Fife Independent Disability Network Newsletter March 2010 Bill Gray MBE Bill started his exploration of Disability Equality in 1988 when the Social Model of Disability was first introduced to Scotland. Shortly after, the Open University provided a course in how to provide Training in Disability Issues. In turn this led to the forming of Fife Disability Equality Trainers, a group of Disabled people who were all interested in promoting Disability Equality and is now the longest established such group in Scotland. Bill was one of the founders of The Dunfermline Forum on Disability, Fife Independent Disability Network, was a founding member of Dunfermline Advocacy Initiative and Fife Direct Payments Support Group. Bill served on the Committees of all of these organisations. As well as Equality Issues Bill has been involved in special projects, again adding to his experience and knowledge. One of these was to facilitate the Government of Portugal to evaluate social services for disabled people and to make it fit for purpose for the 21st Century. Bill has also been involved in the introduction of disability legislation and review of service provision in this country. Other activities include being appointed a Tribunal member for Social Security appeals, a post he has held for over 15 years. Other related activities include: Retired Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Thistle Foundation. Vice Chair and founder member of the Dunfermline Citizen Advocacy Initiative. Member of the Crown Office’s Equality Advisory Group. Committee member of Ownership Options Scotland Bill has also been involved in the production of a number of training packs relating to Disability e.g. Passport - Forging creative partnerships in community care (in partnership with Dundee University.) He was also a Trustee of Scottish Human Services and had input too many of their training programmes, research and conferences. In 2010 Bill was awarded the MBE for his services to Diversity and Disability Equality Training. Bill is also a qualified Yacht Master and sails his 30 foot yacht round the coasts of Scotland, Northern England and Ireland. Council accused of `lack of humanity` as domestic care services scrapped By Gary Fitzpatrick Quote `I have to say this council is really losing the plot and it is the most vulnerable and needy in our communities that are paying the price` gfitzpatrick@dunfermlinepress.co.uk A FIERCE row has broken out over a “deplorable” and “disgusting” decision by Fife Council to stop providing care services such as housework, laundry and bed-making to more than 1800 elderly and disabled people. The latest cutback has stoked up the bitter ongoing battle between the administration and its arch critics, the Campaign Against Charges. The budget proposal at the centre of the dispute stated, “Fife Council social work service would cease to provide non personal care for service users and provide service users with information about private services. “This will involve the withdrawal of domestic service currently being provided unless required for medical reasons.” Labour group leader Alex Rowley said, “This is a really bad decision. It is also illogical as what we are saying is that a carer in an old person`s house will no longer be able to give basic support, like make the bed up, so they will provide the care and then the elderly person has to buy in from the private sector someone to come in and make their bed up. “I have to say this council is really losing the plot and it is the most vulnerable and needy in our communities that are paying the price.” He added, “I have to say I am disgusted in them. There is no other word for it, disgust.” Maureen Closs, of the Campaign Against Charges, said, “On top of news that the shopping delivery and pension collection services are to be scrapped, this latest disclosure is deplorable. “It means that only those people who can afford to pay for help will have a right to a clean house and clean clothes. “Remember these are people who are completely dependent on others for the basic in life, such as getting out of bed, washing and dressing, eating and getting around, because they are disabled and/or frail.” She added, “Withdrawing the cleaning, laundry and bed-making services confirms that these administrations are now abdicating their responsibility to vulnerable people. “It is a crying shame the lack of respect and humanity Fife Council are displaying towards this group of people.” Chair of social work and health, Councillor Tim Brett, said, “It`s vital to understand that we`re talking about domestic support here, things like bed-making and dusting, not personal care which currently gives 4059 individuals the support they need to live at home and for which demand is increasing. “We have to ensure that the limited money we have is spent on essential