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IndependentLiving News#partofthesolution - Supporting disabled people for over twenty years

Information and news for disabled and older people and family carers

Edition 132 – March 2019

If you would like a regular copy of the SIL newsletter, and to help us adhere to ourenvironmental policy to reduce production and postage costs, please forward youremail address details to shelagh.callaghan@s4il.co.uk

Deadline for article contributions in the Summer newsletter is 3rd May 2019.Email to shelagh.callaghan@s4il.co.uk or post to the address on the back of thisnewsletter. Don’t forget the prize for every star letter/article printed is £25.

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Inside this edition

2 A Message from the Chief Executive3 Changes to Torfaen DPSS4 Yeleni Therapy and Support Well@Home Wales5 Dignity Day6 Design a Flag for Herefordshire Read to Me7 Deaf Direct Herefordshire8 Unique Art Awards Disabled Access Day9 MASIS On Yer Bike!10 Marathon Triumph Core Skills Training 11 Changing Places

The Sequal Trust

12 SIL Events for 2019

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Welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter, I hope you find it interesting.

This is the last edition of the newsletter where we will still be providing Direct Payment Support Services in Torfaen, although we will continue to provide payroll and bookkeeping services to Direct Payment recipients in the area. We have takenthe decision not continue with the provision of Direct Payment services in Torfaen so that we can focus on developing services that fit better SIL’s geographical locationand our longer term plans. Anyone who is affected by this change should have received a letter from Torfaen CBC explaining the changes. We are pleased that some of the existing staff will transfer to the local authority in Torfaen to give some consistency and to help ensure a seamless transfer from the current to the new services.

We are now focused on growing our existing services and developing new servicesin Herefordshire and neighbouring counties. We are currently defining what we thinkare opportunities for new services and we would like to hear your thoughts about any gaps in support services for disabled people in and around the county. If you have any ideas about how SIL could better support you to gain and maintainindependence, engage more actively in society, or improve your quality of life please let me know by contacting me on 01568 616653 or by emailing me directly on euan.mcpherson@s4il.co.uk

I will be really interested to hear your thoughts.

I hope you all enjoy the Spring - with the lighter nights and warmer weather on theway it is really a beautiful time of the year.

Best Wishes

Euan

Caveat: Please note we print articles provided by third party organisations in good faith. SIL takes no responsibility for the accuracy of the information or content. Dates and times of events and activities are correct at the time of going to print.

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Changes to Torfaen DPSS If you live in Torfaen and receive a direct payment you will have been supported by SIL’s team based in Cwmbran since 2011. However, with effect from the 1st April 2019, the Direct Payment Support Service (DPSS) will be provided by Torfaen CBC.

This decision is in no way a reflection on the service SIL has delivered over the past seven and a half years, but reflects the changes in the way that support will be delivered in the future.

The changes will not directly affect current direct payment arrangements and most of SIL’s advisors will also transfer to TCBC, ensuring a seamless transfer.

SIL and TCBC will be working hard during the transition to ensure that direct payments recipients still receive appropriate and timely support and TCBC will keep you updated with how the transition progresses and provide the necessary contact details you will need as soon as possible.

TCBC will not be operating a payroll or managed accounts service, so SIL will continue to run payroll and/or managed accounts for anyone currently using their services, so there is no need for you to find an alternative organisation. SIL is committed to pegging costs at the same level for service users in Torfaen, which of course TCBC will continue to meet through the direct payment.

Naturally, if you have any questions about the changes please contact us. If you would like to speak to someone about the new DP service please contact Zoe Williams at TCBC on 01495 762200. If you have any questions relating to payroll, please contact Pauline Taylor, one of SIL’s Finance Admin & Payroll Team, on 01568 616653

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Yeleni Therapy and Support

Well@Home Wales

Yeleni Therapy and Support is based at 2 Blackfriars Street, Hereford and offers a range of services, open to everyone. By choosing to have your therapies with Yeleni you can also help them to offer a free package of support to anyone, of any age who is living with cancer at any stage of their journey.

Yeleni offers a wide range of complementary therapies from acupuncture to yoga; self-help groups; a range of health & wellbeing workshops, including meditation, crochet, seated yoga, Alexander Technique and Reiki; a cup of tea and a chat at any time; and support for family and carers too.

