Cyswllt Conwy ar gyfer Anableddau Dysgu

Conwy Connect for learning disabilities

Newsletter May 2015 - Issue 62 Connecting people across Conwy

“Keeping Safe” our next

quarterly event

Conwy Connect for Learning Disabilities is a registered charity and an independent voluntary organisation that promotes the rights of people with a learning disability in the County Borough of Conwy. We seek to help people to have equal choices and opportunities in the community. The views expressed

within this newsletter do not necessarily reflect those of Conwy Connect for Learning Disabilities.

Connect Buddies Festival

Connect Buddies Festival took place on the 30th March at Bodafon Farm Park. It was a family friendly music festival to publicise the newly launched Connect Buddies service. It was a great success and was well attended. We watched lots of local bands play and there was a lot of interest in volunteering and people wanting a buddy.

This is a scheme to recruit volunteers who will be paired up with a person who has a learning disability. The Buddy will then help the individual to go to the theatre or gigs. For more details see page 2 of this newsletter.

Check Conwy Connects Facebook and website for more photos of the day.

The Connect Buddies Scheme

This will be held on Wednesday 3rd June 2015, 10.30am-3.00pm at the Colwyn Bay Cricket Club. Why Attend?

To understand how to keep safe Report crime, especially hate crime To contribute and have your say Lunch is available with a contribution of £4.00 at the door on the day. Who can attend?

People with a Learning Disability, Parents/Carers, Providers, Voluntary and Statutory Organisations.

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Engagement Service

Cath Pickering Engagement Coordinator cathpickering@gmail.com 01492 536486

Connect Buddies has now launched and we are receiving applications from people who want to be buddies and people who would like to have a buddy.

If for some reason we haven't got a buddy that suits you :

What if I cant have a buddy?

How do I get a buddy?

Connect Buddies

Each person’s application is looked at in a person centred way.

The only requirement for getting a buddy if you need one is that you live in Conwy County, that you are over 18, and that the right buddy for you is available.

We will be able to tell you about other things that are available such as the friendship group or the Disco.

You maybe suitable to BE a buddy and you haven't thought about doing it before. The Connect Buddies coordinator will work with you and match you with someone who you could help.

Congratulations Sheila Moors In January I nominated Sheila Moors (through Conwy Connect) for the High Sheriff of Clwyd Community Award 2015. SHE WON! She was presented with her award by the High Sheriff J D M e r e d i t h J o n e s E s q . Congratulations Sheila. Thank you for all your hard work.

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Engagement Service

Connect Forum

Issues that have been discussed since the last newsletter include therapeutic services, work opportunities and hate crime. Damian Plant came along to give a presentation about his disability and how it affects him on a day to day basis. If you want to have your say and join the forum or would like to give a presentation please do not hesitate to contact me.

Service user group awareness

All Providers must now have a service user group according to the contract they sign with Social Services. A service user group is a regular meeting of people that live or work in that service. The group must discuss how they are feeling about the service they are receiving from the providers. If the place where you live or work does not have a service user group that meets regularly call Cath on 01492 536486 or email her at cathpickering@gmail.com

Reducing Stigma

The Reducing Stigma team met to discuss this year’s work. They have decided they would like to start blogging and vlogging about the work they are doing around Stigma (blogging means writing on the internet about the experiences they are having and vlogging means videoing themselves talking about their experiences then putting it on the internet). Check the Conwy Connect Facebook page for more details.

The Regional network took place on the 26th March at the Interchange Colwyn Bay. Conwy Connect gave a presentation on what social and leisure services we have in Conwy County.

Regional Participation

Network

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Health Improvement

My job is to work with the Learning Disability Acute Liaison Team nurses to improve health outcomes and to address the health inequalities experienced by people with learning disabilities. My post is funded by The Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. You can contact me on 01492 536486 or

Paul Carter Reports

Every adult with a learning disability living in Wales can have a free health check once a year. ‘Your Guide To Your Health Check’ tells you about what should happen in your check. It is an ‘Easy Read’ guide I have made by adapting and adding to a Mencap guide.

