Cyswllt Conwy ar gyfer Anableddau Dysgu

Conwy Connect for learning disabilities

Newsletter February 2016 - Issue 64 Connecting people across Conwy

Conwy Connect for Learning Disabilities is a registered charity and an independent voluntary organisation that promotes the rights of people with a learning disability in the County Borough of Conwy. We seek to help people to have equal choices and opportunities in the community. The views expressed

within this newsletter do not necessarily reflect those of Conwy Connect for Learning Disabilities.

Cyswllt Conwy ar gyfer Anableddau Dysgu

Conwy Connect for learning disabilities

Newsletter February 2016 - Issue 64 Connecting people across Conwy

Our Next Event

“Speak up for your Community”

Who can attend?

People with a Learning Disability, Parent/Carers, Providers, Voluntary and Statutory Organisations Flyers and Booking forms enclosed

At the beginning of our event on 9th February Conwy Connect will be making a proposal to change the area we work in from Conwy to North Wales. This is to enable us to do more things and do them better. See the enclosed booking form for more information. Following on from our event some of our members will be attending the launch of the All Wales People First Manifesto at the Senedd in Cardiff on 23rd February. Members of Conwy Connect will be representing Conwy County.

Conwy Connect for Learning Disabilities is a registered charity and an independent voluntary organisation that promotes the rights of people with a learning disability in the County Borough of Conwy. We seek to help people to have equal choices and opportunities in the community. The views expressed

within this newsletter do not necessarily reflect those of Conwy Connect for Learning Disabilities.

When? This will be held Tuesday 9th

February 2016, 10.00am - 2.30pm

Where? At the Colwyn Bay Cricket Club.

Find out about:

Welsh Assembly Elections in May

What we might have in a Manifesto We will be holding our own mock election. A fun and interactive day not to be missed!

To hear people’s different opinions

To describe what kind of world you want to live in

To be listened to and be heard

Why is it important for you to attend

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Planning for the Future

Keeping in touch

with your family Very important, and so we give this special thought

What, if any, support

you will need

Ensuring you are as independent as possible in your new place

Events To Look Out For Conwy Connect has worked with the Local Authority to put on 2 events each year for the past 4 or 5 years. “Key to My Future,” for individuals with a learning disability who live in the family home. “Keep on Planning,” for the parents/carers of individuals with a learning disability who are living with them. Both events offer information, encouragement and support on the journey of transition into independent living. They are being repeated in 2016. Keep an eye out for more information, but do be thinking about taking up your personal invitation when it arrives.

In The Meantime...... For more information, for a referral form,

or just for a chat the number to call is

07826 810597 and the contact e-mail is

conwy.connect.pff@gmail.com

Chris Spree Planning for the Future Co-ordinator

Planning For The Future Supporting individuals with learning

disabilities and their parents/carers to plan for and help them during their

transition into independent living.

The Story So Far In our last Newsletter I introduced the new Planning for the Future Service and gave you some information about how it came into being and what it provides. Since then we have started planning with 6 people, and there are more who want to start work on their plan.

How Does It Work? Each plan is unique because we are all unique as people, but your plan will include important information about:

Where you want to

live

This section is about the area

What type of place

you want to live in

H o u s e , b u n g a l o w , flat…….?

Being involved in

your community

Making your unique contribution to the people around you

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Meetings and Events

Held on Tuesday 8th September 2015, for parents and carers. It included:

A presentation on Telecare for parents and carers

Parents and c a r e r s workgroup

Recommendations and comments were recorded to aid the planning of future events. A report and a film montage has been produced from the event available on request.

Held on 18th November 2015

After the formal proceedings of the AGM a film and information on Connect Buddies was presented. Following this we watched a film produced by Cath of Shayna’s and Shell’s visit to the Learning Disability Wales Conference in Newport.

Focus group

meetings with

the CSSIW

Inspectors

Sessions were held on 19th December Things we talked about Do councils understand how much

help for people with learning disabilities is needed in their area?

How good are people at doing what

they promise to do for people with learning disabilities?

How good is the information, help and advice which is given to people?

Do Welsh councils show respect for

people with learning disabilities?

