17 April: SLCF and AACQS

Good news! Documents to guide practice and assess the skills and competencies of everyone working with children and young people, especially those who rely on AAC to communicate.

My family is trying to help professionals on my 'team' realise that they must comply!

I might get specialist assessment of my needs at last! Some staff might even get trained on how to facilitate me! Surely the only way is up now?

Speech, Language and Communication Framework (SLCF).

"The SLCF is a clear and detailed framework of the skills and knowledge in speech, language and communication which are important for everyone who works with children and young people. It is available as an interactive online tool at www.communicationhelppoint.org.uk. 

Practitioners and managers can complete an online evaluation of their current skills and knowledge. Once completed they will have a list of competences where they are fairly confident or not confident."

Download a PDF of SLCF here:

http://www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk/publications 

National Standards for AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) services for children and adults have been developed by and in consultation with AAC stakeholders. These Standards documents aim to describe national good practice and principles for people who need and use AAC services. 

Download The Quality Standards in AAC (3 Word documents) here: 
http://www.communicationmatters.org.uk/nationalaacstandards

16 April: DADLG @ Quads

Quad bike ride, games and hot pork sarnies at Hardwick Park with friends from Durham Area Disability Leisure Group. Great day, as always!

More pics on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150209159977492.336620.574347491&l=76bb19f51d&type=1

Movie on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/michaelbrianreed#p/u/17/psQflt1PHlw

1 April: GP Hearing

I don't hear everything properly. My family notice when they are helping me spell that I don't hear all the letters, or when I go 'eh?' 'eh?' lots of times when people are talking to me.

Today I had my ears waxed and it made things a bit better. I will have a hearing test at hospital soon.

21 March: Julia, Number 4, Mencap & Luke Clements

We met Julia - Information Officer for the LD Parliament - at the Number 4 cafe in Sedgefield.

Julia had volunteered to help me with my Big Challenge campaign for language and literacy for all, and with my campaign against the cuts, helping me share information on the law and the cuts with other Learning Disability MP's and service users who are affected.

The cakes were delicious, and after the cafe we went into the Black Lion for a game of pool, then over to Shildon to visit my friend from college, Lauren.

But not everything was good news.

Julia told us Brian had crossed our names off the list for going to the Mencap event about fighting the cuts on Wednesday 23 March, and we had been really looking forward to meeting Luke Clements there. Luke is a barrister who specialises in social care and my family has downloaded and studied his and barrister Steve Broach's papers on using the law to fight the cuts.

We knew places were limited but Brian had not told us he had decided we were not in the lucky few who could go :(

My talk about the law and the cuts and how personalisation has gone wrong for me in Co Durham did not make it onto the agenda for March Learning Disability Parliament meeting.

14 Feb: AAC Keys: Weekend News

When Hannah comes on Mondays and Fridays I tell her what I have been doing since I last saw her. Sometimes I connect my Pathfinder to Mam's old Mac so what I say also gets written into Word.

11 Feb: LD Parliament?

Today was to be my second talk of 2011 at the Learning Disability Parliament. It was to be about using the law to fight the cuts, how personalisation has gone wrong for me in County Durham, everything I have done to help them know me, my needs and wishes, and then open the floor to everyone to share their experiences and talk about how we might campaign for our rights.

MP's from all localities decided before Christmas that this was really important to us all and we talked about making a documentary, having a video booth, putting things on the Internet or making a newsletter.

Our monthly meetings at Durham are the only chance we get to all be together and discuss our issues.

BUT, like in January, some organisations needed to gather information from service users and they took over the meeting.

1 Feb: Protect the Frontline!

The Learning Disability Coalition asks people with learning disabilities all over the UK to campaign against cuts in social care budgets by delivering postcards to council leaders, heads of social care and portfolio holders for Adults, Health and Wellbeing 1 February 2011.

I went with my cousin Robert, brother John and friends from Craig House, Barnard Castle - Pauline Lazard, Andrew Henderson, Nicola Jayne Brown, Louise Vollans, Lee Greenaway, Caroline Saunders and John Cooper. 

We gave Frontline postcards to Mac Williams JP, Chairman of Durham County Council, Rachael Shimmin, Director of Adults, Wellbeing & Health, and Morris Nicholls, Portfolio Holder at Durham Council Chambers.  

Movie on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/wat​ch?v=HC2barQiVZ0
Pics on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150090969717492.285456.574347491&l=bb9fcd3ac0&type=1

Learning Disability Coalition:

http://www.learningdisabilitycoalition.org.uk/