Social care professional, Laura Johnson and performing arts teacher, Zoe Proctor, recently established Zebedee Management as they wanted to see better representation of people with disabilities within fashion, media and the arts. They are holding a series of photoshoots around Sheffield and Lincolnshire.

Laura said:

“Zebedee want to see more people with disabilities on television, in magazines, online and in films. We believe that people with many unique characteristics should have the same opportunities as ‘mainstream’ artists and we are working with people within the media and fashion industries to make this happen.

“The photo shoots will be fun and a great opportunity for those who take part to get a feel for the industry, and models will receive copies of their images. This will create a professional portfolio for fashion and media castings. Our February shoots have are already full with gorgeous child models, but we still have spaces for our April shoots”

Those interested should email zebedeemanagement@gmail.com with 3 or 4 clear photos (no hats or sunglasses), with contact details and a little bit about themselves. Further information about the photo shoot and booking models can be found on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/zebedeemanagement/.

Charities Relate, Relationships Scotland and Mencap call for increased support for families

Parents who have a child with a learning disability are facing unnecessary pressures on their relationships. This is according to a new report, which finds that one in three of these parents is in a relationship which would be described in the counselling room as ‘distressed’ (compared to one in four parents in the general population)*. The research also found that parents who have a child with a learning disability are more likely to feel lonely, have less time for date nights and identify money worries as a strain on their relationship.

The report, Under pressure: the relationships of UK parents who have a child with a learning disability, was produced by leading relationships charities Relate and Relationships Scotland and is sponsored by learning disability charity, Mencap. Over 5,000 people were questioned in the survey that forms the basis of the report, including 280 parents of a child with a learning disability. 

In response to these findings, Relate, Relationships Scotland and Mencap have joined forces to call for better access to short breaks services, improved childcare support for parents of children with a learning disability and targeted relationship support. The charities say that, together, these measures would reduce the strains on parents’ relationships and ensure families can enjoy the positives that having a child with a learning disability brings.

Key findings in the research highlighted:

Top relationship strains, such as the lack of quality time parents of a child with a learning disability have available for one another. Nearly a quarter (24 per cent) only find time for a date night once a year or less, compared to less than a fifth (17%) of other parents. Finances were also a factor: four in ten (39 per cent) parents of a child with a learning disability identified money worries as a strain on their relationship – compared to 29 per cent of other parents. Mental health was the second biggest relationship strain, with one in four (24 per cent) identifying this as an issue – more than twice as many as other parents.  As a likely result of these pressures, 22 per cent of these parents reported at least occasionally regretting being in their relationship, compared to 14 per cent of parents in the general population.

On top of the relationship issues, feelings of loneliness and poor overall wellbeing.  More than one in five (22 per cent) parents of a child with a learning disability feel lonely often or all the time – compared to 13 per cent of other parents. One in six parents of children with a learning disability has no close friends. Parents of children with a learning disability are almost twice as likely to feel down, depressed or hopeless often or all the time (27 per cent compared to only 14 per cent of other parents).

Parents of a child with a learning disability were also more likely to agree that all relationships come under pressure from time to time and everyone could benefit from support with their relationships (64 per cent agreed compared to 53 per cent of parents without a child with a learning disability).

Chris Sherwood, Chief Executive of Relate, said:

“We all face challenges in our relationships, but our research shows that parents who have a child with a learning disability face additional pressures. Unhappy relationships can have a terrible impact on couples and their children but it doesn’t have to be this way. At Relate, we know how counselling can benefit parents of children with a learning disability and we need to make sure it’s available, as part of a wider package of support, to families who need it.”

Jan Tregelles, Chief Executive of Mencap, said:

“It is upsetting – but not surprising – to hear about the relationship pressures faced by parents of children with a learning disability, especially as Mencap’s own research** shows these strains are avoidable.

“Having a child with a learning disability is not the guarantee of hardship that many would have us believe. Despite this, many families are living without access to necessary support and interventions which can be the difference in a family reaching breaking point or not.

“As a society, we have a lot to learn about how to deal with disability. Public attitudes can lead to parents feeling isolated and authorities too often see the child as the problem. But we know that if parents are able to get the right help, such as financial support and better access to short breaks and extra childcare, poorer family wellbeing is not inevitable, and, in fact, these families’ relationships can really flourish.”

Ramya Kumar, 38 and from Swindon, whose nine-year-old son Rishi has autism and a related learning disability, said:

“Caring for my son has in many ways taken over my life. Caring can sometimes be 24/7 and I’ve felt like, in some ways, I’ve forgotten how to be a wife to my husband. We rarely get to go for meals as a couple and can sometimes feel isolated from society due to the attitudes of other parents to disability. But, we wouldn’t change anything about Rishi. He’s given me the priceless gift of perspective and has made me a better and stronger person.”

