Over 100 Enjoy 25th Anniversary Celebration

Over 100 people gathered at Chilworth Manor last night to celebrate SCIL’s 25th Anniversary. Staff, Management Committee and Members, both past and present gathered for an evening of nostalgia and entertainment as well as plenty of food and drink.

Robert Droy, the compere for the evening, kicked off the show with a video tracing the history of SCIL through photos and videos.

There were also exclusive performances from Natasha Wood and Laurence Clark.

The evening ended with a disco playing music from the 80s, 90s, and 2000s.

Congratulations to Clare Bunstone who won a holiday for 6 people to stay at a top hotel in Dorset in our Anniversary free prize draw.

More photos on our Facebook page.

Freedom Drive Finalises Its Demands

On 16 Sep 09, 3 delegates from SCIL will join more than 400 Freedom Drivers from more than 20 countries as they march through Strasbourg to the EU Parliament. Regardless of their impairment, they are unified by one goal: Independent Living.

They will hand over the following demands to the President of the EU Parliament. 

1. We call on the European Community to ensure that Independent Living is central in the disability policies of the European Union, as expressed in the EU Disability Strategy, the Disability Action Plan and Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol.

2. We encourage the European Community to continue to assist the development of community-based services to achieve de-institutionalization across Europe.

3. We call for the implementation of our human right to a personal assistance service, fundamental to guarantee the enjoyment of Independent Living.

4. We call for the opportunity to equally enjoy the right to freedom of movement with the portability of personal assistance services.

5. We call for an earmarking of 5% of EU development funding to go to the development of Independent Living programs in developing countries.

6. We call on the European Community to fully ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to sign and ratify its Optional Protocol and for its articles to be implemented in EU legislation and policy. Incumbent in this is the application of pressure by the Institutions and representatives on member states to transpose the convention into law domestically as soon as possible

7. We call for a disability specific directive to uphold and protect the full rights and entitlements of people with disabilities across Europe.

8. Disabled people and our organisations must be decisively involved at all levels of policy-making including planning, producing and implementation.

Whilst in Strasbourg, the Freedom Drive participants will be meeting with many MEPs who have an interest in this area to look at how we can all work together to ensure these demands are taken seriously.

You can read more about the Freedom Drive on our blog over the coming weeks.                                           

 

Invite to SCIL’s 25th Anniversary Celebration

SCIL can finally reveal that we will be marking our 25th anniversary in style with a Gala Evening at Chilworth Manor on the 6th November and we want our members and Disabled People from around the country to join us. The event will be a chance for Disabled People to come together to celebrate our survival as an organisation as well as our achievements over the last 25 years.

 

During the evening, there will be comedy provided by two of the top Disabled comedians in the country, Laurence Clark and Natasha Wood, a birthday toast from Ian Loynes, SCIL’s chief executive as well as an audio visual presentation of the history of SCIL. With a welcome drink on arrival and complimentary snacks on offer, it promises to be a great night.

Tickets are only £10 each if you are waged or £5 if you are unwaged. If you need to bring a PA to the event, tickets for a PA are only £5. Tickets are on sale now and we need to know final numbers by October 1st so reserve your tickets now by phoning 023 8033 0982 or email info@southamptoncil.co.uk and we will send you a booking form.

We really want as many members to attend as possible so if you’re keen to come but may need some support to arrange it then let us know.

If You Employ A PA, This is for You!

SCIL are holding an exciting workshop on Tuesday 14th July between 10am and 1pm which would benefit you with understanding PA employment and it is free to all SCIL Members and Disabled People on the ILSS register.

The workshop morning is an exciting way to open your mind to various employment issues and to raise the issues that Disabled People encounter everyday and enabling you to reach your maximum potential as a Personal Assistant employer.  You will also have the chance to meet various support workers at SCIL.

On the same day, Personal Assistants on the ILSS register have been invited to a Disability Equality Training session. Personal Assistants have been strongly advised to attend DET Training as part of their development as a Personal Assistant. 

If you employ a Personal Assistant from the ILSS register, you should be aware that your Personal Assistant may also be attending on the same date as yourself.  It is worth noting that the Personal Assistants will be in a separate room.

As this is a fantastic opportunity not to be missed, so complete the booking form below:

PA Employers Workshop

Or contact Michael on 023 8020 2636 or email Michael@southamptoncil.co.uk

SCIL’s History Project

SCIL Job Vacancy – Administrative Worker

Administrative Worker (Ref ETC001)

14 hours/week: Salary £5,934. Fixed term: Until 30th April 2010

SCIL’s Empowerment, Training and Consultancy Team requires an efficient organiser and good communicator to undertake administrative work.

Literacy, numeracy and IT skills, a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office suite and a commitment to Disability Equality essential.

Disabled Person Preferred

For application packs please contact:

Tel: 023 8033 0982 or email: info@southamptoncil.co.uk

Application closing date: 9th June 2009

Get Ready for SCIL’s 25th Anniversary

 

On the 6th November 2009 Southampton Centre for Independent Living celebrates its 25th Birthday.

 

The early 1980’s were momentous times for Disabled People in the UK with the formation of the first organisations which were run and controlled by Disabled People.

 

Southampton CIL developed quickly; enabling Disabled People to collectively gain empowerment and for the first time become a political force to be reckoned with.

 

Ever since, we have sought to support those who wanted a lifestyle that would enable them to attain or restore choice and control over their lives.

 

SCIL is at the early stages of planning events and activities to celebrate this milestone and we want all Disabled People in Southampton & Hampshire to celebrate our collective achievements. More information will be published soon.

