Royal National College for the Blind revamps leadership
The Royal National College for the Blind (RNC), the UK’s leading post-16 specialist college for young people with visual impairments, is revamping its leadership with two new appointments and a revised senior team structure. John Ryan MBE, former University Secretary and Pro Vice Chancellor (Students) at the University of Worcester, has been named Chair of the Board of RNC. He takes over from Professor Tamar Thompson OBE, who held the position from 2013 until February this year. John has a wealth of experience in the further and higher education sector, including serving on a number of national bodies – as Chair of the Association of University Administrators, on the Board of UCAS and the Board of the Equality Challenge Unit. He currently chairs the Education & Training Committee and is a member of the Audit & Assurance Committee. John Ryan said: “I am passionate about education, about social justice and about supporting people to achieve their full potential, in spite of any challenges and barriers placed before them. It was for these reasons that I became involved with RNC. In my role as Chair, I look forward to supporting RNC to achieve its vision – a world where every person with a visual impairment has true equality – and its mission – education, employment and empowerment for all people with a visual impairment.” John’s first task as Chair Designate was to lead a review of RNC’s executive structure. In March 2020, following an interview with a panel of independent governors, Lucy Proctor was promoted from Charity CEO, a position which she has held since 2016, to Executive Principal. In this newly created role, Lucy will build on her former function by taking responsibility for leadership across the whole College. She will be supported by two new deputy executive principals: Head of College and Head of Commercial and Business. Lucy Proctor, Executive Principal, RNC said: “I am excited to be moving forward with RNC in this new role. My immediate priority is to ensure the continued education of our students and the welfare of our staff through the Covid-19 emergency and ensure we as a College emerge stronger than ever. RNC plays a unique, irreplaceable role as a national resource. My team and I will continue to work together to give every young person with visual impairments control of their own life – so they are empowered and equipped to live, work and study independently.” John Ryan, Chair of the Board of Trustees added: “Appointing the right person to lead the College is one of the most important responsibilities that the Board carries. Over the past few years, Lucy has expertly steered the College through some challenging times and her calm, decisive response to the coronavirus pandemic has enabled us to continue to provide excellent support to both students and staff in these difficult circumstances. She has the Board’s full confidence and I am sure RNC will go from strength to strength under her leadership.” The College is currently recruiting additional trustees and is encouraging anyone who has the skills and passion to help young people with visual impairments to achieve their ambitions to get in touch.
Support worker Denise Mumford celebrates 30 years at learning disability charity
A 67-year-old senior support worker, Denise Mumford, has been supporting adults with learning disabilities to live the best life possible at national charity Hft for the last 30 years. After beginning her career in social care at a care home for the elderly, Denise was looking for a change of direction when she spotted a vacancy at a nearby Hft service in the early nineties. Starting out working in laundry, Denise quickly progressed and in 1997 played a key role in moving residents at the service from a residential setting into their own homes within the Moreton in Marsh community. Citing the project as the most rewarding period of her three decades at the charity, Denise worked as part of a staff team who provided support throughout the transition – from getting people familiar with local amenities such as GP surgeries and supermarkets, to gradually introducing them to their new homes. Following the move, Denise watched people supported in the area thrive, and has remained at the charity’s services ever since. Other highlights for the dedicated support worker include witnessing two people she supports get engaged and married, and supporting someone to get their first job in a local deli, where she’s now worked for over twenty years. Denise also played a key role in raising awareness of the funding pressures facing adult social care by supporting a man to take part in the charity’s It Doesn’t Add Up campaign. This saw him join members of the charity’s speak-out group to present a petition calling for an increase in funding for adult social care to the government, followed by a parliamentary reception where people were able to share concerns about the funding deficit. During the pandemic, support workers like Denise have been more important than ever to the adults with learning disabilities who rely on their support. They include a lady in Moreton in Marsh whose mental health was suffering as a result of not being able to take part in her weekly activity of answering the phone at the day opportunities service where she is supported. Denise noticed her behaviour changing as a result, and arranged for her to continue answering the phone at the service at a safe distance from others. The lady now enjoys a regular change of scenery, and a chance to get some daily exercise by walking to the service, which has helped her to regain her confidence. Denise said: “I love my job and I have met some wonderful characters along the way! The best thing about being a support worker is making a