great way of getting exercise without costing the earth and it’s a good alternative to jogging or walking.

So we went out and bought two bikes – an adult man’s and an adult woman’s – and now, those bikes are available for Gateway clients to hire. We hope that people will hire them for a weekend or a couple of days at a time, just to help them increase their level of exercise.

Vanessa (pictured above) was the first person to take advantage of the bike hire scheme. A mother of three with a full time job, Vanessa finds little time to do exercise during the week. So she hired a bike for a day and used it to cycle to work.

“I was really impressed that the bikes were free to hire and that they could be delivered to my home address,” she said. “Cycling was a lot easier than I thought it would be – so I hope to do it more often.”

So why is cycling so beneficial?

The NHS Choices website explains why cycling is such as good form of exercise:

Regular cycling can help you lose weight, reduce stress and improve your fitness.

Cycling is the third most popular recreational activity in the UK. An estimated 3.1 million people ride a bicycle each month.

Cycling is one of the easiest ways to fit exercise into your daily routine because it’s also a form of transport. It saves you money, gets you fit and is good for the environment.

It’s a low-impact type of exercise, so it’s easier on your joints than running or other high-impact aerobic activities. But it still helps you get into shape.

Source: NHS Choices

If the bike hire scheme takes off, we are looking at partnering with local businesses to provide more bikes – and we hope to start our own Gateway cycling club. When the weather improves, we hope to encourage clients to get the whole family together to cycle around local parks.

The British Cycling website has information about other cycling groups, clubs, cycle routes and cycling events in your area.

If you would like to access the Bike Hire scheme, just ask your Health Trainer.

How does Birmingham support asylum seekers? Posted on by

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In June, I wrote about my involvement with Birmingham’s social inclusion process. As part of this process, I have been asked to comment on how Birmingham welcomes – or not – asylum seekers.

The way that Birmingham deals with new arrivals is covered in the section of the Green Paper titled: 2.3 Develop welcome centres and do more to support new arrivals in the city. But are welcome centres really the answer?

Tsighe is a refugee from Eritrea who struggled to know what to do or how to get help when she got here.

There are several main issues that these people struggle with when they arrive in Birmingham.

Communication

Language is the most obvious problem, and it’s one that impacts on all aspects of life for a new arrival.

In a city where over 180 languages are spoken, we have a good supply of interpreting services, but the ones Gateway get asked for the most are from the less well-established communities: Pushto, Arabic and Farsi.

In our view, this is one the biggest causes of inequality. Not having access to an interpreter can mean people don’t get registered at doctors or schools, or access other vital support services.

Many, many of the people who use our service are leaving behind significant trauma. However, accessing mental health services in a country where you don’t speak the language is almost impossible.

Often, newly arrived people are sent to ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) courses, but we have found that this is often too advanced – and people need to overcome their lack of confidence to get to any kind of course anyway.

Poverty

Poverty is a key issue, and the one that probably makes families most vulnerable. Parents may have difficulty providing food, clothing and basic equipment for their families. Those with medical needs may have to walk miles to appointments as they have no money for transport. The women we work with are particularly vulnerable to exploitation by landlords and others.

While new arrivals wait for their status to be decided, many don’t have access to public funds – meaning that their most basic needs aren’t even met - so there is an increasing need for food banks and other charitable support.

Birmingham’s welcome

So how can Birmingham make life better for new arrivals?

At Gateway we first deal with the short term basics – shelter, food, warmth and safety – and then our support goes much further, for longer. We help by giving practical support to function independently, and motivation to stick with it – all the things a well-informed best friend or family member would do.  And this is what Birmingham should be aiming to do as a city. To help new arrivals learn the language, become employable, to support their own family and to belong to their city.

We also know that connecting newly arrived communities with each other is really important. Training people to support their own communities means that they will have significant understanding of the issues future new arrivals have to overcome.

Health, Housing and Employment policy-makers need to listen to some of the issues people face when they move here BEFORE they decide the solution. Welcome centres are certainly one option, but we must be wary of creating more bureaucracy. I strongly feel that this is one policy that should be led by the people who work and live with the real issues. Those who experience daily the barriers to integrating and settling in a new city, country, culture and community. I urge Birmingham to allow this to happen – and to trust the people who really do know best.

Click here to download the Giving Hope Changing Lives Green Paper

Volunteering helps people into work Posted on by

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One of the hot topics at the moment is The Big Society, it is widely associated with volunteering and opinion is divided about the ethics of volunteering and concerns that paid jobs will be replaced with volunteers.  We want to share with you some positive aspects of volunteering and some of the hidden benefits.

For the last year we have run a Volunteer Programme in partnership with University Hospital Birmingham, linking volunteers with Heart Patients.