 

Mixed Feedback to HCC Personalisation Commission

Ian Loynes and Robert Droy from SCIL recently attended the first session of the Hampshire Personalisation Commission. Throughout the day, we discussed with members of the audience how they felt about the Commission and their observations of the first session.

 

Firstly without wishing to be overly negative, the format and acoustics of the venue was not particularly accessible for many of the participants. There was no sign language interpreter at the session but we presume this would have been provided if an participant had requested it. We were also disappointed with the lack of diversity amongst both the commissioners, witnesses, and the audience in general. ‘White, middle aged, and middle class’ was one comment we heard.

 

Despite the session being entitled ‘People and Carers’, out of the 7 people who gave evidence, 3 people were actually ‘professionals’ who gave lengthy presentations which were followed up by questions. Their evidence, whilst useful, may have been better suited to a later session.

 

In contrast, the ‘people’ and ‘carers’ were asked to give very brief presentations with no opportunity for the commissioners to question them further. We feel this was a missed opportunity to really capture from the ‘users’ themselves why personalisation was so important. This part of the evidence was summed up by the Commission Chair as ‘moving’ and ‘uplifting’. Whilst these comments were well meaning, they were construed by many as slightly patronising and not viewing the evidence on an equal level as the evidence given by the other witnesses.

 

The round table discussions in the afternoon were found to be much more successful but unfortunately were only open to a ‘select’ group of invited guests. Some of the common themes have however been summarised in a document on the Hampshire Personalisation Commission website, along with much of the other evidence and presentations at each session.

 

The next session is on June 12 and you can apply for tickets for that session until May 20 by visiting the website or by calling 01962 833 040. Leave your name, telephone number and address and they will post an application form to you

 

Mental Health Experts By Experience

NCIL are looking to recruit Mental Health Experts by Experience for  the next stage of this exciting project. This project is funded through the Commission for Social Care Inspection. The Commission is the body that inspects and regulates social care provision for England. The project is working with a range of Centres for Independent Living and user led organisations in order to develop a diverse pool of Experts.

 

We are particularly looking for people who use Mental Health Services, across the following regions in England which will support the Commission’s inspection processes.

 

·         South East

·         South West

·         London

·         Eastern

·         East Midlands

·         West Midlands

·         Yorkshire & Humberside

·         North West

·         North East

 

As a Mental Health Expert you will be linked to a Centre for Independent Living or user led organisation in one of the above regions, you will be provided with training and support to develop your skills for this role and you will be paid an hourly fee of £15.00.  The amount of hours will vary.  All other associated costs will be met, including travel, access costs and personal assistance costs.

  

Experts by Experience will be part of the Inspection process and will be required to undertake inspections in different regions.

 

You will need to be a person who uses services, or has used services or is likely to use services, you will need to be willing to travel across your particular region and occasionally into other regions, and you will need to be willing to attend training and briefing days in your region.

  

The closing date for this role is Friday 2 May 2008

  

If you would like to have an informal discussion please contact Sandy Marshall, Projects Manager at NCIL offices.

 

For an application pack please contact: Karen Earl at

The National Centre for Independent Living

Fourth Floor, Hampton House

20 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TJ

Telephone 020 7587 1663     Fax:  020 7582 2469

Minicom: 020 7587 1177

e-mail:  projectassistant@ncil.org.uk

 

 

 

Challenging Charges For Social Care Services

Thanks to NCIL for passing on this information.

 

The Coalition on Charging is a group of organisations chaired by the National Centre for Independent Living (NCIL). The coalition was established to campaign against the current system of charging for community care services.

 

The Coalition members include: NCIL, Age Concern, Scope, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Disability Alliance, Alzheimer’s Society, People First, Mind, Radar, the Alliance for Inclusive Education, Counsel and Care, United Kingdom Disabled Peoples Council (UKDPC), Action for Blind People, Royal National Institute for the Deaf, Arthritis Care, British Polio Fellowship, Carers UK, Equalities, Help the Aged, the Parkinson’s Disease Society, Mencap.

 

The Coalition is writing an up to date report, highlighting the current situation with charging for care, to ensure that the issue is on the government’s agenda when looking at the future of social care.

 

Our survey:

 

As part of the report we want to include feedback from people who are affected by charging. We have developed a survey that will be used to help the Coalition on Charging produce good information.

 

The report is aimed at the Department of Health and Government. A Government consultation (‘green’) paper on reform is due out sometime in 2008.  The Government has said that it ‘believes that there are real opportunities for reform within a system that shares the cost between the individual and the state’.

 

However, in our view, it is very important that they look at the effects on people of the current charging system and hear the views of people who are currently being charged for their support.

 

In order that we can include your views please can you respond to this survey by May 1 2008.

 

Please fill in the question on personal details. It is important for us to know your age as adult services are often provided for ‘adults’ and ‘older people’. We will not pass on any personal information and will make all responses anonymous in the report.

 

The Coalition has one set of survey questions for individual people who need support and their carers. There is a separate set of survey questions for organisations representing people who need support and representing carers. Please fill in the right survey.

 

You can download them here:

 

charging-survey-for-individuals

 

charging-survey-for-organisations

 

If you are involved in a forum or network, if you were able to discuss this issue that would be very useful.

 

The survey is for all adults in England who use (or have used) local authority social services for support in their own home. This includes people who use (or have used) direct payments. It does not include people who use residential care services.

 

This survey is aimed at all disabled and older people who use community care services.

 

We apologise for the short amount of time given to return the survey but we hope you will be able to give us your views.

 

Please send your completed survey by May 1 2008 to NCIL,  Fourth Floor, Hampton House, 20 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TJ or to policy@ncil.org.uk or fax to 0207 587 1663