August Forum Notes

So we've had the final Forum meeting (for now...you will be given the opportunity to take over!) There was a great presentation by Ryan Bradshaw from Stephensons Solicitors, and Sheena Taylor also came from DWP to give an update - mostly PIP-related, but managed to cover some other topics too! The notes are linked below, as are a copy of Ryan's presentation and further information from Sheena. I also have a few spare hard copies of Ryan's presentation - please contact me if you'd like one.

If anyone would like to volunteer to host a meeting around mid-October, please get in touch and I can help you get the ball rolling...!

Notes
Presentation

From Sheena
PIP Guide
PIP Components
PIP Update
PIP Support Worker Guide

June's Forum Notes

Apologies for the delay but the notes from June's forum meeting are now available here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1aWoCJw0ptPVWtZdjZSQWc4YzQ/view?usp=sharing

We've also got the slides from the Pension Wise team's presentation to share with you; they can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1aWoCJw0ptPdk9iMTVjU3NuQlU/view?usp=sharing

It was a really great session, with fantastic presentations from both the Pension Wise team and Mike at Choices Community Trust on work clubs - thanks also to Barlow Moor Community Association for pitching in with your valuable experience, and to everyone else for some really worthwhile contributions.

Also documented here is the reminder that August will be the last forum facilitated by the MAA team. We're delighted to hear that there's enthusiasm for other organisations taking up a bit of responsibility for meeting organisation so the group can continue, as we can see from the feedback forms you fill in that they've been really useful for you.

Please don't miss out on the next meeting, as it would be great to see as many faces as possible at the last session....it's also going to be really valuable, with a session from Stephenson's Solicitors on Discrimination in the Welfare Benefits System, and Chris Hulse will also be attending. And, if all else fails, lunch is provided! Click here to book your space now - August 11th, 1.30-5pm at Friends Meeting House

It's the Final Forum!!

....And if you're not singing Europe's 'The Final Countdown' now...well, you're probably more sensible than us!

Anyway, the time for the last of our scheduled forums has come, and we're going out with a bang - we have a session on Discrimination in the Welfare Benefits System, followed by Chris Hulse from DWP, and all our regular agenda items. Throw in plenty of time to network, lunch and some homemade baked goodies and you're onto a winner...

So make sure you sign up quick here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/maa-august-forum-tickets-17617218575

We'll look forward to seeing you there!

Your Next Forum Meeting!

Ladies and gents, it's time for the next forum! We're hoping to have some Work Club representatives answering your questions, as this is what you told us you want; we've also got someone from Manchester CAB's new PensionWise service coming to tell you all about what they do, and we'll be looking ahead to what happens to the network in the future - we really want you to have an active input into what this looks like, so please come along and have your say!

We're at a new venue this time - Kings House is just off Oxford Road - follow Sidney Street round and it's on your right. There will be lunch provided, with the meeting starting promptly at 2pm - if you have special dietary requirements or you don't plan on having lunch, please let me know so I can adjust catering numbers accordingly.

I'll look forward to seeing you all there!

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/maa-june-forum-tickets-17149968016

May Forum Notes

Ladies and gentlemen, it's the moment you've all been waiting for....the notes rom May's forum meeting are now available!! Don't all rush at once, but they can be found here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1aWoCJw0ptPaUt6QjVjdmkyWms/view?usp=sharing


The next forum is on 23rd June, 1.30-5pm including a tasty lunch at Kings House Conference Centre, Sidney Street, M1 7HB - it's just off Oxford Road. We're currently confirming the speaker, and then we'll make it a live event for you to book onto....but get the date in your diary now!

March Forum Marvellousness

Thanks SO much to everyone who attended the Forum on March 17th - it's the busiest we've been, and it was fantastic to have such a wide range of organisations represented, getting their opportunity to share information and ideas.

