Working Families’ Project for Carers and Parents

[Guest guest]

July 2011

Waving not drowning, Working Families’ Project for Carers and Parents of Disabled Children who Work or Wish to Work

Welcome to Waving not drowning’s July e-bulletin.

Working Families and the charity One Plus One are running a research project: Happy homes, productive workplaces, to determine the impact that work has on personal relationships with partners and children, and how this in turn can affect our performance at work. The data gathered will be used to provide a business case to encourage employers to actively understand the effects they can have on families. By completing this short survey you will be contributing greatly. All respondents are entirely anonymous http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/584080/does-work-affect-your-personal-relationships-employee-focus-group-survey- .

You can find good information about part-time workers’ entitlement to equal rights at www.tuc.org.uk/workplace/tuc-19856-f0.cfm .

· The Daycare Trust now offers comprehensive web-based information, www.daycaretrust.org.uk , and email responses to information queries, info@... .

Skill: National Bureau for Disabled Students closed in April. Disability Alliance has taken on some of its work including providing information to disabled people who wanted to go into further and higher education, www.disabilityalliance.org/skill.htm .

The Family Fund, which makes grants to families with disabled children, is finding that the cuts mean that more families are turning to them. At the same time Wales and Northern Ireland are cutting Family Fund funding. For more information about the Family Fund and applying for grants see www.familyfund.org.uk .

There is now a Working Families Facebook page. You can ‘like’ it. Also, Waving not drowning has a Facebook group. If you’re already on Facebook, join the group and add your comments and questions about combining paid work and caring. If you want to join Facebook go to www.facebook.com. Signing up is very straight forward.

Nystagmus Network (NN) has published two story cards about Northwick the bear with nystagmus to help children, teachers and others understand what it’s like to have this unusual eye condition. www.nystagmusnet.org .

This month’s winner of the Waving not drowning Draw was ticket number 000012. You too could win up to £50 in the Waving not drowning Draw, a fun way you can support the Waving not drowning project. Just complete and return the attached form to buy monthly tickets at £2 each by direct debit.

One third of the profits will go to lucky prize winners each month. The more tickets sold the greater the prize money. The rest of the profits go to help the Waving not drowning project including Staffing a helpline advising carers and parents of disabled children Publishing a free newsletter for carers and parents of disabled children Campaigning for a better deal for carers and parents of disabled children in the workplace

Working Families’ booklet From child to adult: a guide to disability, transition and family finance is now up on Working Families’ website, http://www.workingfamilies.org.uk/admin/uploads/from%20child%20to%20adult.pdf and Getting into Work is at http://www.workingfamilies.org.uk/admin/uploads/Getting%20Into%20Work.pdf . Please let me know if you experience any difficulties downloading the booklets.

Please forward this e-bulletin to any friends or colleagues who would be interested. They can contact me at janet.mearns@... to get on the distribution list for the e-bulletin and for the free Waving not drowning newsletter.

There’s lots of information about parents’ and carers’ rights in the workplace on Working Families’ website, www.workingfamilies.org.uk . If the website doesn’t answer your questions you can ring me on 020 7017 0072.

Please remember to let me know at janet.mearns@... when you change email address so that you always get my e-bulletin. If you put my email address in your address book and/or add me to your ’white list’ it will prevent my e-bulletin being caught by your spam catcher. Similarly, if you move house make sure you notify me so that you continue to get your copy of Waving not drowning.

If, for any reason, you don’t want to receive the e-bulletin, just email me at janet.mearns@... and I’ll take you off the distribution list.

Janet Mearns

Disability Adviser

Parents of Disabled Children Project

Working Families

Registered office

1-3 Berry Street

London EC1V 0AA

Direct line: 020 7017 0072

Office Tel: 020 7253 7243 Fax: 020 7253 6253

www.workingfamilies.org.uk

janet.mearns@...

My usual working days are: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

Working Families needs your help! Donate online now to help us keep more low income parents in work and out of family poverty: click here to donate now.