Disability Support Calderdale

General information

Disability Support Calderdale is a local group run by and for people with a disability and long term medical condition who live in Calderdale. We provide information and support to help empower and enable disabled people to make informed choices.

We are a district wide organisation and receive requests for information and support from all over the Calderdale district from North Halifax, to the wider area covering the Upper and Lower Valleys from Brighouse to Todmorden.

Appointments
If we can help we will arrange an appointment to meet with our service users at a venue that suits their needs and will consider home visits for people with a health or mobility issue who struggle to access external venues. Sessions can last approximately one and a half hours for such activities as completing benefit forms and other issues.

We offer a ‘person centred’ approach and encourage the person we are supporting to make an informed choice about an issue that may affect their future. This is done by obtaining information regarding an issue and then we work and support the person by examining the various options that might be available to them. On occasions we will attend meetings with other organisations with the person we are supporting with their permission so that they don’t feel on their own. We support the social model of disability helping people to remove barriers, become more independent and equal in society leading to social inclusion.

We do not offer advice and are not a crisis organisation.

Services
We offer our services in the following ways:
Completing benefit forms:
• Disability support allowance (DLA)
• Personal independence payment (PIP)
• Employment and support allowance (ESA)
• Housing access issues
• Accessing services to support individual needs.
• Information and signposting to other services.
• We offer a voice to help people say what they want when they find it difficult to speak for themselves.

Drop-in sessions
We run drop-in sessions at two venues in Hebden Bridge as a way to access our services and look at how we can best support you. We will be arranging other drop-in sessions across the district in 2016.

Drop-in sessions are held at:

Hebden Bridge St George Street, HX7 7BY
Saltonstall room: Friday 11 – 1pm.
2016
• January 29th
• February 26th
• March 25th

Soup Dragon
Holme Street, Hebden Bridge HX7 8EE
(Opposite Riverside School between Post office and Trade Club)
Friday 12.30 – 3pm.
2016
• January 15th.
• February 12th.
• March 11th.

Training
We also offer training in disability awareness looking at how to support people with a disability and the issues that cause problems. We are more than happy to come along to local groups and give a talk of what we offer.

The course includes:
• Disability discrimination legislation
• Equality
• The social model of disability
• The medical model of disability
• Access issues
• Developing skills to support people with disabilities.

The course continues for 4 to 5 hours per week, over a 7 week period at an accessible venue in the district.

If you would like more information please contact Disability Support Calderdale:
Mob: 0799 0833 521
Telephone: 01422 353613
Email: dsmain@hotmail.co.uk
Website: http://disabilitysupportcalderdale.weebly.com/