Intellectual Disabilities
People with intellectual disabilities and their families are showing us what really matters in life.
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Conversations About Advancing Inclusive Schooling
How national family associations and other NGOs in Latin America are seeking to promote and support educational transformation.
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Life Nourishment
A review of Simon Goldsmith's book Life Nourishment, which explores how to build relationships and community
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Unjustified Imprisonment
Alain Catzeflis argues that the ongoing scandal of the enforced detention of young people with autism demands more than another review.
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The Fight for Equal Citizenship
Wendy Perez describes the ongoing work to try and help people with learning difficulties take their rightful place in society as equal citizens.
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The Iatrogenic Tranquilliser Scandal
Barry Haslam has been campaigning for many years to raise awareness of the significant negative impact of the over-prescription of tranquillisers.
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Parent Carer Health
This important survey of family experiences suggests that ill health for family carers is a significant problem and one worsened by current welfare systems.
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Your Life Is Important Too
Terry Lynch shares his personal insight on why it's important for carers to take care of themselves.
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At the Heart of Inclusion
Nick Maisey reflects on his learning from his time exploring international best practice in inclusion on the Westpac Bicentennial Foundation Fellowship.
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Self-Directed Support
This paper has been written as part of the SKILLS Project to begin the development of an international exploration of best-practice.
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Euston, We Have a Problem
Wendy Perez has complained to Euston Station in London about the ongoing failure of their support to disabled people.
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A Constitution for Disability Rights
Claudia Gilberg, Geoff Jones and Gavin Barker explain why disability rights activists have every reason to support the campaign for constitutional reform.
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Now and Next
Sylvana Mahmic and Annick Janson describe the innovative leadership pipeline for families with young children with disability or delay developed by Plumtree.
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A Parent in Camouflage
Hanne-Maria Lappäranta describes what it's like to be a parent of someone with a disability who also works in social services.
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Workers' Rights Versus the Right to Care
Alain Catzeflis describes how UK social policy has created a severe, but unnecessary conflict between the rights of workers and disabled people.
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Individual Service Funds (ISFs) Guide
This guide, written by Sam Smith and Frances Brown, shares decades of experience in using Individual Service Funds (ISFs) to provide personalised support.
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The Binary Trap
Alain Catzeflis explores why our commitment to social justice has been in such decline and argues that a new approach must avoid binary thinking.
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The Great Troubled Families Fraud
Simon Duffy reviews Professor Gregg's book on the fraud and dishonesty behind the Troubled Families Programme.
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Becoming True Citizens
How Bournemouth People First’s LifeLink project is building connections for life by encouraging meaningful relationships and contribution.
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Supporting People with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities
This guide provides key standards to improve the standards of support to people with profound and multiple learning disabilities.
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Make A Difference - Support Valued Experiences
John O'Brien has produced a colouring book to be used to help us build a valued life for ourselves or those we care about.
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NHS Must Get Behind Personalised Support
Simon Duffy explains why the NHS must embrace personalised support for people with disabilities and complex needs
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Building Bridges between Refugees and People with Disabilities
Vasilis Kalopisis proposes that if we value inclusion we must do so for everyone & we all benefit from bringing together excluded groups.
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Improving the Keys to Citizenship
Wendy Perez and Simon Duffy talk about how they are trying to improve the Keys to Citizenship as a model that works for everyone
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Don't Crowd Out People with Learning Disabilities
Alain Catzeflis argues that people with disabilities are being harmed by bad Government policy and people with learning disabilities are doubly excluded.
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A New Way Home
Frances Brown and John Dalrymple provide practical guidance on a personalised approach to leaving institutions.
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Don't Cramp My Style
Simon Cramp's biography offers a real insight into a man with learning difficulties who has made a significant difference to social policy in England.
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Legal Capacity Restoration (Quip)
This report explores the impact of Quip's work in trying to restore legal capacity to people with intellectual disabilities in the Czech Republic.
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Progress on Personalised Support
This report builds on an international survey of support organisations to develop a model of personalised support on behalf of Citizen Network.
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The Parent Professional Relationship Statement
Now and Next Alumni parents and families produced this position statement on how the best partnerships and relationships develop between parents and professionals.
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What are the Keys to Citizenship?
Simon Duffy describes the 7 keys to achieving citizenship in practice for everyone.
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Inviting Arts & Humanities into Social Services
Gord Tulloch argues that community organisations supporting people with intellectual disabilities need to open themselves up to the fullness of human creativity.
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A Youth Perspective on Invisible Disabilities
This report pulls together multiple resources to present a snapshot of Invisible Disabilities in New Zealand.
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Back to Bedlam
This report describes how and why support of people with a learning disability is heading backwards in the UK because of austerity and the complicity of civil society.
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Why Group Homes Are No Longer Optimal
Michael Kendrick explains why group homes should no longer be considered the optimal support solution for people with disabilities.
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Alternatives to ATUs
Steven Rose explains why there are alternatives to ATUs and the private hospitals where too many people with disabilities remain incarcerated.
