Choice | xxxxxxxxxx 1

Issue 9 | Spring 2013

Page 6 Widening Horizons

2 Choice | Contents

Contents

05News in depth Author of the Doran Review joins Capability Scotland

06Wish you were here Capability Scotland holidaymakers share their experiences

08Access all areas VisitScotland on how it’s flying the flag for accessible tourism

10Spotlight on our Playschemes Renfrewshire and Midlothian youngsters make a global impact

13A day in the life of Choice speaks to new Head of Employment Services, Ian Bruce

HelloWelcome to issue 9

Inside...Liz Donnachie, Page 6

“I had the time of my life at Dalraddy Chalet. I can’t wait to return for a girlie weekend.”

Antony Walker, Page 12

“I would wholeheartedly recommend contacting the advice service at Capability Scotland.”

With summer just around the corner and better weather (hopefully) on the way many of us will be starting to think about holidays.Choice is no different and in this edition we look at the different ways in which Capability Scotland supports our customers and their families to enjoy a break. Holidays are a great time to widen your horizons. However, this edition of Choice proves that you can do just that without travelling very far at all. Our First Person article this month tells how, thanks to our therapy services, one young girl was able to continue to explore the world around her. While All About Me highlights the commitment of one staff member who wanted to deepen her skills. With this edition you’ll also find information from Mobility Solutions, who’ve just opened Scotland’s largest mobility equipment shop, in Glasgow. Including inserts in Choice helps to pay for the distribution of the magazine, providing a welcome source of income in these cost conscious times.I am always delighted to hear from readers. You can find my contact details on the back if you want to get in touch with your thoughts and ideas about the magazine. Enjoy your summer – whatever the weather.

Choice | News 3

A message from DanaWho isn’t inspired by the thought of ‘widening horizons’? It’s a wonderful theme for this edition of Choice as we head towards summer. It also gives us a great excuse to highlight the many ways in which Capability Scotland is supporting our customers, their families and our staff team to enjoy new experiences and to make the most of opportunities in the world around us.

There are lots of examples in this issue of how people are widening their horizons. Perhaps the most obvious is our holiday feature. This looks at the many different ways in which Capability Scotland is making it possible for our customers and their families to enjoy the getaway of their choice.

Whether it’s providing direct support to an individual on their travels, or offering respite so families can take some time out to relax, Capability Scotland is helping people to take a break from their usual routines. We’re also hard at work behind the scenes tackling the broader challenge of access to tourism, and this edition looks at our partnership work with VisitScotland in this area.

Children from our Renfrewshire and Midlothian playschemes have also widened horizons by taking part in a worldwide play consultation. This has resulted in the United Nations taking

“It’s important that we widen our own horizons and engage with individuals, organisations and partners who can enrich the service we are able to offer to disabled people of all ages in Scotland.”

action to enforce children’s right to play. You can read all about this remarkable achievement in the coming pages.

Of course, it’s also important that we widen our own horizons and engage with individuals, organisations and partners who can enrich the service we are able to offer to disabled people of all ages in Scotland.

To this end I am delighted that the author of the Scottish Government’s review of specialist education, Peter Doran, will be working with Capability Scotland. Peter will help review and further develop our learning services for children and families. I believe his expertise and background will help us deliver our strategic objective of developing a sustainable education service. You can find out more about Peter and the work he will be doing with us in our News in depth article.

I hope you enjoy this spring edition of Choice and that it inspires you to widen your own horizons. Thanks again for your continued support and have a lovely summer whatever your plans are.

Dana O’DwyerChief Executive

Jim Halliday, Page 11

“Thanks to Stanmore’s physiotherapists, Chelsea’s recovery exceeded all our expectations.”

Julie Laird Communications Co-ordinator

Disabled people in Scotland will have extra support to report crime thanks to a new partnership between Capability Scotland and Police Scotland.

Capability Scotland’s Advice Service will be acting as a Third Party Reporting Service for the force. This will allow disabled victims, who are anxious about going to the police directly, to report crimes in confidence via Capability Scotland. It is hoped that the partnership will encourage more disabled people to come forward about hate crime.