services for the people who need them most so some things have to change. But the professional care and support provided to our service users remains our first priority. “The changes relate to two previous decisions. Firstly, the revised eligibility criteria approved - without objection - by the social work and health committee in September 2007. “And secondly, an efficiency saving approved by the council in autumn 2007 which meant that domestic care was no longer offered to new clients from 2008. “However, 1631 people were receiving domestic care prior to 2008 and we continued this support. We will now be reviewing their eligibility for the service so that there is no inequality between what we are providing to clients. “No-one will be left high and dry. “Absolutely nothing will change until this has been done and our experienced team have carried out individual assessments with every single person involved. “We will work closely with the service users and their families to identify and agree how the service can be delivered differently but to the same quality and response level. “This could be through a range of ways. Anyone who needs domestic support for medical reasons will continue. From Dunfermline Press 04/03/2010 Carers' Allowance and Complexity The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has published "Supporting Carers to Care" which looks at the way in which Carers' Allowance (CA) is administered and delivered to those that need it. The Committee have followed up on a report published by the National Audit office this year. It is obviously a reasonable thing to do to reward those that perform caring duties that would otherwise by the state. The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) spends £2 billion on CA whereas it is estimated that carers do work that would otherwise cost the state £23 billion. It is also estimated (although we don't actually know) that only 30% of those eligible actually receive it. The Committee rightly emphasises the complexity of CA, pointing out that the underlying entitlements rules are difficult to understand and may put people off from applying in the first place. It cites the example whereby some carers have to apply for CA even though they are not entitled to it just so they can obtain a Carer's Premium or an Additional Amount as a 'top-up' to their existing benefits. Complexity is also compounded because an award of CA can reduce the benefit received by the person being cared for. According to the Committee the problem of complexity is made worse by the fact that the Department's communication with claimants can be 'lengthy incomprehensible and confusing' It supports this assertion by quoting from a standard letter- "Dear … A decision has been made on your claim to Carer’s Allowance. …The details of the decision are as follows:- You are not entitled from 17/05/2007 to 20/05/2007. This is because entitlement must begin on a Monday. You are entitled to £48.65 a week from 21/05/2007. We cannot pay you from 21/05/2007. This is because the amount of State Pension you get is more than the amount of Carer’s Allowance we could pay you." The Committee also finds that carers are poorly supported by staff at Jobcentre Plus who don't have a clear enough understanding of carer's employment needs and don't have the means to identify vacancies that would best meet those needs. The point is also made the Jobcentre Plus staff don't have sufficient incentive to find work for carers as their performance is measured by how many people they get into jobs that pay the minimum tax threshold. The report makes the following recommendations: The DWP should make it possible for those carers only eligible for top up payments such as Carer’s Premium or the Additional Amount to apply directly for those benefits; the DWP should assess the effectiveness of its communications with carers by monitoring common enquiries and contact made by customers in order to identify letters and guidance which may need revision, and should act quickly to simplify them, using its customer groups, such as the Pensions, Disability and Carers Service Advisory Forum, to test simplified communications; the DWP should assess how well its publicity for the benefit reaches particular groups such as ethnic minorities, different age groups or people in different regions of the country so that communications strategies can be revised as appropriate; the Department should assess the effectiveness of its actions to enhance Personal Advisers’ skills and understanding, and to improve information about flexible job vacancies by seeking early feedback from Advisers and carers on job outcomes and staff and customer satisfaction; Jobcentre Plus should incentivise Personal Advisers to find employment for carers by including all part-time job outcomes in personal performance targets. The