The team are delighted to announce that The Dowager Countess of Darnley has become a Patron and they look forward to welcoming you. For more information call 01432 342342, E: info@yelenisupport.co.uk or visit: www.yelenisupport.co.uk

Well@Home Wales is a three year funded project which aims to improve the health of those with chronic illnesses by reducing fuel poverty. Health professionals and support agencies in the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB) area can refer people to the project team who may be able to provide practical measures to improve efficiency and warmth in the home or give advice about energy and avoiding fuel debt. There is also an emergency fund which can be used in specific circumstances to repair or replace a broken heating system. To receive help a health professional or support worker will need to refer the individual by asking them to complete a short referral form which will be shared with the Well@Home project team based at Melin Homes. The individual will then be contacted by the team and an appointment made to visit the home. For more information call the team on 01495 745910 or email them at info@wellathome.co.uk

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Dignity DayThe 1st February was Dignity Day, an opportunity to reflect on what dignity in care really means and how organisations such as SIL can work to ensure its service users are treated with dignity while being supported. Dignity is a fundamental part of providing high quality, user led, support services, but unfortunately, it is not a given that everyone with a disability is treated with dignity, either by the people who support them, or in the wider community.

SIL is an excellent example of how to support people with dignity, and to mark the day we had a “dignitree” in the reception area of the Leominster office throughout the week and invited everyone working or visiting to write what dignity in care means to them. There was a huge response and by the end of the week the tree, which had started life as a barren branch, was bursting with leaves. Here is a selection of the comments adorning the tree:

“Respecting others views, choices and decisions. Being valued and respected for who you are and what you believe and how you want to live your life”.

“Dignity is treating everyone as you would wish to be treated and to have a smile on your face as you walk in the door leaving any problems you have on the doorstep”.

“Dignity is about recognising the wholeness of people. It is a right as well as a responsibility, it is part of our everyday lives, in our daily interactions”.

“Dignity is at the heart of our service user led care”.

“Treat people how you would like to be treated ,with the upmost respect and willingness to understand their difficulties and always remember they are just trying to live their lives as best as they possibly can”.

“Dignity is self-belief, self-worth, self-awareness; an expectation that your voice will be heard, and you’ll always be treated with respect. It is the conscientiousness to champion these characteristics, treating people as you wish to be treated”.

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Design a Flag for Herefordshire

Read to me

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Herefordshire is one of only three counties in the country who don’t have an official flag! There are some unofficial ones and a coat of arms, but nothing that’s registered, but all that’s about to change.

An open, community project, invites anybody to submit an original design for a Herefordshire Flag which will then be assessed by a panel who will create a shortlist which will then by shared with the residents of Herefordshire to select the winner through a Public Vote.

The winning design will then be registered with the Flag Institute and credited to the designer, before being produced and unveiled at a ceremony. After the unveiling the flag will be free for anybody to fly forever more.

If you are interested in submitting a design, the full competition guidelines and entry form are available from www.the-shire.co.uk/herefordshireflag The deadline for entries is the 15th April 2019.

Torfaen Libraries are recruiting volunteers to act as Reading Companions for their Read to Me Service. Reading Companions visit older or disabled people in their own homes to read aloud to them on a one to one basis and the library service is looking for volunteers who are passionate about books and reading, enjoy talking about what they’ve read and can share that passion.

This is an opportunity to make a difference to someone’s life by bringing them companionship and the enjoyment of books.

For more information about the Read to Me Service contact Norah Williams on 01633 647654 or email her at: norah.williams@torfaen.gov.uk

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Deaf Direct – Herefordshire Local charity Deaf Direct offers support to anyone with a hearing loss, deafness, the deafblind, or those suffering from Tinnitus. It offers specialist support to those experiencing difficulties, helping overcome social isolation and supporting people to live independently. Deaf Direct’s fully trained specialist support staff can offer support at home, work or school and also provide information on issues related to hearing loss, education, training and finance/benefits. They also offer advice on equipment such as TV loops, personal listeners, louder phones and flashing doorbells.

Deaf Direct operates a drop in service at their office, 36 Widemarsh Street, Hereford, every Wednesday between 10am-1pm. Appointments can also be made out of these hours, by contacting them on 01905 746301 or email info@deafdirect.org.uk to arrange this.

If you live in Herefordshire and have a hearing loss then you qualify for a no cost full home assessment where staff will visit you at home and talk about equipment available to you for free. So if you miss the door bell, or use a high volume on your TV causing stress at home or with neighbours it’s worth contacting Deaf Direct.