Having a health check once a year is very important as it looks for health problems you may not know about. It also makes sure you are on the right medication if you take medication. It will tell you whether you have had all the vaccinations and medical tests you need. We have printed some copies of ’Your Guide To Your Health Check’ to give out.

You can also download it from our website and print it yourself. If you haven’t been having a free health check every year you should ask your doctor about having one.

The checks are done by 16 of the 18 GP practices in Conwy. If your GP surgery does not do them then you have the right to have one at another Conwy GP. If you have any questions about health checks or have had any problems with your health check you can contact Sonia Winley on 07919 302 374 or 01824 712764. Sonia is the Learning Disability Acute Liaison Nurse who specialises in health checks.

I was invited to give a talk at a carers support meeting by Eleri Roberts. I explained about the Traffic Light Hospital assessment and the work of the Learning Disability Acute Liaison Nurses. I also talked about Welsh Annual Health Checks for adults with a learning disability. The meeting was for all people who are carers for others, not just for people who care for people with learning disabilities. People seemed very interested and wondered what similar things might be in place for the people they cared for.

Your Guide To Your Health Check

Viewpoint Carers Support

Meeting at Canolfan Marl 26th

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Health Improvement

Part of my job as Health Improvement Coordinator for Conwy Connect is to work alongside the Learning Disability Acute Liaison Team. They help to identify areas in which I could make a difference in

my role as Health Improvement Coordinator for Conwy Connect. I have regular meetings with Sonia Winley to discuss my work and to plan what I will work on next. I met Sonia on 23rd January and 17th of April. There is a Learning Disability Acute Liaison nurse in all three main hospitals in North Wales. Their job is to do everything they can to make your stay in hospital as good as it can be. If you go into hospital you should ask to

see them as soon as you arrive. If you

know in advance that you are going into

hospital you should contact them

beforehand to make plans for your stay.

I helped out at the Connect Buddies

Festival at Bodafon Farm in Llandudno on

the 30th of March (see earlier in this

newsletter for more details).

As you can see from these photos it was

great fun and well attended by both adults

with learning disabilities and potential

‘Connect Buddies’.

All the hard work was done by my

colleague Cath Pickering who organised

the whole event, but the whole team joined in to give a hand on the day.

Conwy Communities First, Afaisc Cymru and various partners are planning to hold an event on 27th of May. It will involve activities for all ages plus

information stalls and workshops. It will

run from 10am-6pm at Colwyn Leisure

Centre, Eirias Park, Colwyn Bay, Conwy.

LL29 7SP.

We will be there with a Conwy Connect for

Learning Disabilities information stall.

More details to be announced closer to

the time.

If you are an adult with a learning

disability you should have a copy of the

Traffic Light Hospital Assessment form.

Fill it in as soon as you get it. It can be

downloaded and printed from the Conwy

Connect website.

Wake Up To Well being Event -

one for your diaries

Connect Buddies Festival

Meetings with Sonia Winley

Learning Disability Acute Liaison

Nurse

A reminder!

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Meetings and Events

“Your Right to Vote” Liz Price from the Parliament Outreach Service and Caryl Williams from the National Assembly for Wales Outreach Team gave a joint interactive presentation on the day.

Sue Davies commented “We were delighted that the National Assembly Outreach Team and the Parliament Outreach Service partnered together to deliver a joint interactive and interesting workshop to our members which included people with learning disabilities, parent/carers and voluntary organisations. It was enjoyed by all - not easy making politics interesting but they both did through the use of photographs, videos and user friendly exercises.”