Partnership to crack down on hate crime

Capability Scotland has been awarded a grant of £45,447 from the Better Breaks Funding Programme to set up the Breaks 4 All project.

This project aims to support disabled young people in rural areas of South Lanarkshire to take part in social and recreational activities outside the home and school environment. By supporting children to access these opportunities independently it will also provide regular short breaks for parents and carers. The Better Breaks programme is funded by the Scottish Government and administered by Shared Care Scotland.

Staying in South Lanarkshire, we have also been awarded a grant of £10,000 from the Big Lottery Communities and Family Fund to create Stanmore Early Years. The project will deliver play sessions for young disabled children under five, and their parents and carers, in and around Lanark. This early opportunity to access formal and informal support will make a real difference to parents with young disabled children.

Meanwhile, we will also be able to deliver a greater level of advice to disabled people about benefit changes thanks to a grant from the Scottish Government. The award of over £9,000 will make it possible for 250 Capability Scotland staff members to be trained so that they can offer guidance to disabled people in their services who are affected by changes to the benefits system.

Funding successNews in brief

4 Choice | News Choice | News in depth 5

Capability Scotland is delighted to have enlisted Peter Doran to undertake a piece of work which will help us ensure that our services to children, young people and their families fulfil the vision outlined in his report.

Capability Scotland’s roots are in the education of children and young people with complex needs. We can evidence that the quality of our current education, care and therapy services are very good and the organisation remains committed to providing the highest quality of learning provision for current and future users of services.

Stanmore House and Corseford schools are at the heart of our services but both have experienced reducing rolls over a period of years. As a consequence, the schools

Doran review author joins Capability Scotland

Peter Doran with Sue Williams, Lead Service Manager, Education, at Stanmore House School

are heavily reliant on Scottish Government funding which they receive through the Grant Aided Special Schools (GASS) programme. This funding is due to end in the next three to five years. After that, services which receive national funding will be strategically planned and commissioned.

The good news is that Capability Scotland is well placed to play a major part in the development of national services within a new funding model. The future shape of our services will, however, need to fit with the outcome of the proposed strategic planning and commissioning process.

Consequently, Peter has been given a brief to review our current provision and advise Capability Scotland on how best to respond to the policy developments and

resulting changes to funding which we will face.

He will be working with members of the Executive Management Board (EMB) as they meet with the Scottish Government to discuss the development of a strategic planning and commissioning process. They will work closely with representatives of other GASS funded schools and other agencies on areas of mutual interest.

Peter will spend a substantial amount of his time in the schools, and in meetings with key stakeholders including staff, parents and local and health authorities. He will report to the EMB and Trustees in June and further develop his proposals for our learning services over the rest of the year.

The title of Peter Doran’s report for the Scottish Government summarised his vision for services. This was that all children and young people with complex additional support needs and their families would have access to ‘The Right Help at the Right Time in the Right Place’.

A cafe run by Capability Scotland in West Lothian

has won the Healthy Living Award for the third

year running. Capability Scotland’s Cafe Mistura

in Broxburn was awarded the Food Standards

Agency accolade, which is given to catering

establishments capable of demonstrating a

commitment to healthier eating.Karen O’Hare, Service Co-ordinator at Cafe

Mistura, said: “The Healthy Living Award is a

great achievement for both customers and staff

at the cafe. I am very proud of the work that

was put in by everyone in gaining the award.”

Meanwhile customers at Upper Springland with

an interest in the service industry will have the

opportunity to volunteer in Perth’s newest cafe.

The foyer area at Upper Springland has been

transformed into a cafe with the help of local

tradesmen who volunteered time and resources.

Cafe Mistura recognised for healthy eating for third straight year

left to right: Irene Tait, Tracy McSporren,

Karen O’Hare, Helen Arthers, Margaret Burnett.

Read more at: capability-scotland.org.uk/choice

Choice | Feature 7

Wish you were here6 Choice | Feature

“At the age of 47 I swam in the sea for the first time in my life it felt great!”