Deaf Direct offers a range of other charity services including a children’s service; family support; lip reading and BSL classes; and social groups for all ages. The social activities include a friendly social on the first Wednesday of each month between 2pm – 4pm at The Rose Garden, Ledbury Road, Hereford; BSL prize bingo on the second Wednesday of the month, 10.30am-12.00pm at Deaf Direct Hereford; and a BSL ‘sign social group’ who meet at 7pm in Wetherspoons (The Kings Fee) Commercial Rd, Hereford on the last Friday of each month.

To apply for any of Deaf Direct’s services you can refer yourself, or a family member or friend can refer you. They also take referrals from Social Services and other agencies.

All of Deaf Direct’s support workers are DBS checked and offer a high quality, value for money, specialist service with specialist knowledge on hearing loss, tinnitus, BSL skills and DeafBlind qualifications to match your needs.

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Unique Art Awards

Disabled Access Day The award-winning movement Disabled Access Day is set to return on Saturday 16th March and visitor attractions and organisations across the UK are preparing their events ahead of the day.

One in five people in the UK are disabled and have a collective spending power of around £250 billion. Attractions are being urged to make the most of Disabled Access Day and the accessible tourism market by ‘trying something new’ to welcome disabled visitors.

Euan’s Guide, the UK’s top disabled access review website and the team behind Disabled Access Day, have revealed the event line-up and among the places promoting their accessible tourism this March are football clubs, nature reserves, historic sites, theatres and more.

To find out what’s happening in your area visit: https://www.disabledaccessday.com/whats-on/

The Unique Art Awards are the brainchild of Tom Yendell, a mouth and foot artist, who wanted to encourage young disabled people to develop their creativity. Children and young people between the ages of 7 – 21 can enter the competition and prizes include up to £600 for the entrant and up to £3,000 for their school or college’s art department.

Funded by the Mouth and Foot Painting Trust Fund the Unique Art Awards 2019 are now open for entries. This year there are two themes to choose from: My Future or Africa. Submissions not on one of these subjects will not be judged.

The two age groups are 7 – 15 years and 16 – 21 years. Entries can be in painting, 3D sculpture, digital art, photography or performing arts.

The closing date is the 10th May and all finalists will be invited to a presentation ceremony in September.

For more information about the competition and to download an entry form visit: http://www.uniqueartawards.uk/

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MASIS

On Yer Bike! Power chair user Thea May Lewis decided that cycling in the Peak District wasn’t something that only the very fittest can enjoy. She put her love of the Peak District together with her wheelchair experience to create a new e-book, Explore the Peak District by Bicycle. All the 50 major routes are fully accessible and Thea has graded the routes from beginner level to more advanced routes which take riders along quiet lanes to the highest viewpoints. As well as directions, Thea has included local history, legend and tradition so that the “cyclist” can get the most from their trips. The author has ridden all the routes in her reclining wheelchair with add-on powered wheel; a wheelchair e-trike. She is hoping that her experience and her new book will encourage others with impaired mobility and/or limited strength and stamina to become e-cyclists.

To purchase a copy of this Kindle book visit: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Explore-Peak-District-Bicycle-leisurely-ebook/dp/B07K3TVNQV/

The Mobility and Support Information Service (MASIS) is a website which aims to help boost the self-esteem and wellbeing of disabled people and those with long term health conditions, supporting them to play an active role in society. MASIS does not hold all the answers, but it works with a wide range of organisations and government departments who are able to provide the expert disability information and support. Any income that MASIS secures from advertising is redistributed into health research projects which investigate and hopefully combat the many barriers faced by disabled people.

Some of the services provided by MASIS include a motor vehicle supply scheme; easy accessibility for a disabled person’s railcard; and information about solicitors who can support older people in some of the more complex issues surrounding wills, planning for long-term care and lasting Powers of Attorney.

To find out is MASIS might be of interest to you visit: www.masis.org.uk

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Marathon Triumph

Core Skills Training

Helen, one of SIL’s direct payment support service’s clients, is a keen runner who also enjoys a number of activities including Pilates, yoga and Zumba. However, running is her passion and she can often be seen running in Hereford with the support of her PA’s who encourage her in her distance running and ensures she stays safe. Helen has cerebral palsy and a learning disability but this hasn’t stopped her chasing her dream and during 2018, as well as running several UK races including the Cardiff 10k and Half Marathon; the Swansea 10k and Half Marathon, the Great North Run and the Bristol 10k, she also managed to fit in the following international events. On the 16th June Helen did very well in the Midnight Sun 10k in Tromso, Norway. She then competed in the New York Marathon with her support runner on the 4th November, and despite having a nasty tumble the day before she still completed the race. Then to close the year on the 8th December, Helen ran the Lanzarote 10k. It’s great to read about Helen’s achievements and to know she is already training for more events this year.