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Disability Rights and Democracy
Matt Rothschild explains how the US electoral system is corrupted by the power of money and corporations that threaten human and disability rights.
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It's My Home
Adrian Kennedy's poem, It's My Home, based on Sam Sly's Guide to Keys to Citizenship, in a film by Ben Drew's Open Future Learning.
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No Place Like Home
Alice Squire and Pete Richmond draw on research from the Scottish Government to show that independent living can be more efficient than congregate care.
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Evaluation of Wee Enterprizers Project
This evaluation of the Wee Enterprizers Project describes what was learned as people began to explore using self-directed support as a step into business life.
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Breaking the ATU Impasse
Steven Rose wonders why Government policy to close ATUs and end the admission of people with learning disabilities to private hospitals has been so poor.
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How Unofficial Social Policy Drives Change
Steven Rose argues that social policy for people with learning disabilities has largely been driven by collaborative values-based work, not official government policy.
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Advancing Inclusive Education
Gordon Porter and David Towell offer a framework for transforming public education systems so as to provide inclusive education for all.
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Complex Needs Learning History
John O'Brien shares the perspectives of leading practitioners in personalised support from the New York State Learning Institute.
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OmaPolku - My Path
NEO-OmaPolku is an innovative Finnish organisation helping people with intellectual disabilities to start their adult life with a mixture of peer and professional support.
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Deinstitutionalisation in Scotland
John Dalrymple explores the lessons learned from deinstitutionalisation in this important paper, first published in Tizard Learning Disability Review in 1999.
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Community Care & Inclusion for People with an Intellectual Disability
Robin Jackson and Maria Lyons are the editors of a series of essays reviewing the history of services for people with intellectual disabilities.
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Love and Welfare
In this paper Simon Duffy argues that there is a spiritual tradition that has been forgotten, which offers us a much more positive and loveable vision of the welfare state we need.
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Supported Loving
Claire Bates is starting a campaign to share what people with disabilities think makes for both good and poor support around relationships.
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Citizenship: A Guide for Providers of Support
Sam Sly and Bob Tindall have written a new guide for providers of support working to develop true citizenship for all.
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A Review of Social Role Valorisation (SRV)
Nan Carle explores the blessings and problems created by normalisation and Social Role Valorisation as a framework for values in disability support.
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Stronger Together - Family Event
Bringing Us Together and Respond hosted a gathering of disabled children and young people, parents and families to listen to their views and experiences on care and support.
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Avoiding Crisis Support Needed
Bringing Us Together and Respond carried out a survey to find out what support families of disabled children and young people wanted and needed when approaching, or experiencing…
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What is Happening in Social Care
Jan Walmsley asked local people with learning disabilities and their families to share their experience of adult social care.
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Born to Dance
Sue Blackwell shares the story of her daughter Jen's journey as she sought to follow her dreams and live a life of her own choosing.
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Asking Better Questions
Lindsay Tighe believes that if we make some simple changes to the way we communicate with each other, we enable human potential and capability to be released.
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A Career in Adult Social Care
Virginia Moffatt reviews her 30 year career in adult social care in England and the journey from institutional services, to community care and the impact of austerity.
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Devon County Council Supported Living Service Review
An anonymous account of how one service provider saw services for people they support cut after a new round of 'supported living' reviews.
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Autism in the Care System
Alice (mother of an autistic looked after child) describes the challenge of supporting a son who rejects human contact in the current care system.
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Care Cuts: Indignity & Uprootedness
An anonymous account of the reality of social care for one man with complex disabilities in the United Kingdom.
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DanceSyndrome
Founded by Jen Blackwell, DanceSyndrome is an inclusive dance charity that aims to inform and empower people through dance.
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Individualised Funding: Implications for Family Carers
A report commissioned by Mind Australia to find out how carers experienced similar schemes to the NDIS, when they were introduced internationally.
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I Would Never Have Believed
A report from the Thistle Foundation and Animate on Learning from the Individual Service Fund (ISF) Pilot undertaken in 2014.
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Raising Our Game
David Towell shares ideas on the strategies we might need to build a future in which we live in harmony with ourselves, each other and the natural world.
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Andrew's Passion for Cars
Andrew has a learning disability and a passion for cars. This short film gives an idea of how following this passion helps him find friends and build a life in the community.
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Totally Wrong List
An overview of all the Government policies which harm or disadvantage people with learning disabilities in England.
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Calderdale's Guide to Individual Service Funds (ISFs)
Calderdale Council have produced a guide for Individual Service Funds (ISFs) which describes their benefits to citizens in clear and accessible English.
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Siete Claves para la Educación Inclusiva
David Towell ofrece una perspectiva internacional sobre el desarrollo de la educación inclusiva.
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Los Profesores como Líderes
The Spanish translation of David Towell and Heidy Araque's paper reflecting on the role of teachers and leaders in and defining the path towards inclusion.
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Fomentar la Educación para Forjar una Sociedad Inclusiva
The Spanish translation of David Towell and Heidy Araque's paper on promoting education for an inclusive society.