Department should share good practice across its new Care Partnership Managers, whose role is to strengthen links with other organisations and assist Personal Advisers in referring carers to appropriate support. An additional point of interest is that the report presents in full the evidence given to it by senior DWP managers, in particular the evidence given by Sir Leigh Lewis who is the Permanent Secretary (i.e. the overall boss) at the DWP. when challenged about the needless complexities involved in obtaining CA, Sir Leigh responded with "....the truth is we have a very, very complex benefits system in this country with some 25 different benefits. The complexity has grown up piecemeal over many years, for which, if I may say, we are all a bit culpable—the legislature, the executive, etc. We have tended to add complexity at every turn and we have a hugely complex benefits system". He also informed the Committee that the letter quoted above was being re-drafted and is due to be piloted from June to September- this will then roll out nationally in November. This of course beggars the question why they hadn't worked out for themselves that the letter was unacceptable, don't they have quality control at the DWP? The recommendations in the report are fairly sensible but I would question whether they go far enough. I think that the basic point must be made that even if all carers were currently able to claim CA then this would cost the taxpayer £6 billion per year whereas if all carers stopped carrying out their caring duties then this would cost the taxpayer £23 billion per year. Therefore it would seem that the taxpayer is at least £17 billion in front which suggests to me that carers are being exploited by the state. I know that the DWP's view is that CA is not a wage for caring but surely there has to be some leeway in the system that could make carers' lives more bearable. I would suggest that a start could be made by increasing the weekly amount by 25% and increasing the earnings limit to £120 per week after deductions. I would also relax the underlying entitlement rules (until a better way can be devised) by an equivalent amount and I would remove the punitive measure which takes away some disability benefit from those being cared for when an award for CA is made. With regard to complexity, this is a problem because Parliament has piled unsatisfactory pieces of legislation on top of other welfare laws going back many years. What is needed is a complete overhaul of the benefits system with unifying legislation legislation that allows us to start again with a regime that is reasonably clear and makes sense. From the Benefitsnow Newsletter October 2009 http://www.benefitsnow.co.uk/ Forecourt chip and PIN concern By Cathy Reay A disabled woman has spoken out about how vulnerable she feels giving her chip and PIN credit card and number to petrol station staff because of stations’ inaccessibility. Linda Guttridge of Woodly, Berks, who uses a wheelchair, is unable to access her local petrol station to pay for her petrol so has to trust staff with her credit card and PIN number so that they can withdraw money from inside the station shop. She also alleges that last year a petrol attendant at her local BP garage near Reading, attempted to withdraw funds four times the amount she should have been billed, which Ms Guttridge only discovered when her bank queried the withdrawal. “How often do you see wheelchairs on forecourts,” she said. "This has been a problem ever since I started driving." “I did have an agreement with my local station to keep their manual swipe machine, but they lost it. And now some major franchises are putting chip and PIN machines directly into individual pumps and these are still not accessible to disabled drivers like me that are unable to get out of their cars to reach them,” said Ms Guttridge. Helen Smith, Disability Now’s motoring expert and head of policy for the charity Mobilise, said: “If you’re a wheelchair user remote machines are a problem as there is no-one around to help. But I don’t think we should be worried that this will be the future as it is too dangerous to leave stations unmanned. "There is a card called chip and signature that anyone who doesn’t want to use a PIN number can apply for, which Ms Guttridge should look into. But there is still a lot of confusion about them as cashiers often think they have to override the signature,” she added. A spokesman for BP Oil UK Limited said: “We are not able to have roaming chip and pin machines for security reasons, particularly theft”. He added that putting chip and PIN machines into individual petrol pumping stations was “not something BP are planning”. When we asked the Department for Transport and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to comment both said that this issue does not fall within