difference to people’s lives, and getting them recognised for who they are, and not just their disability. It’s been amazing to see people living within their community in Moreton, where everyone has been so welcoming. Support work is so much more rewarding than people think and is more important than ever at this time, when people with learning disabilities need care and reassurance more than ever. I’d recommend it to anyone.” Clive Parry, Regional Manager at Hft, said: “Working tirelessly over three decades to support adults with learning disabilities to live the best life possible, Denise has seen a great many changes during her time at Hft. However, one thing that has remained constant throughout has been her passion for helping people to have greater choice and control of their own lives. “Denise has often advocated for people whose voices would not otherwise be heard and provided support and the benefit of her wealth of experience to Hft colleagues within her service but also the wider region. In a fast-changing world, Hft and adults with learning disabilities depend on people like Denise and I can’t thank her enough for her unwavering enthusiasm and commitment over 30 years’ dedicated service.” To find out more about vacancies at Hft, visit hft.org.uk/jobs
Key workers launch befriending service to combat isolation
UK Power Networks Key workers have partnered with charities to launch a telephone befriending service aimed to combat isolation during pandemic. West Norfolk Befriending and Deafblind UK have teamed up with the UK’s biggest electricity distributor to match the company’s trained volunteers with older people and those with hearing and sight loss who may be feeling isolated by COVID-19. UK Power Networks befrienders will phone them regularly during work time through the company’s Donate a Day scheme, which gives over 6,000 employees two paid days annually to volunteer. Pippa May, chief executive of West Norfolk Befriending, said: “We are a tiny charity facing increasing demand for our services so it’s incredibly exciting to work with UK Power Networks to transform the service we offer and reduce social isolation at this difficult time. “On average we work with frail people in their nineties who may have outlived family and friends or don’t have family nearby. They are often housebound, so isolation is always there, but increased by lockdown because the few visitors they had, such as hairdressers, can’t come anymore. “It makes a real difference to their quality of life having someone to chat with, who has time to listen. Any family they do have may be carers, but a befriender listens to them. My hope is that at the end of this lockdown the community continues coming together to tackle isolation. It doesn’t have to cost anything.” Each volunteer is background checked to safeguard people. A priority for UK Power Networks during the pandemic is taking extra care of people in vulnerable households in the rare event of a power cut. Some 1.87 million eligible households have signed its Priority Services Register for the extra services the company provides in such emergencies, up 6% in the last year. Clare Watson, head of national services at Deafblind UK, said: “We are thrilled to be working with UK Power Networks to deliver befriending services. Deafblindness can be really difficult to live with and evidence suggests that it can have a big effect on mental health too. As a result, many people feel isolated, lonely and generally very low. Our services focus on re-connecting people and giving them some social interaction, but since the COVID-19 outbreak, our face to face services have been suspended and our members have found themselves even more isolated than usual. We have had a 500% increase in requests for regular contact! “Having the support of UK Power Networks will enable us to fulfil as many of these requests as possible. Volunteers will be paired up with one of our members and will give them some regular contact by either phone, email or text. Many of our members just want a chat and are grateful for the opportunity to interact with someone else. Often, our members become very good friends with their befrienders and build genuine lasting relationships. This means such a lot to them.” Kerry Potter, consumer vulnerability manager at UK Power Networks, said: “We are excited to work with our existing charity partners to provide additional support at a time when their resources are stretched and more people are contacting them hoping to form a social connection at a time when connections are much more difficult to establish. “These charities are providing an invaluable service to customers in our highest risk groups who would be eligible to join our Priority Services Register and typically may be struggling with their energy bills. People who have been shielding during the coronavirus outbreak will have an increased awareness of how their mental health is affected by social isolation.” The Priority Services Register provides free extra help during power cuts for pensioners, families with young children and people with special needs, disabilities or health conditions. For details visit www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/priority, call 0800 169 9970, or email psr@ukpowernetworks.co.uk. Both charities welcome support from further volunteers. For details visit:West Norfolk Befriending www.wnbefriending.org.uk Deafblind UK www.deafblind.org.uk
Learning disability charity recognises frontline impact made by interns during lockdown