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Assessment and Setting Standards
Nan Carle presented this paper in 1983 but today, as thousands continue to live in abusive institutional settings this decades old paper is as relevant ever.
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The Dane County Difference
Dane County in Wisconsin, USA has been a beacon of social innovation for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities for decades, John O'Brien shares their work.
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Trabajar en Red Para Lograr el Cambio Social
David Towell y Heidy Araque reflexionan sobre la experiencia de la red inclusiva basada en ciudad Colombiana de Bucaramanga.
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Personal Budgets are Just a Tool
In his sixth and final blog from Finland Simon Duffy reflects on the limits of personal budgets and the need to understand why things change.
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Next Steps on Inclusion
Simon Duffy wonders why progress to inclusion seems to have stalled and sets out the case for personalised support.
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The Right to Community Living
David Towell outlines three keys to citizenship and three pathways to positive change in the lives of people with learning disabilities and in our communities.
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Claiming Full Citizenship
The Centre for Inclusion and Citizenship has created a website hosting a series of films following the Claiming Full Citizenship conference in Vancouver in 2015.
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A Brief History of Inclusion
A presentation to organisations seeking to advance the rights of people with learning disabilities in Finland, giving a brief overview of progress and set backs in England.
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Getting Behind Individual Service Funds (ISFs)
Simon Duffy explores the reasons why ISFs are a helpful tool for achieving citizenship for people with learning disabilities and others who use social care services.
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Citizenship and the Welfare State
In this short philosophical monograph Simon Duffy explores the role of citizenship in the definition and defence of the welfare state.
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Making Freedom Real
Mel and George O'Neil share evidence that the use of Makaton, which gives people the power to communicate and exercise freedom, is being neglected in adult life.
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Cultivating Thinking Hearts
Zipperlen & O'Brien share writings to offer lifesharers the opportunity to grow & be more responsible to outsiders concerned with their households & communities.
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MyChoice Pad
MyChoicePad is an innovative technology that helps people with communication difficulties to express themselves and be heard.
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Pathfinders Review 2
David Towell reviews Pathfinders, the latest book by John O'Brien and Beth Mount published by Inclusion Press.
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Politics & Economics of Personal Budgets
In the first of a short series of essays Simon Duffy explores the political and economic challenges of moving towards personal budgets.
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The Search for Suitable Housing
The hurdles Jane Gregory, her family and her daughter had to overcome in order to get a home to live in despite official policies of personalisation and deinstitutionalisation.
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Assistance with Integrity
John O'Brien and Connie Lyle O'Brien share their discussion paper first published in 1994, challenging the dominant way of thinking about quality and safety in human services.
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Pathfinders
This book by John O'Brien and Beth Mount describes what we can learn from pathfinders with disabilities who have helped us move towards a more inclusive community.
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Who Will Care After I'm Gone?
FitzRoy share research undertaken with parents and care professionals supporting people with learning disabilities, to better understand the worry and anxiety they face.
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Shared-Life Communities for People with a Learning Disability
Dr Stuart Cumella reviews academic research that has attempted to measure the quality of life of people with a learning disability living in shared-life communities.
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Carla Uses an ISF
Jenny Date describes how her daughter Carla uses an Individual Service Fund (ISF) so that she can have flexible support and a better life.
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A Modern Hospital
Jan Walmsley and a group of disabled researchers look back at life in Princess Marina Hospital, Northamptonshire in the years before its closure.
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A Response to Robin Jackson
Leading learning disability academic Jan Walmsley responds to Robin Jackson's critical report on the failure of learning disability social policy: 'Who Cares?'.
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Re-Thinking Community Care: The Camphill Village Model
Maria Lyons explores research on Camphill and the importance of considering intentional community and shared living in order to achieve greater community inclusion for all.
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Friendship
A clear and accessible guide for people with learning disabilities and their allies, written by Kay Mills, to help people form friendships and find love.
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Growing Older
Mervyn Eastman talks with Simon Duffy about growing older, the meaning of citizenship and the challenges facing the welfare state and society today.
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A Citizen with Learning Difficulties
Wendy Perez writes about what it means to be a citizen with learning difficulties.
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Trust Is The Key
Inclusion, based in Glasgow, use Individual Service Funds (ISFs) and Personalised Support but trust is the deeper issue.
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Demystifiying Individual Service Funds (ISFs)
These slides summarise guidance on the use of Individual Service Funds (ISFs) and the future of commissioning for health and social care.
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Marking the Political Parties
The Results of Learning Disability Alliance England's Citizen Jury held before the General Election in May 2015.
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Learning Difficulty or Learning Disability
Wendy Perez explains why she prefers the term 'learning difficulty' to 'learning disability'.
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Respectful Language
Laura (Mole) Chapman explores what lies behind the idea of respectful language and reflects on the use of language in the practice of inclusion.
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Visiting Radio Valo
Radio Valo interviewed Simon Duffy about self-directed support and individual budgets on his visit to Lyhty (home of PKN) near Helsinki.
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It's a Cogworld
Peter Leidy sings, inspired by conversations with John O'Brien and members of Wisconsin's Developmental Disabilities network about the dangers of bureaucracy.