their remit. Inaccessible Chip and Pin Posted by Barbara Harrison at 29 Oct 09 12:23 You should NEVER give a PIN to anyone else as the banks automatically make you liable for any fraudulent activity. The only answer, if you cannot access the forecourt is to use cash; go to an accessible bank or cash machine and draw sufficient for the petrol. I know it is a pain, that having sufficient cash, especially when the pump goes 2p over may be difficult. An alternative might be a prepay card which you 'load' with a set sum and use, rather like a gift card. This means that your only risk is the sum you have on the card today not your whole banking details. inaccessible chip and pin Posted by Ian holt at 10 Jan 10 13:11 this is a case for the equality & human rights commission this is clearly discrimination against the disabled From Disability Now website www.disabilitynow.org.uk Note from FIDN: Can you please tell us now you get and pay for your fuel for your vehicle or do you have problems getting and paying for your vehicles fuel please let us know. We would like to set up a database of accessible petrol stations in Fife. Fife concessionary card scheme will still operate on Kingdom. Chairman stresses Fife concessionary card holders will still be able to travel within Fife by rail under the scheme. This was revealed in this year`s Fife Council budget announcement which outlined how the scheme would let card holders travel around the Kingdom. Chair of Fife Council`s environment, enterprise and transportation committee, councillor Tony Martin commented, “We are currently facing severe financial constraints and so have had to look at ways we can help the most vulnerable people. “However, this is not a popular decision with some residents but restricting travel to within Fife will free up £250,000 per year to target more funding to those who cannot access normal public transport.” People who hold concessionary travel cards and wish to travel outside Fife can still do so free by bus and this includes travel across the whole of Scotland. He added, “We have around 81,000 MyFife concessionary card holders within Fife who are eligible to travel for 50 pence within Fife by train. “We will continually monitor and review, as we always have done, how we spend money on transport schemes and concessions for the benefit of Fife`s residents. “Our priority as a council must always be to deliver appropriate and fair services to those with the greatest need.” From Central Fife Times March 4th 2010 Response by FIDN Chair The question I ask is how this money is to be allocated and will it be ring fenced or just disappear in to Fife Councils coffers? FIDN suggested increase the cost rather than cutting the concession because to disabled people this can be a lifeline but once again the council failed to listen to the peoples concerns. To talk about 81,000 MyFife concessionary holders who are eligible to travel for 50 pence within Fife by train. Councillor Tony Martin should try travelling by train in a wheelchair, over 50% of stations are not accessible from both sides, so there is every possibility that you will either not be able get on at the station you want or leave at the station you need. Would Cllr Tony Martin be prepared to use a service with such restrictions not counting the fact that if you have a disability you have to book in advance. So what is the point of using this service at least when it went outside of Fife it was worth the effort.. The MyFife card is certainly a good way to travel provided you do not have a severe mobility issues. If you use a wheelchair or mobility issues, buses have only one space. You cannot guarantee to travel or return at the time you want. How many non disabled people would use this service if this happened to them. So this excludes the buses and the Park and Ride, so again back to the car. So once again disabled people are denied the right to socialise and are we going back to the days when disabled were confined to home. What does this do to Fife’s Council green policy when it is forcing people off public transport back into their cars. it was my understanding that the green policy was to encourage people to use public transport but what do I know. Michael Tonks Chair Locked out of the Disabled Toilet? use a RADAR key How do I get one? Visit FIDN with identification (e.g. Blue Badge). If It's easier simply post a cheque along with a photocopy of both sides of your Blue Badge and we'll send your key directly. Is It only for wheelchair users? NO Speak to us for clarification, but you are entitled to use a Radar accessible toilet if you require assistance in toileting, have a visual impairment etc. Cost £3.50 Help me, information Most mobile phones seem like futuristic toys for hyperactive children and most landline phones seem like relics of a past age. Ray Bellisario