August 2009 Disability Information Handbook Contents
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6th Edition: August 2009 Disability Information Handbook Contents Chapter 1 - About Richmond AID ............................. 6 Chapter 2 – Social Services.................................... 13 Chapter 3 – Health Services ................................... 21 Chapter 4 – Voluntary Care Groups, Social Groups and Day Centres ..................................................... 33 Chapter 5 – Advocacy and Advice .......................... 43 Chapter 6 – Carers ................................................. 47 Chapter 7 – Self Directed Support .......................... 50 Chapter 8 – Transport ............................................. 55 Chapter 9 – Aids & Equipment ................................ 70 Chapter 10 – Leisure & Entertainment .................... 78 1 Chapter 11 – Education, Employment and Volunteering ........................................................... 97 Chapter 12 – Benefits, Grants & Concessions ...... 109 Chapter 13 – Homes, Housing & Homelessness .. 131 Chapter 14 –Recycling, Rubbish, Garden Waste and the Environment ................................................... 139 Chapter 15 – Personal Issues ............................... 158 Chapter 16 – Computers and Information Technology ............................................................................. 160 Chapter 17 – Local Groups & Organisations ......... 163 Chapter 18 – National Organisations .................... 169 Index .................................................................... 180 2 This Handbook is written to be used by disabled people and people with temporary or long-term health conditions. It is also used by health and social care professionals, carers and families. Richmond AID produces this Handbook and distributes it, and does not charge for this. However, each Handbook costs over £2 to produce. If you are able to contribute anything to help towards covering costs for this Handbook this would make a great difference. The more funds we receive, the more Handbooks we can produce and distribute free to those who need it. Contact Richmond AID or visit the Disability Action & Advice Centre, Teddington, for more information on how you can contribute with a donation. 3 Introduction This is the sixth edition of our Handbook, updated in August 2009. It provides a ‘signpost’ to services available for disabled people, people with long-term and temporary health conditions and for carers and professionals. This edition includes up-to-date information about Self Directed Support, benefits, where to find aids and equipment and about transport, accessible leisure and inclusive sports. We list national and local disability groups and voluntary organisations for you to contact directly. If you can’t find what you are looking for from the 4 Disability Information Handbook Contents page, please consult the 5 Index at the back for a full list of services. Some of the services and benefits we tell you about may depend on you meeting detailed criteria or conditions. We have not always been able to give these details in full – contact our advisors for more information. If you need further up-to-date information, please ring the Richmond AID Advice Service on 020 8831 6070 or e-mail [email protected] (see ‘Chapter 1 - About Richmond AID’). Richmond AID would be grateful to know of any errors, omissions or changes, so that our information can be kept up-to-date. This edition is correct at the time of writing to the best of our knowledge. Visit our website www.richmondaid.org.uk for more up-to-date information. We would like to thank all our volunteers and staff who helped research this guide, along with our colleagues in other local organisations who gave their time freely. Contacting Richmond AID: Richmond AID 6 The Disability Action and Advice Centre (DAAC) 4 Waldegrave Road, Teddington, TW11 8HT Advice Line open Monday to Friday 7 Chapter 1 - About Richmond AID Richmond Advice and Information on Disability is an organisation of and for disabled people. Our vision is of: A barrier-free world with empowered disabled people who have independence, fulfilment and a sense of self-worth. The Social Model of disability is at the centre of our beliefs and values. This model shows that most problems faced by disabled people are caused by living in a disabling environment that is designed to suit people without physical, sensory or other impairment. Richmond AID’s Board of Trustees, staff and volunteers contain a high proportion of disabled people and people with a personal experience of disability and mental health concerns. For over 20 years Richmond AID has provided specialist advice and information to promote independence and equality for disabled people in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. 