Transition to employment charity, DFN Project SEARCH, is supporting this year’s Learning Disability Week by recognising the impact its interns and employees are making during the pandemic. Since going into lockdown in March businesses across the UK have completely changed the way they work demonstrating that like DFN Project SEARCH, people and organisations have the ability to change and overcome barriers that were once thought impossible, to drive cultural change in the workforce. DFN Project SEARCH is a transition to work programme for students with learning disabilities and autism. Its pioneering programme provides training at its very best, facilitating total workplace immersion with a seamless combination of classroom instruction, career exploration, and hands-on skills training and acquisition. When lockdown was implemented by the UK Government DFN Project SEARCH worked swiftly with all partners to ensure that programme interns were not left at home losing the skills they worked so hard to gain. DFN Project SEARCH interns were given support and training from partners and job coaches so they could continue to feel connected to the programme and job coaches and remain employment focused. Together with colleagues at NSEF DFN Project SEARCH also launched the Finding Your Future campaign, a YouTube content channel designed to keep supported interns inspired and focused on employment outcomes, helping interns feel more connected than ever before. An impressive number of DFN Project SEARCH interns have secured key worker roles during the crisis, rising to the challenge of frontline roles and doing amazing work in vital industries from healthcare to logistics. Due to the high demand for key workers, 32 DFN Project SEARCH interns have found full-time paid employment with NHS partners during the Pandemic. Two further interns have been employed by Public Health England, and another three interns have been offered roles in supermarkets and food service to meet the growing need for support at this time. Claire Cookson, CEO DFN Project SEARCH said: “Learning disability week is a great time to reflect on what has been accomplished so far during lockdown and the progress being made to support young people with learning disabilities and autism across the country. “After being forced to work from home during lockdown, we’ve seen businesses overcome barriers we didn’t even think were possible. “People say they have never felt more connected since we’ve worked from home and this has helped our interns maintain momentum and stay on the pathway to employability. “It’s amazing to see how resilient our interns have been, and it just goes to show that as a country we are more than capable of changing how we work and making reasonable adjustments to become a more inclusive society. “I truly feel this represents a springboard for long-term change and more fairness and equality in society. Society has been given this opportunity to better understand the skills that people with learning disabilities bring, the importance of community cohesion and the importance of shared social values” she added. DFN Project SEARCH has 69 internationally recognised programmes across the UK, Ireland and Iberia, and has supported over 1300 interns into work. Nationally 5.9 per cent of people with learning disabilities and autism are in paid employment, yet 75% of interns secure jobs with a staggering 60 per cent of its graduates obtaining full-time, competitive, integrated paid employment. NHS Frontline Key Worker case study In the most challenging of circumstances, frontline services such as hospitals and supermarkets have been recruiting people to support them in the fight against the coronavirus. Amongst those new paid employees have been 35 young people who applied for jobs and were successful because of the valuable skills they had developed whilst on the DFN Project SEARCH programme. The aim of DFN Project SEARCH is to foster and develop the skills of students with learning disabilities and autism and provide them with a pathway to integrated competitive employment. Based in a host business, interns receive hands on experience in a real work setting. They obtain 800 hours of skills acquisition over an academic year across three job rotations with continual training and feedback. DFN Project SEARCH works in partnership with 40 hospitals in the UK who embrace the prestigious role of being our host employer as part of their commitment to the learning disability employment pledge. This means that many of the interns are in a unique position and have been totally immersed in the hospital environment and trained in vital roles such as portering, facilities management, data collection and lab work. To date, 32 of our talented interns have applied for and secured jobs in six hospitals in England, five in Scotland and one in Wales. They have moved into key roles in portering, waste management, catering, facilities management, domestic services, laundry and in the laboratory. In addition to the 32 NHS employed interns, a further three interns have been offered roles in supermarkets and food service to meet the growing need for key workers in these areas too. Emma Price, a mother who was recently interviewed about her son Bobby’s role with a London NHS hospital said: “My son is such an inspiration to me, he’s so motivated to get up every day and he’s always got such a positive mind-set, he doesn’t even like having to take a day off because he loves his job so much. He always says to me – I work for the NHS and the NHS needs me, and I just that find it so inspiring. It just makes me so proud to see him in his scrubs working at the hospital and doing his part for the NHS, young people like Bobby are making such an amazing impact.” Emma discussed her son’s journey into employment and highlighted how the support he received along the way has been truly transformational. She added: “I’m so proud of him because Bobby’s journey hasn’t been the easiest, but Bobby has always had a clear idea of what he wanted, and that was to get a job and go to work.