finds two new models that buck both trends EMPORIA MOBILE Here’s a phone for people who don’t like the ever-smaller, facility-packed mobiles that manufacturers think we need all need. It’s the Emporia, and it doesn’t have all the new-fangled add-ons that serve no useful purpose for older and disabled folk who may not be so adept at coping with confusing gadgetry. I’m colour blind, have poor sight and weak, arthritic hands, and get the trembling, involuntary shakes of Parkinson’s, so the top of the range mobiles that I usually use are wasted on me. The Emporia is slightly larger than most compact phones on the market yet still slips easily into the pocket and it’s not any heavier. The extra overall size cleverly serves the most important purpose of any phone – usability. It provides two main functions – telephoning and texting. Against a bright, plain orange screen, large black figures and letters stand out vividly for easy reading. Numbers on the time display are nearly a centimeter high. Absent are all the obscure icons that usually clutter up the screen. Absent also is the range of options minutely displayed on most menus. In fact, the menu has completely disappeared, which eliminates all the fumbling you get when searching for a feature. Instead, you access the functions from a few clearly-marked buttons on the side. For the hard of hearing, there’s an extra-loud loudspeaker, compatible with hearing aids, that reduces whistle and extraneous feedback. Most impressive is the size of the keys: amazingly, six keys of my current mobile fit into the space of one Emporia key. It’s purpose made for an often overlooked sector of the market. BT CONVERSE 2200 This is a landline phone with basic home facilities. It can sit on a table or be fitted to a wall, and comes in grey or white. Laid out spaciously, it has easily identifiable buttons and keys, making it easy to use. It comes with all the features of other good phones: redial, a very effective volume control and amplifier, hands-free, secrecy and ten one-touch memory buttons for speedy dialing. Audio clarity is superb and makes it an excellent replacement when the time comes to throw out an old or broken phone. INFORMATION The Emporia TALK-premium costs £104.99 inc. £5 airtime from TalkMobile www.talkmobile.com or tel. 0844 854 0838). BT Converse costs around £35 from usual retailers. Info: 0870 240 5029. From the .Disability Now website 19/01/2010 http://www.disabilitynow.org. Note from FIDN editor: I won an BT FreeStyle 750 cordless phone via Disability Now and I find this phone great it has large buttons, a largish screen that has a back light which shows up the text quite well (the text is also quite large, certainly larger than some other phones I have tried). Fife Law Centre Fife Law Centre is a registered charity which aims to improve access to justice and legal advice in the local Fife community for those who either have difficulty accessing legal services or who cannot afford other forms of legal representation. The Law Centre opened on 4 November 2009 and is headed by Afshan Rathore, its Principal Solicitor. It currently has offices at BRAG in Crossbill near Lochgelly (open Monday – Friday) and at the Adam Smith College ‘Our Space’ Centre in Leven (open Tuesdays and Thursdays). The Centre has links with various local voluntary organisations such as Frontline Fife and Citizens Advice and Rights Fife (CARF) and so our solicitors can travel to see potential clients at a variety of locations throughout Fife. The current core areas of the Law Centre’s work include:- Employment Law Housing Law Child Law issues We can also offer general legal advice in other areas however, if an issue is out with the remit of the Law Centre’s work (e.g. criminal law, divorce, wills and executries) or is a matter which requires more specialist advice, we will endeavour to refer the enquiry to another law firm or relevant organisation for further assistance (as appropriate). The Law Centre also anticipates holding a series of legal seminars throughout the year for both local law firms and voluntary organisations and separately can provide more specialised advice/presentations to individual organisations on request. To Contact Us: Tel: 01592 860503 Email: info@fifelawcentre.co.uk The Dependency Culture and People with Disabilities. It looks as though we are going to hear a lot more about the 'dependency culture' between now and the next election as both parties posture about which is best to tackle this particular problem. Yesterday yet another right-wing think tank, the Centre for Social Justice, weighed in with further suggestions as to how this problem should be resolved. Before we precede much further it may be as well to clarify what politicians mean by this particular soundbite. In brief, they are suggesting that people are reluctant to work because