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Relational Basis of Empowerment
Model describing the two critical dimensions for empowerment and mutual respect developed by Karl Nunkoosing and Mark Haydon-Laurelut.
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Why I was worried by the Assisted Dying Bill
Wendy Perez explains why she was worried by the Assisted Dying Bill and the problems people face in the hospital system.
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Power and Love
Simon Duffy explores what we can learn from intentional communities such as L'Arche and Camphill.
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Lessons from Intentional Communities
John O'Brien reflects on what social care can learn from communities such as L'Arche and Camphill.
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Transition & Integration - changing our starting point
Pippa Murray and Simon Duffy reflect on the core elements of an effective transition process in a system of self-directed support.
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I Wanna Hold Your Hand
Alison Chalmers realised it was time for her daughter to walk with independence, however difficult she found it as a mother.
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The Person Who Most Inspires Me
Alison Chalmers describes all the ways in which her daughter inspires her.
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Learning Disability is Not a Mental Disorder
Robin Jackson asks why in Scottish law people with learning disabilities are treated as if they have a mental disorder.
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Why I Couldn't Care Less
Alison Chalmers writes with candour about the struggles of caring.
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Supporting Staff in Person-Centred Work
Sam Sly explores how to support staff in person-centred services when money is tight.
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Assuming Capacity
Sam Sly underlines the importance of assuming capacity to ensure people with learning disabilities get the best possible lives.
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History of Keys to Citizenship
Sam Sly describes where the Keys to Citizenship came from and how they've changed over time.
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Quality Checking Government
A survey by the Learning Disability Alliance England on the impact of the UK Government on people with learning disabilities.
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Re-Imagining Brokerage
This important paper from Liz Leach, Chair of the National Brokerage Network provides a new starting point for brokerage.
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No Straight Lines in Real Life
Slides from We Chose to Climb - Glasgow 2015. Exploring theory, research and knowledge in self-directed support.
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Getting There
Simon Duffy's second report on the work of Beyond Limits and Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group to bring people home.
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Who Cares?
Author Robin Jackson offers a critique of the UK's social care system and the negative impact of ideology, marketisation and bureaucracy on people's lives.
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The Threat of Micro-Institutionalisation
Robin Jackson explains why people with learning disabilities are threatened by a growing trend to micro-institutionalisation.
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Inside Supported Living
Melanie O'Neil describes her time as a support worker for people with learning disabilities in a 'supported living' group home.
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LDA England Newspaper
Learning Disability England Alliance newspaper highlighting the results of the Quality Checking Government survey and setting out a vision for a good society.
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LDA England Survey
A breakdown of the results from the recent Quality Checking Government survey carried out by Learning Disability Alliance England.
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LDA England Survey Results
This is a slide presentation of the results of Learning Disability Alliance England's Quality Checking Government survey.
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Strengthening Communities
Jo Battersby undertook research in the UK to try and determine the role of government in strengthening communities to deliver social change for people with disabilities.
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Show Some Emotion
Civitas Vera explores why institutional abuse is so often followed by responses that don't make the necessary difference.
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Self-Directed Support
Simon Duffy talks about the development of self-directed support in the UK.
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Evaluation of Employment Outcomes of Project Search UK
The South West Employment Institute (SWEI) commissioned this evaluation of employment outcomes of Project SEARCH (PS) in the UK.
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Practical Funding Guidance for Young People
This is a report from the South West Employment Institute (SWEI) on Practical Funding Guidance for Young People seeking employment.
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Self-Advocacy
Simon Duffy talks about self-advocacy and Gary Bourlet's work with and on behalf of the People First movement.
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Pippa and Family Leadership
Simon Duffy talks about Family Leadership and the inspiring work of Dr Pippa Murray.
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Accessible Banking
Meike Beckford sets out how Dosh are using their experience to improve access to banking and thereby make a real difference in people’s lives.
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Better Lives
An Evaluation of the Choice Support Personalisation Programme for Adults with Learning Difficulties in Southwark.
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Access to Banking for People with a Learning Disability
A report from Dosh on how people with a learning disability get access to banking and the problems they can encounter.
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Best Buddies UK
The mission over the next few years is to develop Best Buddies programmes in every region throughout the UK - join in.
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Citizenship is for Everyone
In this film Simon Duffy explains why Citizenship is for Everyone.
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Wendy Perez on Citizenship
In this film Wendy Perez talks about Citizenship drawing on her work and her own experiences.
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Person Centred Planning 'Tools'
Peter Kinsella reviews his time working in human services and examines the negative role of jargon, complexity and bureaucracy in people's lives.
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The Problem with Dawkins' Intolerance on Down Syndrome
Mariana Cervantes-Burchell explains why the intolerant prejudice of scientists like Richard Dawkins is based on ignorance.
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Assessment and Treatment Units
Sam Sly shares her learning through helping people to leave ATUs and return to a real life and a home of their own in the communities they came from.
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Don't Judge Me, Listen
Sam Sly urges us to really listen to people's dreams and desires when supporting them to build a future for themselves, it's crucial to get this right.