The Visually Impaired Sailing Association announces new Patron
The Visually Impaired Sailing Association (VISA-GB) announced that Pip Hare the respected sailor and Vendee Globe competitor has become the Patron of the Association.VISA-GB is unique amongst disabled sailing charities because the majority of its board of trustees are visually impaired sailors who give a significant amount of their time to create opportunities for others with a visual impairment, to experience the freedom of offshore sailing. The majority of the crew on VISA-GB boats are normally visually impaired and play a full role in sailing and running the yacht. Eddie Kitchen, chairman of VISA-GB said of Pip’s appointment:“All of us at VISA are thrilled that Ocean racer, and lifelong sailor, Pip Hare has agreed to be our Patron. Our charity will benefit from her enthusiasm, knowledge and determined attitude that will see her on the start line if this year’s Vendee Globerace. Pip embodies much of what we stand for, there are many that think we chase impossible dreams, but our blind and visually impaired members are determined not to allow a lack of sight to stop them enjoying and benefiting from sailing. As our figurehead we know Pip will encourage us to achieve our ambitions.” He added “I also know that Pip will help us to deliver our message to all in the visually impaired and blind community, and that VISA-GB will continue to empower our sailors, encourage all to learn new skills and enjoy their participation in our great sport.” When asked about her new role Pip said “I was delighted to be approached by the Visually Impaired Sailing Association with a view to become their Patron. Having meet some of the VISA-GB sailors in 2019 I was extremely impressed by their approach and felt it matched my own. By empowering the visually impaired sailors to manage the complete boat trip it created a wonderfully positive approach to sailing. My own goals have been achieved by the same single minded determination I saw in these sailors, and I found it inspirational. By making sailing more accessible and fully inclusive I firmly believe we can make our sport open to all. I am pleased to accept the post of Patron and ambassador for VISA-GB and look forward to supporting and helping them achieve their goals.” With a full programme of events planned for 2021, VISA-GB hope to have over 100 visually impaired sailors on the water, both cruising and racing . They are currently planning for a circumnavigation of the UK to offer a taste of life on the water to the visually impaired in all corners of the country. Trustees and members will be following and supporting Pip on her adventure in the Vendee Globe. Asked about how anyone who is interested can find out more, Eddie said “Any sighted sailors who would like to volunteer as crew or anyone who is visually impaired and would like to participate in our exciting programme can learn more by visiting our website www.VISA-GB.org.uk or email membership@visa-gb.org.uk”
Neurokinex, has launched a fundraising appeal to support people with a newly acquired spinal cord injury.
Prior to the Covid-19 lockdown, Neurokinex operated a Newly Injured Scheme which awards six free sessions to those newly injured or diagnosed and referred by the NHS. The service is a lifeline for many, giving them access to the unique Neurokinex services that can have life-changing results. However, it comes at a price, costing £420 per person. Without additional fundraising, it is under serious threat of being withdrawn. To help protect this service, Neurokinex launched its Step Up Appeal on June 1, 2020 to raise £25,000 to ensure newly injured people can access its services once lockdown is lifted. The Step Up Appeal is looking for individual donations while a number of Neurokinex clients are setting themselves personal challenges and seeking sponsorship in support of their efforts. It is estimated by the Spinal Injuries Association that 2,500 people are injured or diagnosed with a spinal cord injury every year. Neurokinex works to support those living with a spinal cord injury, providing vital rehabilitation programmes. “It’s great to have facilities that spinal cord injured individuals can access after their inpatient hospital admission has come to an end,” says Kirsten Hart, Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. “The six free sessions on offer for new injuries is a hugely important resource that helps to bridge the gap between discharge and access to community professionals facilitating community reintegration. The feedback received from returning patients, having been treated by Neurokinex, is that the team is fun and dynamic. They all see Neurokinex as a very important part of their long-term rehabilitation and fitness regime, so it’s vital we continue to ensure we can keep services like theirs running.” “Like so many other charities, we have been hit hard by Covid-19 forcing our closure and suspending people’s rehabilitation,” says Harvey Sihota, founder and director of Neurokinex. “Now, more than ever before, we need support from the public and hope that our Step Up Appeal will raise the necessary funds to keep our referral service going. We have a waiting list of hopeful beneficiaries who are waiting for lockdown to lift before starting their rehabilitation with us. Our hope is that by the end of July we have the funds in place to start them on our programme with no further delay.” To find out more see https://neurokinex.org/step-up-appeal/ To make a donation visit: https://www.paypal.com/uk/fundraiser/charity/2391620