These are the words of Anne McCulloch talking about her first ever holiday abroad. Anne, who has a learning disability, was supported to take the trip by Capability Scotland’s Community Living Service South and West.

However, Anne isn’t the only person being supported by Capability Scotland to

“I had the time of my life at Dalraddy chalet” Liz Donnachie, Upper Springland customer

Upper Springland customer, Liz Donnachie, enjoyed an Autumn break at Dalraddy Chalet in Aviemore. Liz found that Capability Scotland’s fully accessible holiday home was ideally kitted out to meet her needs. She said: “I was able to move about the chalet easily in my wheelchair. There was a big ramp leading inside and also round to the balcony area where I could sit and watch the birds.”

Liz was accompanied on the holiday by support worker, Seonaid Cameron, and the pair spent lots of time beforehand planning for the trip. Liz said: “It was the best holiday I have been on and I would love to go back soon with a couple of friends for a girlie weekend.”

Choice MagazineCapability Scotland11 Ellersly RoadEdinburgh EH12 6HY

go on holiday. Throughout the organisation customers and their families are being supported to get away. This trend looks set to continue as individuals gain more control of their finances through Self-Directed Support and choose to spend some of their money on a well-earned break.

Choice caught up with a few Capability Scotland holidaymakers to find out more.

“Pupils really grow in confidence during their week

away” Fiona Catterson, Head

of School, Corseford School

It wasn’t all fun and games

for six Corseford pupils when

they went off on a week-long

trip to Aberfeldy Lodge. As

well as enjoying a packed

itinerary which included sailing, swimming and zip wiring,

the pupils also learned life skills which would help them

to become more independent such as meal preparation

and cooking, making beds, cleaning and laundry.

Fiona Catterson, Corseford Head of School, said:

“These annual getaways, or ‘independence weeks’,

give pupils a chance to broaden their horizons and learn

new skills in a relaxed, fun, holiday environment.”

Choice MagazineCapability Scotland11 Ellersly RoadEdinburgh EH12 6HY

The Capability Scotland owned log cabin-style chalet is located in Dalraddy Holiday Park, four miles south of Aviemore in the Highlands of Scotland.

Dalraddy chalet

“We can relax on holiday because we know Paul’s having a great time at Stanmore.” Denise & Matt Creaney, Parents

For the last few years Denise and Matt Creaney have been able to take a well earned break abroad while their son Paul

enjoys some holiday fun of his own at Stanmore Residential Service’s respite bungalow. Paul is a lively 13 year-old who

has alobar holoprosencephaly – a condition which affected the

formation of his brain. His disability means that the Creaney’s

family life has to be meticulously planned around Paul’s care needs

and, although they have a great network of support, there’s little

scope for spontaneity or spur of the moment activities.

Denise explains: “Although we miss Paul we really value

the one week of the year when we can get away, chill out

and do as we please. Of course, we can only do this because

we have built up such a good relationship with the residential team

at Stanmore. We trust them to give Paul the best care possible.

It makes it so much easier for us to enjoy the sunshine because

we know Paul is happy and having a great time too.”

Choice MagazineCapability Scotland11 Ellersly RoadEdinburgh EH12 6HY

Anne (left) with Andrea Trinder,

Community Living Assistant

For more information or to book please contact: stuart.thomson@capability-scotland.org.uk Tel. 0131 347 1067. Read more: capability-scotland.org.uk/choice

The chalet is fully accessible. Features include: three twin bedrooms, a modern, fully-equipped kitchen, walk-in shower room, digital freeview tv, dvd player, stereo system, and parking for up to three cars. A hoist, shower trolley and cot sides are available on request at no extra cost.

Choice | Feature 9 8 Choice | Feature

Since 2009 Capability Scotland has been working with VisitScotland to tackle the barriers encountered by disabled tourists in Scotland. In March this year VisitScotland held an accessible tourism conference which brought the tourism industry and disabled people together to talk about the issues in more depth. VisitScotland’s Equality and Diversity Manager, Chris McCoy, told Choice more:

Access all Areas

VisitScotland’s inaugural Accessible Tourism Conference in March was a spectacular success and welcomed 280 people to Edinburgh’s International Conference Centre.

