Partners Paper Edition 01

8/11/2019 Partners Paper Edition 01

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A newspaper from Partners for Inclusion // Summer 2012 // Edition 0

If disabled people are in the firing

line, how will people supported by

Partners get on? Laura Wardrop at

Partners cautions that there will

inevitably be an impact. Theres nodoubt that the changes to Disability

Living Allowance (DLA) are going to

be difficult for some more than

others.

My particular worry is about

people whose needs arentimmediately obvious. If you can see

that someone needs support, its

more difficult to cut their benefits.

The system is geared to them. But

when it comes to people whose

needs arent so visible for example,

people with autism, aspergers,

mental health problems the form

dont ask the right questions. Its to

easy to use the things they can do

an excuse to ignore the support thneed.

Its the same story with the

Employment Support Allowance,

which will replace Income Support

and Incapacity Benefit. People will

assessed as capable or not capable

of work. There is considerablecontroversy about this assessment

which has declared people with, fo

example, terminal cancer fit for wo

Similarly, assessment of the

mobility component of DLA, > PAGE

1.9% of populationshoulder 24% ofcutsGovernment reforms target the most vulnerable

Chancellor George Osborne says times are tough but were

all in it together. Should we be reassured? Not according to

a Manifesto published by the Campaign for a Fair Society,

which says 23.7 billon of the cuts (58%) will hit disabled,

older people and those living in poverty. 1.9% of people

those with the most severe impairments will shoulder aquarter of all cuts. Some of us are more in it than others, it

seems.Partners for Inclusion

provides tailor-made support

so that people with learning

disabilities and mental health

issues have their own home, a real

place in community and control

over their life. This is our rst

newspaper. Its a tabloid: no need

to le under important: must readone day. Flick through, see what

grabs your attention. If people like

it, therell be two papers a year.

Please tell us what you think.

SERIOUSLY THINGS AREREALLY GOING TOCHANGE

PARTNERS NEWBOOK FEATURESFIVE FREEDOMFIGHTERS

FLOURISHINGFRIENDSHIPS DM2 GETS THEPARTY STARTED

Dates and

li iliCUTS TOPARTNERS: ISTHIS A GOODTIME TO PANIC?


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Partners Paper |Summer 2012 | Edition 01 2

PublishingInformationThe Partners Paper is anewspaper produced anddistributed by Partners forInclusion, a not-for-protorganisation and registeredcharity providing high qualitysupport to individuals withlearning and/or mental healthdisabilities.

Registered ocePartners for InclusionWest Kirk84 Portland Street

KilmarnockKA3 1AA

Production

Editor: Carl [email protected]

Design: Henry [email protected]

Print: Quotemeprintwww.quotemeprint.com

Contents1.9% of population shoulder

24% of cuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Team talk: mums the word . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

A revolution in social care? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Learning to love Carista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Everything you always wanted to

know about services (but were

afraid to ask) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Qualifying success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Things are going to change

seriously! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Sun, sea and sangria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Freedom ght . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Just Connections: the same

but dierent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

A good time to panic? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Flourishing friendships - DM2

gets the party started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

My week in pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Highs and lows of leading a team . . . . 12

Role call: The jobs people

do for Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Labels are for jars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Local authority charging and

Joe Bloggs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Health and safety news . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Risky business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Beyond Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Up close with... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Benets worriesIf you get support fromPartners (or are involved with

someone who does) and youhave concerns about benets,please contact Laura Wardropat Partners:

Tel: 01563 825555

Email: [email protected]

You can also get informationfrom your local welfare rights

department at your council.Also, try your Citizens AdviceBureau.

Who works for

Partners?293 staff work for Partners:

208 support workers55 team leaders11 service leadersTwo senior service leadersChief executive and threedirectors14 central sta that support allthe teams.

Cover pictureThe painting featured on thecover is called Flying Fishy! byKelsey McDowall

Kelsey has been with JustConnections for two and ahalf years. She enjoys lotsof dierent activities butespecially enjoys art, cardmaking, sports and music anddance at her local college inGirvan, where she has madelots of new friends.

Partners GoldAward

The Investors in PeopleGold Award has been givento Partners for excellencein leading, managing anddeveloping sta.

Cathy Jamieson MP did thehonours by unveiling a plaqueto celebrate the achievement.

Cathy said Im very proudto have been a part of the

celebrations to honour theleadership and work ofPartners for Inclusion ... asmall charity thats making abig dierence to the lives of thepeople it works with and thisaward celebrates the dedicationand passion of all of its sta.


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CutsContinued from page 1

focuses on whether people can

or cant physically walk. Laura

Wardrop comments If someoneisnt assessed as needing the high

rate of DLA, then they cant apply

for a Motability vehicle. If that

person cant use public transport

because of their hidden needs,

that can lead to all sorts of other

problems.This shortsightedapproach will be familiar to

anyone whos had dealings

with the funding of services. Its

common sense that prevention

is better than cure and there

are plenty of government paperssaying exactly that. But the reality

is that local authorities make it

harder and harder to get a service.

Raising eligibility thresholds

means that, in many authorities,

you can only get a service when

youre at crisis point.It would be much cheaper and

more efficient to support people

to stay out of crisis by helping

them to be as independent

as they can be. It would make

sense to help people use their

own resources and find supportoutside the system through

relationships with ordinary

people family, neighbours,

friends, workmates. Its not as

if professional help is the be-alland end-all. Families and carers

already provide five times more

support than professionals,

according to the Campaign for a

Fair Society.