The Community Volunteers in Rehabilitation programme or ‘Strictly not Rehab’ as it became affectionately known had obvious benefits to the patients in increasing activity with a view to reducing risk of further heart problems.

We recruited 30 volunteers,  of those 25 were unemployed  many of these haven’t worked for over 3 years.   Today, 14 of these are in paid work.

All 30 got a Level 1 or 2 qualification.    Indeed, 21 of the 30 reported feeling their confidence had improved since taking part in volunteering and 17 said they felt more employable as a result of volunteering.

A surprising  benefit is that 21 of the volunteers have said they have improved their own lifestyle to a more healthy one since joining the programme, because of learning more about heart health.

What did they do?

Volunteers were matched with a patient  recovering from a heart attack.  They learnt about healthy hearts, lifestyle, wellbeing and  rehabilitation and put this knowledge to good use by supporting patients through their rehab programmes.   A big part of this was  informal dance sessions in a bid to get them more active and to help them feel less isolated by making friends and building peer support networks of people who had been through a similar thing.

This programme showed us that in the current climate volunteering  provides an opportunity to get recognised qualifications, improve confidence and get jobs.   All this, while helping to improve the lives of people in local communities.

 

Gateway is enhancing its services through the use of volunteers and providing opportunities for people at the same time – we are always recruiting volunteers, in particular around befriending,  social inclusion and community links – there are opportunities throughout Birmingham.

Families supported into jobs,skills and training -Brilliant outcomes for Birmingham Posted on by

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After five years of working on a project funded through The Big Lottery we wanted to share our headlines.

“July 2012 was the final month for The Big Lottery – Family Supporters  contract.  Although it is sad to see a contract end it certainly should be a time to celebrate the wonderful outcomes that have been achieved.  The Project began by  building on existing training and employment programmes which were designed to support families.  When the economic downturn hit Birmingham there was a shift in focus – to tackle some of the barriers facing those that were unemployed.  After five years we supported hundreds of clients with varied needs.  Our aim was to reduce the inequalities in health, employment and training by supporting those most in need especially those lost in the system. 

In the past five years we have worked with 532 people on this contract, all in difficult circumstances and all wanting to improve their lives and the lives of their families. 

  •  128  found long-term paid employment
  • 219  joined a training programme
  • 95  became volunteers
  • 213 reported the support helped them with being more involved with community services
  • 165  gained new skills and qualifications
  • 160 said they were more likely to progress independently after being in the programme 

 The Keyworker team here at Gateway deserve a ”huge congratulations’  for not only achieving ALL the set outcomes by the commissioner but also to have achieved some wonderful outcomes that have really changed people’s lives.

 We are hoping that a recent funding application for an extension to the contract may be successful, watch out for an update ……

 

Investing in pregnant women needs to be the focus of family policy Posted on by

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We have been working with pregnant women in Birmingham over a number of years.  Many have difficult and complicated lives and while we primarily want to support them, we also want to help people understand how systems and services can let them down at times.   In particular we want to urge commissioners, policy and decision makers to examine if their services really support people who have greatest need.

The  Pregnancy Outreach Worker service  is increasingly showing us where there are gaps in services, these gaps lead to exclusion, inequality and injustice.  The picture we see is in contrast to the Troubled Families Unit report - which was compiled after talking to 16 families in poverty.    This report does not challenge services but does seem to lay blame   firmly at the door of the poor.

I reviewed the case of a current client we are working with,  her circumstances prompt a number of questions about  the way support services are structured :

Jodie was referred to us when she was 14 weeks pregnant,  22 years old, living in a hostel, an unplanned pregnancy, the father unwilling to be involved.  Jodie suffers from depression and self-harms, she has debts and is on medication.  Her baby is due in December –  her life is chaotic.

Jodie was referred to mental health support service by her GP, however she did not turn up for several appointments and so was discharged from their service.  She has not seen her named Midwife in 4 months.

Jodie has mental capacity and therefore does not meet the definition of a Vulnerable Adult, which would entitle her to support from Adult Social Care.

Jodie’s baby is unborn and does not have a Social Worker involved – the baby, when it is born, may generate Social Worker involvement.

Jodie has been re-housed but does not have any money for food – she is in receipt of food parcels

Jodie’s chaotic lifestyle did not start when she became pregnant and will not end when the baby is born – It appears that statutory support services will begin when the baby is born and considered at risk or in need.  The work we are doing with Jodie is to prepare her for parenting and being able to support a child, but crucially to understand causes of her chaotic life.  We are examining the gap with what is available to her and why she is not engaging with services.

We believe that investing time in her may prevent her child becoming at risk or in need.  Our aim ultimately is that Jodie and her child will be able to function well as a family unit.  - Jodie is one of over 200 pregnant women we are currently supporting in Birmingham

(names have been changed)

Photo by Nina Matthews Photography