The Conference was designed to “open up the dialogue” between customers with accessible needs and Scotland’s tourism industry. VisitScotland is suggesting that the tourism industry looks at Accessible Tourism in a different light. Research has shown that it is an under-serviced market.

After 20 years of disability rights legislation across most of the western world, there is a plethora of accessible infrastructure but sometimes a lack of information available to the visitor with a disability, the older tourist, and those who travel with families and young children.

The accessible market has considerable spending power, currently generating around £325 million for the Scottish economy.

Currently access is enshrined as a compliance issue, not a market issue. Older people and those with accessible needs are regarded as problems and part of a risk management solution, ones that may require expensive adjustments and investment in infrastructure, but not as valued customers who need to be looked at in an entirely different way.

At the conference, I talked about the ‘elephant in the room’ for businesses serving disabled customers, which is the fear of making a mistake or causing offence. The main barrier is the low level of awareness and discomfort when dealing with disabled people.

‘Political correctness’ can get in the way of human communication. Telling employees that there are ‘10 things they can’t say and 10 things they can’t do’ makes people afraid of doing anything. Some employees are scared of saying anything to disabled customers who, in turn, avoid raising concerns for fear of giving offence.

In fact, as already highlighted, catering for the accessible tourism market makes good business sense and can attract loyal customers who will use hotels and attractions again and again. They will also spread recommendations by word of mouth.

We at VisitScotland are grateful for the major research project that Capability Scotland did for us last year, which highlighted three main barriers for disabled and older guests. The barriers are: attitude – the way people are treated; lack of information on websites and literature; and a lack of access.

We need to ask the following questions:1. “What do you need me to

do in order for you to change your mind about us?”

Shona Robison MSP, Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport and Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland met with Robyn (Chocolate Labrador: hearing dog), Winter (Black Labrador: guide dog) and Gigi (Golden Retriever: guide dog) at Scotland’s first Accessibility Conference at the EICC. Photography by Chris Watt, courtesy of VisitScotland

2. “What do you need from me to enable you to make informed choices?”

Only then will we be able to provide real equality for disabled people.

At the Conference, VisitScotland provided the environment in which both disabled people and the tourism industry listened to each other in a way that they had probably not done before. What emerged were clear, well thought-out discussions and a strategy for moving forward, from which will come major changes to the accessibility of Scotland in the future, enabling Scotland’s one million disabled people to take a holiday at “home”.

Scotland is preparing to welcome the world in 2014, with Homecoming, the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles. The foundations laid at the VisitScotland Accessible Tourism Conference will ensure that we are in a better position than ever before to provide a warm welcome to everyone - no matter what their disability.

For more information on Accessible Tourism in Scotland, please contact Chris McCoy on chris.mccoy@visitscotland.com

Upper Springland customer, Pat McNally, visits Stanley Mills in Perth. Photograph courtesy of Historic Scotland

Capability Scotland research showed that the three main barriers affecting disabled tourists were:

• Attitudes• Lack of information• Lack of physical access

Spotlight on our playschemes

Last year the young people who used our playschemes in Renfrewshire and Midlothian had the opportunity to take part in a project which made an impact across the globe.

Capability Scotland playscheme staff supported the children to take part in a worldwide consultation led by the International Play Association (IPA).

This involved them telling the IPA about why play was such an important part of their lives and about the particular barriers which can make it difficult for disabled children to access opportunities to play.

The barriers identified by the young people included ‘money’ and ‘always having to rely on other people to take them places and make arrangements for activities’.

Their thoughts and ideas, together with those of other children from across the world, were fed back to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) by the IPA. As a result the UNCRC has clearly defined the responsibilities of governments around the world in realising children’s right to play now and in the future.

The guidelines were published earlier in the year in an official document known as a General Comment (GC). Children from

the Midlothian services attended the launch of the GC in Scotland, which was held in Edinburgh in March.