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The Harm Professionals Can Do
Too often people's gifts and skills are being ignored when professionals plan with them, there is no excuse, this must change now says Sam Sly.
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Quality Checkers are the Future of Regulation
Sam Sly shares her enthusiasm for the creation of a National Association of Quality Checkers.
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Rethinking Social Housing
Social housing isn’t working for the people Beyond Limits support who have been institutionalised for years in Specialist Hospitals but there are alternatives.
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The Words We Use
Darlington Learning Impairment Network explore how the words that professionals use to describe people very often don’t support person centred thinking.
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Reflections on Common Threads
John O'Brien shares learning on Approaches and Contexts for Planning Everyday Lives following the Common Threads conference in Ontario in April 2014.
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Quality of Life Standards and Toolkit
Produced by Changing Our Lives, The Quality of Life Standards and Toolkit aims to raise people’s expectations about what a good quality of life really means.
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Help - What It Really Means
People with learning disabilities often get help that isn't very helpful. Wendy Perez explains what help really means.
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Stay Up Late
Stay Up Late is a charity that was started by the punk band Heavy Load. Its mission is to change the way people with learning disabilities live in the UK.
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Individual Service Funds (ISFs)
Researchers Animate discover that Individual Service Funds (ISFs) and Inclusion have had a positive impact on people's lives.
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Stopping Hate Crime
This report describes the work of Devon and Cornwall Police to stop hate crime and better support people with learning disabilities.
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Self-Directed Support in Finland
This research report from Finland shows the success of personal budgets in improving the lives of people with intellectual disabilities.
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The Impact of Cuts in Haringey
A report from Haringey Learning Disabilities Partnership Board following a survey on the impact of cuts in Haringey to services for adults with Learning Disabilities.
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Unlocking the Imagination
Simon Duffy's book first published in 1996 now updated, offers a path for commissioners who want to create the conditions for citizenship and stronger communities for everyone.
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Citizenship for All: An Accessible Guide
Simon Duffy and Wendy Perez have written this accessible guide to citizenship - what it means and how to achieve it. This guide is part of the Citizenship for All project.
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What Price Friendship?
Paul Williams describes how the UK's social care system often seems to obstruct the development of friendships for disabled people.
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Regulation
Bob Rhodes and Richard Davis explore the damaging impact that regulatory systems can have on intentional communities.
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Open Future Learning
Founded by Ben Drew, Open Future Learning provides inspirational online training for folk supporting people with learning disabilities.
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Right to the Same Life
Wendy Perez says people with learning (intellectual) disabilities have the right to the same life as the rest of us.
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Lennox Castle Stories
A social history project led by a group of ex-residents of a large institution built on the outskirts of Glasgow to house people with learning disabilities.
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The Driving Up Quality Code
The Driving up Quality Code is about providers of care and support doing all that they can to make sure that what happened at Winterbourne View never happens again.
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Ordinary Lives: Citizenship for All
Exploring the challenges of achieving ordinary lives and citizenship for people with learning disabilities with Gary Bourlet at the H&SA Conference.
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Radio Valo
Radio Valo is a multi-media platform for people with intellectual disabilities in Finland. It hosts interviews, documentaries, radio shows and much more.
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How We Make a Life
Self-directed support systems need to pay more attention to enhancing people's ability to work and contribute as citizens.
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Is Work First on the List?
A presentation for VIA Scotland on why work should be first on the list of actions for citizenship.
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Housing to End the Prison of Hospital
Sam Sly explains why special hospitals are often worse than prison and why there is a need for bespoke housing solutions.
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No to Competing Services - Yes to Human Rights
Sami Helle explains to the European Parliament that people with intellectual disabilities should not be trapped in the 'cheapest service'.
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Focusing on Outcomes
Tim Keilty from New Prospects explains their practical and simple approach to focusing on outcomes without the hype.
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No Words is No Barrier
Sam Sly explores the steps necessary to ensure that children and adults with limited verbal communication can get involved.
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Keeping Safe - A Poem
Anna Eliatamby offers a short poem about how 'challenging behaviours' can be born.
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The European Self-Directed Support Network
A presentation by Aarne Rajalahti announcing the launch of the European Self-Directed Support Network.
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Returning Home
Sam Sly reflects on the barriers to progress in getting people home from abusive and institutional placements.
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Institution Watch
This is a regular publication of Canada's national self-advocate association and main family organisation, advocating for people with intellectual disabilities.
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Supporting Community Contribution and Self-Determination through Person-Centred Work
John O'Brien presented this paper at Finland's Valta virtaa conference held in June 2013.
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Thinking About Frameworks
Anna Eliatamby explores the power and limitations of the intellectual frameworks we bring to our work.
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A Personalised Approach to Safeguards in the NDIS
Marita Walker, Kate Fulton and Bruce Bonyhady offer an approach to safeguarding and quality that starts from the assumption of people's citizenship.
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Freedom Fighters
Clare Hyde describes the stories of five freedom fighters as they leave the institution behind them.
