If you are worried about redundancy, unfair dismissal, maternity rights, being laid off etc., our specialist employment advisers may be able to help you. The service is completely free and confidential.

For an appointment, please telephone 0121 744 3238 (if you are unable to attend on the 25th March, we may be able to offer you an appointment on another day).

Shirley Citizens Advice Bureau
The Shirley Centre
274 Stratford Road
Shirley
Solihull B90 3AD

Company No 5860127 Charity No 1116133

In the meantime, you can visit Solihull Council and Care Trust websites to find out what is current. In addition, it is possible to register for alerts directly via Supply2Gov for council contracts and Supply2Health for NHS contracts.

Everyone gets at least 20 mins, but if time allows, depending on the number of people attending, they will spend as much time as needed.

The idea, is simply to give general advice, and reassurances, and see how they can help taking the matter forward and if they cannot help, it is likely they will know who can.

The areas of family law covered are: 

• Divorce or separation
• Arranging contact with your children
• Seeking residence orders
• Going through separation In a Civil Partnership
• Surrogacy
• Adoption
• Pre-nuptial agreement
• Cohabitation agreement

The general advice can be given in relation to non-contentious matters as well as issues that arise following separation.

For further details contact martinc@solihull-sustain.org.uk

Your views are needed to shape this strategy, which will set out where we are and what we need to do to strengthen cohesion. This paper does four main things:

• identifies factors that will influence our overall approach
• assesses where we are starting from;
• says what we know already about our communities; and
• sets out the challenges based on what we know now.

Deadline for views is 31st March

Cohesion Strategy Proposal

Whilst comments are to be received by Monday 15th March to Prosperous Communities Manager, Isobel Woods comments are welcome at any time.

Prosperous Priorities Framework for consultation
(Consultation for the document started on 1st January 2010)

Appendix 1

Appendix 2

Please let us have your views about these standards, either by completing the online survey or by sending any written comments to Neighbourhoods Project Manager, Sarah Barnes. Comments to be received by Friday 14th May 2010.

Consulation Letter

Draft Community Involvement Standards

Read the consultation document (pdf)

After you have read the consultation document download and complete the consultation response form or fill in the form online.

Parents – Please take the time to fill in an online questionnaire

Children and young people – Please take the time to fill in an online questionnaire

Over 50 people attended the auction, held at Hockley Heath Memorial Hall. And with just over 100 lots from a variety of people, including several local Solihull artists, there was something to cater for everyone’s tastes.

One of the bug surprises was a picture by a young artist, Matthew Tubby, age 20 months, which sold for £35. And one of Solihull artist Brian Garman’s pieces sold for £70.

This Way Up works in eight secondary schools in Solihull, providing a ‘listening ear’ to young people struggling with parental separation and bereavement. The charity relies mostly on donations and a team of regular supporters.

Verity English, one of the organisers said: “We wanted to raise money to support young people who struggle with issues of loss. The great thing about This Way Up is that they go into schools and meet with teenagers where they are. I was so pleased that we hit our target, and we still have a couple of pictures to sell because separately because we have discovered they are quite valuable!”

“The night was a great success, people really seemed to enjoy themselves.”

Verity English, one of the This Way Up auction organisers

There was also a craft stall on the night, and 12 year old Amy Fortnam organised a cake sale which raised over £30, helping to boost the final total.

For more information about the work of This Way Up, contact Mandy English on mandy@twup.org.uk.

• Social and ethnic minority groups.
• Prisoners and ex-offenders.
• Homelessness.
• People experiencing abuse.
• Arts outreach work.
• Disability projects.
• Environmental projects.
• Addiction.

Small grants of between £100 and £5,000 and large grants of over £5,000 are available to UK registered charities with an annual turnover of less than £250,000.

The Trust also awards annual grants to summer playschemes for children between the ages of five and 16 who come from disadvantaged backgrounds.  Applications are accepted from UK registered charities with an annual turnover of less than £100,000.

Applications are considered at Trustees’ meetings twice a year.

The deadline for receipt of applications to be considered at the Trust’s July 2010 meeting is 24th May 2010.

The deadline for summer playscheme grant applications is 1st April 2010.

• Employees’ right to request time off for training – coming in to effect from 6 April 2010 for employers with 250+ employees and from 6 April 2011 for those with fewer than 250 employees.
• Draft regulations laid before Parliament for additional paternity leave and pay – likely to be available for babies expected on or after 3 April 2011, or being matched for adoption on or after that date.
• Government decides against a statutory right to time-off for a range of wider public duties.
• Fit notes to replace sick notes from 6 April 2010
• Employees may choose to take illness during annual leave as sick leave rather than annual leave.
• Failure to give proper notice for statutory annual leave may lead to loss of the leave.
• NICE guidance on managing long-term or persistent short-term sickness absence.
• Right to opt-out from 48 hour working week remains in place.

Plus:

• good summary of issues, the law and good practice when managing time-off for religious holidays and observance.