PPlog

The UK government recently published its long-awaited proposals about changes to the existing long-term out of work sickness/disability benefits system.  The proposals are predicated on the idea that 'too many' people are 'languishing' on long-term benefits and their health would be improved if they entered paid work. There is a consultation period running until 17th February on the proposals.  It's very important that consultation responses home in on the likely changes which the government intends, rather than on the storyline that the Department for Work and Pensions ran with in the run up to the release of the Green Paper.  I've written a blogpost which attempts to expose the fallacious unilinear causal relationship that is being claimed between health and work and which also attempts to deconstruct exactly what the DWP is proposing.  I hope this might help others to respond to the consultation. https://jennymorrisnet.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/the-work-health-a...

From Andrew Roberts http://studymore.org.uk/ studymore@studymore.org.uk telephone: 020 8 986 5251 mobile 07505527755 home address: 177 Glenarm Road, London, E5 ONB In January 2015 we had to cancel a meeting of the Survivors History Group. This followed a difficult period working out how we could mange as a group, raising money, and monitoring accounts, for example. Careful thought and discussion followed and, as a result, we separated the groups administrative issues from the general meetings (they are dealt with by a small finance group) and prepared a series of meetings with substantial discussions of themes (Mary Barnes and creativity, for example) and books. These have been much appreciated, but although records have been kept of the discussions, these have not been adequately reported to readers of this email newsletter. This is is one of the many things on which I have fallen behind. The meetings we fully planned finished in September. Because of the personal problems of members,...

The Norfolk Health 'Runaround?' A question I have to ask is: Does the NHS in Norfolk have deliberate devious policies to prevent or hamper access to some services? The way I'm being treated here strongly suggests that is so. “A personal health budget is an amount of money to support a person’s health and wellbeing needs, planned and agreed between the person and their local NHS team. The vision for personal health budgets is to enable people with long-term conditions and disabilities to have greater choice, flexibility and control over the health care and support they receive... Regulations 201317 set out CCGs’ legal duties relating to NHS CHC and CC rights and personal health budgets. These include duties to publicise and promote their availability, to provide information, advice and support, to consider requests for personal health budgets and to ensure they have the systems and processes in place to be able to make this provision.” (NHS England, 'Guidance on t...

Subject: Notice of Survivors' Poetry new poetry publications August 2016 Hello Andrew and History Group aficianados, Survivors' Poetry announces: August 2016 NEW from SURVIVORS’ PRESS! Your summer reading sorted!...to borrow a well-worn strap-line from the commercial world – Survivors’ Poetry is delighted to announce three Survivors’ Press poetry collections were published earlier in August 2016, available NOW on Amazon Kindle as e-Editions ahead of the print options. Plus an extra, for info…! Wendy Young: The Dream of Somewhere Else https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dream-Somewhere-Else-Wendy-Young-ebook/dp/B01JIJNIK2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470467680&sr=1-1&keywords=wendy+young+the+dream+of+somewhere+else Sarah Gonnet: Voices https://www.amazon.co.uk/Voices-Sarah-Gonnet-ebook/dp/B01JGHOL34/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1470070231&sr=1-1&keywords=sarah+gonnet Steve Mann: Brief companionship https://www.amazo...

The theme of the Survivors History Group at the moment is museums, collections, memorials. With support from the survivor historians and others, the Marchmont Association has approved a plaque to the poet and survivor activist, Charlotte Mew. See http://studymore.org.uk/bio.htm#CharlotteMew - This is a major victory, but they now need to raise £1,200 to cover the cost of manufacturing and installing the plaque: https://marchmontnews.wordpress.com/2016/05/28/mew-appeal-launched/ On Wednesday 27.7.2016 the London meeting of the Survivors History Group will discuss what a survivor history museum might contain?. The discussion will begin with an outline of survivor history by Peter Campbell and then Peter and Andrew will make suggestions about the possible content of a museum. Should a museum be focused on objects like ECT machines, asylum notices, bath fittings, and picture postcards of asylums, or should it be focused on the work of survivors - art - poetry - politics - expression o...

From Andrew Roberts http://studymore.org.uk/ studymore@studymore.org.uk telephone: 020 8 986 5251 mobile 07505527755 home address: 177 Glenarm Road, London, E5 ONB Book now for the `Insider, Outsider, Impostor?´ conference at Hendon  (Middlesex University) on Monday 18.7.2016. As well as the information below, a pdf is attached. Middlesex University Centre for Co-production in Mental Health Inaugural International Seminar: `Insider, Outsider, Impostor?´ Perspectives of mental health service  user and survivor researchers and teachers on co-production in academia. Monday 18th July Room C114, College Building, Hendon Campus, Middlesex University London NW4 4BT Service users and survivors are vital partners in mental health research and teaching. Experiential expertise is more important than  ever for creating effective, inclusive mental health support. Co-production is emerging as a powerful way to approach equal partnership workin...

From Andrew Roberts http://studymore.org.uk/ studymore@studymore.org.uk telephone: 020 8 986 5251 mobile 07505527755 home address: 177 Glenarm Road, London, E5 ONB A meeting of the Survivors History Group will take place at Together,  12 Old Street, London,  EC1V 9BE on Wednesday 25.5.2016 between 1pm and 4.30pm. Everyone is welcome and refreshments will be provided. Here are the other dates for 2016: Wednesday 27.7.2016 Wednesday 28.9.2016 Wednesday 30.11.2016 London meetings are on the last Wednesday of every other month For this meeting, Peter Campbell has prepared a talk about disability  and the survivor movement. This is not his review of "HelenSpandler's book", as he has not finished reading all of it, but he will refer to it. Helen's book is Spandler, H., Anderson, J. and Sapey, B. 2015 Madness, distress and the politics of disablement. Policy Press I am wondering if we could have a collective review of it on Wedn...