Web site links...

www.campaignforafairsociety.org

Team talk: mums the word

Fay is not team leader because

shes Kelseys mum. Quite the

contrary. Such an arrangement is

rare, maybe unique in Scotland.

Id been working for Partners forthree years and was involved inKelseys support at the beginning,

until a team was found. When the

first team leader left, we couldnt

find the right replacement. We

live in Girvan. Its a small place

surrounded by countryside. It wasgoing to be difficult to find a local

team leader and we didnt want

to move to some place where no-

one knew Kelsey.

ID BE LYING IF I SAID ITS

STRAIGHTFORWARD. IT CANBE TRICKY. IN EVERY AS PECTOF KELSEYS SUPPORT, THERE

ARE TWO VOICES IN MYMIND

I approached Partners with the

idea of applying for the job. Some

organisations would rule that

straight out of court. But Partners

and Just Connections didnt. TheCare Commission didnt either,

just so long as I didnt live in the

same property as Kelsey. That was

Fay Scobiesays being team leader of her daughters

service is great and sometimes tricky

Kelsey has a support service provided by Just

Connections. Fay is the team leader and also Kelseys

mum. Unusual? Definitely. A good idea?

Fay thinks so.

ok because she lives in her own

place two minutes away from me.

So I applied and went through

the same process as anyone else

who goes for a job with JustConnections. It definitely wasnt aforegone conclusion that Id get it.

In leading the team that

supports Kelsey, Fay has a head

start. Parents know every detail of

their childrens support needs and

Kelsey needs a lot of support. Shehas a team of four who support

her round the clock.

Kelseys had a hard time growing

up, says Fay. She has a rare genetic

disorder and has profound physical

and learning disabilities. Shes had

a lot of surgery. But shes cheerful,lively and loving and cheeky with

it. Shes also very sociable. Loves

college, music, playing cards and

games like skittles. Shes also a

whiz on her iPad. Shes good at

navigating her way to the thingsshe likes movies, audio stories

and youtube. She also has all the

details of her support service on

there, laid out as presentations

people on her team, her schedule

for the week, her planning day all

with voiceovers.

So, if its such a good

arrangement, why arent there

more parent team leaders orsupport workers?

Partly, says Fay, its down

to Partners being open to

ideas being creative. But also

its definitely not for everyparent. Id be lying if I said its

straightforward. It can be tricky.

every aspect of Kelseys support

there are two voices in my mind

one is the team leader taking

decisions that help Kelsey to

push forward and become moreindependent. The other voice

belongs to the mother, with all

those instincts about protecting

her and making sure shes

safe. Most staff dont have this

dilemma. They just have to dogood job. I have to stay consciou

all the time of whos speaking

the mother or the team leader

and do a good job. I dont alway

get this right and thats probabl

hard for the other team membeBut theyre brilliant. Theyre very

patient with me.

MY ADVICE? FIND YOURWAY OF HELPING YOURSON OR DAUGHTER TO BEINDEPENDENT SO THAT THEYWEATHER THE STORM IF YOUGO FIRST

Would Fay advise other parents

follow her example?We cant be the only ones

this would work for and there

are massive advantages. But,

make no mistake: its not easy.

Everyones situation is different.When Kelsey was about 14, I kneI had to find a way for her to be

independent so that, if anything

happened to me, things wouldn

fall apart. I guess thats the only

advice I have. Not Be your son

or daughters team leader, but

Find your way of helping themto be independent so that they

weather the storm if you go first

and maybe, for some people, tha

way would be to become a team

leader.

Team leader andmother: Fay with herdaughter, Kelsey


4/16


A revolution in

social care?People taking control of their support money, gettingfamily and friends to help plan the support, spending

money creatively a holiday rather than respite care!

Can this be real? Is there a revolution going on?

No-one has stormed parliament

but something big is happening

self-directed support.

A bill is making its way through

the Scottish Parliament and is likely

to be passed later this year.Self-directed support is exactly

what it says: people who need

support get control over how it

is arranged and how they spend

the money. You should be able

to take as much control as youwant. You can do it all yourself

employ staff, keep the books or

pay an organisation to do the

administration for you. If you want

the council to carry on organising

your support, you can.

The new system will build on

Direct Payments (DPs) which havebeen around for almost 15 years.

But, in self-directed support, you

should be able to spend the money

more flexibly and not be restrictedto paying for direct care. So, in

theory, you could buy a friendly

neighbour a meal for a few hours

support with doing the shopping.

This would be cheaper than a

care agency. Then theres more

money for support with otherthings. A man in England, where

self-directed support has been

government policy since 2007,

bought a football season ticket for

a neighbour who helped him get

to the ground and back and stayedwith him during the match. This

was cheaper and better. He went to

matches with a football fan rather

than someone paid to be there.The big question, says Partners

chief executive, Doreen Kelly, is

how much flexibility will councils

allow people to have? If people are

allowed to use money creatively, it

can be their ticket into community

life and a real place as an equalcitizen. If theyre forced to spend

it on care, probably little will

change. Most likely, it will varybetween the two. But its a massive

opportunity.

As councils in England have

found, its a big and difficult

change. Its like getting a cricket

team to switch to football whenthey dont know crickets rules

and have never seen a match.

Its hard to do it gradually play

half football and half cricket for a

while. And you cant be perfect ait before you start. Thats anothe

worry, says Doreen. There areearly signs that councils spend

too much time trying to get thesystems perfect before using

them. You cant do that. You have

to learn by doing.