Capability Scotland Chief Executive, Dana O’Dwyer, said: “I am delighted that the children who use Capability Scotland playschemes were able to get involved in such a truly international campaign. Their views and feedback will help make a difference across the world which is an incredible achievement.”

Capability Scotland will be running Playschemes once again this year in Renfrewshire and Midlothian. For more information please contact joyce.sweeney@capability -scotland.org.uk

10 Choice | Feature Choice | People 11

When 14 year-old Stanmore House School pupil, Chelsea Haliday, found herself confined to her bed following an operation it was specialist physiotherapist, Christine MacIver, who helped her back on her feet. Chelsea’s dad, Jim, explains how her recovery exceeded all expectations:

“Chelsea has Angelman Sydrome and in April 2012 she had surgery to correct scoliosis of her spine. Before the surgery Chelsea walked in her Pacer Walker and loved the independence this gave her to explore the world round about her. Unfortunately, after the surgery, Chelsea developed pneumonia. However, she was able to be discharged from hospital to her residential home at Stanmore where she could be looked after by the service’s on-site team of nursing and physiotherapy staff.

All about me

First person

“When she left the hospital Chelsea initially had to stay in bed which was very hard for our daughter who loves to get out and about. Three months after her operation, Chelsea was given the go-ahead by her consultant to progress with standing and walking again which was when Christine and her team started their work. Chelsea’s physiotherapy programme began with daily hydrotherapy sessions which facilitated gentle movements and encouraged Chelsea to weight-bear in the water. She progressed to daily standing at a piece of equipment known as a tilt-table and she is now able to walk once again in her Pacer walking frame.”

“Both Chelsea and I are really grateful to Christine and the team of physios for all their support. I don’t think Chelsea would have made as good or as speedy a recovery without them.”

after work and at weekends from September 2012 to January 2013. Whilst it was hard work, I now feel a sense of achievement and pride.

What does the award mean for Upper Springland?Upper Springland offers specialist facilities and services to our customers. Gaining the award will mean that I can provide an enhanced level of care to the people who use Upper Springland. I believe well trained and motivated staff are important to the organisation, and I hope customers will feel the benefit of my training.

Therapists based in Capability Scotland schools play a key role in supporting pupils to widen their horizons and enjoy as much independence as possible.

Capability Scotland’s playschemes provide a great opportunity for us to widen the network of parents we are in contact with. Through the playschemes we often meet new families who may well be able to benefit from some of our other services too.

What did your studies entail?I studied for the awards to widen my skills in care provision. I studied

Chelsea during a physio session

Nicola Mitchell is a support worker at Capability Scotland’s Upper Springland Service in Perth. She has recently studied for over 80 hours to complete NCFE level 3 certificates in Pallative Care and Dementia Care. Nicola is now applying her new skills to her role supporting customers at Upper Springland.Read more at:

capability-scotland.org.uk/choice

Based in Perth, Upper Springland offers residential, day and respite services for disabled adults. The service enables individuals with a range of disabilities to access specialist, on-site facilities whilst also using community resources. Upper Springland’s staff are all SVQ qualified and experienced at providing care to people with very complex needs.

What do you do at Capability Scotland? I am the Head of Employment Services and have responsibility for a great team of people who deliver Work Choice, a Government funded programme that supports people with health conditions or disabilities back into work. I am also looking to develop our services to secure other programmes that can provide opportunities for as many customers as possible to move into employment.

How long have you been in the role? Since December 2012.

What is the role’s biggest challenge? Balancing the needs of our customers, my team and funders against the operational, quality and financial targets that have been set.

What is the best bit about your role? Promoting our excellent service to organisations and partners. My biggest sense of achievement is hearing that through this work and the work of my team, we have secured employment for our customers.

Day in the life... Ian Bruce

Choice | People 13

Me and my... Advice Worker

As is well known, during these difficult economic times banks are lending less and people can often find it difficult to find a loan, or to organise their savings. SCVO Credit Union members benefit from low cost loans at 12.68% APR and the ability to save or meet payments via the payroll or by direct debit. There are no arrangement fees or early repayment fees on loans. Loans also come with free insurance protection in the event of death or permanent disability.