SIL has always prided itself on having a workforce which is fully trained and certificated to do the work they are employed to do. However, training can carry an expensive price tag, so in 2017 the decision was made to train SIL’s senior managers to become certified trainers so that they could train in their field of expertise. Such has been the success of this initiative, that not only is SIL’s staff being trained in-house, but the courses are now being sold to external organisations and personal assistants. There is a wide range of training available and the courses run regularly throughout the year. All training takes place in SIL’s modern training room in the Leominster office.If you are interested in finding out what courses SIL delivers either for your own accreditation, for your personal assistants or as an employer, please contact SIL’s training team on 01568 616653 or email: karen.hunt@s4il.co.uk

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Changing Places

The Sequal Trust

The Changing Places Consortium launched its campaign in 2006 on behalf of the 250,000 people who cannot use standard accessible toilets. This includes people with profound and multiple learning disabilities, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, as well as older people. At long last the Toilets (Provision & Accessibility) Bill has been tabled by Paula Sherriff, the Labour MP for Dewsbury, and has its second reading in the House of Commons on the 15th March.The Bill seeks to make the provision of Changing Places mandatory, as a minimum, in large new builds, complexes with public access, or sites where visitors can reasonably be expected to spend long periods of time.It is great news for campaigners, but there is still a long way to go. Even once through the committee stage, there will be a third reading in the House of Commons, before going through readings in the House of Lords before it gets Royal Assent. In practical reality therefore, it will be a year or so before it becomes law. Assuming it gets that far.So it is not a case that campaigners, or indeed anyone who needs a Changing Places toilet, can now “rest on our laurels”. Indeed, perhaps now more than ever is the time to stand up and be counted. For more information about the campaign visit: http://www.changing-places.org

This year is the 50th anniversary of the Sequal Trust, a little known charity which provides vital communication aids for people of all ages with a range of disabilities, including Autism, Cerebral Palsy and Muscular Dystrophy. Any individual who is solely in receipt of benefits or on a low disposable income, and who doesn’t meet NHS criteria for the provision of a communication aid can apply to the Trust for financial assistance. The individual can either approach the Trust personally or ask a professional, friend or family member to do so on their behalf. Once an application has been accepted, a fundraising campaign is launched for that particular individual. When the target figure is reached, the equipment is purchased and provided on a life-long loan basis, with Sequal remaining responsible for all necessary technical repairs and upgrades for the life of each particular device.If you would like more information or to make a donation visit: www.thesequaltrust.org.uk

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SIL events for 2019 As regular readers of the SIL newsletter will know, SIL holds events throughout the year at the Leominster office that are open to service users, friends, family and staff. With the exception of the Macmillan coffee morning and the Christmas Jumper Day, the events all raise money for SIL’s charity of the year.

In 2017 SIL raised funds for Genetic Disorders UK and last year the nominated charity was MIND. This year SIL will be raising funds for Yeleni Therapy and Support. If you would like to find out more about this local charity and the work they do, you can read the article on page 4.

The events are all free, but money is raised through raffles or sale of goods on the day, so we hope that anyone attending will always bring a little bit of cash to support the event and of course our designated charity.

More information is available nearer to the event, but for now the dates of the 2019 events are below, so please put them in your diary and make a date to join us!

Wednesday, 10th April, 10am - 12pm, Easter Extravaganza - Easter egg hunt and Easter crafts.

Thursday, 4th July, 1pm - 4pm, American themed Garden Party (well it is American Independence Day!) BBQ and games.

Friday, 27th September, 10am - 12pm, Macmillan Coffee Morning.

Thursday, 3rd October, 1pm - 4pm, SIL’s AGM. Saxon Hall, Hereford. Includes a buffet lunch and an opportunity to meet the SIL team.

Friday, 13th December, Christmas Jumper Day. Festive fun, raising money for Save the Children.

Registered Office:Services for Independent Living, 1 Owen Way, Leominster Enterprise Park,

Leominster, Herefordshire, HR6 0LAT: 01568 616653 E: contactus@s4il.co.uk

www.s4il.co.uk