This was a great opportunity to have a real say. Comments and concerns were recorded and sent to the CSSIW (Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales). A report will be sent out soon from CSSIW.

Our Annual Meeting

“Keep on Planning Event”

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Health Improvement

My job is to work to improve health outcomes and to address the health inequalities experienced by people with learning disabilities. You can contact me on 01492 536486 or at paul.conwyconnect@gmail.com

Paul Carter Reports

This took place at Colwyn Bay Cricket Club on 23rd September. It was the official launch of ‘Your Guide To Your Health Check’ - an easy read guide to learning disability annual health checks.

I gave an interactive presentation about what should be in your health check and why it is so important to have one. Audience members had to pick things out of a sack and decide whether they should be in your health check or not. Shell Williams and Sue Davies performed a s h or t p l ay a f t e r w a r d s . They asked ‘true or false’ questions about health checks to test the audience.

Sonia Winley gave a talk about her job. She is the Learning Disability Liaison nurse for health checks in North Wales. If you have any questions about health checks you can contact her on 07919302374.

Fatima Sayed is a Screening Engagement Practitioner for Public Health Wales. She gave a presentation on health s c r e e n i n g . S h e e x p l a i n e d w h a t screening is and who should be screened for

what. To find out more go to www.screeningforlife.wales.nhs.uk or telephone Fatima on 01492 863540. We also showed a short film about diabetes. It explained what diabetes is and how to look out for the symptoms. You can download Easy Read leaflets about diabetes from our website. To finish off there was a healthy salmon and salad buffet for lunch.

To get your copy of ‘Your Guide To Your Health Check’ you can download and print one from our website. You can also phone or email us at Conwy Connect to get one.

All people with a learning disability in Wales can have a free health check once a year. But in the County of Conwy less than half the people who can have a free health check actually do. I worked with Sonia Winley (Learning Disability Liaison nurse) to put together a questionnaire to try and find out why.

‘Check Your Health’ Event

Health Check Questionnaire

5

Health Improvement

Easy Read Health Leaflets

It has been posted out to all people in the County of Conwy who can have a free learning disability health check who are on the social services register. We also included a letter to explain what it is.

We were able to do this because Conwy County Borough Council’s Integrated Disability Services department provided address labels and paid for postage. The mailing list contained over 400 names. Hopefully many people will fill in the questionnaires and return them. Over 60 have come back to us already. If we know why some people don’t go to their free health check then maybe we can help them to do so in future. Part of my job is to make sure that information about health is accessible. This means it should be available in a way that is clear and easy to read and understand.

Health Check Questionnaire

(continued)

All leaflets about your health should be available in ‘Easy Read’ format. ‘Easy Read’ is a set of rules about how to present things in a way that is easy for people with a learning disability to read. Siwan Jones (Principal Public Health Officer for Public Health Wales) reported to the Conwy Outcome Group 2 in September about work in Conwy to help people stop smoking. This has been happening after t h e W e l s h G o v e r n m e n t p r o d u c e d a Tobacco Control Action Plan. Part of this is done by Stop Smoking Wales. Stop Smoking Wales is a free NHS service to help people quit smoking. I noticed that there are no Easy Read leaflets about how to stop smoking. I contacted Siwan Jones about this.

The job of Public Health Wales is to protect and improve health and wellbeing and reduce h e a l t h inequalities in Wales.

We met to talk about what could be done to make the information available in Easy Read. Siwan also wanted to learn about my work as Health Improvement Co-ordinator for Conwy Connect. Siwan has spoken to Stop Smoking Wales about this. They have agreed to talk about Easy Read leaflets in their next management group meeting. Hopefully we will hear back from them soon.

6

Engagement Service

Connect Forum Michelle Williams, Shayna Harris and

Stephen Thornton attended the Learning

Disability Wales Conference ‘Heart and

Soul’. They gave a presentation on

Connect Buddies and spoke about how it

feels to have or be a buddy. They then

showed a short video about Connect

Buddies and the Connect Buddies 2015

festival.

If you would like to see this short video it

is available on our Facebook page and our

website. Have a look at the video - your

photo maybe included.