Web links...

www.selfdirectedsupportscotland.org.

www.centreforwelfarereform.orgwww.in-control.org

The lowdown on Carista

Carista is a computer programme designed

especially for Partners. Because its on the

web, service leaders and team leaders can

access information without having to be in

the office. Carista:

contains all information about rotas,

timesheets, Individual Service Funds,annual planners and more.

has a database of information

about people we support and the staff.

replaces paper forms such as

timesheets.

calculates annual leave entitlements(which can be very complicated).

keeps on-call information up to date.

has a budget tool that does away with

trawling through papers looking for

rates of pay and other details.

Learning to love CaristaJill Barbour describes how staff have been on a bit of a journey with

Carista, Partners information management system a computer

programme. It may sound dull but its made a real difference.

All the practical information you need to run

a service is put into Carista time sheets,

Individual Service Funds, rotas everything.It helps us access reliable information much

quicker.When we switched from paper forms to

Carista, some staff struggled especially those

who had never used a computer. There was

a good deal of training and figuring it out

together.

Some staff who had never touched acomputer before were worried about the

change. In the end, though, they turned out

to be really good at Carista because they

put so much effort in and were proud of

their personal development. Everyone is on

board now. The benefits are obvious. All the

paperwork is in one place. Information is

at our fingertips. Theres no more franticsearching for that lost piece of paper or

hunting for details of pay or holidays.It probably doesnt take less time to use but

its much more efficient. Its easy to see how

often staff get support and supervision, the

hours of support provided, budget information

and lots more.

We did a review recently. There are someniggling problems and were going to tackle

those. Then Its on to Carista phase two.

More information

[email protected]


5/16


Q

This issues question is:Partners talks aboutpeople being involved

in community. But what canpeople with learning disabilitiesreally contribute?

A social work manager asked this question a

few years ago. Instead of getting annoyed or

offended, lets treat it as a straight question.

Take a close look at ourselves and were

a bundle of positives and negatives. If wethink of our negatives, we might come up

with a list like this: overweight, neurotic,

drink too much, lazy, disorganised, hopeless

with money, self-pitying and so on.

If we take this list as being the wholeme, we may find it difficult to get up inthe morning. Well each need a multi-

disciplinary team.

We have to remember we have a list

of pluses as well. People with learning

disabilities are no different. Like everyone,

they need support with some things. Butthey also have things they can offer their

own qualities and skills.

If we think of some of the people who use

Partners support, we easily come up with

a list like this: welcoming, a good laugh,

honest, assertive, wicked sense of humour,

great memory, good at: dog-walking,

organising, computers.

Part of our job is to help people find a

place in communities where these skills arewelcome. If someone is strong and loves todig all day, theyll probably be welcomed by

a group renovating a piece of land. It doesnt

matter if the digger has some unusual

behaviour.

Even if you leave aside the question of

rights everyone should have the right to

their place in community, to be a citizen communities are simply better when

everyone is included. The more a community

is made up of people who look, do and think

the same, the less interesting it is.

So, yes, people with learning disabilities

and mental health issues can contribute tocommunities. And the more they do, the

better the community is.

The next question is: what else can

Partners do to help people play their part in

community?

Questions

If you have a question that youd like to ask

anonymously, email: [email protected]

*We borrowed the title from the Woody Allen

film, Everything you always wanted to know

about sex (but were afraid to ask).

Everything you always wantedto know about services (but

were afraid to ask)*Partners answers this editions awkward question

Everyone probably has nagging doubts about how to support people

with learning disabilities and mental health issues things were not

sure of but we dont think its ok to talk about. Maybe we think its

not politically correct or think we should know already. So we carry on

having the doubt. This column will ask questions and give Partners

answer.

QualifyingsuccessPartners support staff have toregister with the Scottish Social

Services Council. We are making

sure that everyone who works for

Partners is qualified and registered

Support workers

Support workers need a qualification of SVQ2

or above in order to register. In May 2012,

Partners had 208 Support Workers. Of these:

97 (47%) held a recognised qualification inhealth and social care; 31 (15%) were workingtowards their chosen qualifications; 15 (7%)

were waiting to start; 65 (31%) were still

deciding what qualification route to choose.

Team leaders

Team leaders need SVQ3 level 3 or above and a

first line management qualification at 15 credpoints or above. In May, of Partners 55 team

leaders: 38 (69%) already had a social care

qualification at the right level; 6 (11%) were

working towards their qualification; 11(20%)

were waiting to start.

Service leaders

Service leaders need a qualification in health

and social care equivalent to an SVQ level 4

or above and a management qualification in

health and social care at 60 credits or above.

In May, of the 13 service leaders: 4 (31%) had a

relevant social care qualification; 2 (15%) wereworking towards their chosen qualification;

5 (39%) needed their qualifications checked

when the register opens; 2 (15%) were waiting

to start.


6/16


Things are going to

change seriously!Carl Poll talks to Jacqui Kerr, East Ayrshire Social Work

I was about to interview Jacqui Kerr and wondering how we were going to make

this interesting. I wanted to ask her about the East Ayrshire Integrated Resource

Framework. Have you switched off already? Dont. Its fascinating honestly.

I put it to Jacqui that the jargon

is a turn-off to anyone who isnt a

social-services-meeting junky.

Ok, long name but its simple

really. There were too many

services out there doing their ownthing. Different providers working

with the same person would

overlap or couldnt use their time

and resources efficiently. It didnt

make sense. We wanted to make itall more sensible more coherent.

