New adviser for Northampton

Northampton County Council logoASBAH has won a grant to employ a part-time area adviser in Northamptonshire.

The much-needed funding, agreed by Northamptonshire County Council in March, came as welcome news to Eastern Region and the Northampton local association as the area has been without a permanent adviser since 2001.

Maggie Nichols, secretary to the local association, said: “It is wonderful news and will make a huge difference to the work we do.”

Northampton County Council did fund the part-time post from March 2004 for 12 months. The position was shared by area advisers Linda Knight and John Richards, who also cover the Hertfordshire, Lincolnshire, Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes areas.

Maggie added: “ The advisers have done a fantastic job and it is now appropriate to be recruiting to fill the position with a dedicated area adviser for the county.”

She added: “Having a professional adviser will make a big difference to the service we can provide. Everyone involved with the local association has family commitments which means we aren't always available to help as much as we'd like.

“We have found that families new to ASBAH in particular, often feel more comfortable talking to a professional, particularly about financial concerns.

“Advisers also know exactly who to contact for help in a wide range of matters, and the various agencies do respond better to their requests.”

David Isom, manager of the Eastern region for ASBAH commented:

“The award from Northamptonshire CC for Strategic Funding is a 3 year award which amounts to over £50,000 worth of funding for this service.

“We can now plan to recruit an area adviser over the course of the next few months solely to cover Northamptonshire. This funding arrangement should prove to be a win, win, win, situation for ASBAH, the Northamptonshire local association, service users and professionals throughout the city council and across the county.

Lynne Jones, Commissioning and Contracts Manager for Services for People with Physical Impairments, Northamptonshire County Council added:

“Northamptonshire County Council has recognised the many benefits of having local ASBAH advisers within the County. ASBAH has formed an excellent working relationship with the Council and there is a shared understanding of the importance of people being able to access information, advice and support to enable them to live independent lives.

The three-year funding provides some stability for development and an opportunity to identify and respond to the previously unmet needs in Northamptonshire.”