Inclusion North Bulletin

Issue Number 56
12th December 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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Finding Common Purpose

ADASS and the Care Provider Alliance have published a report. It is about improving commissioning for services for people with learning disabilities. The report is based on a workshop which looked at: The barriers to more productive commissioning relationships How to overcome those barriers Who might take action to overcome those barriers You can read the full report here.

Action Trackers Report Impact of Welfare Reform

Involve Yorkshire and Humber have been looking at the impact of welfare reforms on voluntary and community groups in Yorkshire and Humber. The key findings and messages from the research have been published in a short summary document, which can be found here: http://www.involveyorkshirehumber.org.uk/resources/gener al-resources/action-trackers-nov-2013-summary-report/ A full report with more statistical information will be published in January 2014. Information from Inclusion North about Welfare Reform can be found here: http://inclusionnorth.org/resources/informationpacks/welfare-reform-changes/

Health Equalities Framework Workshop

The North East and Cumbria learning Disability Network are inviting people to attend a health Equalities Workshop. The workshop will be on 28th February 9.30am to 2.30 pm in Central Newcastle (venue to be confirmed). To see the full invite click here. If you would like to attend the workshop please contact Kirsty.bell2@nhs.net by 23rd December

Good Communication Standards

Learning Disabilities Professional Senate have approved a set of good communication standards. They are all keen for families to use these standards to monitor effective communication by services with people who have learning disabilities. The development of these standards was one of the pledges made as part of the Post Winterbourne View Concordat, and therefore it means communication with EVERYONE who has a learning disability, not just those who are able to use language. You can see a copy of the good standards here: Or if you would like to discuss your ideas about how these could be used in your area please contact: Della.money@nottshc.nhs.uk

Darlington Learning Disability Network

The Learning Disability Network in Darlington have put together some ideas about how to make things better for people following the Winterbourne View Report. You can read their ideas here

Making health and social care information accessible

NHS England has begun a programme of work aimed at making sure that disabled patients, service users and carers receive information from health and social care organisations in formats that they can understand, and that they receive appropriate support to communicate, which may include advocacy. More information and online surveys and details of ways for people to get involved, are available at www.england.nhs.uk/accessibleinfo Please take the time to input your views via the survey which is most relevant to you, as it is important that this project is shaped by people who have an interest in it. For queries please contact: england.nhs.participation@nhs.net

NDTi Conference: Employment support for people with learning disabilities and mental health problems
The National Development Team for Inclusion are holding a one day conference. It will be on March 26th 2014 at the Holiday Inn London Bloomsbury The conference will present and discuss the outcomes from the NDTis national research into local employment strategies, costs and outcomes. It will provide essential information about planning local employment strategies, what approaches actually deliver jobs and how to get better

outcomes for your money. You can see the brochure for the conference here: http://gallery.mailchimp.com/666eed2be3e5f7c3b0d58fb72/ files/employmentsupport.1.pdf You can book a place at the conference here: http://www.centrevents.co.uk/employmentsupport.html

Access to Advocacy Survey

Research has highlighted that poor advocacy support is a key barrier to enabling disabled people to fulfil their potential. The National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi) is doing some research to look at what needs to be done so that disabled people can have access to joined-up advocacy services to enable work, education, independence and participation in wider society. As part of this research they want to hear from organisations that provide advocacy services to find out more about the types of advocacy provided, gaps in provision and examples of good practice. To help them find out please complete this survey by 19th December. If you are happy to help, please follow this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MMR76C9 If you would like to complete the survey in a different format or if you have any other questions please contact: naomi.harflett@ndti.org.uk

The Green Light Toolkit

This has been developed by the National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi) It aims to improve mental health services for People with Learning Disabilities and/or Autism. Families and people with learning disabilities and people with autism report negative experiences of mental health services. The Green Light 2013 Toolkit includes: An audit framework to support reviews An easy-read version of the audit framework and toolkit A database of examples of reasonable adjustments made by services, as a resource for people seeking to innovate and share learning. The National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi) will be providing support to implement the new Toolkit and aims to develop a number of Action Learning Sets, incorporating a benchmarking club that uses the audit tools they have produced. Full details of both Green Light Toolkit 2013 can be found at: http://www.ndti.org.uk/news/national-news/green-lighttoolkit/

Reach Support for Living an Ordinary Life

The Housing and Support Alliance and Paradigm have launched Reach: Support for living an ordinary life. It is about getting the support (paid and unpaid) you need to live the life you want. It is a resource and set of standards to encourage people to explore what support for living an ordinary life looks like for a person. If changes are needed in a persons life Reach helps you agree the changes, plan and take action together. Reach defines what Support for Living is through a set of 11 standards and helps to ensure people receive, or are moving towards, support for living their ordinary life. Used honestly, this will assist support providers and commissioners to meet their responsibilities to the people they support and the relevant regulatory bodies. One life, one set of standards; one process. For more information: http://www.housingandsupport.org.uk/site/hasa/templa tes/general.aspx?pageid=335&cc=gb To order your pack: http://www.paradigm-uk.org/content/Reach.aspx

Sunderland People First Anti-Bullying Week

People from Sunderland People First have recently visited a school to take part in a presentation about bullying. If you would like to find out more about their visit you can click here.

Healthy Living Session

The next Healthy Living Session run by Keighley and Craven People First will be on Friday 13th December 2013 10:30 - 11:30am at Central Hall, Alice Street, Keighley. This will be the last session before Christmas. The session will include a short presentation about Diabetes and some gentle exercise adapted for all abilities and ages, which will last approx 30 minutes. The exercise will have some Christmas Music to get everyone in the festive mood. The next session after Christmas will be Friday 10th January 2014. For more information click here.

Welcome Lucy
We are pleased to welcome Lucy Virgo to the Inclusion North team. She is our new Project Support Coordinator. Amongst other things she'll be supporting the CQC 'Experts by Experience' in the Yorkshire and Humber region do the hugely important task of checking that people are listened too, that they are supported well, and that their needs are put at the centre. Lucy brings a lot of experience to the role having worked for a various charities supporting people. For the last ten years she has worked for National Mencap working on lots of different projects with families. If you would like to contact Lucy her email is: lucyvirgo@inclusionnorth.org or give her a call on 07944 185771

Merry Christmas
This will be our last Bulletin of 2013 so we would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. The next Bulletin will be produced in week beginning 6th January.

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

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