New projects to support people living with HIV and LGBTQ+ communities

LIVERPOOL City Council confirms new partnership with Sahir House; which will see vulnerable individuals and under served communities supported. Local charity Sahir House is to lead on 2 brand new projects which will improve the lives of local LGBTQ+ people and those living with HIV in the City. The 1st will see Sahir House deliver intensive HIV support for the City, focused on working with those people living with HIV who require help to remain in treatment and care. By working in collaboration with PaSH Liverpool (Passionate about Sexual Health), the team at Sahir House will provide additional capacity for supporting older adults living with HIV, long term survivors and those who might require more intensive support.

Director of Public Health for Liverpool, Professor Matthew Ashton said:- "It's fantastic to be able to continue our longstanding partnership with Sahir House on these 2 important new projects. The intensive support programme for people living with HIV will focus on vital support issues such as mental health, management of comorbidities other health conditions alongside HIV, and living well in later life, whilst the LGBTQ+ project will support the system to engage and empower people who are presenting with increasingly complex and multi layered issues. There have been improvements to the equity in accessing healthcare, and this is a further step in the right direction."

Through better treatment, and the integration of antiretroviral therapy (ART) into HIV care, life expectancy of those living with HIV has been dramatically extended, and the team at Sahir House will provide additional capacity for supporting older adults living with HIV, long term survivors and those who might require more intensive support. This project work also forms part of Liverpool's commitment to becoming HIV free by 2030.

Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, Cllr Frazer Lake said:- "I'm delighted that Liverpool City Council has been able to invest in these projects and support communities and individuals who wrongly face judgement, stigma and discrimination. Together we hope to acknowledge, and begin to address the considerable barriers that marginalised and vulnerable people face; as only by understanding and removing them can this lead to:- happier, healthier, and fulfilling lives for all."

The second is to lead a brand new empowerment and collaboration project supporting the health and wellbeing of Liverpool's unique LGBTQ+ Community. LGBTQ+ people experience significant health inequalities throughout their lives, often starting at an early age. Discrimination; both experienced and expected, can deter LGBTQ+ people from accessing help when they are in need. By working with Liverpool's Public Health team to undertake their forthcoming needs assessment, Sahir House will gather intelligence and insight to better understand the needs of Liverpool's LGBTQ+ population and then support the delivery of a new strategy, which offers better health outcomes. The new projects are already underway and the agreement will run to September 2025 under this current arrangement.

Ant Hopkinson, Chief Executive for Sahir House said:- "Sahir House has been at the forefront of Merseyside's response to HIV for decades and, together with the communities we serve, our staff have advocated for and helped to deliver care and support for those living with HIV since 1987. This fantastic project will see our charity empowered to continue to lead a person centred response to HIV across Liverpool. Funding for the 2nd project is a timely acknowledgement of the role that Sahir House continues to play as Liverpool's largest continuously running LGBTQ+ charity, in acting as a trusted advocate and authentic voice for those we serve. These projects mark the beginning of an exciting and much needed collaboration with LCC to develop a wide reaching LGBTQ+ action plan for Liverpool will focussing on:- health, wellbeing, education, employment, culture and cohesion."

Sahir House is a vibrant and inclusive Merseyside based charity, which promotes better sexual health for all and supports the needs of LGBTQ+ people across the Region. For more information please visit:- Sahir.Org.UK .

Councils respond to new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

THE Chairman of the Local Government Association, Cllr James Jamieson has issued a statement responding Rishi Sunak becoming the next Prime Minister. He said:- "On behalf of Councils across England and Wales, I would like to congratulate Rishi Sunak on becoming our new Prime Minister. As a former Local Government Minister and Chancellor, the PM already understands the mounting pressures that the sector face and the funding that Councils desperately need to ensure they can keep vital services running for the many people who rely on them. Across the country, Councils are working hard to support residents with the cost of living; looking after our most vulnerable children and adults; building desperately needed homes; supporting children with SEND and providing accommodation to those fleeing Ukraine and Afghanistan. However, without certainty of adequate funding - and given the funding gaps they are seeing - Councils will have no choice but to implement significant reductions to services including to those for the most vulnerable in our societies. In these difficult times, we all need to come together and work in the best interests of our residents. The Government needs to ensure Councils have the funding to meet ongoing pressures and protect the services that will be vital to achieve its ambitions for growth and to produce a more balanced economy, level up communities and help residents through this cost of living crisis."