low-paid work does not give them sufficient financial incentive to get off the dole and they are content to remain on the benefits they receive. The term 'culture' is used to suggest that a large group of people have become accustomed to thinking his way. Most people who are struggling to get by on unemployment benefit would find this caricature to be deeply offensive but it nevertheless remains the view of both main parties that promising to tackle the dependency culture is a sure- fire vote winner. With regard to disability benefits the report is relatively silent except to note that although "....Benefits to support those who cannot work because of a physical or mental incapacity are among the most necessary provided by the welfare state. Yet Incapacity Benefit/Employment and Support Allowance is one of the most problematic parts of the benefits system". To justify this claim, the report churns out a raft of statistics that show that: the length of time people spend on IB has grown continuously since 1995 until today when 1.2 million (or 56% of claimants) have been on Incapacity Benefit for over five years; the average age of Incapacity Benefit claimants has fallen in recent years, according to a 2007 estimate from the OECD the number of people receiving benefits aged between 20 and 44 had risen by 20% between 1995 and 2005; 5.3% of the current working population currently receive ESA. The report blandly asserts that this is "considerably higher than the equivalent figure in many other OECD countries"; in 1995 25% of Incapacity Benefit recipients had mental and behavioural problems, by 2004 this figure had risen to 38%. according to a DWP survey, 58% of Incapacity Benefit recipients did not think that their health was a major barrier to prevent them taking up work. There is nothing new in this analysis, indeed it could be argued that by doing away with Incapacity Benefit and making all current recipients take the new more stringent test before transferring to ESA, the Government is actually on its way to 'sorting out' the dependency culture. Those that will suffer are of course those with genuine health conditions that will make it very difficult to obtain work of any kind. I'm also a little suspicious of the slur about people with a mental health problem. Mental illness is a disabling condition which prevents many people from functioning properly in society and should be recognised as such. The report also dishes up the same kind of critique of Disability Living Allowance claiming that the number of recipients has risen by 50% since 1997 and that the costs have doubled. The point is made that there is huge variation in take-up around the country with 10% claiming across Northern Ireland, 12.8% claiming in Merthyr Tydfil and only 1.9% in Windsor. There are two big ideas, one is to make work more attractive by subsidising lower- paid jobs and the other is to create just two types of benefit, a work credit and a life credit. The proposals have been given a warmish reception by David Cameron who has said that the Conservatives will give them some consideration and have been derided by Labour who point out that the initial cost of £3 billion is not feasible in a recession and that Labour is doing what it can to battle the dependency culture by planning to review all Incapacity Benefit recipients and by introducing more sanctions and workfare. As I and countless others have pointed out, the vast majority of disabled people really want to work as the best means of lifting themselves and their families out of poverty. The biggest single barrier to this is the negative and discriminatory attitudes of employers. Until that problem is tackled many disabled people will continue to face a life of financial hardship. From the Benefitsnow Newsletter October 2009 http://www.benefitsnow.co.uk/ Fife Council - Public Toilets - Comfort Break Scheme Fife Council has launched a Comfort Break Scheme which, with the co-operation of local businesses, will enable members of the public to access the toilet facilities of participating businesses. A similar scheme is already successful in neighbouring authorities. Businesses will benefit from a potential increase in custom through increase footfall in their premises and they will also have the additional benefit by way of publicity through Fife Council as a Comfort Break Scheme location. The scheme follows a comprehensive review of the publicly available toilets. During this period, it was established that members of the public were generally dissatisfied with some of the existing council facilities on offer. The condition of the toilets did not meet customer expectations, and the users - particularly women - would seek to use alternative facilities such as cafes and restaurants. We: • have created an administrative system for registering businesses and