Lansdowne Care Services is now 25 Years old.

Lansdowne Care Services wishes to thank everyone for their support and those that joined in to make our 25^th Anniversary Celebrations run so smoothly.

In particular we would like to thank:

The Star & Garter in Silsoe for their fabulous Hog Roast
Franco’s Ices for the splendid Ice Cream Van
Black Box Boys for the lively Disco and Entertainment
Greycote Castles for the colourful Bouncy Castle

Lansdowne Care Services 25th Anniversary Celebrations

We hope you all enjoyed yourselves.

Here’s to another 25 years of service.

Anne Bustin
Senior Operations Manager

This weekend Lansdowne Care Services celebrates its 25th year anniversary.

In 1985 the opening of a Residential Care Home at 1 Lansdowne Road, Bedford saw Lansdowne Care Services become one of the first independent organisations to provide Care for people with Learning Disabilities in Bedfordshire. Since that time we have grown to six care establishments in Bedford, Sharnbrook and Luton.

Well done Lansdowne Care Services and here’s to the celebrations at The Leys this weekend where we will enjoy a fun packed day for our clients and staff.

Happy Birthday!

Bedfordshire on Sunday Lansdowne Care Services Article 1st August 2010

]]> http://www.lansdownecare.com/?feed=rss2&p=1078 0 http://www.lansdownecare.com/?p=1064 http://www.lansdownecare.com/?p=1064#comments Tue, 29 Jun 2010 08:45:39 +0000 admin http://www.lansdownecare.com/?p=1064

What is The Blue Badge Scheme?

The Blue Badge Scheme is an important service for people with severe mobility problems that enables badge holders to park close to where they need to go. The scheme operates throughout the UK, and is administered by local authorities who deal with applications and issue badges.

However, things are set to change but only for the better.  The new scheme is planned to make sure that the system is run well and fairly.  The main aims of the new Government are as follows:

• Make the scheme cover more people, including these people:

– People who cannot walk very much and whose condition will last for at least 1 year.
– People who find it very hard to understand things and are not safe near roads.
– More children, under the age of 3, with certain medical conditions.
– People who have been badly injured and disabled while working for the armed forces like the army, the navy or the air force

• Make a new Blue Badge that is harder for people to copy or alter
• Run the scheme better and make it fairer when working out if people can get a Blue Badge
• Get local councils to share their best ways of working more often
• Work with local councils to set up a system of sharing details about who has a Blue Badge. This will make sure people use the scheme properly. And it will help to stop people using the scheme when they should not use it
• Give local councils the power to stop people using the Blue Badge scheme when they should not use it

The Travel Concessions Division of the Department for Transport are keen to hear your thoughts on these proposed changes through a consultation.

To download the Easy Read ‘Changing the Blue Badge Scheme – Tell us what you think’ document then please click here or click the ‘Easy Read’ logo to the left.  Details on how to comment are listed in this document.

For further information and to be directed to the Blue Badge page at Direct.gov, please click here.

What does the Coalition Governement mean?

The Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities has released a document to help explain the new coalition government.

The document provides helpful illustrations to explain the new systems for everyone to understand. If you wish to download the guide click here.

Easy to Read General Election Manifesto’s for The Labour Party, The Liberal Democrats and The Conservative Party

With the General Election fast approaching we managed to get our hands on some of the Easy to Read versions of the Manifesto’s for The Labour Party, The Liberal Democrats and The Conservative Party so why not check them out and keep informed of what these parties have to say about their policies and plans for the future.

Each Manifesto explains who they are, what they believe in and what they will do if they become the next government to help you make an informed decision.

We hope you find these Manifesto’s useful so please click the following links to download each of theses documents:

The Liberal Democrats

The Labour Party

The Conservative Party

Beginning Monday 12^th April is a brand new series on Channel 4 that follows a cast of Autistic teenagers as they attempt to produce their own stage show.

The show follows nine autistic teenagers of varying ages, along with theatre professionals who haven’t worked with an autistic cast before, across the series as they produce a stage show. The series director David Dehaney said;

“Rather than make a four-part series that simply observed the lives of young people with autism and highlighted what they can’t do, we wanted to work actively with them to show what they can do.”

The series required a great deal of preparation and research by the production team. The makers had to meet with therapists, charities, families, experts and schools to assess the project. David Dehaney said that one of the bigger issues was considering how much individual needs can vary. He said:

“They might have rigid routines, respond badly to change and prefer being by themselves; they might have poor social skills, problems with communication, narrow interests or a lack of imagination. How on earth could we expect them to put on a show together?”

However, the opportunity to offer an insight for the public into the condition and offer a positive experience to the shows participants is an interesting opportunity for its makers.