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Love
Sam Sly writes about how important love is, in all its forms, to having a great life.
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I Know What I Want
Aarne Rajalahti shares lessons and stories from the early development of self-directed support in Finland.
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What is Wrong with Supported Living?
Simon Duffy explores how the principles of supported living have been corrupted and how we need to move to a focus on rights.
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The Relational Basis of Empowerment
Karl Nunkoosing and Mark Haydon-Laurelut explore how fundamental human attitudes underpin society's approach to empowering disabled people.
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Returning Home
Simon Duffy outlines a promising innovation from Plymouth that aims to return people home from institutional care.
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Freedom
Written by Simon Duffy, this new practical guide gives advice on supporting people to be free.
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Investing in Ordinary Lives
Investing in Ordinary Lives is an initiative to increase the supply of housing for people with learning disabilities by drawing on alternative sources of funding.
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How We Try to Keep Our Promises
Tim Keilty explains how New Prospects have designed a simple approach for helping people to network and support each other.
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Community Networks
A community network is a simple but powerful innovation developed by New Prospects - team work.
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In Memory of Carl
Carl Poll was a leading innovator and champion for people with learning difficulties - he will be greatly missed.
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Mirrors to Ourselves
Anna Eliatamby on what could be achieved if we worked from a centre of kindness and thoughtfulness and a real desire for equality.
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The Process of Change
Sam Sly explains that the real challenge after Winterbourne View is to ensure the real drivers for change are in place.
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People With Challenges: Human Approaches
Anna Eliatamby writes about a more human approach to people with challenges - lessons we've forgotten too often.
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Together On Common Ground
Anna Eliatamby argues its time for a fresh approach in services for people with intellectual disabilities - beyond stale models and into real values.
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Building Community with Beth Mount
This film made by Open Future Learning explores the value of finding out about our local communities in order to create the opportunities for rich and meaningful lives.
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The Traps and Detours of Deinstitutionalisation
Sam Sly writes about the challenge of moving people out of hospitals and institutions after the Winterbourne View Review.
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Building Community for the Great Transition
In this paper David Towell explores how we can begin to build communities which are sustainable and inclusive.
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Too Complex, Too Challenging?
Sam Sly describes how Beyond Limits are applying personalisation principles to support people with the most complex needs.
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Radical Social Work
Sam Sly of Beyond Limits explores how radical social work can be inspired by personalisation and people with complex needs and challenging behaviour.
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Microenterprise and People with Learning Disabilities
Authors Tess Reddington and Jan Fitzsimons write about the work opportunities available for people with learning disabilities.
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21st Century Vision
A paper following the launch of the Housing and Support Alliance offering a new vision for the future.
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Getting Help if you have a Learning Difficulty
This is a guide to getting support in Sheffield if you have a learning difficulty.
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Lyhty - Finnish Punk Rock and Much More
A Finnish community hub which is helping people with intellectual disabilities create music, media and so much more.
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Watching Brief
The care and support white paper has some good commitments in it, but some of the biggest issues have been ignored, say Don Derrett and Simon Cramp.
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Decisions, Decisions
The Mental Capacity Act has helped many people with learning disabilities to make decisions for themselves since it came into force in 2007.
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It's My Life
This is a creative alternative to day services operating from the assumption that everybody belongs and can join in community life when and how they like.
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What Can I Do To Make A Difference?
Sam Sly writes about the importance of working together, sharing our experiences, resources and energy in the year ahead.
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Shared Management
Shared Management is an approach for organising practical support using the expertise of people, families and service providers.
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Michelle and NDIS
Dell Stagg describes how she rescued her daughter from an institutional service and the need to respect families in the development of Australian funding system.
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Cornerstone Cafe Parent Carer Group
Families and disabled people coming together to learn more, plan and bring about community change - working together.
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Person Centred Planners Lose the Plot
The story of how one self-advocate with learning difficulties came into conflict with the Person Centred Planning industry.
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What is Assessment and Treatment?
Sam Sly describes the difficulties faced by families who have seen their children lost to the phoney system of 'assessment and treatment units'.
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Housing and Support Alliance
In October 2012, the Association for Supported Living and Housing Options merged to form the Housing and Support Alliance.
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Family Leadership
A film about Pippa Murray's work to make family leadership authentic, building on real wealth and strengthening the human spirit.
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True Citizenship
True Citizenship is a book which offers a framework for thinking about the values that lie behind citizenship and can inspire authentic action.
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Better Safe Than Sorry
A presentation given for SACID in Adelaide on safety and how we might protect the interests of people who are most vulnerable to harm.
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Better Nights
An evaluation of a Choice Support initiative to improve night-time support for people with learning disabilities as services are personalised by the use of an ISF.
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Jan-Net
A host of learning disability networks coordinated by Janet Cobb.
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Disability Horizons
Disability Horizons is a magazine full of articles and resources to help disabled people achieve whatever they wish.
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Citizenship & Work
A presentation on the interconnected topics of citizenship, work and self-directed support.
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Self-Directed Support in Aberdeen
A presentation given to senior managers in Aberdeen on the nature of self-directed support and the challenges of effective implementation.