“Many of the challenges we face can be solved by having the right support from local authorities and acceptance from the public. Rishi gets respite care for four hours a month. We’re lucky that our local community nurse has been a pillar of strength. Her support has made a huge difference to our lives. Our major worry at the moment is about Rishi’s future and making sure he gets to be fully part of his community – it’s created a great divide in opinion between my husband and I. But nothing can replace the boundless love and joy that Rishi has given us. If we had known about the support available and if it had been there from the start, some of these challenges could have been avoided.”

Full story at: www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-38730074

Image copyright THINKSTOCK

Disabled children in England with severe behavioural and complex mental health issues are being “separated and hidden” from society, a review warns.

The Council for Disabled Children (CDC) says these children should not be put into institutions at an early age.

Such a move costs the taxpayer dear and gives youngsters low ambitions for improving their lives, the CDC says.

However, the review, commissioned by the Department of Health, acknowledged ministers had not ignored this group.

It praised government initiatives brought in after the abuse of people with learning disabilities was uncovered at Winterbourne View private hospital near Bristol.

However, the CDC concluded there was no clear vision for the treatment of children with complex needs involving challenging behaviour, mental health problems, learning disabilities and autism.

It said a lack of accountability across a fragmented care system was depriving these children of their right to an education and community and family life. Read full story

Focus Games Ltd and Equal Equality are delighted to introduce a brand new educational board game to help organisations recognise the barriers faced by disabled people and understand how to remove them.

Disability issues are overlooked when organisations simply don’t realise that barriers exist. Training is vital to raise awareness and improve understanding, particularly with regards to putting theory into practice. The Removing Barriers Game provides the knowledge and confidence that service-providers need to make themselves accessible to all service-users.

The Removing Barriers Game was first developed by Toyah Wordsworth, who provides Disability Equality Training through her company Equal Equality. Toyah used her personal experience of disability to create the game to engage people in discussions about disability. The original game was so successful and effective that Toyah asked Focus Games Ltd to make it available to all service providers.

Colin Findlay, Direction & Founder, Doncaster Inclusive Centre of Excellence, said: 

“It gives people the opportunity to play something that’s fun and interactive, but also sends out a very important message about disability and removing barriers to participation. It gives people an opportunity to discuss and debate a number of issues that disabled people face on a regular bases.”

The Removing Barriers Game encourages players and organisations to become “Disability Confident,” and also encourages organisations to become an employer of choice for disabled people. It is suitable for any organisation providing a service in any sector, including:

• Health & Social Care
• Education
• Transport
• Leisure Facilities
• Retail, hospitality & banking.

The Removing Barriers Game brings a serious subject to life in a fun and informative way. It enables face-to-face discussions about barriers to inclusion, stimulated by scenarios presented in the game.

The game is simple to understand and very flexible – it can be used in structured learning programmes, or informally in the workplace. You won’t always need a specialist facilitator to run the game session because everything you need is in the box!

Find out more at www.removingbarriersgame.co.uk.

Twitter @BarriersGame

The Sick Kids Friends Foundation teamed up with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (SCO) to provide young patients with a wide range of musical activities, helping to distract them as they waited for surgery, calm them as they were being treated and relax them in what can be a stressful environment.

The use of storytelling through music encouraged the kids to have a creative outlook on day to day situations and helped them to communicate with other children who are going through similar experiences. It also gave them the chance to choose instruments that reflected how they were feeling and use them to tell a story about themselves.

Fiona O’Sullivan, Arts Programme Manager at the Sick Kids Friends Foundation, said:

“This was a fantastic activity organised for the children and we are extremely grateful for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra for helping us make it happen.

“This is just one of the many activities we provide to ensure children and young people’s lives are less interrupted by illness; they are less scared of hospital and have a more positive experience.

“Not only did this help the children to relax but it was also a learning experience and enabled many of them to try out new digital and percussion instruments, and to communicate through sound, so it was beneficial in a number of ways.”

These workshops form part of SCO Connect activities surrounding the annual SCO Family Concert, which takes place this year in Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms on Saturday 18 February. The programme of activities also includes public workshops at the North Edinburgh Arts Centre, the Reid Concert Hall and the National Museum of Scotland.

Kirsteen Davidson Kelly, SCO Connect Director, said:

“We always enjoy working with the hospital and SKFF and bringing music to the children and families who are receiving treatment.

“It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to share the SCO and the music from our Family Concert with those who unfortunately aren’t able to come to our concerts.”

The Sick Kids Friends Foundation has contributed £3million towards the Royal Hospital for Sick Children’s move to a new, purpose-built home at Little France in Spring 2018.

7-year-old Charlie Hall is one of a growing number of children in the UK benefiting from a good night’s sleep thanks to the Positioning System from Simple Stuff Works.

