A4A Network Group
Aims of the Group:
- To improve the quality of advice for
- To increase the capacity to provide advice for
- To work together in a collaborative way for the benefit of those citizens
In order to address these aims, funding was obtained from the Big Lottery to fund 2.5 staff for three years from the Spring of 2008.
Outcomes to date:
- A new training suite for the group to deliver training. “The Barbican Training Unit” has been created for use by any third sector agencies to hire when not in use for the A4A training programme
- A comprehensive training programme for advice workers has been arranged using approx. 45 different tutors who have delivered over 100 different training sessions and some topics several times over
- Some of the training courses have been free as a result of successful fund raising to cover the costs
- A sub group looking at joint fund raising meets occasionally to consider applications and agencies who could work in partnership. Several successful bids have been arranged with agencies such as Routeways, Relate, Plymouth CAB, Plymouth & District Mind, Plymouth Age Concern, etc. working together to deliver a service in either a particular subject area or to a unique client grouping
- A sub group looking at developing referral pathways
- Conferences have been arranged on welfare benefits, debt, energy/fuel debt, and two on mental health. Plans are well under-way for a further one on poverty & diversity and on mental health in early 2010.
- Three subject specific network groups have been created which meet quarterly; welfare benefits, mental health and debt. For the latter there are three groups which we facilitate; in
- The Mental Health Provider Network Group has also arranged a ‘Beating Stigma’ event in Drakes Circus to raise awareness to the stigma around mental health and produced a directory of provider groups. They also have an employment sub group
- A range of almost 20 Fact Sheets have been produced on advice subjects and client groups for distribution among members of the A4A network to be given to their clients
- A series of ‘Tip Sheets’ for clients has been produced and distributed
- This website has been created
- Built into the website is a database of advice agencies
- Delivering be-spoke in-house training courses including a series of 8 modules over 8 weeks of an Introduction to Giving Advice for gypsies, travellers and migrant workers so they can advise their own communities. This has run three times now.