Page 24 - Community Living Magazine 30-3

ConFerenCe rePortS

Continued from Page 21 l of the person, does a full job analysis joined up voice, in the light of the
t
and 5% of residential care jobs job matches, and develops a planned withdrawal of funding for na-
vacant at any time. Recruiting on placement plan. tional and local self-advocacy forums.
values reduces turnover and,
when done well, can result in an Timothy Broadhurst was the BASE Key points from conference speakers
experienced ‘core’ of workers award advocate for SE’s success in and presentations:
retained for at least fve years (55%) his work for Timpsons ltd, winning the
(Skills for Care) David Grainger Award, presented by l Leading self-advocate Gary Bourlet
Liam Bairstow of Corrie fame. and Alicia Wood of Housing Support
l Bournemouth has established Alliance highlighted the increasing
‘Proud to Care’, a partnership of l Derby Council’s active citizenship and ‘servicisation’ of what should be
employers and stakeholders sharing assets-based community development people’s own secure homes.
solutions and innovative practices. (ABCD) approach with adults with Proposed changes in supported
Their initiatives include commissioners severe learning disabilities showed housing funding (See p. 9) and local
helping to promote vacancies for staff how engaging more widely develops authority cuts risk pushing services
with the right values and behaviours, the foundations upon which towards more institutional models.
free NVQ training, workers able to meaningful and sustainable
agree fexible hours with clients, employment can be built. l Suzy Fothergill chair of the
working with schools, colleges and Local Area Coordinators (LACs) Association of Quality Checkers
the Prince’s Trust and using the get to know people in their (AQC) argued that service-type
apprentice levy. community, working out how to link homes are not aways like other
http://www.ncctc.co.uk/ them to get a good life. After eight people’s homes and lack things that
presentations/nov-2016/ months, Derby University’s evaluation tell the stories of people who live
found a signifcant fnancial impact in them. Sally Warren of Paradigm
British Association of with a potential of £1.3-£1.4 million emphasised that it is about
Supported Employment (BASE) savings if replicated across 10 wards. having control over how you live;
he Department for Work and Outcomes were 80% in volunteering/ with whom you live; where you live;
T Pensions (DWP) have published a work and Derby council have seen who supports you and how
Green Paper for consultation, Work, how developing local lives diminishes you’re supported.
Health and Disability: Improving Lives, the need for formalised services.
and this was a main conference l Sammy Butcher, a successful expert
concern. DWP speakers confrmed the l For employers, Liz Stanton’s work in by experience and ‘ freedom fghter’,
key principles of work and health IKEA Edinburgh was inspirational, described her journey from family
programmes delivery as personalised, turning around the business’s view home, frst to an infexibly staffed
integrated and localised, and intend to of employing disabled people and service but then eventually to her
use BASE to test their supported overcoming staff’s initial nervousness own place where she recruited her
employment model and then scale up. by being present and engaging. own staff and was supported by
A more personalised offer will start a community circle of family and
with better trained Job Centre Plus (JCP) l In Wales the Engage to Change friends. Sammy urged others not to
Expert and experienced Community/ project with a fve-year £10 million give up and keep speaking out.
Third Sector partners will support job Big Lottery Fund grant will work with “Tell your family you love them but
centres get the expertise. With funding 800 employers to help 1,000 young you want to fy… if you know
signifcantly reduced, the Green Paper’s people with learning disability and/ your rights you can push through
target disability group is mental health. or autism develop their employment a barrier.”
skills through paid work placements.
Key points from conference speakers l Rachel Mason, a mum with two
and presentations: l Newham Council’s Workplace sons with a learning disability and
Supported Employment Team won autism, told how ‘person-centred
l Suggested partnerships with local BASE’s team award, increasing their planning changed their lives’.
authority supported employment employment rate for people with Using direct payments one son now
services in learning disability and health and social care needs from lives in his own purchased home
autism pilots to see what works with 2.8% in 2011-12 to 7.8%. locally (through www.mysafehome.
the most challenging people. info) with a 24 hours support service
For presentations of these and other designed, costed and recruited by
l DWP intends more supported work workshops see http://base-uk.org/ the family. They rejected an initial
experience for young people with 2016-conference-workshops social worker offer of a £1700
mental health issues. per-week residential placement
Learning Disability England miles away, and the son is now
l The essential values of supported Supported living – a service frmly embedded in his
employment are real work, real work or a life? local community.
settings and real money at the going his was the frst conference of
rate of pay. Supported employment T Learning Disability England. In the panel discussion, Rob Grieg of
places people in jobs and trains in Its speakers expressed a determination NDTi, referred to Rochdale’s ‘wrong
situ, builds a comprehensive profle to support and challenge in their newly and illegal’ proposal to end supported

22 Vol 30 No 3 | Spring 2017 Community Living www.cl-initiatives.co.uk