Learning disability charity workers innovate to provide vital care for people with learning disabilities
Maximising outdoor space and expanding creative horizons are just some of the ways that frontline staff at learning disability services across the country have been supporting some of the most vulnerable adults with learning disabilities in society during the Covid-19 pandemic. Support workers at the services, run by national charity Hft, are going the extra mile to ensure they are able to keep people safe and provide reassurance during this unsettling time. They include 27 year old Abby Howard who has been working at the charity’s Bristol service for the last four years. One of the ways she and her colleagues have been supporting people through the pandemic has been by helping them to maximise the potential of the communal spaces in their home. This has included setting up flowerbeds and vegetable patches in the garden. Adrian, who is usually particularly active in his community, has taken a leading role in maintaining the outdoor space, enabling him to develop his organisational skills and boosting his confidence by giving him additional responsibilities. For people at the service with high sensory needs, a new sensory herb garden has been introduced. Based on staff members’ specialist knowledge, the new space is filled with items that stimulate the senses, ranging from a scented curry leaf plant to brightly coloured flowers for visual stimulation and nearby outdoor musical instruments. In addition to maximising the outdoor space, the staff team has also planned activities centred around people’s interests, to tackle low moods caused by being unable to take part in their usual activities. This included staging a special concert screening for two Westlife superfans. After spotting the newly released concert DVD, Registered Cluster Manager James Baker arranged a projector, concert seating, and even homemade tickets in honour of the special showing for the whole household. Over at an Hft service in Devon, performing in a choir is an important part of many people’s day to day lives. The Holler Choir, which includes 15 people with learning disabilities, is a regular fixture at local events and members thrive on singing in front an audience. Being part of the choir has been a huge confidence booster for its members and provides a regular chance for people to get together and learn something new. While the full choir is no longer able to meet weekly to practice, Registered Cluster Manager Kay Nicholls has replicated this routine by visiting a service to hold singing sessions. As well as boosting people’s mental health, the sessions have prevented people from feeling too far removed from their usual hobbies. Kay even led a socially distant singalong at one service, where choir members performed to their neighbours. The event was a hit, with people across the community joining in. Another support worker going the extra mile is Janneke Bax-Pratt, who has been a support worker in Stroud for three years. She supports people including Rob, an avid painter whose exhibition at a local gallery was cancelled in March as a result of the pandemic. Staff were keen to ease his disappointment and encouraged him to use the extra time at home to experiment with new artistic techniques. They sourced new materials for him to use and as a result, Rob has started using mixed media to enhance his work, with support staff noting that this has had a positive impact on his mental health, expanded his creative horizons and helped him to remain motivated to work towards a future exhibition. In response to the pandemic, Hft recently launched Care to Join Us?, a recruitment drive calling on anyone who may have found themselves temporarily unemployed or out of work to apply for relief support worker roles. Emma Bagley, Divisional Director at Hft, said: “Staff are the bedrock of care. In these challenging times we all have a role to play. The need for people to provide care and reassurance for adults with learning disabilities is greater than ever. Even little things can make a big difference, from supporting someone to stay in touch with loved ones to ensuring they have essential supplies, like food or medication. We are calling on anyone who may be temporarily out of work or seeking alternative employment due to the pandemic to apply for relief support workers roles at Hft and help care for some of the most vulnerable adults in society.” For more information about permanent or temporary roles at Hft visit: www.hft.org.uk/jobs
“I live alone but fundraising has given me a purpose to get up and out everyday”