The people who are losing out

are the ones who use the support.

So weve gone back to them 90

people with learning difficulties

who have quite high support needs

to find out what makes sensefor them. Two workers one from

Social Work, one from Health are

doing intensive assessments with

them: 21 so far. Its about making

the funding work for individuals.

If its working for people with

learning difficulties, theres no

reason we cant extend it to mental

health and people on the autistic

spectrum. Thats the intention.

On the work plan, there are some

big aims. Consider this: Cultureof prevention and enablement

[will be] jointly established across

all services. I put it to Jacqui that

authorities have been going on for

half a century about preventionbut that services are still rationedout to people in crisis.

...A MORE PREVENTIVEAPPROACH. IT S NOT JUST TALKAND THERES NO RE D TAPE

This whole thing comes from the

Scottish Government which wants

to use health resources better move some into social services and

take a more preventive approach.

Its not just talk. Now, in East

Ayrshire, If youre supporting

someone who, say, lives in their

own home, has challenging

behaviour and things get difficulton a Friday afternoon, you can

get extra funding straightaway to

get over the crisis. No red tape. A

senior officer from Social Work and

one from Health make an instant

decision.

THERES GOING TO BE AMASSIVE SHIFT. PEOPLE WILLBE ABLE TO HAVE AS MUCHCONTROL AS THEY WANT OVERTHEIR FUNDING AND SUPPORT

OK, so far, so convincing. But, if Icome back in two years, what will

have changed? Jacqui is confident.This big change is tied in to

another big change self-directed

support. The bill is going through

parliament right now. Theres going

to be a massive shift. People will

be able to have as much control asthey want over their funding and

support. Weve watched whats

happened in England, where

self-directed support has been

government policy for five years

and weve done our own Scottishpilots. Were being careful. We

think we can get this right.

Jacqui dismisses the idea that

the Resource Framework is a

way of making a smaller, more

manageable pool of support

providers.Providers are on board. They

want things to be organised

more sensibly. They were telling

us that, for example, if they

were supporting someone at

night and someone nearby was

getting support from a different

organisation, it would make sens

for the two providers to cooperat

rationalise their cover.Partners for Inclusion have

been an important ally in workinall this out. They are pioneers in

individualised services. Weve use

their expertise and experience.

Also, theyve blazed a trail for oth

bigger providers which are startito follow some of their footsteps

Jacqui Kerr is Team Manager for

Adult Services and Service Officer

in Contract & Commissioning, East

Ayrshire Social Work.

Five things worthknowing about theIntegrated ResourceFramework

1Its more interesting

than it sounds. Its about

people getting a better

service. Till now services haventalways been provided in a

sensible way.

2People with learning

disabilities are involved.90people with learning

disabilities in East Ayrshire willget intensive assessments to

work out what will work best fo

them. Then it will be rolled out

to others.

3Service providers are for

it. Organisations thatoffer services could feel

threatened but it seems they

dont. They want services to be

organised more rationally.

4Its part of a biggerchange self-directedsupport. The framework

is tied into the Scottishgovernments plans for a new

system of social care self-directed support. See page 4: A

revolution in social care?

5Partners has helped.

Partners for Inclusions

experience in

individualised services hasinfluenced the design of the

Framework.

Jacqui Kerr: Its not all talk.


7/16


I love all the preparations:

shopping for swimwear and

summer clothes. Thats what

us girls are best at!

I like going all-inclusive.

I get to sample differentfoods and check out the local

cocktails.

WHEN IM ON HOLIDAY I

RELAX BY THE POOL, CHILLOUT, SOAK UP THE SUN,THEN HEAD UP TO THEPOOL BAR FOR ICE-COLDDRINKS AND PEOPLE-WATCHING

Other times, Ill look round

the souvenir shops as I have

lots of friends to buy pressies

for. Sometimes I go on a dayexcursion booze cruises are

my favourite. Oh, and I do like

the banana boat. Im still a

young thrill seeker at heart!

In the evening, I get all

glammed up hair done,

make-up on and make

for the restaurant fordinner. Then its back to

the hotel to check out the

entertainment and the

talent in the lounge. A

few drinks, a chat with the

other holiday-makers and asingalong round off the day.

Although I love going onholiday, I look forward to

getting back to my own

wee house, catching up

on local gossip with my

neighbours and meeting up

with family and friends toshare my holiday memories

and give them their

pressies.

Ill keep you posted on my

next adventure.

Sun, sea and

sangriaEleanor McMahon reports on anothergreat holiday

I recently returned from my holiday. I had

a great time: fab hotel, lots of sun sea and

sangria! I like to holiday abroad at least once

a year as I love flying. Ive been to Tenerife but

this year it was Lanzarote.

Freedom ghtA book to be published by Partners features five freedom

fighters. These are people who have escaped the world ofinstitutions and, with help from Partners and others, are

building a new life.

Partners asked Clare Hyde, director of

the Foundation for Families, to gather

the stories of people supported by

Partners. They are stories that inspire.

They show that, in place of labels

given to people in institutions challenging, vulnerable, self-harming its possible to put peoples qualities

first resourceful, determined, kind.

The labels decide what services

people will be given. Knowing

peoples qualities, on the other hand,

is the starting-point for buildingrelationships, getting involved,

making a contribution, having a

good life.

The following extract is about Sam,

one of the five people featured in the

book.