processing quarterly payments • carry out periodic inspections of participating businesses making sure that they meet Fife Council's criteria • display external signage directing the public to participating businesses • update our website on locations of participating businesses For more information Contact Diane Brand, Cleansing Officer (Job Share) Thursday & Friday  Tel: 08451 55 55 55 + Ext 45 09 05 Fax: 01592 583158 http://www.fifedirect.org.uk/atoz/index.cfm?fuseaction=faq.display&faqid=C1CA3C83-CC69-41B0-A08416A65DC88900 From FIDN. When we receive information on new Businesses joining the scheme we will add them to our website. http://www.fidn.co.uk/Accessibility/Comfort%20Break%20Scheme.html The Fieldfare Trust Inclusive Networks lead to Phototrails The Fieldfare Trust is running a Fife based project which aims to make the core path networks of the area more inclusive with funding from the Leader Programme and local councils. Better outdoor access opportunities for all disabled people are a key goal and disabled volunteers already becoming involved in the project. Even at this stage the path surveys the project is doing can be seen on an exciting new web site - www.phototrails.org. Trails at Woodend Community Woodland near Cardenden, Lochore Meadows, Gartmorn Reservoir, the Falkirk Wheel, and Doune Ponds Nature Trail near Stirling al already available. The website has information on paths such as gradient, barriers and surface conditions so that disabled people can view the path before visiting to make their own judgement on whether it is accessible to them. A series of organised walks will be run in the spring and summer to will give volunteers the opportunity to assess paths for themselves with a Fieldfare staff member in support. Volunteers will be trained so that access audits carried out by utilising new skills. The project still has 2 summers to run and it is hoped a great many paths will be assessed and disabled people made more aware of the levels of accessibility available to them. Fieldfare is also setting up a user group. Members of the local access panels who have an interest in outdoor access will be asked to guide the project to the benefit of the disability community. If you are interested in any aspect of the project, give us a call at the Fieldfare Trust. Ian Newman and Alison Rae, 01334 657708 ian.newman@fieldfare.org.uk alison.rae@fieldfare.org.uk THE ILEOSTOMY AND INTERNAL POUCH SUPPORT GROUP What is IA? IA is a national support group for people with ileostomies and internal pouches. Listen Inform Support Established in 1956 as the Ileostomy Association by a group of people with ileostomies and some members of the medical profession, the organisation now has 54 member organisations in the UK and Ireland. These local groups are: Ileostomy Certain Inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, sometimes cause such damage to the large intestine (colon) that it becomes necessary for this to be removed. The lower end of the small intestine which is called the ileum is then brought out through the abdominal wall, forming an Ileostomy, so that bodily waste matter can be collected in an externally attached bag. Ileo anal pouch With the advances in modern surgical techniques some people now have an internal pouch formed. This surgery involves removing the colon and rectum and a reservoir (pouch) is constructed from small intestine. A temporary Ileostomy may be necessary whilst healing of the pouch takes place. Temporary Ileostomy This is often referred to as a ‘loop’ Ileostomy, as it is formed by bringing a loop of small intestine out onto the abdominal wall. A temporary Ileostomy may be formed to enable an Ileo-anal pouch to heal, or to allow a join between two ends of large intestine to heal, when a section of intestine has been removed, most commonly for bowel cancer. What does IA do? Listen-Inform-Support Although major surgery of this nature, with a change of bodily function, will disrupt a person’s lifestyle, especially if the illness has lasted for may years, recovery will often be assisted by contact with people who have been through a similar experience.   