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Changing Our Lives Newsletter March 2012

Inside…

Safe Places in Wolverhampton

People we pay

We decided to update our image a bit and the result was a whole new look to Changing Our Lives! You can have a look at our new colourful logo and read the latest news at our website www.changingourlives.org. You’ll notice that we’ve added a new section called ‘Success Stories’ which will feature good news items where self-advocates have achieved a goal or personal target that will make a difference to their lives. Siraaj Nadat, one of our leaders is featured, and Sarah Bentley explains how her training session with local GPs was a success. If you have something you would like to share, let us know!

SpotlightOpen Mic Nights

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Our New Website!

Warwickshire Health Audits

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Changing Young Lives

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Safe Places goes live in Wolverhampton!

Friday 09th March saw the launch of the Safe Place scheme in Wolverhampton. Lead by the Wolverhampton People’s Parliament in partnership with the City Police Force, Safer Wolverhampton Partnerships and the Council, this initiative will create a safer environment for people with a learning disability in and around the City Centre. Shops, businesses and public buildings have been identified by people with a learning disability for inclusion in the scheme.

They have nominated places they feel safe to go if they are in difficulty and need support to get help. This could be because they have been a victim of a hate crime, are in fear for their safety or have become confused or disorientated. Each shop will display the Safe Place sign near to their entrance so they are easily recognised and accessible. If someone is in difficulty, the staff in the shop will support them to get help.

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One of the very first shops to sign up to the scheme is Tylers gas and Electrical Ltd. Andy Wright, Shop Manager said "When Inspector Rogers showed me the Safe Place Scheme I thought it was simple but effective. Every member of the community must feel safe to shop and enjoy the overall shopping experience. Safe Places gives that extra security. All of showroom staff are aware of what to do if help is required. We are proud to be one of the first to display the Safe Place sign in our window."

To date, almost 200 people with learning disabilities have been trained on how Safe Places works and have been issued with a Safe Place card which has both emergency and non emergency Police contact telephone numbers on. There is also space for contact details of someone who supports the person like a parent or a carer who the shops can contact as well. Training on the scheme will continue over the coming months and we are aiming to distribute the Safe Place cards to every adult in the area with a learning disability. If you know a group or organisation who supports adults with learning disabilities in and around Wolverhampton, contact us at ask@changingourlives .

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Linda Sutton - Linda has direct experience of out-patient mental health services and is part of the service at Simpson Street. As part of our Making Our Voices Heard work, Linda has audited Edward Street Hospital and Hallam Street Hospital.

Mark Wood - Mark has direct experience of in-patient mental health settings in Sandwell and he is a volunteer walk leader for Strides. As part of our Making Our Voices Heard work, Mark leads audits of Edward Street Hospital and Hallam Street Hospital.

Siraaj Nadat - Siraaj became a leader with Changing Our Lives at the end of 2011, but has been a regional and national leader, and regarded highly by his colleagues for nearly 4 years. Siraaj is the Chairperson of the West Midlands Regional Forum for People with Learning Difficulties and a regional representative member of the National Forum for people with Learning Difficulties.

Daniel McNammee has direct experience of using mental health services. Daniel is currently carrying out audits of in patient mental health services and providing peer support

to Sandwell People’s Parliament. He has also led workshops about personalisation as part of the Making it Real Peer Challenge.

Steven Proctor - Steven is an experienced Quality Auditor. He has audited residential homes, supported

living and hospitals. He spoke about his role as an Expert by Experience at a national conference to over 200 people.

Gina Patel - Gina is a part of the Rights Squad training team, and sits on the My Life My Dreams group, and sometimes co-chairs when Issy is away. She has a leadership role setting up the employment Parliament for people with disabilities in Dudley and Walsall.

Some of the people we pay to lead our work

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On 22nd April it will be the London Marathon. Our friend Blind Dave Heeley will be running in the marathon for Changing Our Lives. You can support him at: www.virginmoney

On 1st March Sarah Bentley trained 40 GPs from City & Sandwell GP Vocational Training Scheme. Sarah walked the GPs through the history of people with learning disabilities via an interactive session, focusing on what life was like for people with learning disabilities and how things have changed for people over the last 7 decades. She visited the future and how life should look for people with learning disabilities in the next 10 years. This created great debate with long and interesting discussions around day services, sex and relationships, the role of the carer,

consent and the treatment of people with learning disabilities in hospitals. Sarah introduced the real life stories and photos of the victims highlighted in Mencap’s Death by Indifference report and discussed the wider problems that people with learning disabilities face in healthcare. It was great was how individual attitudes, misconceptions and beliefs changed as the session went on simply through the information that they were provided with. GPs said the training was ‘Insightful - a reminder of progress as well as current inequalities’, ‘thought provoking’ and ‘will change attitudes’.

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Its going to be a busy few months!

Dates for your diary

Spotlight Open Mic Your chance to be picked for the final in November! 13th April 6pm The Public

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Warwickshire Quality of Life Audits

Wales-West Bromwich Bike Ride and Outdoor Spotlight Open Mic Blind Dave and a team of cyclists will be cycling from Wolverhampton to Aberdovey and back to West Bromwich for the Aberdovey Bike Ride and Changing Our Lives. Be there to welcome them back at the finish line and enjoy an extra special outdoor Spotlight Open Mic. 23rd June 3– 7pm The Public

As a result of the positive reputation of our Quality of Life audit programme, Changing Our Lives was asked to work in Warwickshire auditing day services and developing an audit team led by people with learning disabilities. The audit of day services has resulted short term in more person centred ways of working and longer term in individuals having personal budgets and buying their own supports so they can be part of the local community. We have trained a team of local people with learning disabilities to be auditors. The training has covered how to be a quality auditor, safeguarding, confidentiality and the Quality of Life standards. As part of their training we supported this team to carry out audits of short breaks and supported living providers across Warwickshire. The audit team is now being supported by the local Customer Engagement Officers.

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Our Trustee and friend, Liz Mabley, passed away just before Christmas and Changing Our Lives dedicated our Open Mic Night on 3rd February to her. Liz was a powerful champion of peoples’ rights; she worked tirelessly to ensure that no matter what a person’s disability, they were seen as a ‘person first’. She will be missed. Over 130 people joined us. Here are a few of the photos – you can see more at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/changingourlives

A special Spotlight Open Mic Night ‘Love and Laughter’

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Changing Young Lives

Whole of Life Passport We have trialed the new Whole of Life Passport, which has been a great success so far! We have worked with a range of young people and parents who have completed their own passport. Young people love it, "the passport is great, it belongs to me, and it means I do not have to keep telling my story". We are now going into two schools, St Michaels and the Meadows to support and train teachers and class room support staff to develop the Passport with students. The Rights Squad Training It has been agreed that the Right’s Squad, which is the young people’s training team will lead training which will form part of the training and development plan for the Children social care teams. This will include training teams such as independent reviewing officers, assessors, social workers and foster carers. We will train the staff in autism, person centred ways of working, good participation, advocacy, the history of learning disabilities, accessible communication and the Whole Of Life standards.

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Tel: 0121 533 7174 www.changingourlives.org

www.twitter.com/Positive_Lives

We are all really looking forward to 24th May!

The Young Voices Network will be holding their annual forum and this year is set to be better than ever, with all sorts of fun stuff going on:

• Street Dance

• DJ Skills

• Comic Life Magazine

• Circuit and robot drawing workshops

• Photography

And finally…

Changing Our Lives 2012