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On 16th November 2018, Wiltshire Parent Carer Council ran an event called ‘Transitions Information Event: Moving Towards Adulthood’. This was a free event for parent carers and professionals who work with children and/or young people who have Special Educational Needs and/or a Disability (SEND). The aim of the event was to provide a range of information and workshops to help parent carers understand some of the choices and options available for their child as they support them to prepare for their adult life. 65 parent carers, 6 young people and 14 professionals signed in to say they attended the event.
For the first time and in response to feedback about refreshments from previous events, we trialled our 'Live Café'. Tea, coffee and cake was available to enjoy at tables throughout the morning in the middle of the main Market Place of information which proved a great opportunity to take in some of the information available at leisure and network with others. Refreshments were replaced by a buffet lunch at lunchtime.
There were 45 stands in the marketplace covering a variety of information, including the following areas:-
SEND, Short Breaks youth activities, information for young people, transport, support for parent carers, education, training, employment support and health. Click here to see the full list of organisations that booked to have a stand at our event and what they do.
Workshops
Parent carers were able to book into some or none of the four information sessions on offer throughout the day. These were:-
Development of Independence Using Assistive Technologies
This was facilitated by the Royal Mencap Society
From gizmos, older technology of telecare alarm systems, a confusing quantity of apps, home automation and artificial intelligence, there is a bewildering array of assistive technologies in the public domain. Some of these can be used to support and enable safer development of independence for people with learning disabilities, but what do they all achieve? Do they work? Are they just gimmicks?
This workshop helped sift through the gimmicks, the alarms, the myths and look inside what may be possible now and in the future. Technology we can use to enable greater independence, confidence, resilience, improve quality of life and enhance communication, that enables and respects the persons need to be as independent as they are capable of. The technology, combined with effective personal support can, whilst ensuring safeguarding, safety and risks are acknowledged, does not lose sight of encouraging self determination to support growth into confident, resilient and independent adults.
Mencap’s 72 years of experience in supporting people who have a learning disability combined with their ongoing comprehensive research and bespoke development into assistive technology, aims to provide truly forward thinking support that values the person and their families at the heart of our services.
Through this workshop, they aimed to inspire with current innovations and thoughts of a future, where technology is properly assessed, developed and used to benefit people with learning disabilities working together with their families and personal support. In a world where technology is developing exponentially, skills that embrace a digital world have never been more important.
A Home For Life
This workshop explored how a group of parents came together to set up a charity, Rainbow Living, to provide a home for their own and other disabled young people in Devon, ensuring residents have a secure tenancy and choice and control over where and how they live their lives.
The workshop was delivered by Tracey Rockey, a trustee of Rainbow Living, Anna and Susie-Jo Walker, a parent and young person resident of one of the houses in Exeter and a member of Thera Care, the provider chosen by Susie, her housemates and their families to deliver their support.
Tracey explained the history of the charity, which has recently become a charitable company and the operational side as it aspires to secure a 4th and 5th house for young people with Learning Disabilities who need a home.
Anna talked about the process from a parent's perspective, including identifying other prospective residents, working with funders to secure an appropriate package of care and choosing the right care provider. Susie Jo shared a short film about her home.
Thera talked about how they have worked to understand the needs of the residents in Susie’s home and recruit staff to match the residents’ personalities and needs.
Adult Services: The Role of Specialist Commissioning
The Specialist Commissioning team are commissioners within the Adult Social Care department. They ensure appropriate services are in place for people over 18 with a learning disability, autism, mental health, physical and sensory needs. In May 2018, following a transformation project, the 3 commissioning teams within the Council, Specialist, Community (older people) and Children’s were aligned under a newly appointed Director of Commissioning. They also work in partnership with Wiltshire’s Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
As Commissioners they work with all stakeholders, partner agencies and providers across Wiltshire to:-
- Create a stable and sustainable adult health and social care market
- Ensure the customer experience of services is positive across all areas
- Ensure continuity of service for our customers within their journey through health and social care
- Implement a stable and fair pricing structure for support services
- Work in partnership with providers to maintain good quality services and develop and share best practice amongst providers
- Utilise best practice, performance and quality data and evidence, to support and develop a proactive approach to ensuring services are developed to meet the needs of the customers and future demand
This workshop explained the differences between supported living and residential care, to support young people to be more informed about the options available to them. It also gave an overview of how they maintain quality services whilst achieving best value for money. An overview of their commissioning intentions for the year ahead was also shared.
Building Bridges: Supporting People with Challenging Circumstances to Access Work & Education
The Building Bridges programme supports people across Swindon & Wiltshire who are facing significant challenges in being able to develop their skills, access education or move towards the world of work.
The programme is a partnership of local organisations with extensive experience in supporting people and giving them the skills and confidence they need to move forward.
The programme is jointly funded by the European Social Fund and the Big Lottery Fund. Taking part in the programme is entirely voluntary and all of the advice and support is offered completely free of charge.
It is led by Community First and delivered by 40 cross-sector partners who all have a strong delivery record in helping people across both Swindon & Wiltshire. An individual solution focused plan is developed for every participant, with support being drawn from across the whole partnership as needed.
Individual plans can be developed in liaison with carers and support workers who are already helping the participant, and the programme support is not time constrained - plans can be adapted and evolved over time to meet the participant’s needs.
The workshop explained the support available from Building Bridges in more detail and how their collaborative approach is helping to deliver more effective outcomes.
Event Evaluation
Take a look at our Evaluation Report to see everyone’s comments and feedback about the day.
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