Sam, freedom ghter

Sam is 28 years oldand spent much of

his early life in institutions and fostercare

placements. Partners for Inclusion began

to support Sam when he was 22.

Sams behaviour at that time was

challenging and chaotic. He had been

given various labels and was thought to

be a risk to himself and to others.

I was put in care when I was six

months old. Basically, I was passed from

pillar to post. I was put with a foster

family when I was 13 and it was them

who got me into Partners for Inclusion

I came out as gay when I was 16 and m

foster parents didnt take it well. I final

left when I was 22 and thats when I cato Partners.

When I lived with my foster mum an

dad, I wasnt allowed to be me. They w

strict. Even after college I wasnt allowe

to do what 18 year-olds should be doin

If I hadnt got into Partners I

wouldnt be living in society. I would

be in an institution. Partners have been

supportive all the way through this. Th

were scared for me in case I got attacke

I am happy now. When I left, I came

straight into my own place but I had 2

support from Partners. Im living my

youth which I wasnt allowed then.

I get a lot of stick for being gay wher

I live. Its strange. I wonder why people

cant accept me. I dont care what peop

look like, what they are. As long as they

treat me with respect I will do the sam

back. I really deserve a chance in life.

Everyone deserves a chance. I dont jud

folk. Who am I to judge?

Publication

The book will be published

later in 2012. More information:

[email protected]

Learn to relax: Eleanor shows how its done.

Patrick, one of the freedom fighters in the book, surveys the possibilities of a life outsithe institution.


8/16


That was always the plan. Partners

doesnt want to build an empire. It

wants to stay small dedicated to

the 46 people it supports. But therewas a demand for more Partners-

style support and the best way of

meeting that demand was to start

another organisation.

We knew it would take timeto get to the point where JustConnections becomes independent

and there are still quite a few

things to work out. Partners

Trustees are closely involved, of

course, making sure that we get it

right.

The day will come, though, whenJust Connections flies the nest. But

even then well come back often to

see mum and dad (and definitely

not just to bring a bag of dirty

washing).

Just Connections: the

same but dierentIan Williams picks out the parallels with Partners for Inclusion

Just Connections supports people in the same way Partners does. We share an office.

We share pretty much everything. You could say were Partners offspring. But the

child is growing up.

Just Connections now supports

17 people. The eighteenth person

is about to move in to their own

place. Theyre all individuals butif you got them together for a

photo you might see a difference

to a similar Partners snap. Most

of the people supported by Just

Connections are younger.

PARTNERS DOESNT WANTTO BUILD AN EMPIRE. THEBEST WAY TO MEET DEMANDIS TO START ANOTHERORGANISATION

Ten of the 18 started getting

support from us when they were

still at school. To its credit, SouthAyrshire Council decided to do

something sensible about people

in transition from childrens to

Ian Williams: Well be back to see

mum and dad.

adult services. We all know thats

the time when things go wrong for

lots of people.

South Ayrshire had the foresightto provide people with eight hours

support a week for two years

before the big change.

During that time, we were able

to build a relationship with peoplewhile they had the stability ofschool and, mainly, lived at home.

Generally, things have gone well.

Some are still at home with their

parents. Some have moved into

their own place. Some people do

voluntary work at charity shops.

Robert, whos featured in thispaper (see page 11), works at the

National Trust.

Most people dont have 24-hour

support. That preparation the

eight hours a week has paid

dividends. People who otherwise

might have disappeared for year

into expensive placements are

more and more independent.

WE SUPPORT PEOPLE IN THESAME WAY PARTNERS DOESBUT THE DAY WILL COME WHJUST CONNECTIONS FLIES THENEST

So Just Connections is the same a

Partners only different.But then, everything changes. I

notice how the attitude of paren

of younger people is different fro

a few years back. Theyre more

demanding and rightly so. They

have higher expectations. The

result is that theres a healthier

power balance between them anus. They say This is what we expe

for our daughter rather than just

taking whats on offer. Thats wha

we want to hear.

Maybe, in a few years, therell

be another organisation growingup under Partners wing. Withou

a doubt, that will be different to

Partners and Just Connections

too. I look forward to seeing wha

its like.

Ian Williams is director of Just

Connections.

The Just Connections team (with some members of Partners Central Team). From left to right: Graeme Cartwright, Fay Scobie,Geraldine Smith, Laura Wardrop, Lesley Corbett, June Binning, Michele Munro, John Bingham, Lesley McGilvary, Ed Garrett, LibbyRobertson, Stephen Cochrane, Diane McGowan, Sean Finnie, Linda McQusiton, Dawn Cook, Jamie Sloan, June Jeffrey, AnneSloan, Jaci Isaacs, Fiona Thomson, Ruth Martins, Suzanne Maxton

JUST

CONNECTIONS


9/16


A good time to panic?

Editorial by Doreen Kelly, chief executive of Partners for InclusionPartners has been expecting cutbacks. Weve known since 2007, when the world

economy went into freefall, that local authorities would make drastic cuts. If ever

there were a good time to panic, perhaps this is it.

Cuts to Partners have ranged from

8% to 20% in the last year. Some

might say we are lucky. Otherorganisations have to make cuts of

50% or more.

We see organisations trying

different ways of dealing with

the problem. Some fight, somerestructure and some make massredundancies. Some try for political

advantage, others try to grow

sometimes by taking over smaller

agencies.

CUTS TO PARTNERS HAVERANGED FROM 8% TO 20%.SOME MAY SAY WE ARE LUCKY

We dont think these approaches

are sustainable and they dont fit

with our principles and values.