Catherine Pickering Engagement Coordinator 01492 536486 cathpickering@gmail.com

The September forum spoke about what they have achieved to date and how they can attract more members. The October forum spoke about the ‘Check Your Health’ event. Shayna fed back about the Regional Network meeting she had attended. Sionedd Wyn Williams from Wales Co-operative Centre gave training to the forum on Social Media in January.

Michelle Williams attended the All Wales People First Conference in Cardiff on the 28th & 29th Sept 2015 . The theme of the Conference was “Never Mind the Politics What About the Advocacy”. They collated information to make a ‘People First Manifesto’. This manifesto will be presented to the Senedd on the 23rd Feb 2016. Shell then presented learning points from the conference to Conwy Integrated Disability Service Staff Team. The conference was funded by Social Services Training Department.

All Wales People First Conference

Learning Disability Wales

Conference Heart & Soul 4th

and 5th Nov 2015

Come and Join Us!

I am looking for people to join our forum. If you are interested in learning new skills and meeting new people get in touch with me at Conwy Connect.

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Connect Buddies

Regional Partnership Event 7th Oct 2015

Shayna is our Regional Rep for Conwy County. She attended an event in October about the different kinds of accommodation you can live in. Shayna asked Matthew different questions like Do you have help to live on your own? What do they support you with? Do you shop for your own food? What is good about where you live? Shayna really enjoyed interviewing Matthew and enjoys attending the regional partnership events. The next regional event will be held on March 9th 2016. Venue to be confirmed.

Connect Buddies Festival 2016!!!!!!

Did you come along to the Connect Buddies Festival in 2015? Well great news - the festival is back for summer 2016! It will be a live music event. The festival will be held at Bodafon Farm Park on the 26th June. If you know anyone who would like to be involved in volunteering from the planning process to handing out programs on the day then just get in touch with Cath on 01492 536486 or cathpickering@gmail.com

Engagement Service

Connect Buddies News!

Stephen and his buddy (you may remember he is also called Stephen) went to a Comic-Con event in Birmingham in November. They both had a great time and have another Comic–Con to go to in March. Cath is back from maternity leave and looking for volunteers. Are you the next Connect Buddies superstar volunteer? - call 01492 536486 and quote CONBUDVOL to find out

Registered Charity Number 1082860 8

News-News-News

Conwy Connect member Phillip Moreland has won both the ‘Man of the Year’ and ‘Mr. Sleek’ awards at Colwyn Bay Slimming World. This is because of his own weight loss plus h i s w o r k s u p p o r t i n g other members to achieve their slimming goals. P h i l l i p i s pictured here receiving his awards.

Phillip said ‘I would like to thank all my support staff for helping me reach my goal. You know who you are’.

He has also recently received a ’Your Service Rocks’ award from Co-op for his work assisting elderly customers with their shopping. Well done Phillip!

The Conwy Access Team provide a first point of contact service to residents of Conwy who wish to access the services provided by the various teams in Conwy's Adult Social Services Department.

You can contact the Team Tel: 0300 456 1111 Fax: 01492 576330 E-mail: wellbeing@conwy.gov.uk Text message (for general enquiries): 07797 870361

Conwy Access Team, Colwyn Leisure Centre, Eirias Park, Abergele Road, Colwyn Bay. LL29 7SP

Conwy Connect Member wins

awards

The Conwy Access Team

Contact Details

Conwy Connect for Learning Disabilities Rear Annex 7 Rhiw Road Colwyn Bay, LL29 7TE 01492 536486 conwy.connect@gmail.com www.conwy-connect.org.uk @CC4LD (Twitter) www.facebook.com/CC4LD Deadline for articles/items to Sue Davies for the next newsletter by Friday 8th April 2016

Moving On Solutions Group was set up to look at supporting the development of new opportunities for social and leisure activities in the community for Adults

with a Learning Disability. We Would like to thank Trish Holland who finished in January who continued to develop this service. We hope to have another co-ordinator in post by the end of February. The next MOS Bulletin is expected out shortly and will bring you up to date with current and future activities.

The Friendship Group is open to all adults with a learning disability in Conwy. Their latest list of future activities will be out soon with booking forms. Cath Pickering will be supporting Shell with future activities. For more information phone 01492 536486