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Support for People with Negative Reputations
Sam Sly explains how Beyond Limits will be working to bring people back home from institutional services.
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Help and Connect
Help and Connect is a powerful innovation, developed by Skills for People, to bring together their different forms of advocacy.
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West Lancashire Peer Support
Les Scaife describes how the West Lancashire Peer Support Group was born and the work it continues to do.
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Are Institutions Still With Us?
Sam Sly explores the problems that leave too many people with complex needs in long-term institutional care.
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Full Citizenship for People with Intellectual Disabilities
An interview with Simon Duffy for the Finnish Year Book on Intellectual Disabilities on the nature of citizenship.
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Journey to Citizenship
Talk given in Helsinki on the progress made towards citizenship by disabled people and particularly by people with learning difficulties.
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The Journey to Citizenship - Deinstitutionalisation in Finland
Finland is beginning to close its institutions for people with learning difficulties. Simon Duffy explores what can be learned about moving more quickly towards a…
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Goodbye Pat
A moving tribute by David Towell on the death of his sister Patricia.
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Individual Health Budgets Pilot Begins
Beyond Limits and NHS Plymouth are piloting an exciting model of service delivery to ensure that people with challenging behaviour do not end up in damaging institutions.
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Longcare Survivors - The Biography of a Care Scandal
John Pring's powerful account of institutional abuse, its history and its long-term effects.
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Community Living
An online magazine campaigning for equal citizenship for people with learning difficulties.
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Lives Unlimited: An evaluation of recent peer support projects - and what next?
An evaluation of peer support project run by Lives Unlimited reinforces the value of building on lived experience and strong moral values.
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Two Sides of the Same Coin
Norma Curran explores two competing conceptions of the economic place of people with learning difficulties.
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A Life That Works
Norma Curran describes how community calendars can be used to help people get more full and interesting lives.
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There is An Alternative
A report from the Association for Supported Living (ASL) demonstrating how effective community-based support is for people with learning disabilities.
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Personalised Transition Briefing
This paper provides a clear account of the Personalised Transition that has transformed the post-school experience for many disabled young people.
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Using an Individual Service Fund (ISF)
How one family used an Individual Service Fund (ISF) to improve care and support for their boys with complex needs.
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Hands Off It's My Home Toolkit
A toolkit for auditing support to people with learning disabilities and developing an outcomes-based action plan for citizenship.
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Towards a Good Life?
A discussion of the Western philosophical tradition and the lives of people with learning difficulties.
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Advancing Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Society
Reflections on a journey in Latin America in Spring 2011 where the authors examine different experiences of inclusion.
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Marie - A Life Moving Forward
The true story of one woman's ongoing fight against the system and her eventual triumph against all the odds.
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Enjoying the Rollercoaster Ride
One mother's story of her rollercoaster journey and the inspirational achievements of her son.
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Cuts to UK Benefits
Ben Baumberg of the LSE provides an overview of the cuts in UK benefits and how they target disabled people.
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Developing Family Leadership
How you can really help families take the lead - without burdening them or blaming them - but by building new relationships built upon equality and mutual respect.
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Personalised Transition & Professionals
Pippa Murray explores the change in role and relationship for professionals as they embrace Personalised Transition.
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Introduction to Personalised Transition
Pippa Murray outlines the benefits of Personalised Transition and how it works in practice.
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Help and Connect
A new form of community-brokerage called Help and Connect which is being piloted by Skills for People in Newcastle.
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What We Are Campaigning For
Simon Duffy outlines the case for radical reform of the current system and opposing the unfair cuts that target disabled people and other important groups.
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Connections that matter
The impact of Grapevine's work on people with learning disabilities and their families.
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Salvere
Salvere is an innovative social enterprise designed to deliver a range of different forms of personalised support.
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The Path to Fairness
Pippa Murray calls for radical change to welfare and support services for families of children with disabilities and special education needs.
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The Campaign for a Fair Society
Simon Duffy explains why the cuts planned by central government are so unfair and what they reveal about the failings of the current system.
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Care and Support or a Fascist Plot?
Norma Curran explains the roots of Training in Systematic Instruction (TSI) and the failure to focus on building people's skills in many support services.
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From Unfair Cuts to a Fair Society
This paper sets out the case for radical reform of the system of support to older and disabled people, and all those needing on-going support.
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Planning with Families
Pippa Murray summarises the main things you need to do to help families plan for themselves and disabled family members.
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Cuts - Yes, Minister
Geoff Tudor imagines the discussions that led to plans to cut mobility allowance for people inside residential care homes.
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In Memory of Wolf Wolfensberger
A man who probably did more to change the understandings and situations for disabled and vulnerable people and their whole societies than anyone you could have met.
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A Fair Society - Tizard Annual Lecture
Simon Duffy gave the Annual Tizard Lecture on the 4th March at the University of Kent.
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A Fair Society and the Limits of Personalisation
This discussion paper describes how the current cuts that target disabled people reflect deep flaws within the welfare system and sets out the case for more fundamental reforms.