We decided not to panic. Making

decisions in a panic is not wise.

We sat back, took a deep breathand realised that our response

must be based on the principles of

Partners for Inclusion.

We ruled out growing the

organisation to achieve economiesof scale because this would have anegative impact on the quality of

our work.

We also dismissed the idea of

making people redundant en

masse because we didnt want to

create an unhealthy culture andlose good staff.

Finally, we didnt think just

fighting the cuts would work,

although we are involved in the

Campaign for a Fair Society which

protests against the cuts.

WE RULED OUT MASSREDUNDANCIES. WE DIDNTWANT TO CREATE ANUNHEALTHY CULTURE AND LOSEGOOD STAFF

Having listed the things we

wouldnt do, it was easier todecide what we would do. In the

right hand column I have listedsome of the approaches Partners

for Inclusion has adopted to get

through these times.

More information about:

Carista: see page 4

Just Connections: see page 8

Altrum: www.altrum.org.uk

Beyond Limits:

www.beyondlimits-uk.org/

see also page 15

How to deal with thecuts to Partners:

Help those we support to get

unpaid people in their lives, li

their family and friends, so thhave others who can stand up

for them even if their service

at risk.

Support people to be as

independent as they can be

help them to get jobs, friendsand good things to do with

their time so they are less

reliant on paid staff. Funders

see that we are trying to wor

more efficiently and can also

spend the money weve savedon others who need a service

Influence decision-makers: oupositive reputation built by, fo

example, the publication of o

book and our consultancy wo

enables us to have a say in ho

money is spent and, indeed,

how it can be saved by offeringood, personalised support.

Help other organisations to

start and develop, for exampl

Just Connections and Beyond

Limits. We believe that startin

new organisations is better

for people who use supportthan simply growing PartnersAlso, we will be able to share

resources and functions like

finance. We will save money

and extend the network of

like-minded organisations we

already have in Altrum.

We can probably always

improve efficiency. At presentfor example, closer working

between team leaders is

creating efficiencies and, we

hope, long-term savings.

Use technology such as Caristour information managemen

system.

Work closer with colleagues ilocal authorities, so we can he

them to minimise the effect o

the cuts.

So, if theres ever a good time to

panic, we think this is not it. We

believe we have the right approato steer Partners safely and

successfully through these tough

times.

ILLUSTRATION: CATHY BALME / [email protected]


10/16


Contact

Dates and Mates Ayrshire

About us

Sign in HelpJoin us

Calendar

Accessibility

Home NewsMembers

Flourishing friendships - DM2 getsthe party startedA new club for people in Ayrshire

DM2, a club where people

can make new friends, has

people flooding through

the doors.

60 people were expected to join

DM2 in the first year but more

than that number signed up in

the first month. Two discos at

the Malt Cross in Ayr and The

Garage in Kilmarnock got the

ball rolling. Other events arecoming thick and fast. Activities

were decided by tick-box

questionnaires.

The partys started: DM2 kicks off with a disco at the Malt Cross in Ayr.

Organisers had expected picture

quiz nights and bingo to bring inthe most votes. But top choiceswere discos and karaoke. Walking

came in as a surprise third.

Everyone seems to enjoy walks

but not alone thats where DM2

comes in.

Anyone in Ayrshire can apply

to join and John and Aimee, DM2organisers, are dealing with a

steady flow of applications 11 in

the week this paper went to press.

Support workers who went

along with some people to the

first discos were positive. Onecommented The man I support

is usually pretty shy but he got

introduced to some new people.

He was chatting and dancing. I

expect people will get together

outside.

The venture has the backingof some local businesses. The

Malt Cross pub has given over

part of the pub free of charge.

The party spilled over into the

rest of the pub as locals joined in.

The Promotional Chocolate Co.

has made DM2 chocolates and is

sponsoring the club for a year.East Ayrshire Council and

Partners have contributed to

start-up costs.

Soon, DM2s website will be

launched. Members will be able t

find out the latest news and seewhats coming up.

DM2 has two organisers

Aimee and John.

Find out more

For more information callAimee

Johnor Helenon 01563 825515.

Aimee, DM2 organiser

John, the second DM2 organiser


11/16


My week in picturesHi, Im Robert. Im 23. I have my own pad, which Ive been in for three yearsnow. I need some support but doesnt everyone? Here are a few pictures

which tell you some of the important things in my week.

FridayI love a good party.

SaturdayAt the football, one of

my biggest passions.

SundayMy room. I like it colourful.

Do you think theres room foranything else on the walls?

MondayJai McDowall signing his CD. He used

to be my support worker and he wonBritains Got Talent. I taught himwell! One day Ill be signing a copy ofmy CD for him.

TuesdayFine dining: I do like a

good meal out.

WednesdayMe at work at the Robert BurnsCentre. Well someones got todo it. You cant go to footballand party all the time.

ThursdayOn the X Box, I am the best

ever manager on Fifa 12.


12/16


Highs and lows of

leading a teamHelen Walker gets excited

I know its a clich but I absolutely love my job. Getting up in the

morning, I just want to get to work.

The feeling I get when working with theteam everyone focused on supporting

someone to have the life they want its

very exciting.

There have been memorable moments.

After two and a half years of supporting

him to build relationships, he was invitedto a birthday party by someone in the pool

league. And then, at a karaoke night, seeing

him wandering round chatting to people

(with the support worker in the background,

where they should aim to

be). These might seem like

small things but they are

a big deal in this persons

life. Its a long journey andyou have to be there for

the long haul to appreciate

the changes. His family

said they would never have

expected to see that sort

of change such a level ofindependence.

