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Simon's Blog

Valuing People Now Conference 
Thursday, June 18, 2009, 01:28 PM
I recently attended a conference about Valuing People Now. Scott Watkins, the new co-national director was there and along with Anne Williams gave us a further insight into the governments' agenda.

The transfer of funding from health to local authorities happened nearly three months ago - has it made a difference? Has anyone noticed? At the end of the day it always comes down to money and who has the money is not as important as whether they listen to the people who the money is for. If personalisation works as the government says it should and it doesn't just become another way of saying no, then perhaps this is change for the better. At least my vote is important to the local politicians in charge of local authorities - unlike those in charge of my local health service.

If you've read some of my earlier entries, you'll know I have an interest in employment. I am, like many others waiting to see the the employment strategy I keep hearing about. (Dimensions is taking a greater interest in empployment. In part that's because some of the people they support have said they want a life that's more than leisure and pleasure.) Anyway - back to the conference and the strategy we're waiting for. I'm interested to see what the government is going to propose doing about the benefits trap, which has for longer than I care to think, made it so hard for people with a learning difficulty to get a job.

In the current difficult times I suspect that this trap affects more and more people who are out of work, everyone is having a tough time keeping a job and I'm sure it's going to get a lot harder to get and keep a job in the future.

However on the plus side, it was good to see someone like Scott in a job that they believe will make the case to those who are decision makers. I just hope they listen!

The conference also touched on Hate Crime, a subject I'll return to in a future entry.

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Seminar /workshop I attended on moving on planning ahead on the 14th may 2009 
Monday, June 8, 2009, 10:56 AM


Seminar /workshop I attended on moving on planning ahead


I recently went to an ARC seminar which launched a pack that had been designed to explain in a simple way of what you might need to do and what you need to think about in planning to move into your home and live independent

It’s quite a usable pack using the increasing common traffic light system. It has information about what independent living is, the benefits you might get. I thought it would help some people who have a learning disability to think through some of the issues when it come sort moving our of your parents home.

My brother and I have been living in our own house now for quite a while and this has made me realise that sharing with some one is quite different. There are so many things to think about so this pack may be helpful in showing people how to get information they need. However, it will need to be kept up to date and I wasn’t clear how this is going to be done. It’s Ok to publish packs like this, but they can soon become out of date.

Looking back at when I moved into my new home, this is not something I would have used. My thoughts are it may help people who don’t have someone to help and guide them, but for some people it may be just too simple and basic.

But that doesn’t mean some people won’t find it useful. We’re all different and different support aren’t we?

By simon cramp



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three months into my job at dimensions 
Monday, March 30, 2009, 03:01 PM


So, 3 months into my job I’m sharing some thoughts on what has been a busy time.

We finally had Valuing People Now and we’re about to see the end of CSCI and their replacement by the Care Quality Commission. Just how much improvement they bring is something I’ll be looking at in a future blog.

Recently you may have seen a report about an inquiry into how people with learning disabilities in hospital are looked after. It was published not long after a report into poor care at a hospital in Staffordshire. It seems to me that some parts of the NHS need to start thinking a lot more about how to care for ill people.

I’ve been out and about quite a lot. It’s an important part of my job – listening to what’s going on and then telling Dimensions my thoughts and what I think they should be doing.

Employment is something I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about. As I’ve said before I’m lucky to have a job, especially with what is going on in the world.

I’ve also started to think about what difference I’m making to Dimensions and the people we support. I think I am getting there but I know I still have a lot to learn.

I’ve been to some of our staff conferences and was impressed at work done using Person Centred Tools, so I thought I’d share some thoughts around what’s worked for me and what hasn’t in this job.

What’s worked ? I’ve met some people in government and other organisations and this is helping me keep up to date with what’s going on and establishing new networks and relationships.

What’s not worked ? I think at times I’ve started off down a path and then realised I need to start again, so that I can be clear in what I want to get over as my advice. I’m also aware that sometimes I won’t always say what is comfortable for Dimensions… well that is what they employed me for !


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the arc conference entitled grand desgins 
Friday, November 28, 2008, 12:03 PM
Well, it’s conference season, and I was asked to go to the ARC conference to run a workshop with very long title about how can we make personalisation work.

I work for Dimensions for 15 hours each week, and the rest of the time I help to run a organisation called Self Direct (click on the link to find out more http://www.selfdirect.org ). ARC (Association for real change ) asked a colleague and I to run the workshop, focusing on what we do at Self Direct and what we can offer to help people better understand the new world of Self Directed Support, as well as helping to work out some of the issues that might come up.

During the conference itself lots of speakers talked to us about the issues that are coming up and gave us advice about where to do we start, both as providers and individual people with learning difficulties.

On the final day Anne Williams, the new national Director for Learning Disabilities brought us up to date about government ideas and thinking.

For more information about speaking go on to the ARC website www.arcuk.org.uk

One of the things that is good about the ARC conference is that it is fun, enjoyable and it a good way of catching up with new and old friends.

With regards to personalisation, we covered lots of stuff - too much to be able to report in a summary like this! The ideas that came up and problem solving that happened were very helpful. Fun conference. I look forward to people’s comments and suggestions about this challenging agenda for everyone that either works for service providers or uses services.


 



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simon cramp first blog 
Friday, October 31, 2008, 11:03 AM

hi my name is simon cramp

My blog

Hi, my name is Simon Cramp.

And I now work for Dimensions as a learning disability sector advisior.

It’s a bit of a mouthful!

But I am looking at things the government or others are planning to do to try and give people a better life.

But as they say, let’s cut to the chase - tell me what important to you.

(no marriage proposals please!)

Watch this space…



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