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Welcome to Walsall SUE's website. We aim to inform you of the activities our group can offer, and direct you to useful information.

Walsall SUE began in November 1993. It is a user-led organisation, with a committee of 14 service users with a wide background in health conditions.

We try to represent the interests of Walsall residents that use Walsall's health and social care services, whoever is the provider. We try to work in partnership with service providers since we believe that a constructive conversation benefits all parties. 

As services evolve, the use of the term 'service user' is increasingly questioned.

At present, Walsall SUE continues to speak of Service Users. We are not ashamed to be service users, as services enable us to live our lives more effectively.

The point where provider meets user is of the highest importance. The nature of that meeting determines the quality of the user's experience. Even these days of personalised services, when 'service users'  employ their carers directly, the meeting point of user and carer continues to be problematic.

We network with other disability, user and campaigning organisations in order to be able to raise our voice. Our partners include Walsall DIsability Forum and Users in Partnership.

As a group, we offer a range of daytime and evening activities which are all user-led. These can enable  people to gain confidence and move from using services to actively representing themselves and other service users in service management, to delivering services. Through this, people start to regain control of their lives. 

  We are an independent group funded by Walsall Council and Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Trust, with sponsorship for specific projects from other agencies.

We are a source of user representatives to local, regional and national forums.

We offer opportunities locally and regionally for service users to be supported in challenging service providers on quality of service issues.
 
Any resident of Walsall who uses health or social care services can ask us to support them, take an issue on, or provide them with advice and guidance in taking up the issue themselves.

  You can ring us in office hours on 01922 644983, and when the office is closed you can leave a message.
We run a direct payment support service which has a dedicated phone line on 01922 648500
 

Walsall SUE Direct Payments Support Service - More for you

Please find below more forms for use by our Direct Payments customers.
Download and print them as you require. PDF versions should print out without problems

1. Monitoring Sheet
2.  Previous SUE's News (October/November 2011)
3. Latest SUE's Direct Payments News December 2011/ January 2012 


Dawn Jones Art Prize 2011

This year's entries have been judged, and winners chosen. The judges had a very difficult job selecting winners.
In the Dawn Jones Art Prize we like to emphasise all the entries are worthy. It is not just about winning. Every work that has been entered will be displayed this year. However, we like to award prizes for those works which a panel of judges consider the best.
We can't tell you who has won until the presentation at St. Paul's on 5th October, but you can see all the work that has been entered at the Gallery in the Crossing at St. Paul's from 4th October for a month.

A New Activity for Walsall SUE

Walsall SUE is proud to announce that with effect from the 1st April 2011, we now offer Walsall people support with their Direct Payments.
A direct payment is given for people with agreed support needs to purchase a service for themselves instead of using an existing service.
For example, if a person uses a domiciliary care service (has one or more carers come to their house) they can opt to have a direct payment to employ a carer or carers themselves. This means you have much more control over who is caring for you. You can choose who you employ, and you can fire someone if they are unsuitable, although we hope it never comes to that.
Because employing someone is new to most people, we offer specialist support from people trained in employment law and resolving staff issues.
If you want to ask about Direct Payments please use our direct payments support line 01922 648500

Walsall SUE Direct Payments Support Service

If you are one of the people we support with Direct Payments, please find below our timesheet which you can download as you need it. Note that this timesheet is only of use to people receiving Direct Payments and supported by Walsall SUE.
NOTE This is now available in PDF format so should print correctly with any printer
See elsewhere in the website for more downloadable documents for the Walsall SUE Direct Payments service, all in pdf format so available for any computer system and compatable with any modern printer

Readers group

Monday

10:00AM to 12:30PM
This is a group of service users who meet to read and comment on Walsall Council and other organisations' documents and leaflets before they are published.
The feedback from this group leads to the literature being improved - it becomes more clear, easier to read and better for everyone.
This group improves communication between Walsall Council and Walsall's disabled people.
This group only meets when it has something to discuss so if you want to join or give it a try, ring us and register your interest, and you will be invited to the next one