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OneSpace February Newsletter

JSA, Sanctions and Single Parents

Single Parent Action Network (SPAN) Parliamentary representative, Laura Dewar has recently been very active in making sure that the voice of single parents is heard by the parliamentary committees who are evaluating the impact of the recent reforms to benefits.

Laura has successfully raised the issue of poor support for single parents at Jobcentres particularly the lack of consideration for their childcare needs. Working with OXFAM we now provide a really useful guide to the rights and options for single parents who are moving to JSA – Information for Single Parents moving into JobSeekers Allowance.

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	Clare's Law and Domestic Violence In less than a year 1,335 people have had information disclosed about their partners history following the implementation of Clare's Law. If you are concerned that your partner has a history of abuse with previous partners, under Clare's Law you have the Right-to-Apply to the police for information on your partners past. It is not guaranteed that you will be given the information that you request, but you do have the right to ask. Read more>> We are interested in hearing your views on different scenarios now that Clare's Law is here. If you have any concerns and would like to talk them through with a specialist first, ask a question of our Domestic Abuse and Violence Experts. No concern is too small. Always trust your instincts.
	Meditation can Benefit your Life Want to experience some calm, power and control in your life? Take a free trial of Headspace, everyone is talking about it. If you like it we have some 3-month subscriptions to give away for FREE, hurry though, once they are gone, they are gone! Find out more>>
	Online Learning We offer four completely FREE online courses designed for single parents, with useful tips, advice and guidance. The Freedom Programme: A fantastic course empowering women to take back their lives after surviving domestic abuse. On completion learners can receive a certificate and a free copy of the “Living with the Dominator” Book. CVs for Beginners: A step-by-step guide to creating your first CV, including tips on what to write if you have been out of work for a while. Confident Parenting: A course written specifically for single parents. Topics include practical and emotional development at different ages and stages, behaviour and discipline techniques. You will gain ideas, tips and tools to help you become more confident in your parenting. Ways Into Work: A course for people returning to work, or needing help to apply for their first job. As with all our courses, the examples and exercises are particularly helpful for single parents. Vote on our online poll about which online course you would like to see OneSpace deliver next.
	Child Support System and Child Maintenance The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) classed £2.9bn of the £3.9bn in maintenance arrears as “uncollectable” and the new Child Maintenance System will not attempt to collect it. It looks like the CSA/CMS have taken their eyes off the source of payment and focused instead on the new payment system that requires parents to pay a fixed fee to the CSA for collecting the money. Not surprisingly, Jean Smith, our resident Child Maintenance adviser, is receiving a large number of enquiries every day from worried single parents who can't make ends meet. Feel free to add your questions too! Jean and the rest of the team are currently answering CSA questions within 48 hours. The service is completely confidential and free. Ask now>>
	SPAN's Parenting Support Team SPAN's Parenting Support Team supports families with any issues that they have that is affecting their lives. These include domestic violence, housing problems, benefits, contact with children, education, debt and more. Once we have dealt with the pressing issues we look at how the family is functioning and aim to help parents to cope with their children. It's a well worn cliché that children do not come with a manual and we have never met a parent that didn't struggle at some point. Whether it is a crying baby, a tantrumming toddler or a troubled teenager, it's a hard job, it's not 9-5 and you don't get a break. All you Need is Love>>
	SPAN Pre-school News SPAN Pre-school has been awarded The Bristol Standard Quality Improvement Framework. This is a self-evaluation framework that enables Early Years settings to continually reflect on their practice to improve the quality and effectiveness of their provision for children and their families. The certificate is awarded to settings that demonstrate that they have covered all 10 areas of the Bristol Standard quality dimensions in depth and set appropriate challenges for improvements. The certificate is valid for 1 year and shows that our Pre-school is committed to developing good practice and improving quality for children and their families.