In this issue, you will find details on how to contact us over the festive period, some updates on our partners, information that may help you reduce household bills and regarding direct payments, and updates on our ever-popular benefits advice service. |
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A Message from our CEO Here we are at the end of 2022 and it really has been a busy year. We at Disability Assist have worked with even more disabled people across Kent than ever before, which has been particularly rewarding for all of us. We realise that the festive season can be a tricky time and that 2023 will bring its own challenges, but we would like you to know that we are still here to help throughout this period. Thank you for being an integral part of Disability Assist this year - we have very much enjoyed working with you all and look forward to helping even more people in 2023. We hope you have an enjoyable Christmas! |
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As we are now in the busy month of December and as thoughts turn to the festive season, we just wanted to reassure you that we are still here to support you over the Christmas period. We understand it might be a difficult and challenging time for some so if you find that you need to get in touch with us, you can still call, email or use the referral form linked below. We will be operating with reduced staff but will be checking emails and messages so please bear with us if it takes a little longer than usual to get back to you. If you need more urgent help, you can call the Kent County Council Mental Health Matters team on 0800 107 0160 or visit their website here. If you need to contact them outside of normal office hours, for example during the night, call 03000 41 91 91. If you think someone is in immediate danger, the best thing to do is call 999 for the emergency services. The team at Disability Assist wish you all the best for the festive season and look forward to working with you in 2023! |
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As some of you will recall, we were previously known as Centre for Independent Living Kent (CiLK) and rebranded in April 2022. Our previous website has been actively forwarding visitors to our new Disability Assist website since then but will soon be shut down. We are aware of some people still using this old website so if that is you, please remember to update any bookmarks and visit us at www.disabilityassist.org.uk instead. |
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If you are a client in North West Kent, you may have used the DIAL information service in the past. DIAL is no longer operating, however we are working closely with the staff at KASBAH to deliver Disability Assist’s services to all residents of Dartford, Swanley and Gravesham with a physical disability. We are able to provide information, advice and guidance and benefits advice as well as other services so please get in touch with us via phone, email or our website. |
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Benefits Advice Please note that our benefits advice service is BY APPOINTMENT ONLY and, unfortunately, we cannot take walk-in clients. This service is also currently overwhelmed by requests so if you work for a referring organisation such as CAB, DWP, Live Well Kent or any other wellbeing provider, then please get in touch with us directly before referring any further clients to talk about how we can discuss providing support going forward. |
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Appointments are filling up quickly as we approach the end of the year so we have listed available slots on our website. Please click on the link below to see the appointments we have available in December and contact us to book an appointment if you would like advice. |
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While we are all looking for ways to reduce costs at this time, it may be useful to know that you could qualify for cheaper broadband and phone packages if you are claiming certain benefits. They’re delivered in the same way as normal packages, just at a lower price. The benefits that qualify will vary between suppliers but you can find out more using this link |
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Direct payments are a game changer and should empower people to take more control of their support. Getting this right is so important, as it will help to put the person at the centre, so they can make choices about what helps them lead a full life. Earlier in the year, Kent County Council held an in-person direct payment ‘game changer’ event, where they were joined by our CEO, Sophie, who gave an update on the latest work being done and the key themes identified when supporting people across Kent. In attendance at the event were people who draw on care and support who are in receipt of a direct payment, personal assistants and carers, with Kent County Council sharing plans and progress on encouraging more direct payments and, more importantly, hearing from attendees on their experiences. The event was a good example of how all groups can work together to shape the future of direct payments to enable more choice, flexibility and control. You can see a roundup of the day, and hear from some of the attendees in this short video. There is a great opportunity to contribute to real change, by making the most of this way of choosing support. Since then, Sophie has joined Kent County Council’s Direct Payments Involvement group as Chair and hosts monthly meetings to discuss what’s working well across the county and opportunities to improve. The group is also joined by Kent County Council Director of Adult Social Care for East Kent, Jim Beale, who takes part in the discussions and gives updates on what the workforce are doing, but more importantly, listens to the points raised to explore how improvements can be put into practice. If you’d like to know more about the work being done on direct payments at Kent County Council , or if you’d like to participate in future group discussions, please contact makingadifference@kent.gov.uk. If you’d like to know more about wider opportunities to engage and share your feedback with Kent County Council Adult Social Care and Health, please sign up to the Your voice network on the Kent County Council website. |
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Are you in Medway and enjoy singing? Medway Skylarks is a fun singing and rhythmic movement group for people with neurological conditions. Sessions are an evidence-based ‘Sing to Beat Parkinson’s’ therapy developed by the Canterbury Cantata Trust. When: Every Saturday, 10.30 am to 12 noon Where: Hybrid face-to-face at University of Greenwich/ Zoom To register for these Skylarks sessions please email: info@medwayneuro.org.uk For more information please visit the Medway Neurological Network website: www.medwayneuro.org.uk/skylarks |
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Get to know Disability Assist! Each month, we're introducing you to a different member of our team so that you know who you are speaking with when you contact us. This time, it's the turn of our Information Officer, Hannah Daley. |
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Hannah has worked for Disability Assist since July and previously worked for Citizens Advice Bureau for 16 years. During this time she was welfare, benefits and debt advisor and supervisor so, needless to say, Hannah has built up a lot of knowledge over the years and we hope our clients will benefit from her varied experience! Hannah's favourite part of the job is knowing that she is making a difference to people who need it the most. When Hannah is not at work, she enjoys cooking and good wine. |
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If you would like to find out how we could help you or someone you know, please get in touch with us using the following link or via the contact details below. | | |
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