The SCVO Credit Union is a democratic mutual financial co-operative. This means that it is owned and controlled by its members and is not-for-profit. Members’ savings are pooled

Antony’s storyWhen I first started the appeal process for ESA, which is a benefit which supports disabled people while they look for employment, I felt completely lost. The appeal process for ESA is a tribulation, even when you have all the necessary contacts and the relevant information to hand – I found myself sorely lacking in both regards.

That’s when I remembered about Capability Scotland’s Advice Service which you can call, or even visit for a face-to-face consultation. I spoke to Advice Worker, Katerina Vasiliou, who put my mind at ease by outlining the steps I should take and what was to be expected along the way. Katerina was very knowledgeable about the issue and was able to provide me with up-to-date information surrounding the appeals process. Importantly, I never once felt as if I were being patronised or spoken to in a condescending manner.

I would wholeheartedly recommend contacting the Advice Service at Capability Scotland to anyone looking for assistance or support. Based on my experience, I’m certain that they will be able to help.

Katerina’s storyI’ve worked in the Advice Service for seven years and questions about benefits come up a lot. The benefits system is complicated and making applications and appeals can be a daunting experience. We aim to empower people to tackle the system effectively.

Antony’s situation is common and we would advise anyone who wants to appeal a benefits decision to ask the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) for a written statement of reasons why they have been turned down. It’s important to go through the statement and highlight anything inaccurate or points where they think

their abilities have been misunderstood. We would also suggest that they get medical evidence to support their argument from a professional such as a doctor or nurse.

We try to give people information about what the tribunal hearing will be like and recommend that they attend in person, as they have a much higher chance of success if they do so.

We were really happy to be able to advise Antony and would urge anyone who has benefits questions to get in touch with us.

and loaned out to other members or invested in other financial organisations. Surplus finance is then ultimately distributed to members through dividends.

Linda Fowler, Director of Human Resources for Capability Scotland, said: “It can be difficult to organise savings, or get a loan at a reasonable rate, at the moment. We hope that our membership of SCVO’s Credit Union will prove to be a real help for those who have had such problems.”

Full details of the scheme will be sent to employees shortly. In the meantime, further information on the Credit Union can be found at www.scvo.org.uk/membership/exclusivebenefits /scvo-credit-union.

12 Choice | People

Financial Support Offered to Capability Scotland StaffCapability Scotland is delighted to announce a new scheme which will allow employees to save and to take out loans at a reasonable rate. Through our membership of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), employees now have access to the SCVO Credit Union. This is expected to become one of Capability Scotland’s most popular staff benefits.

When 25 year old Antony Walker found himself having to appeal a decision on his Employment Support Allowance (ESA) he was unsure where to turn. That’s when Capability Scotland’s Advice Service, stepped in.

Linda Fowler, Director of Human Resources

Capability Scotland’s Advice Service provides free, confidential advice on a range of disability issues. Contact the Advice Service: Tel: 0131 313 5510Textphone: 0131 346 2529Fax: 0131 346 7864Email: advice@capability -scotland.org.uk

Choice | Letters 15 14 Choice | People

Guesswho?Who...Worked for over 30 years in the travel industry and was an area manager in Spain for Cosmos and Intasun holidays.

Played tennis for Scottish Juniors.

Lived in London and acted and directed on the London Amateur Stage.

Counts Shaun Williamson and Ross Kemp from Eastenders amongst their celebrity friends and has shared the stage with Dame Judi Dench.

Signed up 16 new volunteers for Capability Scotland in their first two months with the organisation.

Please check the back page for the answer.

LettersCareer path

FAQs?

Dear EditorOne of my customers has a spare bedroom set aside for a carer. Will they be affected by the ‘bedroom tax’? Trisha Easton, Service Manager for Fife Supported Living Service, Oakfield and Needless Road. A disabled tenant who needs an extra bedroom for a non-resident carer to stay overnight regularly will be unaffected by the tax. This means that the benefit payments they receive for housing will not be cut.

