News

 

Cambridge Brokerage Network starts up

The new Cambridge Brokerage Network has just started up and has been offered a share with Mencap in their lovely offices in Fulbourn, Cambridge. Kadie Chapman, Lynne Hester, Tony Phillips and Aimee Yates will be organising the next Eastern Region Brokerage Programme together, starting on the 27th and 28th September. Further information on 01223 883149.

 

NBN funding

Despite reaching the final stage of the Innovation and Excellence Fund, we did not receive the three year development funding grant and are now reviewing how we should fund our work over the next few years. Do send us your thoughts on the level of registration fees we should be thinking about; items that should be on a menu of options that can be paid for eg. supervision; further training; consultancy; information updates and any other ideas that you think should be considered by the NBN Board.

 

NBN is registered!

After 5 years as an Inclusion Partnership project, the NBN is now registered as a not-for-profit Community Interest Company under the official name of the Support Brokerage Network. Our thanks to Company Secretary Rob Calkin for steering us through the incorporation process.

 

New courses for 2010

Dates for 2010 NBN courses are now on the website for the London; Eastern; Northern and Midlands. Please book as soon early as possible to help us to keep the flow of open courses going throughout the new year.

 

Kitchen Table Training

NBN members in the Cambridge area have recently completed a new approach to training, hosted by a local resident in her on house with the huge attraction of home-made soup and rolls for a shared lunch - thankyou, Lynne! Rather than the usual 2 days-fieldwork-2 days-fieldwork-recall day model, this course ran for half-days and worked very well for the mixed group of disabled people; family carers and professionals that attended. We are planning to do a second programme starting in April.

 

NBN in the Czech Republic

The NBN ran the first Czech brokerage training programme in September 2009 for colleagues from a range of agencies co-ordinated by Quip, a Prague based development agency in the supported employment, advocacy and person centred planning sectors. The idea for  a European Brokerage Network was discussed as part of the training - watch this space for further developments.

 

Updated discussion paper on costing support brokerage

Updated discussion paper on costing support brokerage added 16 June 2008’
PDF format for download

 

Guidance for local and regional ‘hub’ agencies’

Thinking of setting up a self-directed support agency in your area? New guidance for local hub or development agencies available. If you are developing a similar service in your area, please let have a brief description and we will add your details here.

Guidance for local hub or development agencies (PDF format)

 

New guidance of registration and accreditation from the NBN Board

Since registration for brokers was first piloted as part of the 2004-2005 In Control pilot, the National Brokerage Network has been attempting to map a course through the complex maze of training, accreditation, public protection, CRB checks, insurance, supervision and quality monitoring issues that any emerging sector has to go through. In the past 12 months, demand for registration from both brokers and local authority’s has increased beyond the NBN’s capacity to provide a robust, accountable response, particularly for UK regions that do not have a strong local agency leading development.

 

Registration and accreditation

At the NBN board meeting in London in May 2008, the decision was taken to make sure that local disabled or older people and their families keep control over the development
of brokerage and the ways brokers are trained and accredited.
In line with our current regional structure, this will mean that:

We are piloting this approach in the Eastern Region to co-incide with the recommendations in our recent feasibility study for Essex County to roll out broker support to over 8500 people.  Brokers (paid or voluntary) who wish to register in the Eastern Region will be entitled to the following:

At this stage, we will be forwarding registrations from other regions to the relevant regional co-ordinator and will arrange for them to get in contact with you.

We will hold your details here at the national office with your permission,
if your area does not yet have any lead agencies or regional co-ordinators with the capacity to support you.

If you wish to work as a self-employed, independent broker and need NBN insurance and supervision, we will work with you and any emerging local agency in your area to help you get stated until they can take over responsibility.

If you have any further questions at this stage, please do not hesitate to contact me

Thanks for registering with us.

 

Tony Phillips
National Brokerage Network

Regional Co-ordinator (East)