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NWSADP Advocacy goes Surrey Wide
Improvements made to the Blue Badge Map
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NWSADP Advocacy goes Surrey Wide
NWSADP has announced the introduction of a Surrey wide professional advocacy service for people, over 16 years old, with a physical and/or sensory impairment. This new service has been funded by Surrey County Council’s, Adult Social Care until the end of March 2011.
Advocacy is taking action to help people say what they want, secure their rights, represent their interests and obtain services they need. NWSADP has been providing a free, independent and confidential professional advocacy service in North Surrey for several years and will now mirror this service across the whole of the county.
Announcing the new service, Clive Wood Director of NWSADP said “We are pleased that Adult Social Care has agreed to fund this much needed service. It is important that disabled people across the whole of Surrey have access to professional advocacy.” Clive went on to say that “There are some exciting new initiatives in terms of the Government’s Independent Living Strategy; a five year plan which aims to make sure disabled people have the same choice, freedom, dignity and control over their lives as non-disabled people. Independent, professional advocacy and information are key elements in allowing disabled people to make informed decisions.”
New Advocates will be recruited in early January to help provide the advocacy service across Surrey.
NWSADP have been asked to provide this service as a stop gap until March 2011. In this time, Surrey County Council will issue a tender for this advocacy service from April 2011.
One Stop Information Shop
NWSADP are pleased to announce that, along with Surrey Coalition of Disabled People, Surrey Independent Living Council, Action for Carers and Surrey County Council have been successful in bidding to the Department of Health for funding to set up a ‘Citizen’s Hub’ in the Epsom, Ewell and Banstead area.
The aim of the Citizen hub is that it will be ran by disabled people for disabled people. It will be in a prime location, which will be accessible to all the local community.
The hub will act as a one stop information shop, where it will be easy to find out information, gain advice and find out how to access advocacy and other services.
The project team supporting the development of the hub want the involvement of local disabled people and carers at a very early stage so that they can shape how the hub will look and what services it will provide.
Improvements made to the Blue Badge Map
Directgov's online map of parking facilities for Blue Badge holders now includes a rail map feature, with accessibility information for more than 2,000 train stations.
This will enable people who have Blue Badge to plan journeys in the UK more easily and book direct assistance in advance.
The map has been expanded to feature accessibility information for more than 160 major football stadiums. This should help Blue Badge holders, their friends and family have a better experience at the game, whether home or away!
The mapping service has been developed by Directgov's Disabled People and Caring for Someone franchise, part of the ODI Communications Team.
Find out more on the Directgov website:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/MotoringAndTransport/Bluebadgescheme/