We've got the notes written up, and you can read them by clicking here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1aWoCJw0ptPdFVkYkhIWlZWUWs/view?usp=sharing

Don't forget to get the next Forum date in your diary - 5th May, 1.30 - 5pm at Friends Meeting House on Mount Street, including another tasty lunch! Also, if you know of any organisations that you'd like to see at the meetings (either as speakers or as attendees) just get in touch and let us know so we can try and get them involved.

Forum Notes & Manchester Move Presentation

Thanks to everyone who came along to the January Forum meeting - it was great to have such a healthy turnout, and we hope you all found it useful. Whether you were there or not, hopefully you'll find the notes useful, as well as the Manchester Move presentation (both linked below). And if you weren't there, hopefully they'll be so interesting it can entice you to come along next time!

Our next meeting is scheduled for 17th March...although we'll also be arranging a Universal Credit briefing before that (details to be posted here in the next day or so). For the next Forum, as I mentioned in a previous post, we'll be extending the meeting slightly, going for a nice venue and getting you lunch in, so book out a time slot of 1.30 - 5pm in your diaries!

And finally...it's been suggested that for Chris Hulse's slot next time we agree questions from you guys in advance - this seems sensible, especially as we've asked her to bring along a Work Coach to answer questions (this is still being confirmed). So, if you've got a burning question that you'd like answered, please post it in the comments section below, or on the Message Board

Forum Notes: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1aWoCJw0ptPaERobTVRSGVtX0k/view?usp=sharing
Manchester Move Presentation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1aWoCJw0ptPeEtkT0JHVFZZRzg/view?usp=sharing

New Forum Dates for Your Diaries!

If you were at the Forum meeting on Tuesday, we mentioned having an event to make use of the skills that are present within the Alliance. However, given that response to this was relatively small, and that also we're aware that full-day events are harder to get into your diaries, We've decided instead to make the next 4 forums a little bit bigger, more exciting, and in shiny new venues...we're even going to make the timing a little longer and provide lunch for you too! That way, you still get lots of networking time, but you also get a chance to get a bit longer with those guest speakers that you requested.

So....get these dates in your diary!

Tuesday, March 17^th
Tuesday, May 5^th
Tuesday, June 23^rd
Tuesday, Aug 11^th

Timings - likely 1.30 - 5 (to allow for lunch) Venues still TBC, but will always be central Manchester.

Of course, you are still the owners of theses meetings - if you think this isn't the best way to do things, if you'd like the timing to be different, if you'd like to swap one of these for a full-day event, if you'd like to just make a suggestion for a speaker -LET US KNOW! We'll always respond to what works best for you.

Who Are We Missing?

We were delighted to have so many people attending the October Forum, but we want to make sure that our network continues to grow and that we're reaching as many people as possible. If you're aware of other organisations who you think might benefit from attending forum meetings and being part of the network, please comment below, or send me their contact details to rosi.hunter@manchestercab.org

Let's make this thing MASSIVE!

Outstanding October Forum....and December Details!

October's forum was an all round success, with a fantastic 36 people attending, representing 22 organisations. The main highlight was Colin Billingsley, DWP's External Relations Manager, coming to talk about Universal Credit, and answer questions about how it will work on the ground. You can find the full notes from the session below, as well as a copy of Colin's presentation.

Notes: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1aWoCJw0ptPTFJXdkZmZjBsakE/view?usp=sharing
Presentation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1aWoCJw0ptPN1dLZkZrMVR3NE0/view?usp=sharing

Furthermore, we've got details of the next forum already! We'll have 2 guest speakers - Lynne Brown from the Welfare Provision Scheme, and Chris Hulse - DWP's Partnership Manager. We'll also have all the regular 'rolling topics' on the agenda, as well as an opportunity for you to feed in to an exciting event we're planning for 2015...book your space here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/maa-december-forum-tickets-13870610369
NB: Venue has not been confirmed yet; it is likely to be Central Hall on Oldham Street, but may need to be adjusted depending on the group size.

