This is the 11th monthly update about the Strengthening DPULOs Programme, which aims to ensure DPULOs can provide a strong voice for disabled people by being more sustainable. You can find all 10 of the previous updates here:
Since this is the first monthly update of 2013 this is something of a bumper edition of news, useful links and resources, which we hope you find useful.
“DPULOs Making A Difference: Disability Hate Crime”
As part of the Strengthening DPULOs Programme, we are developing the ‘DPULOs Making A Difference’ series. The series will comprise of collections of practical case studies which demonstrate how DPULOs have and are making a difference in their local communities.
We’re delighted the first in this series of case studies has been published: “DPULOs Making A Difference: disability hate crime”. The case studies are written by a DPULO – Access Dorset – and demonstrate how nine DPULOs have made a difference in addressing disability hate crime.
These have also been shared with all Police & Crime Commissioners and police forces. We’d also encourage you to share them with any relevant contacts you have, too.
You can download the case studies here: DPULOs Making A Difference: disability hate crime
If you are on Facebook, photos of the launch event are here.
A full overview of DPULOs
We have published a post that links together as much of the key information about DPULOs that we know about. This includes (a) What is a DPULO? (b) What DPULOs exist? (c) What value do DPULOs add? (d) What does the government think of DPULOs? (e) What evidence is there concerning DPULOs?
You can find the post and all the information it includes here.
DPULOs news
Below are some great news stories from DPULOs across Great Britain. If you have any news you’d like to share, let us know!
- There was a tremendous debate in the House of Lords about BME disabled people, including mention of the excellent Equalities National Council
- The Minister for Disabled People, Esther McVey MP, held a reception for DPULOs at the House of Commons – pictures
- Some good news about funding that a DPULO has got for its smartphone app for people with visual impairments
- Disability Cornwall has been awarded Investors in People Gold status
- Sharing DASH’s journey
- Shopmobility Lochaber’s experience of implementing PQASSO
- Wiltshire CIL: a DPULO following local people’s priorities
- An incredibly useful update from RUILS on their work on pooling Direct Payments
- Great to see a London DPULO representing disabled people’s voices on transport issues
Useful resources
One key part of the Strengthening DPULOs Programme is to share learning and useful resources. Our bumper edition of useful links and resources is below:
- The Office for Disability Issues has launched the Disability Action Alliance
- ODI has also recently published a very comprehensive piece of research that brings together a huge amount of research and statistics on disability
- Cabinet Office launches Commissioning Academy
- … and the most useful resources on commissioning and procurement around
- An old paper from Joseph Rowntree Foundation which has evidence that DPULOs increase Direct Payment uptake (pdf)
- Funding Central is a free funding database that any DPULO can use to find out what funding is available
- The Government publishes every contract opportunity over £10,000 on Contracts Finder
If you have any learning or resources you’d like to share or have any resources you’d particularly like, please let us know (contact details are at the bottom of this update).
Find out more about the Programme
To find out more about the Strengthening DPULOs Programme, you can visit our website.
We have 250 “likes” on our Facebook page. If you are on Facebook perhaps you’d like to like us, too? We regularly update the page with lots of information you will hopefully find useful, plus news from other DPULOs: www.facebook.com/dpulos
If you are on Twitter, you can share information and find out more about DPULOs using the hashtag #dpulo.
As always, we’d be grateful if you can spread the word and publicise this news throughout your networks / newsletters / websites etc. We’d also be grateful for any feedback you have on this regular email.
Contact us
For information, biographies, contact details and details of the areas covered by each of the DPULO Ambassadors covers, please visit the Ambassadors page.
If you have any questions about the Facilitation Fund or any part Strengthening DPULOs Programme, please contact odi.businessperformance@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Please feel free to forward this information on to any DPULOs, networks or stakeholders you think might find it interesting. If you didn’t receive the original email, please share your contact details with us so you can receive our monthly emails.
Personal note
I’ll be leaving my secondment role with the Strengthening DPULOs Programme in the next week to take up a new role at the National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi – www.ndti.org.uk), leading their mental health programme. One of the existing Ambassadors will take on the National Lead responsibilities (including the monthly bulletin!) and we’ll share further information on this as soon as we have it.
My personal thanks to everyone I’ve worked with and met in this role. It’s been a privilege working with so many great people and DPULOs, and I have every confidence you’ll carry on being a vital part of your local communities.
For info, you can still find me on Twitter @rich_w and on this blog!
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