what we do
At our Improving Lives Hub in Clydebank we offer a one stop shop for people living with disabilities. Are you looking to find a new hobby? Want to apply for benefits? Need help filling in a form? Want to arrange a power of attorney?
Whatever it is we can help.
Welfare rights
DO YOU WANT TO APPLY FOR THE NEW SCOTTISH SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS?
The Voiceability advocates are in our Improving Lives Hub every week!
WHEN SHOULD I HAVE AN ADVOCATE?
Advocacy support is available as soon as you want to apply for any Scottish Social Security Benefits, including during the application process and for reviews or any appeals you want to make.
Advocacy support is entirely independent from Social Security Scotland and the Scottish Government.
BENEFITS AN ADVOCATE CAN SUPPORT YOU WITH INCLUDE:
* Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment
* Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment
* Best Start Grant School Age Payment
* Best Start Foods
* Carers Allowance Supplement
* Job Start Payment
* Child Disability Payment
* Child Winter Heating Assistance
* Funeral Support Payment
* Scottish Child Payment
* Young Carer Grant
* Adult Disability Payment
Get in touch with us to book your appointment.
Telephone 0141 237 4560
blue badges and bus passes
Did you know we can help you apply for or renew your National Entitlement Card (NEC) disabled persons bus pass? Or that we can advise and support you to apply for a Blue Badge?
Get in touch for more information.
Call 0141 237 4560 for more information or to book an appointment with one of our advisors
Disability Rights
Our disability and welfare rights solicitor Con Cunningham provides free legal advice specifically aimed at disabled people and their families from our Improving Lives Hub every Monday.
Their services include
* general advice
* disability discrimination support and advice
* advice and help on applying for Universal Credit and Employment Support Allowance
* advice on problems with self-directed payments and housing
* help and advice preparing for appeals
* representation at appeals
* advice on applications for and appeals of other benefit decisions
* community care law advice
* power of attorney and guardianship orders
* legal advice on and support to challenge decision makers
Get in touch with us to book your appointment now!
Call 01412374560 or email contact@improvinglives.co.uk
Self Directed Support
Do you know about Self Directed Support and how it could benefit you?
Get in touch and make an appointment with one of our advisors to find out more.
disability sport
We are passionate about ensuring that disabled people have the same access to opportunities as everyone else and sport holds a special place in our hearts. We are committed to bringing accessible disability friendly sports to West Dunbartonshire. Our first move in this has been to intriduce disability karate to the area.
We want to make sure that financial restrictions are no barrier to taking part in activities for disabled people too.
Come along and join us on Monday for some Karate fun.
10.30am to 11.30am
Antonine Sports Centre Duntocher.
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All this has been made possible by generous funding from Foundation Scotland and Ballie Gifford Community programme.
This funding also allowed us to pay for annual license fees, class fees and hall hire for a class of 30 people.
As always we also have to thank our amazing instructor Graham from Kugatsu Disability Karate and the Antonine Sports Centre for their continued support in helping us to bring disability martial arts to West Dunbartonshire.
personalised support plans
Our experienced advisors offer one to one appointments to discuss any improvements you would like to make to your lives. We can put together personalised support plans to ensure that every aspect of your requirements are covered and our service includes follow up calls to make sure your plan continues to work for you.
Improving Lives can help you with many other supports including help to access a new hobby, support to apply for a Blue Badge, information on local and national support services and organisations or just somewhere warm to come and have a cuppa.
Don’t feel lost.
Help is out there.
Contact us today
meeting space
Are you looking for a meeting space? Office space for drop ins or appointments? A place for holding groups or classes?
Get in touch with us today.
Telephone 01412374560
Hobbies and support groups
We host various support groups from our Improving Lives Hub including a jewellery group, knit and natter, Carers support group, men's fishing group, autism support and discussion group and a loss of mobility group. We also have thousands of contacts in our database for various new hobbies, groups and organisations near you. We can even help to introduce you to new groups for the first time to make those first steps a little easier for you.
disability action group
STAND UP AND FIGHT FOR CHANGE!
Our Disability Action Group is for like minded people to identify the areas that need changed or improved for people living with disabilities and help us make it happen. Come along and be a part of it.
Our Disability Action Group takes place the first Tuesday of every month at 10am.
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For more information call us on 0141 237 4560
open days
Every year we host an information and support open day to bring the help, groups and organisations available direct to you face to face. It's the perfect way for the public to find out what's available, ask any questions you may have and see if it's the right thing for you.
Our last open day showcased over 50 organisations and was attended by close to 300 members of the public.
Digital Skills
Need help to get online?
Book a session with one of our Digital Champions who can show you how to surf the web, access your emails, stay safe, do your shopping online and more!
Call us on 0141 237 4560
keep safe place
We are a registered Keep Safe Place!
Keep Safe is Police Scotland led, award-winning initiative in response to feedback from the disabled community that there were times they did not feel safe when travelling independently.
The initiative is a partnership between I Am Me Scotland and Police Scotland and was originally developed to support disabled people to participate in community life, free from fear of harassment and abuse. However, the initiative has received wide support and has continued to evolve to become a national network with over 900 Keep Safe places throughout Scotland. The initiative is available for anyone to use if they feel lost, scared, vulnerable or simply need some breathing space.
To find out more about the Keep Safe initiative check out https://iammescotland.co.uk/about-keep-safe
Or to download the app go to https://apps.apple.com/.../keep-safe-scotland/id1036859060 (iPhone). Available for android phones too in the Play Store.