Forum Dates 2014/15

We've revised the forum dates a little from the original dates we gave you waaaaay back when we started, so just to keep you in the loop, this is what we're now looking at:

October 16th
December 11th
February 12th
April 23rd (slightly late to account for school holidays)
June 18th
August 20th

As mentioned in our previous post, please let us know if you have any suggestions for future meeting topics and/or speakers by either commenting here, or on the message board.

September Forum - Dealing With Destitution training

At your request, we moved the August forum into September, and put on training covering Dealing with Destitution. The session was delivered by CPAG, and was a highly informative, in-depth and valuable look at how to support people through sanctions, appeals, and other complex decisions which make them highly vulnerable.

We'd love to be able to post full information from the day, but you'd be here til next week trying to read it all, plus we don't want to rip off someone else's training! Still, we've captured a lot of the salient points for you, as well as the Forum discussion results, so we hope you'll find these useful. If you have anything to add regarding future forum topics, please comment below, or use the message board to keep us informed!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1aWoCJw0ptPMlN4bVM3Z1l0WUk/edit?usp=sharing

MAA July Forum - and TRAINING CHOICE!

July's Forum was a great session, with an informative talk from the Booth Centre on the new regulations for EEA migrants, as well as an opportunity for people to discuss the services their organisations offer in the hope of making better signposting connections. We also covered the usual forum 'rolling topics', as well as giving an update on what the Alliance have been up to. The notes, plus the slides from the presentation can be found below:

Notes: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1aWoCJw0ptPZ1NEejhBQkFVUGs/edit?usp=sharing
Presentation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1aWoCJw0ptPaFBUTTY3QjhLTWc/edit?usp=sharing

Most importantly, we talked about the next forum, and we really need your feedback on this as a matter of urgency. Firstly, the topic - we're hoping to provide a full training session for either a full or half day (topic dependent) and we want to make sure it's the right choice of topic for you, so we need your input. Secondly, the date - it was due to be held on August 21st, but we recognise that services may be even more pushed than usual over the summer holidays, meaning that taking time out for training is impossible, so we're asking if it would be better to move it to the first week in September.

What you need to do:
Comment below, or email rosi.hunter@manchestercab.org to let us know your 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices of training topic from the following options:

PIP - what you need to know
Universal Credit
Welfare Reform & Sanctions
Welfare Benefits Refresher / Update
ESA Appeals
Housing Benefit Problem Areas
Bedroom Tax - 1 Year On
Dealing with Destitution
Challenging PIP decisions

Also, let us know if you'd prefer to keep the date as the 21st August, or if it would be better in September.

Please get back to us by 5pm, Monday 28th July.

Roll Up! Roll Up! July's Forum is Here!

Yes, it's that time again already - July's Forum is now open for bookings and it would be really good to see you there.

This month we have, at your request, Hannah from The Booth Centre coming to explain the new legislation for EEA migrants. We'll also have time dedicated to signposting, as it's something you've indicated you'd like time on; we'll give you all time to talk about the work that you do, who you work with, where you're based etc. so you have a better awareness of each others' services, but also time to chat about the problems you encounter when it comes to signposting clients, and if there's potentially something the Alliance can work on to combat this. On top of all that, we'll also cover the usual rolling agenda items, and get you up to date on what the Alliance has been up to recently.

To book your places, click here:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/maa-july-forum-tickets-12018570869

Marvellous May Forum!

Massive thanks to everyone who made it to the meeting of the May Forum on the 29th. It was a really useful session, getting information about Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit and the work they do, as well as information on the new CAB system and how clients can access services.

From the feedback form, we certainly get the feeling that people are finding the meetings really useful and informative, and are taking away lots of good practice to share with their teams, which is great news....we just want to make sure that as many people as possible can benefit! So, if you know of someone who might benefit from the forum, whether that's a specific individual or just an organisation, please email their details to me at rosi.hunter@manchestercab.org so I can make contact with them.

