Inclusion North Bulletin

Issue Number 41
14th May 2013 In this bulletin you will hear about some of the work Inclusion North is doing and information about what is happening across the country.

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You can find out more about the all the work we are doing by following us on Facebook and twitter at: Facebook: www.facebook.com/InclusionNorth Twitter: @InclusionNorth

Training and courses

Eye Care and Vision

A free conference about eye care and vision for parents and family carers of children, young people and adults with learning disabilities. People with a learning disability are 10 times more likely to have serious sight problems but are least likely to get the proper support they need. Come to the conference to find out more on:Friday 5th July. 10.30am to 3pm. It will be held in Leeds.

Book your place by e mailing us at: info@inclusionnorth.org Find out more from: l.christie@seeability.org

Functional Vision Assessment

This is a half day course to enable people to assess the functional vision of people who have learning disabilities using the SeeAbility assessment tool. This event will take place on 27th June at Bensham Hospital in Gateshead. It starts at 12.30pm and finishes at 4.30pm. The course costs 20. To book a place visit: http://www.seeability.org/training More information at :training@seeability.org

Are you Streetwise? This summer Connect in the North are running 2 training courses for people with learning difficulties called Streetwise. They are for people who want to travel places without support.

During the sessions you will plan journeys you want to take, and learn what to do if things go wrong.

Streetwise is free and is available to people aged 16 or above. The training will happen in Leeds. For more information Email:sarah@citn.org.uk

News and updates from Around the Country Research by the Foundation for people with learning disabilities
Improving Access to Mental Health Services for People with Learning Disabilities
Up to 40 % of people with learning disabilities experience mental health difficulties. Often they are unable to get proper support from the right places. It is important to try and find out how good mental health services are in England and to do this the Foundation are carrying out a survey. If you: have a learning disability work with people who have a learning disability are a family carer who has supported someone

They would like to hear from you to help them find out more. You can get involved by: completing the easy read questionnaire for people with learning disabilities (you can access this via their website) completing the online questionnaire for family carers or people who work with people with learning disabilities, It will take about 15 minutes to complete and the closing date is Friday 24th May.

Raising Awareness about Hate Crime

Simon Green worked with his local Community Safety Partnership Team and Police to put together a campaign to raise awareness about Hate Crime and to encourage Third Party Reporting. Thousands of posters and leaflets were printed and spread around the area and he received an award from South Wales Police. Here is the video that Simon made.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5npJOlgIgY &list=UUCLwrv72s7e6VXmyrysrw0w&index=3

New guidelines on supporting staff after Winterbourne View

New guidelines have been written for managers to help care staff look after people properly and safely. Skills for Care and the National Development Team for Inclusion have written these For adults with challenging behaviour it is important that the staff that work with them are properly trained and have enough patience and energy to look after them in a caring way. It is important that staff are not overworked and tired if they are to get on well with the people they care for. The new guidelines give a lot of information about these things and others too. Find out more from http://www.ndti.org.uk/uploads/files/Supporting_staff_worki ng_with_challenging_behaviour(Guide_for_employers)vfp 1(May_2013).pdf

Feeling Settled Toolkit

The National Development Team for Inclusion with Choice Support and Golden Lane Housing has developed a tool kit, Feeling Settled, The tool kit wants to help improve housing rights and security of tenure for people with learning disabilities. It offers help for supporting people living in registered care homes, who would like to have greater security about where they live as well as more choice and control over their funding. The toolkit can be downloaded free of charge : http://www.ndti.org.uk/uploads/files/Feeling_Settled_Final _Report_February_2011.pdf

Prison Reform Trust report

Making the difference: the role of adult social care services in supporting vulnerable offenders This report looks at the important role of adult social care services in helping people with multiple needs who have committed crimes to not reoffend. By different agencies joining together to provide support people at risk will get better help and in the long term this will not cost the tax payer as much money. You can get the report at: http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/ Making%20the%20difference.pdf

Carers Credit
You could get Carers Credit if youre caring for someone for at least 20 hours a week. This is a National Insurance credit that helps build your entitlement to the basic State Pension and additional State Pension. It makes sure there are no gaps in your National Insurance record. Your income or savings do not affect if you can get Carers credit. You can find out more at: https://www.gov.uk/carers-credit/overview

Aspirations For Life

Aspirations for Life is a resource pack that gives a rich variety of resources to help you raise the employment aspirations and expectations for children and young people with learning disabilities. Visit http://www.aspirationsforlife.org/ and check out the Resource Pack.

Investing in Advocacy supports for Parents with Learning Disabilities: A paper on the economic
arguments The Personal Social Services Research Unit has done a study that shows that it is worthwhile to invest in advocacy for parents with learning disabilities. It helps the families but makes sense for services too Read the report at:
http://www2.lse.ac.uk/LSEHealthAndSocialCare/pdf/DP2860.pdf

If you would like any information on any of our meetings, training or projects you can contact the office on:

Tel: 0113 262 6409

E-mail: info@inclusionnorth.org

Or you can write to us at: Inclusion North 191 Belle Vue Road Leeds LS3 1HG

You can visit our website at: www.inclusionnorth.org

Or you can contact any member of the Inclusion North team: Samantha Clark Tel: 07823 536 603 Email: Samantha@inclusionnorth.org

Scott Cunningham Tel: 07767 776 125 Email: Scott@inclusionnorth.org

Angela Ellis Tel: 07944 185 771 Email: Angela@inclusionnorth.org

Kellie Woodley Tel: 07876 145 390 Email: Kellie@inclusionnorth.org