Whilst this exemption is good news for people with spare rooms for carers, the ‘bedroom tax’ will still disproportionately affect disabled people. The Scottish Government’s figures highlight that 79% of houses affected by under-occupancy charges have at least one resident disabled adult.

All claimants who are deemed to have at least one spare bedroom will be affected, and from April they will have to pay from 14 to 25 per

cent of their rent themselves. Unfortunately this will often include cases where

extra rooms are legitimately required when there is a disabled person living in a household. This includes when a room is needed for specialist equipment. It could also affect people who were allocated housing with a spare room because it was the only fully accessible property available.

If you are unsure about whether you or a customer will be affected by the ‘bedroom tax’ or would like more information, please get in touch with the Capability Scotland Advice Service at advice@capability-scotland.org.uk.

What does pension auto-enrolment mean for Capability Scotland staff?

You may have seen the recent adverts about ‘auto-enrolment’ and pensions. These are highlighting a new law that requires every employer to automatically enrol certain employees into a pension scheme. This only applies to those who aren’t already in a workplace pension scheme and who are over 22 and under 65.

The answer to issue eight’s Guess Who was East Lothian Local Area Co-ordinator, Sue Green. Choice found out a bit more about Sue’s career before she joined Capability Scotland.

At the age of 18 I unwittingly began my career when I applied to work as a community service volunteer and was sent to a residential hostel for young men with muscular dystrophy run by the Shaftesbury Society in Northamptonshire. I went on to do my English Literature degree at Aberystwyth University but journeyed back every summer to work in the hostel. They were a great group of guys and they had a huge effect on me.

By the time I was finishing my studies I had decided I wanted to work for a charitable organisation in the field of disability rights. For some reason I was advised to get a social work qualification so I came to Edinburgh to do that. I managed to qualify for my social work diploma without once stepping into a social work office to do a placement. I was therefore again

advised to work for a local authority for a while to fill that gap as it were and the rest is history. I worked as a social worker, welfare rights worker and support worker for local authorities over a period of 28 years.

The jobs I enjoyed most were those that involved me setting up a new service such as the Welfare Rights Team and the Asylum Seeker Response Unit.

I have worked for Capability Scotland for six years now as a Local Area Co-ordinator and it’s great! I feel the job best uses my skills and experience.

I particularly enjoy the community capacity building part of the work and assisting people to realise their rights as citizens. So I guess it took a long time but to quote Douglas Adams, “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.”

So I guess it took a long time but to quote Douglas Adams, “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.”

Capability Scotland is due to start the process of automatically enrolling people into a pension from October 2013. Our HR and Payroll teams are busy working with our chosen provider – the People’s Pension - to make sure that we have all our systems and processes ready by then. Look out for regular updates on progress and information about what auto- enrolment means for our employees over the coming months.

Read more: capability-scotland.org.uk/choice

The Choice Editorial Team:Julie Laird, Samantha Hammell, Ian Somerville

julie.laird@capability-scotland.org.uk

Cover photography courtesy of Historic Scotland.

“Uncertainty on the accessibility of transport and uncertainty on the places you are going to makes travelling difficult.”David Nicol, Mind Panel

“There’s a lack of choice on the availability of accessible holidays. There are two main companies in Britain, and that’s all that our customers use.”Liz Spowart, Support Worker, Upper Springland

“A week or a weekend away is pretty pricey, it is about £8 an hour for a carer so it makes it very expensive. It is really very difficult to afford to go on holiday.”Eddie Moore, New Trinity Centre

“There’s not enough information on disabled holidays. If people want to go on a specialist holiday, there’s not the information or the selection of holidays there should be.”Alister Scott, Mind Panel

“I would like to go abroad but to do so on my own is a non starter. I would have to pay for someone else’s costs so the whole thing gets out of my reach.”David Tares, Mind Panel

In this issue of Choice we have been looking at widening horizons and thinking particularly about holidays. Choice asked some customers and Mind Panel members what barriers they faced when trying to go on holiday.

Guess Who: John Clark, Capability Scotland, Nicolson Street Shop

16 Choice | People

Read more: capability-scotland.org.uk/choice