"The new PM must focus on stability and growth" says FSB as new research shows plummeting business confidence

RESPONDING to the resignation of Liz Truss as PM, triggering yet another Conservative Party leadership contest, and Rishi Sunak becoming the next PM, Michael Sandys, Liverpool City Region Area Leader of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in Merseyside and Cheshire, said:- "It is incumbent upon the Conservative Party leader must now show they can provide stability and take the necessary steps to secure economic growth in the face of significant recessionary pressures. Businesses are crying out for an end to the political turmoil and a focus on remedying the economy, supporting small firms through the hard winter ahead. Whoever becomes Prime Minister must knuckle down, see through the delivery of the energy support package for small businesses; as already approved by Parliament; and the reversal of the hike in National Insurance. Beyond that there must be a focus on securing prosperity for the longer term, making sure we have the right support for improving broadband, housebuilding, labour supply, and the tax and regulatory framework; so we can build our way out of the increasingly negative economic climate."

His comments follow new FSB research showing that rising costs and falling revenues are causing the worst small business pessimism seen outside lockdowns.

FSB's latest quarterly Small Business Index (SBI) shows a net confidence score among small businesses of -35.9 in Q3 2022, down 11.2 points compared to the previous quarter.

43% reported falling revenues over the 3 months to October, compared to 32% reporting an increase. Over the coming 3 months, 41% expect revenues to decrease.

Rising costs continued to affect the vast majority of small firms (89%), with 38% seeing costs increase by more than 10%. The primary cost factors are utilities (60% of respondents), fuel (57%), inputs (48%), and labour (43%).

68% of small business employers have increased wages over the last year, with the average wage increase 4.5%.

For the third consecutive quarter there has been a rise in the number applying for finance (13% in Q3, compared to 9% in Q1). Of those, 46% have turned to finance to help manage cashflow, up from 35% in Q2. 25% applied for finance to expand their business, down from 29% the previous quarter. 20% finance applicants failed to find an offer with an interest rate below 11%, while the majority of successful applicants (57%) were offered rates between 5 and 10%.

Mr Sandys added:- "Small businesses want to be driving growth and economic recovery, but the headwinds against them right now are gale-force. Recent political and economic turmoil hasn't helped, which is why it is vital the Government focuses on stability, including delivering on its promises to help with energy bills for small firms and to reverse the hike in National Insurance. That money must be in the pockets of small firms by next month, no ifs, no buts, followed by clarity on what will happen after the initial six-month period. The new Chancellor will need to turn again to pro-growth measures, including revisiting issues such as IR35 changes and the decision to raise the equivalent of National Insurance for hard-working entrepreneurs who are paid via dividends. Raising taxes now will not generate growth, and we risk seeing high taxes with low or no growth for the foreseeable future. Taking more small firms out of business rates, which they're hit by before they've earned a penny, would be a positive, pro-growth step. In time, there should also be a review of the level at which the higher rate of Corporation Tax kicks in, reducing a barrier for ambitious smaller companies. The Government's own new annual figures show that 2 years of Covid has left the small business population smaller by half a million small firms and the self employed. This gap of missing entrepreneurs, alongside those that have left the jobs market, should be the focus of medium term growth measures, to help small businesses start up, grow, and recruit, after getting through the toughest of winters."

FSB is also urging ministers to tackle a systemic problem in the economy on late payments, which would not require expenditure at a time of focus on public finances.

54% of small businesses had their cashflow woes in Q3 compounded by the late payment of invoices, often by bigger business customers. More than a quarter (27%) said late payments are becoming an increasing problem, up from 22% in Q2.

Business to business (B2B) firms were the biggest victims, with the worst affected including those in the manufacturing sector (67%); professional, scientific and technical activities (65%); and construction (64%).

Mr Sandys said:- "The anti growth late payment culture is a block on investment and economic recovery. If the UK Government is serious about going for growth, addressing this pernicious problem should be high on the urgent to do list. Audit committees of big corporates must be made accountable for payment practices. Meanwhile, ministers must double down on blacklisting big businesses which treat their smaller suppliers and contractors badly from landing lucrative taxpayer funded contracts. This is a way of promoting growth without a price tag for the Exchequer. Giving more public sector contracts to smaller businesses should also be prioritised, at a time when there is an acute need to get value for money for taxpayers. Widening competition in public procurement by making more contracts suitable for small firms would save taxpayers' money while driving up standards. It's a no-brainer."