To ensure that the shows cast were willing and fully aware of what they were going to become part of an educational psychologist formed part of the casting crew. This was to make sure each young person knew the extent of the project, whether they would benefit from it and to ensure they could give their consent. This also gave a chance for the crew to be informed about their needs. Mr. Dehaney said:

“We had detailed recommendations on how best to communicate and work with each child successfully, as well as a list of triggers that might distress them.”

The first episode of the short series is on Channel 4 at 8pm on Monday 12^th April. For further information about the show and the full behind-the-scenes insight from series director David Dehaney please visit follow this link.

Lansdowne Care Services has now launched Skills for Living, a new day care programme.

Skills for Living has been designed to motivate and encourage clients to apply themselves to new activities and skill sets to promote the achievement of outcomes. The programme offers a selection of structured sessions offering choice and ensuring clients receive a balance of knowledge-based learning combined with practical activity. A wide range of courses are on offer which allow clients to pursue the activities that appeal to them and allows them to meet personal goals. The skills learned throughout the courses ensure transition into everyday life and each session is structured according to individual ability levels.

The day care programme allows for clients to also enjoy periods of free time each day, where they can interact and socialise, or fulfil personal hobbies.

Skills for Living

Examples of current Skills for Living Courses running within our day care:

• Numeracy
• Animal Welfare
• Independent Living Skills
• Communication
• Gardening
• Cookery
• Current Affairs
• Sensory
• Geography
• Art & Craft
• Music
• Literacy

To download our full brochure including the Skills for Living literature please click here.

An autism mother from Hampton, Middlesex has helped the Goverment to kick start a new strategy to help adults with Autism through printing giant posters addressed to Gordon Brown

Polly Tommey is the founder of the UK registered Charity The Autism Trust and back in 2009 she launched her own campaign to get the Government to understand that more help is needed for those with an autistic spectrum disorder.   As an autism mother from Hampton, Middlesex herself, she has created this charity to ensure that a future with purpose is established for children everywhere with autism. Their aim is to do this by developing an international network of innovative, high quality environments: Centres of Excellence in Autism.

After having 76 giant ‘Dear Gordon Brown’ posters dotted around the country, Polly finally managed to arrange a meeting with Mr Brown and because of this on the 3^rd March 2010, the Government launched a new strategy aimed at helping adults with Autism to live independently.

This is the very first strategy aimed to help adults with autism in England live independently in a society that understands them which was launched by the Care Services Minister, Phil Hope.  With millions of people being affected by Autism in England alone, it’s about time that adults with autism stop being excluded.  The saddening fact is that just 15 per cent of adults with Autism are in paid employment and 49 per cent live at home with their parents.

Below Polly Tommey explains her story on GMTV.

The Department of Health explain that:

“Fulfilling and rewarding lives, the strategy for adults with autism in England, is a foundation for culture change. It will start fundamental change in public services helping adults with autism to find work and live independent lives.”

So, what’s this strategy all about?  The autism strategy is set to ensure that mainstream public sector services support these adults which is backed up by the Autism Act 2009, the first ever condition specific legislation.  The strategy is set to include:

• A new National Autism Programme Board to lead change in public services set out in the strategy
• A programme to develop training with health and social care professional bodies – £500,000 investment is also announced today because better recognition and awareness in frontline public services is critical to giving adults with autism the support they need
• Autism awareness training for all Jobcentre Plus Disability Employment Advisers;
• Guidance on making public services accessible for adults with autism, like improving buildings, public transport and communication
• A clear, consistent pathway for diagnosis.

Below are some interesting quotes from the Care Services Minister, the Minister for Disabled People and Director of The Autism Research Centre:

Care Services Minister Phil Hope said:

‘I want the autism strategy to be the foundation for change in the way our whole society treats adults with autism. They have a huge contribution to make – shutting them out deprives everyone.

‘It is unacceptable that adults with autism are not getting the support they need to live independently and find work. This strategy will start a fundamental change in public services with better awareness and understanding.  It puts more momentum into tackling social exclusion among adults with autism alongside other work, including new NICE clinical guidance and research.’

Jonathan Shaw, Minister for Disabled People, said:

‘We know that work is good for you and we want to give everyone the support they need to get a job and stay in work. Everyone should have the chance to fulfil their potential and build a better life for themselves and their families.

‘We will continue to raise awareness of the specific needs of people with autism amongst Jobcentre Plus staff and test initiatives to help those facing complex barriers to work, such as Project Search which provides internships for people with learning disabilities and autism.’

Professor Declan Murphy, The Institute of Psychiatry, said:

‘I am delighted that this initiative has been undertaken, it clearly demonstrates a ‘joined up commitment’ by the government across a number of relevant departments.  It also demonstrates a clear commitment to improving the lives of adults with autism, and their families.  By doing this the UK is leading the world.’

Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, FBA, Director The Autism Research Centre, Cambridge University, said:

‘The Autism Strategy is a very welcome statement of the Government’s intention to ensure people with autism and their families receive the full support they need and deserve. It highlights in particular how adults with autism spectrum conditions have been invisible, marginalized, and left to suffer in a system they cannot negotiate unaided. Encouragingly, it pinpoints achievable solutions that could radically improve the lives of people with autism. This is an important new development, following on the heels of the historic new Autism Act. The hope is that the Autism Strategy will lead to the identification of desperately needed funding to meet the cost of these essential provisions.’

The Government will publish a first year delivery plan in March 2010, followed by statutory guidance for health and social care by December 2010. The strategy will be reviewed in 2013.

For further information on this strategy please click here.

And for more information on Polly Tommey’s The Autism Trust, please click here and be sure to click on the ‘Buy a Brick’ campaign.

Please see below an informative video created by The Autism Trust.

So who and what are IMCA?

POhWER IMCA advocates provide a free, confidential and independent service to support people who lack capacity to make certain decisions.

Since The Mental Capacity Act 2005 came into force in 2007, it was introduced that the new statutory role of the Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) was to support people who lacked capacity to make certain decisions.

In which circumstances should an IMCA be involved?

First and foremost it is important to understand that there is now a legal duty for an IMCA to be instructed in these such circumstances:

• When there is a choice to be made in regards to a change of accommodation or in regards to serious medical treatment (SMT)

AND

• when the person in question has been deemed not to have time and issue specific capacity to make that decision

AND

• when the person has no close family or friends who are appropriate or practical to consult

Before we move on, let’s just look at the definitions of some of these points.  What is actually meant by ‘Change of accommodation?’ Well according to IMCA themselves:

• “A Change of accommodation is when a LA (Litigation Authority) or NHS body propose to move a service user who meets IMCA criteria, to a hospital for more than 28 days, or to a care home for more than 8 weeks”.

A Serious medical treatement (SMT) change would be constituted if:

• “Treatment which involves providing, withdrawing or withholding treatment, which would be likely to involve serious consequences for the patient”.

So who is deemed as the ‘Decision Maker?’

• “The decision maker is the named person within either a Local Authority or NHS body who will consent to the course of action to be taken in regard to the change of accommodation or SMT.”  The decision maker is often the budget holder.

What is meant by ‘No-one appropriate to consult?’

• If it has been deemed that there is no-one appropriate to consult then this would be a “person without relatives or friends, or where the Decision maker has accessed there to be no-one appropriate to consult.”

What can an IMCA actually do?

There are several things that an IMCA can do whilst being appointed.  Not only do they represent and support the person who lacks capacity, but they will also gather information about that person and access it, this will include obtaining any relevant client records.  They will also assure that the person’s wishes and feelings are taken into account as far as possible and make sure whether alternative courses of action have been considered and if necessary they will take care of getting a further medical opinion.

What happens next?

IMCA’s will put together a report and submit this to the Decision Maker.  This report has legal weighting and will consist of their findings so that it can be used when assessing the information in accordance with the best interest checklist, before a final decision is made.

The basic process outlined

To the right will find a diagram that briefly outlines the process that an IMCA will take in a general situation.  This is an easy to follow diagram and condenses the information above into a manageable size.

For further details on POhWER IMCA, please click here to be directed to their website or contact them at:

Hertfordshire, Luton and Bedfordshire:

POhWER IMCA
Primett Road
Stevenage
Hertfordshire
SG1 3EE

Telephone : 0845 223 0436
Fax : 0845 337 3052
Minicom : 0845 223 0435
Email : IMCA@pohwer.net
Website : www.pohwer.net

Channel 4 documentary on Disability Hate Crime Fri 05 Mar at 7.30PM on Channel 4

First Cut presents film-maker Hannah Murphy’s sensitive and poignant portrayal of what life can be like for disabled people in Britain.

Adults with disabilities speak out about their experiences of hate crime and question a society that continues to do nothing to protect them.

Public attention was drawn to the issue of disability hate crime after the tragedy of Fiona Pilkington, a mother who killed herself and her disabled daughter in October 2007, after a decade of abuse from local teenagers and no help from the authorities. It was said that the Pilkington case had provided a watershed moment to move disability hate crime up the public agenda, yet more often than not the voices of those who are persecuted because of their disability go unheard.

From low-level bullying through to violent assault and murder, many of the people in this film have been victimised their whole lives. First Cut travels across Britain to make their moving yet disturbing stories known.

Sticks and Stones is one of many First Cut films that Channel 4 is airing.  This particular episode will be shown on Friday 5^th March at 7.30pm.

For more information please click here.