Exercises included discussion on: Who represents you? Members of Parliament and

Assembly members were explained How decisions are made How you can get involved

Planning for the

Future continues

As part of the Planning for the Future programme the successful event “Key to My future” is going to be held again this year. It is a day especially for sons, daughters and relatives living with parent/carers in the family home. It will be a day filled with fun, but will also get our members to think about their future. This year there will be a play about a man living with his family and planning his future. This is not to be missed as there are some familiar faces acting in the play!! There will also be some guest speakers letting you know about gadgets and c o m p u t e r s t o h e l p s u p p o r t independence. The date for this is Wednesday 8th July 2015 at Llandudno Junction Community Club, 10.30am – 3.30pm “Keep on Planning”

event. Open to all parent and carers with a son, daughter or relative still living in the family home. The date for this year’s event will be Tuesday 8th September and the venue will be Colwyn Bay Cricket Club. We look forward to seeing more new parent/ carers attending this event. Even if you have been before, these events are not to be missed. Look out for your invite and book your place.

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News-News-News

Moving On Solutions Group was set up to look a t s u p p o r t i ng t h e development of new opportunities for social and leisure activities in the community for Adults

with a Learning Disability. The next MOS Bulletin is expected out shortly and will bring you up to date with current and future activities.

The Friendship Group

The Friendship Group is open to all adults with a learning disability in Conwy. Their latest list of future activities will be out soon. Trish Holland’s contact details are: Phone 07795 202735 or 01492 573398 E mail: hollandtrish@hotmail.com

What to do if you take time

away from your

Project/Day

Service? Conwy Social Services day service have produced an easy read guide for service users which will also be useful for providers. It tells you about how to get in touch and take time away if: You are feeling unwell If you are going on holiday Need a day off to do something else Have an appointment If you want to stop going to projects

Contact Fiona Dennison Section Manager on 01492 577670 for more details.

Hynt Access Card Scheme

Art and culture is for everyone. But if you have an impairment or a specific access requirement, enjoying a visit to a theatre or an arts centre can be more complicated than just booking tickets and choosing what to wear. Hynt is a national scheme that works with theatres and arts centres across Wales to make things clear and consistent. It is also a resource for anyone who needs specific access information to plan a trip to the theatre. The Hynt scheme offers customers the very best practice in fair ticketing policy and accessibility.

Hynt is a Membership Card Hynt cardholders are entitled to a ticket free of charge for a personal assistant or carer at all the theatres and arts centres participating in the scheme. Visit the website to find out whether you or the people you care for are eligible for a card and apply. http://www.hynt.co.uk

Registered Charity Number 1082860 8

News and Events

Contact Details

Conwy Connect for Learning Disabilities Bod Alaw, 10 Rivieres Avenue Colwyn Bay, LL29 7DP 01492 536486 conwy.connect@gmail.com www.conwy-connect.org.uk @CC4LD (Twitter) Facebook Deadline for articles/items to Sue Davies for the next newsletter by Friday 17 August 2015

The Conwy Access Team is now up and running. A partnership with Health and the third sector, it provides a single point of access for information, advice and referral relating to health and social care services in Conwy. The team has been formed around our previous Customer Care, OT Intake and Telecare teams as well as Health’s Intermediate and Enhanced Care service. If you have any queries about the team, how it has been developed or what it might do in the future, please contact Catrin Perry the Project Manager. The contact details for the new Conwy Access Team are: Please can all emails now be sent to the new email address wellbeing@conwy.gov.uk

How Conwy Connect remains

involved in influencing

Conwy Children and Young People's Partnership and Conwy Joint Localities Board (successor to Health Social Care and Wellbeing Board) have merged. At the Partnership Realignment event held on 5 February, workshops were held to provide an opportunity to have an input into the partnership priorities, delivery s t r u c t u r e a n d p a r t n e r s h i p name. Following a vote, it was agreed that the new partnership will be called

Conwy People's Partnership.

Conwy Outcome Groups (COGs) will replace the children’s and young people core aim groups and the Priority Outcome Groups, these groups will report to the new Conwy’s People’s Partnership Board.

Membership of these is being reviewed in order to identify partners to work together on the agreed priorities. Due consideration is being given to other working groups (including regional partnerships), to make sure the new structure complements these and that priorities are not missed. Richard Tudor, Partnerships Group Facilitator, will be taking an options paper based on all the consultation to the first Board meeting next month. Further details will follow.