North Herts

People First

Self advocacy

Minutes of the

Eastern Region Forum

on

Wednesday 30th April 2008Red Lodge Millennium Centre

Red Lodge, Suffolk

Peter welcomed everyone to the meeting.

Hello My name is Peter

Rank. I am the Chair of the

Eastern Region Forum.

Welcome to the meeting

People came from:

Bedfordshire

Hertfordshire

Cambridgeshire

Luton

Norfolk

Suffolk

Thurrock

Apologies were sent from:

Southend on Sea

Richard told everyone the rules for the meeting.

Copies of the rules were on every table

Theresa Ring and Hilda told us about the National Forum meeting on 7th and 8th

February 2008

Most of the meeting of the National Forum was spent looking at how the National Forum was going to respond to the ‘Valuing People Now’ document.There are lots of changes taking place that affect the National Forum:• Rob and Nicola leaving their jobs• The National Forum contract being renewed• ‘Valuing People Now’The 2 co-chairs jobs are up for election. It was agreed that Richard and Karen will stay on for another 6 months to see some of the changes happen

The Learning Disability Coalition is making a plan so MP’s can hear what the issues are for people with a learning difficulty

Hilda’s Top Tip for National Forum meetings:

“Be prepared to meet lots of new people and be asked to do new

things”

For the full minutes visit www.nationalforum.co.uk

Richard told us about the Task Force meeting on 4th March 2008

1. Rob Greig and Nicola Smith are working hard on Valuing People Now. It will be ready by July

2. Valuing People Now says there will be money for self advocacy groups to get stronger. The government will need to check self advocacy groups get local money

3. Family carers want more support and a louder voice in planning for people they care for

4. The Mansell 2 report: Some people are not part of their local community because of their behaviour or they do not feel well in their mind. The Mansell 2 report gives good ideas about how to support people. The Task force will check the Mansell 2 report is working well.

5. Staff working with people with learning difficulties:More staff are needed. Staff need training to support people well. ‘Skills for Care’ are writing new training for staff.

6. People with learning difficulties and family carers will be trainersThere are new rules about being a trainer. The Task Force will write a letter to find out more about the new rules and say how important it is for people with learning difficulties and family carers to be trainersThere will be a new plan saying how staff can work best to support people with learning difficulties. This plan will be ready by October 2008

7. The Nurses and Midwifery Council are thinking of changing or getting rid of the Learning Disability qualification. The Task Force will find out more about this as people were worriedThis is the end of my

report

Thank you for listening

For the full minutes visit www.nationaldirectorld.org.uk

Richard talked about Transport

There were questions about bus passes and what times you could use them. Richard advised that

people talk to their local councils to get changes made

After the break we worked in small groups on Transport

This is what was said about buses:

I would like buses to make more room for

people in wheelchairs

The rules for bus passes are difficult to understand. It

should be the same everywhere

Beds CC should make an

accessible bus route/timetable

I would like to see the Liberty wallet

used on Hertfordshire buses

London have provided a large

print bus route and timetable. The

buses are listed in order of their

routes

Some good service routes – bus runs every 20 minutes

My new bus pass lets me travel

anytime of the day

Rural buses in Cambridgeshire is a bit rubbish

Norfolk is very rural. We can’t get to some villages

Too many buggies are a hazard.

I get the wrong information. They said I

needed a risk assessment to get a bus pass

This is what was said about taxis:

Taxi’s at Holt look after me

brilliantly. Taxi’s pull

your wheelchair up the ramp with

new equipment

Thurrock licensing train

their taxi drivers before they get their

license

Taxis are heaven:Door to door. Use same firm. Feel safeWhen you ring they turn up straight away, on time, polite, will waitOne driver in particular really knows how to help

Taxi drivers are

usually friendly

Wrong sized taxi sent. Too small

for wheelchairs

Taxi’s not on time

Taxi’s need double ramps so 2 sets of wheels can

get on. Strips used by

Cambridge not ideal

Some drivers

are rude and nasty

Some taxi firms need accessible

vehicles

Training drivers to

improve their attitude

This is what was said about trains:

Let more people know about rail cards/pass

Training for station staff by people with learning

difficultiesI use trains for

important stuff not just leisure days out (though

this is important

too!)

Sometimes people help me at the station at

Stowmarket

They change times and timetables. That gets me

muddled

Food is revolting on

trains

Platforms should be level with the train to make it easier to get on

Not enough time to get on and off

trains – makes me

scared

Local trains only have 1 wheelchair

space

It’s hard to get a train on

Bank Holidays

This is what was said about aeroplanes and mini buses:

Aeroplanes are not

wheelchair friendly

Good service on an aeroplane. They put me

first

Some airlines are

more helpful than

othersWe need more minibuses with

bigger doors and for people who are blind

Make me stand up out of my wheelchair to

check I wasn’t carrying anything I shouldn’t. They also made me take my

boots off!

Why spend 4 hours on a minibus

to go a few miles

People don’t

always listen

Minibus is good, we get to go to lots of different

places

This is what was said about bikes and walking:

I enjoy walking. It keeps me fit

Using my electric wheelchair to get about keeps me healthy

(out in the fresh air) and gives me independence

I used to have a tricycle with 10 gears. It was a good

trike. I used to put my puppy in the basket

I live too far away from town. It is

dangerous, too many hit

and runs

After lunch we heard from 5 people who had put themselves forward for the job of Eastern Region Forum representative to the National Forum. We then voted.

?

Janet Brandish won the vote and will represent

the Eastern Region for 2 years

Well done Janet

And Thank You Alan, Mark, Carol and Hilda for putting yourselves

forward

‘Your Say’ After a break we made posters to show the 3 main issues from our areas.

BedfordshireThurrock

1. How to cope with death. There is going to be a bereavement

group to help people with their feelings2. Boyfriends and girlfriends3. Trips and socialising to meet more

people

1. Transport2. Health 3. Relationship

s

Hertfordshire

Luton

1. Transport2. We voted for a new

Chairperson for the Valuing People Working Group

3. ‘Valuing People Now’ – we agreed the main priorities

1. Paid employment2. The length it takes to be referred to get through the supported employment route3. Housing

Cambridgeshire

1. Campaigning because we are unable to use bus passes before 9.30 in the morning

2. Lack of transport in the fens3. A new project at Speaking Up all about politics and

voting called:

‘Promote the vote’4. People with high support needs now have access to a

‘Changing Places’ toilet but it’s in a horrible dark place and only open to 4pm

5. Stay up late campaign

Suffolk Norfolk

1. Health2. Bullying3. Advocacy groups need to be funded

People are moving out of hospitals:1. People are starting to listen to us about where and how we want to live. It is still slow2. Staff are being offered ‘values’ training3. Transport conference in May

The minutes from the last Eastern Region

Forum were agreed

22nd January 2008

All of the work done today will be taken to the next National Forum on the

20th and 21st May in Loughborough.

Eastern Region Forum – Wednesday 30th April 2008

Date of the next meeting

Red Lodge Millennium CentreLavender Close

Red LodgeSuffolk

IP28 8TT

to

Start 10.00

End 3.30

Tuesday 22nd July 2008

July 2008

MonTu

eWed Thu Fri Sat Sun

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30 31