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A Fair Society - Tizard Annual Lecture
These slides were given as part of the 2011 Tizard Lecture given by Simon Duffy on A Fair Society & the Limits of Personalisation. They describe both the cuts facing disabled…
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UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
This is a powerful vision of the opportunities and support which should be available to disabled people and their families, based on a commitment to equal citizenship.
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Unfair Cuts
Public expenditure cuts by the UK government will target disabled people, older people who need extra help, poor families and people with mental health problems.
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Changes to Housing Funding
Housing Options explains how current changes to the funding of housing will reduce housing mobility, home ownership and undermine supported living.
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Personalised Education
Personalised education is a widely stated ambition, and some local leaders are making progress, but central systems tend to undermine effective personalisation.
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First and Last
Mark Brend describes the history of the closure of the learning disabilities hospitals that were once used to segregate people with learning difficulties.
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Basic Tasks for Service Providers
John O'Brien sets out the basic skills service providers need in order to successfully support people who are at risk of social exclusion or devaluation.
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Five Basic Tasks
The core competencies of any agency aiming to support people who are at risk social exclusion and devaluation
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Five Tasks of Good Support
Good support means helping people connect and be part of their community.
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Adam and his Family are in Control
Adam has returned from an out of area placement to take up life as an active citizen.
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Keith Achieves Citizenship
Keith has been able to move away from institutional living and achieve real citizenship under his own control.
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Don't Monkey with People's Lives
Carl Poll gets to the heart of why the relationship between professionals and citizens can often go so wrong - and what we can do about it.
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Citizenship in a Decent Society
Simon Duffy sets out the challenge that treating each other as citizenship sets to a society that aims to be decent
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Connection Not Inclusion
Carl Poll explains the subtle but important difference between connecting and including
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Much More to Life than Services
Bob Rhodes offers a vision for personalisation in social care that goes beyond the use of social care services and returns us to community and citizenship.
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A Fair Start
Pippa Murray makes the case for an integrated Personalised Pathway to enable disabled children and their families to take control of health, education and care funding.
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Integration through Personalisation
Only a model which examines the value and role of integration from the perspective of the citizen will begin to bring some much needed clarity into the current system.
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Individual Service Design
This paper which describes the process by which we can design personalised support for ourselves or those we care about.
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Are Individual Budgets Really Mine?
Simon Duffy argues that individual budgets are provided as additional income, which is provided to people in order that they can meet their needs.
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Critical Path Framework
Don Derrett developed this to help local authorities plan all the necessary system changes as they move towards creating support systems that people can control for themselves.
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Safety for Citizens
Simon Duffy explores the relationship between safeguarding and personalisation and the risks that come from institutionalisation.
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Architecture for Personalisation Toolkit
This toolkit will help local leaders develop their own strategy for producing local systems that enable personalisation. It contains helpful hints, ideas and a framework for…
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Architecture for Personalisation
A report describing progress in Yorkshire & Humber towards developing a community-based approach to supporting personalisation and self-directed support.
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Personalised Support
A report describing how to provide support to people with the most complex needs or challenging behaviour drawing on the work of Partners for Inclusion.
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Helping Providers to Change
This is a book by Self Direct that focuses on the work necessary to help service providers change and to develop more personalised forms of support.
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Personalisation in Health & Social Care
Slides exploring the genesis of personalisation and its subsequent meaning for professionals in health and social care services.
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Individual Service Design
Slides exploring how to create individual service designs.
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Personalisation in Mental Health
A report setting out a model for integrating health and social care for people with mental health services - designed to promote personalisation, empowerment and citizenship.
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Citizenship Theory
A paper which explores the theoretical foundations of personalisation.
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Personalised Transition
An evaluation of a new and radical policy innovation in Sheffield which gives young people with disabilities and their families a totally new level of control over their life…
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Personalised Pathway
This model enables families with disabled children to take effective control over their support, while getting coordinated expert support.
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Personalised Support
Personalised Support is a system for providing support to people with complex and challenging needs to live their own life, on their own terms, but as active citizens.
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Personalised Transition
Personalised Transition is a system for enabling young people with complex needs to leave school and to achieve active citizenship within their communities.
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Being the Boss is Best
An article which describes the benefits of being your own boss.
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Keys to Citizenship
A guide to getting good support for people with learning disabilities.
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Citizenship Model
This model describes how the citizen should be central to the design and delivery of public services.
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Personalised Transition
Personalised Transition is the process for enabling families and young people to take control of their support and lives in adult life.
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Portable Education Budget
There seems to be no good reason why families should not control the funding for their child's education - especially if their child has extra or more complex needs.
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Personalised Pathway
The Personalised Pathway is a model for services and support for children and families - it puts families in the driving seat from the very beginning.
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Integration through Personalisation
In public policy integration has often meant the brining together of services of funding that has been separated at the national level at some local level.
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Personalised Support
Personalised Support is a system for designing and organising around the needs of the individual.
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Personalisation in Social Care
This article explores how the current reforms in social care are rooted in a radically different approach to social justice and welfare to those that preceded them.