Its not all fun and

celebration, of course.

Theres the groundwork:

careful planning, trying to

get a rota that works foreveryone. And its easy to

get overwhelmed take

too much on, say yes whenthe sensible answer is no.

Getting worn out is no good

for the person we support

so you have to make surecommitment doesnt tip

over into burnout.

Someone asked me

recently what my lowest

point has been. A difficult

issue came up with thefamily and I handled it all

wrong. For a little while, I

felt completely lost didnt

know what to do. Im beingopen about this because

such situations will arise

if you do this kind of work. The importantthing is how we work through them. I knew

I could go to my line manager and Partners

chief executive and be honest about it. I got

fantastic support.

Its two years since I became team leader.

I built up to it steadily. I was a supportworker at first. That was six years ago. Then

I was an assistant, then acting team leader.

Im looking forward to what the coming

years bring.

Role call

The jobs people dofor PartnersIn each issue of the Partners

Papertherell be a summary of

one particular job. This time its

the turn of:

Team leaderRole and responsibilityPractical support to the person who gets

support. Leadership and management ofa small team working for that person.

Main responsibilitiesMaking sure the person gets the right

support.

In a nutshellMaking sure the person is empowered

at every reasonable opportunity to make

decisions and take control over their life

and service.

Nuts and boltsWorking with the team on the Essential

Lifestyle Plan, Service Design, PersonCentred Plan, Action Plan and individual

Working Policies. Organising team

meetings, diaries and communications.

Working with people in the Central

Team (like the service leader, finance,

training, H.R.). Meeting with people in thepersons wider support team (like the Care

Manager, Community Learning Disability

Team, Community Psychiatric Nurse).

Recruiting, supervising, motivating,

developing team members. Properly and

wisely managing money in the service.Making sure that, if the person needs

support managing their money, they are

as involved as possible.

Qualities neededNot needing to be told what to do,

comfortable with responsibility, creative.

Problem solver, leader, collaborator.

AccountabilityAnswers to the service leader and the

person supported.


13/16


We want to see the wholeperson with all their individual

qualities. But labels are used

whether we like it or not and its

best to know what people mean

when they use them.

So in this issue of the paper, wekick off an A-Z of labels.

AutismThis is how the NationalAutistic Society denes

autism:

Autism is a lifelongdevelopmental disability

that affects how a person

communicates with, and relates

to, other people and the world

around them.

It is a spectrum condition,

which means that, while allpeople with autism share certain

areas of difficulty, their condition

will affect them in different

ways. Asperger syndrome is a

form of autism.

More information:

www.autism.org.uk

Bipolar disorderThis is how MINDdenes bipolar disorder:

Someone diagnosed withbipolar disorder (formerly

known as manic depression)

experiences swings in mood

from periods of overactive,

excited behaviour known as

mania to deep depression.Between these severe highs and

lows can be stable times.

Everybody experiences mood

shifts in daily life, but with

bipolar disorder these changes

are extreme.

More information

www.mind.org.uk

Cerebral palsyThis is what Scope says:

Cerebral palsy is a condition

that affects muscle control andmovement. It is usually caused

by an injury to the brain before,

during or after birth.

Children with cerebral palsy

have difficulties in controlling

muscles and movements asthey grow and develop. Cerebralpalsy itself is not progressive;

the injury to the brain does not

change. However, the effects

may change over time for better

or worse. There is no cure for

cerebral palsy, but physiotherapyand other therapies can often

help people with cerebral palsy

become more independent.

More information

www.scope.org.uk

ChallengingbehaviourThis is what Mencapsays:

Some people with a learning

disability may demonstrate

extreme behaviour, which is

often referred to as challengingbehaviour.

This may include ... hitting or

kicking other people, throwing

things or hurting themselves.

It often appears in people who

have difficulty communicatingtheir needs and wishes in other

ways.

The last sentence is most

important. This kind of

behaviour might be the last

resort for someone trying to tellus they are unhappy. At Partners,

we know that each person has

their own way of telling us what

they want and need and we have

detailed plans about how to

listen and respond.

More information

[email protected]

Community careThe main effect of the 1990 NHS

and Community Care Act was a

move away from institutionalcare. The idea was that peoplewould move to ordinary

neighbourhoods and live in

their own place. For people with

learning disabilities, this often

meant living in group homes

with others who had learning

disabilities.In general, group homes

have found it hard to get rid of

institutional practices. With staff

rotas, an office in the front room

and fire exit signs, its difficult to

see these places as someoneshome. Worse still, people are

moved in and out and dont have

the same rights as tenants.

There are alternatives. Partners

and other organisations have

shown that its possible forpeople to have a home that is

ordinary and is genuinely theirs.

More information

Talk to us at Partners:

01563 825555

[email protected]

Labels are for jarsAt Partners for Inclusion, were wary of labels. Too often, we see how people are

defined by labels someone has given them maybe a long time ago. If you wearglasses, you probably dont think thats the most important thing about you and

you wouldnt want to be discussed or introduced as a specs-wearer.

Local authoritycharging and JoeBloggs

Many local authorities areincreasing the amount they

take back from peoples

benefits.

Local authorities see these chargesas a contribution towards support.

They vary a lot from 25 to 95 a

week. This charging can have a big

impact.

Take Joe Bloggs, for example.