96-year-old Terry Holt has walked up to half a mile every day since 23rd March fundraising, to raise at least £1,000 for Save the Children’s Coronavirus appeal. Terry, who has been a volunteer for Save the Children’s Cheadle and Gatley Volunteering Branch for more than 61 years, wanted to do something to keep herself motivated. She said: “I live on my own and my family are not nearby, so in the beginning I was struggling and feeling lonely. Fundraising has given me a reason to get up and out every day.” “Coronavirus is keeping us all stuck indoors but, being 96 and walking with a walker, I wanted to keep mobile. I accepted middle age when I got to 90 so I’m still only middle aged now and if I stop moving, I feel like I might get old. Each day I do a daily walk and I’m using this as an opportunity to continue fundraising.” Terry has been living alone in lockdown for 69 days. As she crossed the two-month mark, she added: “Some days I did feel like giving up. It really is difficult not seeing anyone and it has really got me down. But I have been volunteering and fundraising since the age of 20 and helping others helps me to stay positive and keep going. “I had an early experience of how conflict can damage children’s lives, during the Second World War. I was in the Auxiliary Territorial Service and was posted to the Middle East. There I became a Pay Clerk for a company of locally enlisted Jewish girls who were mainly from Palestine. Through them I heard first-hand about their experience of escaping from fascist regimes. This was my first experience of hearing about the fate of children growing up in war torn areas and it is a passion I have carried through the rest of my life.” Deborah Forster, Volunteer Manager at Save the Children said: “Terry’s tenacity is inspiring and shows exactly why we want to say such a huge thank you to her and all of our volunteers and fundraisers. More than 13,000 volunteers support Save the Children in a huge range of roles, and many of them have turned to fundraising for our Coronavirus appeal, which enables us to reach even more children. Volunteers Week is a great opportunity for us to recognise and thank our great volunteers for everything they do, especially at the moment. “Even before the Coronavirus outbreak, four million children lived in poverty in the UK and we can’t let this number rise. The money Terry has raised will go to our emergency Coronavirus appeal, helping children survive and thrive both here in the UK and around the world. It’s acts of generosity, like Terry’s, that make this all possible”. Save the Children UK is using Volunteer Week to say thank you to all volunteers and fundraisers who make their work possible. It’s launched a raft of initiatives to help vulnerable British families who are feeling the economic effects of the Covid-19 crisis most acutely. These include an Emergency Grant Fund which gives families access to food vouchers, gifts in kind and goods such as beds, tables and chairs, thus enabling them to build suitable home learning environments. The children’s charity is also distributing early learning packs and advice to parents and carers, so children can continue learn and thrive from within the confines of the home. Terry’s JustGiving page is open until October: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/paula-holt3 For further information on volunteering or to donate to Save the Children’s Coronavirus Appeal please visit: www.savethechildren.org.uk
Moto rolls out fuel service app for drivers with disabilities
Moto has become the first motorway service area operator in Britain to roll out a mobile phone app specifically aimed at helping drivers with disabilities across all 48 of its sites. One of the biggest frustrations for drivers with disabilities is arriving at a fuel forecourt and finding that no one is able to help them fill up. But the FuelService app allows drivers to book assistance at Moto service area forecourts in advance of their arrival. Using the app, they can identify which service area they want to use and automatically send a message asking if help is available. When they arrive on site the app alerts forecourt staff and tells them which pump the vehicle is at, removing the need for drivers to sound their horn or wave their blue badge to try to attract attention. Moto’s CEO Ken McMeikan said: “We are constantly looking at ways we can improve our customers’ journeys and wanted to find a solution to remove the frustrations drivers with disabilities can experience when trying to get fuel. We are delighted to introduce the FuelService app. We believe it will transform the experience for drivers who are unable to serve themselves.” The app is the creation of IT specialist Niall El-Assaad, who was left disabled after a cycling accident and recognised the problems facing disabled drivers the first time he tried to fill up his car. He said: “I’m delighted that Moto has become the UK’s first motorway service area operator to offer this service to its customers at all of its sites. Refuelling has always been a frustrating issue for disabled drivers. You have your independence in being able to drive, but the limited options to pump your own petrol can leave you with very few places to go. Moto’s roll-out means that the whole of the motorway network is now open to us.” FuelService is a not-for-profit organisation which donates all profits to spinal injury research to help find a cure for paralysis. The app can be downloaded at: www.fuelservice.org/en/ Drivers who do not have smartphones can use the service via an interactive voice service, SMS or on-line at: http://fuelservice.org/findstation