Charlie and his twin brother Evan were born at 32 weeks and Charlie was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at seven months, probably as a result of Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome.  Charlie has quadriplegic cerebral palsy which affects all his limbs leaving him unable to stand, walk or sit unsupported.  On a daily basis, Charlie needs help with everything from eating and drinking to being changed and dressed.

“Since he was born, Charlie has been a poor sleeper and it is not uncommon for myself or his father to be up every hour to move him and make him comfortable.  While it was adequate, Charlie’s original sleep system was not easy to transport and was far from discreet”, explained his mother Olivia.

It was at Kids Up North that the family discovered Simple Stuff Works and realised there was a solution out there that would truly help Charlie sleep.  “The Positioning System from Simple Stuff Works is just fantastic.  Not only is it more discreet, but we can take parts of it with us when we go away and as any parent of a child with disabilities will know, the amount of equipment you have to travel with can be enormous”, continued Olivia.

From Charlie’s perspective, the system is far more comfortable than his previous system and allows his bed to look normal, which Charlie’s parents feel is very important as he has so much other equipment in his room.

The Simple Stuff Works Positioning System has been designed to offer a comfortable, hygienic and safe to use solution whilst helping people of all ages maintain a position that reduces the risk of body shape distortion.  This is vitally important for someone like Charlie as he has strong extensions and spasms, and maintaining his body shape as he grows will help prevent numerous additional surgical procedures and further discomfort.  For someone like Charlie, the Positioning System is part of a 24-hour postural management plan.

“It is so rewarding to see how children such as Charlie are benefitting from our equipment.  For Charlie, our positioning system will help him to remain comfortable and supported for long periods of time as his body grows. By using the equipment at night he can hope to protect his body from otherwise predictable secondary complications, such a scoliosis and hip dislocations, and allows him to get a more rested night. Hopefully, this in turn will help his family to get a better night’s sleep too! It’s wonderful to see Charlie so comfortable and relaxed” commented Anna Waugh.

The base of the system comprises two layers of nonslip mesh between which supports are placed around the individual.  The supports can be lateral supports, wedges, pillows or teddy bears, ensuring that this Positioning System is the most versatile solution available and as there is no noise there is a greatly reduced chance of the user being disturbed during the night.  Hygiene is of paramount importance when using a sleeping system and the Positioning System from Simple Stuff Works contains silver which has been proven to actively combat communicable diseases such as MRSA, Salmonella and E-Coli through the application of SteriTouch.  SteriTouch is made up of a range of antimicrobial additives which reduce the growth of harmful organisms including bacteria, mould and fungi.

Simple Stuff Works is an award winning organisation. The Positioning System won the British Healthcare Trade Association Independent Living Design Award in 2011 for its simplicity and ease of use. In the last 12 months Simple Stuff Works has gone on to win the British Healthcare Trades Association Best Established Product Award in 2015, the Tamworth Business Awards 2015 for Manufacturer of the Year and the company is currently shortlisted as a finalist in the Staffordshire Chambers and Commerce Business Awards 2016 in the International Trade category.

For more information on the full range of postural positioning solutions and training available from Simple Stuff Works call 01827 307 870, email admin@simplestuffworks.co.uk or visit www.simplestuffworks.co.uk.

WheelPower – British Wheelchair Sport

The Primary Sports Camp is open to children with physical or mild sensory impairments between the ages of five and eleven years old. We shall also welcome entry forms from those children who would not traditionally fit within ‘disability sport classification’ such as those with dyspraxia, epilepsy or some form of internal organ dysfunction or absence. The aim of this broader definition is to make some form of provision for those children who are unable to ‘fit in’ to mainstream PE/sport provision but who also do not qualify for disability provision.

All are welcome to attend the camp and coaches will attempt to include parents, teachers and escorts in the activities where possible. Registration will commence at 9:15am and participants are asked to be prompt. The camp will end at 3:30pm.

Activities will include Basketball, Boccia, Bowls, Kurling, Table Games, Tennis, Zone Hockey and a fun session.

The entry fee is £9.00 per participant and £5.00 per parent. A lunch will be provided for everybody attending. Accommodation, if required, will be available at the Olympic Lodge, Stoke Mandeville Stadium. A twin room costs £25.00 per night (based on two people sharing). Please indicate on your payment form if you require accommodation and please enclose the additional payment. Breakfast is an additional £3.00 per person. Siblings of camp age are welcome to join in with the activities throughout the day.

If you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact WheelPower – British Wheelchair Sport on 01296 395995 or e-mail stewart.jeeves@wheelpower.org.uk.

More information and entry forms can be found at: http://www.wheelpower.org.uk/WPower/index.cfm/news/taking-places-for-the-primary-sports-camp/.