The following core activities are provided by IA for people of all ages with an Ileostomy or internal pouch: Visiting Members’ meetings IA Journal Website Young IA Internal Pouch Advisory services Medical research IA’s core objectives are to help those facing these operations to return to a normal active lifestyle as soon as possible after surgery. IA is totally funded by donations and subscriptions and most of the 10,000 members have either an Ileostomy or an internal pouch, allowing us to use the 'because we know, we care’ strapline with confidence. My name is Betty McNeil and I am secretary of the Fife IA Support Group. We meet three times a year at The Staff Club, Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy. Our members consist of people who have ileostomies, pouches, colostomies and urostomies. We also have members who are family or friends of our ostomists and come along to support them. Our meetings are very informal and friendly with lots of talk and discussions. Everyone is welcome. If you wish to find out more about the Fife IA group please contact me at the address , telephone or e-mail below. I will be more than willing to help with information or support. Mrs B McNeil 117 Primrose Avenue Rosyth Fife KY11 2TX Telephone 01383 416320 E mail betty.mcneil@talktalk.net FIDN Website www.fidn.co.uk Total pages viewed over the last 2 months 16,655. Which is 238 pages up on the previous 2 months . Countries that have viewed our website in the last 2 month are: Argentine Republic - Australia - Austria – Brazil - Canada - Chile - China (People's Republic of) - Croatia (Republic of) - Colombia (Republic of) - Czech Republic - Finland - France - Germany (Federal Republic of) - United States federal government agencies – Ireland - Israel (State of) – Italy - Japan - Moldova (Republic of) - Netherlands (Kingdom of the) - New Zealand - Norway - Philippines (Republic of the) - Portugal - Romania - Russian Federation - Spain - Switzerland (Confederation of) - Thailand - and of course the United Kingdom We are always looking for more disability related information that may be of interest to people with disabilities in Fife. Please, Please, Please remember that the Newsletter and website are for you the members of FIDN to voice your opinions (within reason that is), to add disability related articles that may have had a positive or negative effect on you, problems you may have had with services (your local Council, NHS, shops, and other business`s, etc, access your local Council, NHS, to shops, and other business`s, etc,) or even good experiences you have had your local Council, NHS, shops, and other business`s, etc, access your local Council, NHS, to shops, and other business, etc. Please, Please, Please get in touch with us and let us know.   Newsletter and website Editor: Robert A Hunter Advert OPEN DAY for all OSTOMISTS HOLLISTER CONVATEC FITTLEWORTH CLINIMED DANSAC OAKMED COLOPLAST CUI CLOTHING PELICAN COLOSTOMY CARE BRAUN These Companies will display their products and talk to you on Stoma Care Come along and have a great day out with Fife IA Support Group on the 15th May 2010 Everyone is Welcome Bring your family and friends with you Buy at our cake & candy stall & book stall Refreshments will be available 15TH MAY 2010 11.30AM until 13.30pm IN THE STAFF CLUB VICTORIA HOSPITAL KIRKCALDY FIFE KY2 5AH Contact: Mrs Betty McNeil Telephone 01383416320 Supported by Fife Council The Ileostomy & Internal Pouch Support Group USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS NUMBERS: Inclusion Scotland Tel 0141 887 7058 Info@inclusionscotland.org Fife Advocacy Tel: 01383 511155 enquiries@fifeadvocacy.org Scottish Disability Equality Forum Tel: 01786 446456 general@sdef.org.uk Citizens Advice & Rights Fife Tel: 01592 412230 www.cas.org.uk/ NHS/Fife Health Council Tel: 0800 587 4008 www.scottishhealthcouncil.org Equality & Human Rights Commission Tel: 0845 604 5510 scotland@equalityhumanrights.com FIDN OFFICE CONTACT DETAILS: Muriel MacGregor West Bridge Mill Bridge Street Kirkcaldy KY1 1TE Tel: 01592 203993 Fax: 01592 203786 Mobile (SMS Text): 07841504318 Email: enquiries@fidn.co.uk Website:www.fidn.co.uk & www.fidn.org.uk Please visit the websites for more Information. If you have any relevant information you like to share, please contact the Office. Scottish Charity No: SC 026112 THE BELOW ARE SOME USEFUL CONTACT NUMBERS RELATED TO SAFETY Homecheck Tel: 01592 599599 Fife Fire and Rescue Service Tel: 01333 439497 Fife Constabulary Home Security Help / Advice Tel: 01592 418506 Fife Constabulary Safety Officer (East) Tel: 01334 418745 Trading Standards Tel: 01592 416830 Citizens Advice & Rights Fife Tel: 01334 412845 Energy Saving Trust Tel: 0800 512 012 Care and Repair Tel: 01592 631661 Fife Police Non-emergency Tel: 0845 600 5702 All Articles are presumed to be correct, but the Fife Independent Disability Network takes no responsibility for any inaccuracy's of Articles in this newsletter. Please Send in Letters or comment's that may be of interest to FIDN readers to the FIDN office. Please state for Newsletter! Please note that this is no guarantee that it will be place in the newsletter. FIDN Website Only FIDN Member`s now get the new editions of the FIDN newsletters but previous editions of the newsletters plus lots more information can be viewed on our website. www.fidn.co.uk DISCLAIMER: Advertisements of items for sale in this Newsletter are a private matter and FIDN has no responsibility for items offered or sale for any contract or agreement arising from such adverts.