Partners supports Joe, who has a

learning disability and autism. The

local authority couldnt providehim with suitable housing because

he can be very noisy when he gets

upset. So he lives in private rented

accommodation.

Money coming in He has Income Support and

all the premiums with Severe

Disablement Allowance: 174.35

per week in total. He also has

High DLA Care 77.45 and

Mobility Allowance. He has

a Mobility car because he cantcope with public transport.

His weekly income total is

251.80.

Money going out The local authority charges him

95 a week as his contribution t

his care. This leaves him 156.80

His housing has oil heating -

very expensive. This costs him

around 50 a week. He needsto budget 20 a week for other

utilities.

He spends 30 a week for diesel

for his car. He needs 40 a weekfor all groceries.

This leaves him a grand total

of 16.80 a week for everythingelse going out, clothes,

holidays and all other living

expenses.

On Partners scientic Rich-To-Skint Scale, Joe is ociallyskint.
http://www.autism.org.uk/http://www.mind.org.uk/http://www.scope.org.uk/http://www.scope.org.uk/http://www.mind.org.uk/http://www.autism.org.uk/


14/16


15/16


Up close with...

Graeme Cartwright, Just Connections team leader since March2011

BeyondLimitsSam Sly checks in withnews of the Plymouth

organisation set up with

the support of Partners.

Beyond Limits works in the same

way Partners does. Partners

helped to set it up in 2011. Doreen

Kelly, Partners chief executive, isalso a director of Beyond Limits.

We started carefully but the

pace is picking up. We have done

service designs and working

policies for six people in hospitals

from Norfolk to Northants. So far,weve been chosen to support five

of them. Were starting the the

same process with six more.

After six months preparation,

one woman is moving into her

first permanent home. Shes

decorating as we speak. Gettingback to her original community

has opened up a whole world:

reviving friendships, going night

clubbing for the first time in nine

years and re-connecting with her

wide family network. She has her

own team and takes recruitmentseriously. She bought a suit and

heels for the job.

The other four people should all

be in their own place by October.

Our teams are fantastic andso are the families. It always

saddens me that families who

stick by their relatives, despite all

the barriers and frustrations put

in their way, are often branded

as difficult. They are the greatest

asset the person has and make

wonderful partners for us.

The rst person that inspiredme wasMy higher history teacher at

school. I became interested in the

civil rights struggle in America especially Martin Luther King. Im

still inspired by the way he led

non-violent protests in the face of

such provocation.

Sheer joy is.Seeing my four-month-old son

first thing in the morning looking into his cot and seeing

(usually) a big smile.

What really annoys is .Intolerance, especially racism. Why

do some people spend so much

energy on bad feelings towardsothers? Why not meet people, talk

to them and then decide if you like

them or not?

If I could revisit an event in my

life, it would be..When I dropped out of university

with only five months beforefinishing my degree. I was swayed

into going travelling. What can I

say? I was young and impulsive.

My most treasured possessionisMy guitar. I dont play as muchas I used to, mainly because Im

not allowed to in the house! Ive

played since I was 14 but it really

doesnt show.

If I had to leave Scotland to livesomewhere else, Id move to.New York. Ive been four times andI love it the whole vibe of the

place. I love just walking around

the streets. In reality, living there

would be pretty mad and hectic

and that probably wouldnt suit

me but Id love to try it out.

Have you always wanted to be ateam leader?

Not at all. Id never imagined it.

When I started working in care, I

saw team leaders and thought Idnever want to do the paperwork,

deal with conflicts and issues andsocial work and management

and families and reviews and so

on. Funny thing is I still dont!

What I most like about myselfisMmm.. maybe that I dont get

flustered easily. Staying calm canbe helpful in some situations. I

hope it doesnt look like me being

lazy.

If I had to change something

about myself it would be..Id be super-motivated, mega-

successful and, of course, very, verich. But, back to reality, Im happ

to try my best at things and do

what I can.

If I had just one desert islanddisc, it would be...This is the hardest question of a

as music is my first love. There ajust too many possibilities. But I

I have to choose, Ill say Marvin

Gaye: Whats Going On.

Graeme Cartwright: sheer joy

Sam Sly, director of Beyond Limits


16/16


Buffet Disco Raffle Bar Beach partytheme King and Queen of the Beach

Tickets 8 from Partners Reception.

West Kirk, 84 Portland StreetKilmarnock, KA3 1AA

[email protected]: 01563 825555

Partners for Inclusion

Summer Beach BallConcert Hall, Troon14 July 2012, 7.00 p.m.

Relax!Relaxation workshopWednesday 19 September 9.30 4.30

Life too hectic? Workload taking over?No time for yourself?Time to take control and RELAX.

The workshop will:

teach you new relaxation techniques

allow you to close your eyes on the job

help you to make time for yourself

enable you to discover inner peace and calm

help you to be more effective at work.

Put in your booking request to the TrainingDepartment now.

Looking for some sweet ideas

for personalised promotional

confectionery? Youve come to

the right place. The Promotional

Chocolate Company isnt just

about chocolate. We offer a

wide range of bespoke, personalised corporate

confectionery. It doesnt matter if youre looking for

promotional biscuits, chocolates or sweets, we can

offer everything you need.

The Promotional Chocolate Co. sponsors DM2 (see page 10).

F I O N A @P R O MO T I O N A LC H O C O LA T EC O . C O. U K | WWW. P R O MO T I O N A LC H O C O LA T EC O . C O .U K | T EL . 0 1 2 94 8 3 5 998

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