8 Advice Service: We run a telephone, web, email and drop-in advice service, staffed mainly by trained volunteers and providing up-to-date information on all aspects of disability including welfare rights and benefits, employment, housing, education, access, transport, mobility, equipment, holidays and leisure. The telephone advice line is open Monday to Friday between 11.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. Our clients include disabled people, their friends, relatives, carers, students, professionals and voluntary organisations. A 24-hour answer phone is available for callers to leave messages at all other times, and you can e-mail us at [email protected] and find more information at www.richmondaid.org.uk . Drop in: Visitors are welcome to drop in and see our advisors during opening times at the Disability Action and Advice Centre, 4 Waldegrave Road, Teddington TW11 8HT, next door to Teddington library. Parking is available. 9 Publications: We publish a newsletter every 3 months, and other useful factsheets. We produce reports, guides and this Disability Information Handbook. Richmond SPADE: Richmond SPADE is a gardening service which Richmond AID runs. This project provides basic gardening services for disabled people. Call 020 8831 6415 between 1pm and 5pm, Monday to Friday. Please leave a voicemail if you are calling outside of these hours or if the line is busy. Benefits Advice: Richmond AID runs a Benefits Advice Project, which is part of the ‘Richmond Community Partnership’. This service is there to help disabled people and people with long-term or terminal conditions get the benefits they are entitled to. Available by appointment at the Disability Action and Advice Centre, or with a visit to your home. Call 020 8831 6080 . 10 Families Outreach Work: Our Families Outreach Officer works with families affected by disability to make sure they are getting the benefits and services they are entitled to, and to help applying for grants for equipment, furniture and more. Call 020 8831 6079. Access Work: Richmond AID has a dedicated Access Officer who provides information and advice to individuals, businesses and organisations on accessibility and the Disability Discrimination Act. Our Access Officer also conducts Access Audits for premises and services to make sure they are accessible to disabled customers. Call 020 8831 6072 for more information. 11 Disability Action and Advice Centre (DAAC): Richmond AID runs the centre which also houses the following agencies: The Visually Impaired Society of Richmond (VISOR) – offers information, support, training and social activities (on Wednesdays) Richmond Users Independent Living Scheme (RUILS) – Information on Personal Budgets, Direct Payments, Advocacy and PA Finder service Richmond Crossroads Care – provides respite breaks for carers The Accessible Transport Unit – this is the section of Richmond Council which administers Blue Badges, Disability Freedom Passes, Taxi cards and Taxi Vouchers. Richmond AID is a Registered Charity, No. 1074788, and is affiliated to the National Association of Disability Information and Advice Lines (DIAL UK). Richmond AID has obtained DIAL UK’s Quality Standard, the Investors in People Quality Mark, and the Two Tick ‘Positive About Disability’ standard. 12 Our Patrons are Sir Trevor McDonald, Mat Fraser, Cllr Pat Parsons, Sir Donald Gosling, Dr. Vince Cable MP and Susan Kramer MP. Our main funders are Hampton Fuel Allotment Charity, the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, the City Bridge Trust, the Big Lottery, Richmond Parish Lands Charity, Barnes Workhouse Trust and Richmond and Twickenham Primary Care Trust. Richmond AID: The Strategic Lead for Physical Disability Richmond AID is the Strategic Lead for physical disability issues across the borough. As such, we aim to share information with, and represent other groups and organisations that work with people with disabilities in the borough by working with the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and NHS Richmond on a number of strategic partnerships (for example): • Disability Equality Action Partnership (DEAP) 13 • Joint Commissioning Group for Older People and Disability and Long Term Conditions (JCG) • Community Safety Partnership (CSP) • Self-Directed Support Programme Board (SDSPB) • Richmond Community Partnership (RCP) We also work with other Strategic Leads1 and Richmond Council for Voluntary Service to promote work on the Compact (a voluntary agreement between the statutory authorities and the voluntary sector). We have also hosted Network meetings with local groups and we regularly send out information that we think is especially relevant for the groups. If you are part of a group that works with people with disabilities but do not receive anything from us – let us know. Our website hosts links