News

SEIF Capital Growth Fund

Thursday, 15 September 2011 11:46

The Social Enterprise Investment Fund (SEIF) Capital Growth Fund is offering capital growth grants and loans of £12 million to social enterprises working in health or social care. The Social Investment Business, along with Local Partnerships, manages the SEIF programme on behalf of the Department of Health.

Until 16 September, they will be taking applications from health and social care organisations for capital grants and loans. 

Grants of £50,000 to £150,000 will be awarded. Loans are also available if the organisation can show it is able to repay. Investments of over £150,000 will include a loan element. 

The grants are available for –
• Property or land purchase
• Some fees relating to capital projects including solicitors, architects and surveyors
• Property renovations and refurbishments
• Purchase of vehicles
• Equipment for delivery of services e.g. fixtures and fittings
• IT equipment

Organisations must be able to draw down and spend this funding by 31 March 2012.
http://www.thesocialinvestmentbusiness.org/seif./

NHS Future Forum to carry out new work on key health issues - update

Friday, 09 September 2011 13:12

The Government has asked the NHS Future Forum, a group of health experts, to carry out a new phase of conversations with patients, service users and professionals, following the recent listening exercise on proposals to modernise the NHS.  The Forum will provide independent advice on the following four themes: information, education and training, integrated care and the public’s health.

For further information please see the links below:

www.dh.gov.uk/health/2011/08/future-forum/

NHS's role in public health factsheet

Education and Training factsheet

Information factsheet

Integrated Services factsheet

Help for soldiers under stress

Wednesday, 07 September 2011 09:36

A Telegraph-backed military charity and member of mhhp has launched an innovative helpline. 

Read more.

FREE Smartphone Applicaton: Stress Tips

Tuesday, 06 September 2011 12:54

Anxiety UK are pleased to announce the launch of their Smartphone Application, Stress Tips, which provides people with ‘top tips’ from fellow anxiety sufferers on how to manage anxiety and stress.

Stress Tips features short audio clips from a whole host of people, from community activists, to celebrities, to therapists in an effort to show that anxiety and stress can and does affect everyone. BAFTA Award winning actress and Anxiety UK Patron, Rebecca Front, provided a tip for managing anxiety and stress. “I lend my support to Anxiety UK because I’ve seen how debilitating and distressing anxiety can be. I myself have suffered with claustrophobia most my life. For me, it’s usually little more than an inconvenience, but for many, many others, anxiety can significantly inhibit their enjoyment of life. Anything that can be done to help them and to remove the needless stigma still attached to anxiety is to be supported.”

Read more

Innovation Excellence and Strategic Development Fund 2012-13

Monday, 05 September 2011 13:10

The Department of Health’s (DoH) Voluntary Sector Investment Programme: Innovation Excellence and Strategic Development Fund 2012-13 is open. The fund offers supports to voluntary organisations in England who are offering services in the health and care field. The DoH website states that:

“Organisations will need to have a clear focus in their applications on how their proposals would support and drive forward new ideas, disseminate and replicate excellence or undertake strategic developments in voluntary sector capacity and/or capability in health and care.”

Applications must be made under one of the three Funding Strands of Innovation, Excellence and Strategic Development and must correspond to one of the four cross-cutting funding themes of :

• Personalisation and choice of care and support
• Delivering better health and care outcomes
• Improving public health
• Improving long-term care and support.

Deadline:

Before making an application, you will need to register on the Award Information Management System by noon, 7 October 2011.

You need to submit your completed application by noon, 21 October 2011.

Contact: DoH
Telephone: 0113 254 5450
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: http://tinyurl.com/3xa574t

Mental health services survey published

Friday, 26 August 2011 09:00

The survey collected the experiences of over 17,000 people who received care in the 65 NHS mental health trusts in England between July and September 2010.

The vast majority of participants said they:

• were listened to carefully and that they had trust and confidence in the health or social care worker they had seen most recently.
• could contact their care co-ordinator if they had a problem.
• had the contact number of someone from their local mental health service that they could call during out-of-office hours.

Read more

Update on Volunteer Employment Status

Thursday, 25 August 2011 10:23

The employment status of volunteers is likely to be something that may concern anyone dealing with human resources in the charity and third sector. What is the legal status of volunteers and are they protected by any statutory employment rights?

David Gray-Jones from Thomas Mansfield explores this issue.

NHS Future Forum to carry out new work on key health issues

Wednesday, 24 August 2011 08:06

The Government has asked the NHS Future Forum to continue a new phase of conversations with patients, service users and professionals following its listening exercise on the proposals to modernise the NHS.

The NHS Future Forum, a group of health experts led by GP Professor Steve Field, will provide independent advice on four themes:

• information: how to make information improve health, care and wellbeing
• education and training: how to develop the healthcare workforce to deliver world-class healthcare
• integrated care: how to ensure the Government’s modernisation programme leads to better integration of services around people’s needs
• the public’s health: how to ensure the public’s health remains at the heart of the NHS.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said:

‘The work of the NHS Future Forum has been invaluable in helping shape our plans for improving the health service. It gave us the opportunity to address head on the concerns people had – helping to make the NHS more modern, dynamic and innovative.

‘Following its report, I accepted all the core recommendations on issues like competition and local commissioning. I’m delighted that the NHS Future Forum will continue its excellent work with patients, service users and professionals, looking at important issues such as education and training, and ensuring we work towards an improved healthcare system.’

For more information click here

Self Care Week

Wednesday, 17 August 2011 11:24

14-18 November 2011

Self Care Week aims to support people, especially those with a long term condition, to learn about how they can take care of their own health better.  It is also a means for local / national organisations to raise awareness of and promote the services they provide that support self care and self management

How can you get involved?

• Tell your Press Office / Communications team
• Put the date on your forward planner / in your diary
• Promote Self Care Week to your members / customers so that they can get involved too
• Start planning activities that could take place during the Week - promote services that encourage people to self care or manage long term conditions
• Sign up for our newsletters ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) which will keep you informed up to and during the week, including access to resources to support local initiatives

Did you know that during Self Care Week 2010

• 130,500 public information leaflets were ordered
• 7,500 Information Sheets for Healthcare Professionals were downloaded
• 4,000 visits were logged on the DH LTC Website
• 1,500 downloads were made of the Self Care Week promotional materials
• NHS Choices website had a threefold increase in the number of people visiting the self care web pages www.nhs.uk/yourhealth

Consultation to inform new suicide prevention strategy

Tuesday, 16 August 2011 13:21

A new consultation on preventing suicide has been launched by the Care Services Minister, Paul Burstow.  This document sets out a proposal for a new suicide prevention strategy for England with the aims of reducing the suicide rate and improving support for those bereaved or affected by suicide.

The draft strategy brings together knowledge about groups at higher risk of suicide, effective interventions and resources available.

The closing date for consultation responses is 11 October 2011.

To take part in the consultation, please visit:  www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_128065