We really hope we'll see you at the next forum - 10th July, 2-5pm. Venue is TBC, but will be in the city centre to make access easy for everyone. If you'd like to come, but 3 hours is difficult to manage, please get in touch - often attending for half the meeting is still productive!

Forum Notes Here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1aWoCJw0ptPclFLU0R6QlhZUUk/edit?usp=sharing

April Forum

This month's forum was a really interesting one, with Terry Patterson from Manchester City Council coming in to discuss the Appeals process with advisors and answer questions. People seemed to come away feeling a bit more knowledgeable....at least, I hope they did!

For those of you who weren't able to make it, never fear! The notes are now available for you to read at https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1aWoCJw0ptPRFdPSy14OUpHVGc/edit?usp=sharing If you have any questions that weren't answered, just let me know and I'll see what I can do for you....just comment here, or drop me an email - rosi.hunter@manchestercab.org

As a result of the forum, the Project Board are keen to arrange a meeting with the DWP to discuss the sector's concerns. To contribute your case study to our argument, please post it on the message board topic I've created, or drop me an email.

Thanks!

Forum Fabulousness....

So....you couldn't make the March forum...it's a shame, and we missed you, but we're not ones to hold grudges, so we've decided to share the notes with you anyway!

It was an interesting session, with Chester Benefits Training delivering a session on the JSA Claimant Commitment, explaining the differences between that and the Universal Credit CC, and how sanctions should work....so that when they're handed out incorrectly, you know what to do about them.

You can read the notes from the 'rolling agenda items' section of the session here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1aWoCJw0ptPR3JlN1RQQUVXaU0/edit?usp=sharing# We're hoping to have the slides from the CC session in the near future, so will post as soon as we do.

And if you want to join us for the April forum, you can click this link: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/maa-forum-april-2014-tickets-11088322471 to sign up. The main focus of this session will be Appeals, with Terry Patterson from the Manchester City Council Appeals Team talking you through how the system works and answering your questions. We really hope you can make it!

Roll up, roll up! Book your forum spaces now!

So, you said you wanted a session on the new Claimant Commitment and Sanctions, and we went out and found one! Chester Benefits Training will be running a 2 hour session for us as part of the March meeting, which we hope will be incredibly beneficial. We'll also then be holding the regular forum 'rolling topics' after that to catch up with you on what's happening in the sector. The meeting is on the 24th March, 1:30 - 5pm, at YPSF City Centre Project, 52 Oldham Street, M4 1LE.

As the session is limited to 20 spaces, we're initially asking that you only book 2 spaces per organisation for now, so that a range of organisations can be involved. However, if you would be interested in more spaces, please email rosi.hunter@manchestercab.org, and if there are still available spaces closer to the date, we can allocate these on a first come, first serve basis.

You can book your place here, where there is also a link to the full meeting agenda:
http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/maa-forum-march-2014-tickets-10722857355

Get Your Voice Heard!!

Ok, we all know the world of advice is a little bit tough right now, but can you put your finger on exactly what the problem is? Do you want the chance to share your opinions with like-minded professionals across the sector? Do you want to contribute to the Alliance and be part of a wider voice for the sector?

Great stuff (I'm assuming you said yes, by the way....)! In that case, get involved with the Manchester Advice Alliance Advisor Forum, specifically designed to help frontline advice workers to share good practice, gain some new skills, and understand the range of services operating across the city.

If you're interested in attending the first meeting on January 23rd, 2:30-5pm please contact Rosi Hunter (0161 830 2073 / rosi.hunter@manchestercab.org)

Early Network Forum notes

The notes from the Early Network Forum meeting on Wednesday 13th November are linked below; thank you to all who attended.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1aWoCJw0ptPNUVWTzFyMFRxUTg/edit?usp=sharing

If you have anything you wish to add, or contact details of agencies you feel should be involved, please contact Rosi Hunter on rosi.hunter@manchestercab.org