Information to follow.
Be part of the “clean thinking” revolution – Rebecca Nicholson
Rebecca Nicholson is the founder of Naked Brains – a consultancy that provides training to revolutionise how we perceive and deliver person-centred care. Naked Brains also offers other services too, including independent consultancy and advocacy. Here she explains how her own experiences have informed her career journey and work today.
I’m Rebecca I’ve got a story to tell.
A few years ago my life truly felt like
a living hell.
I was born with cerebral palsy. The education system made me believe that it may as well have been satan’s spell.
“You are a difficult child”.
“You aren’t very bright”.
“Your parents are making too much of you’re academic potential”, “you won’t amount to very much”.
Teachers at school are supposed to look after you..
instead they frighten the living daylights out of you…
leaving scars that take years to heal.
The words they say stick like glue believing what they say is the sum total of you.
I’m here to tell you that this simply not true.
You are enough.
You deserve choice and control.
You deserve to feel heard and empowered to live a life you love..
Naked Brains is here to help you.
Never lose hope. I’m here until you reach brighter days…
How I can help?
My Bespoke training programme revolutionises how we perceive and deliver person-centred care. As somebody who has a physical disability and uses a power wheelchair, I use a unique blend of personal experience, empathy and humour.
I discuss what values underpin person-centred practice illustrated through the stories straight from my heart (some may say from the horse’s mouth). You’ll laugh, cry and perhaps ponder concepts you may not have considered before.
Challenging your thoughts and beliefs about what it really means to care.
My approach is never to engage in a culture of blame but instead encourage people to be open to challenge their own misconceptions. I encourage self reflection in a way that promotes compassion and kindness towards oneself. This is when we see the ripples of change as we put humanity back into care. Our practice transforms and changes the world of the people we support.
Independent consultancy/ advocacy.
Recruitment, support, and advice.
Be part of the “clean thinking” revolution.
Rebecca Nicholson – bec.nakedbrains@gmail.com
Self-Directed Support – new factsheets for people with neurological conditions
On 10 January, the Neurological Alliance of Scotland (NAoS) in conjunction with Self-Directed Support Scotland have published three factsheets to help raise awareness of Self-Directed Support amongst three groups who are in a position to support people living with a neurological condition, including cerebral palsy.
Self-Directed Support (SDS) is the way social care services and support are delivered in Scotland. It aims to give people choice and control over their own support and can be accessed by children, adults and unpaid carers.
The three fact sheets are:
1. Self-Directed Support for adults: Information for Health and Social Care Professionals
2. Self-Directed Support for adults: Information for the Voluntary Sector
3. Self-Directed Support for children: What to Expect – Information for Parents
The Neurological Alliance of Scotland is an umbrella body of organisations that represent people with a neurological condition and those who support them. Commenting on the factsheets, Alice Struthers, Programme Director of the Neurological Alliance of Scotland said:
“We are pleased to publish these three factsheets in collaboration with SDS Scotland. People living with a neurological condition are some of the most vulnerable in society and many are struggling to get by, particularly at the moment with the cost-of-living crisis. By guiding key workers and parents to clear, accessible information, we want to enable people with neurological conditions to understand how to access the support they need, how to uphold their rights and how to exercise the choices they have over that support. SDS is not only available to those with neurological conditions – it is also an option available to carers. We want to see more people being provided with the support that they need to live independently at home and in their communities.”
Mark Han-Johnston of Self Directed Support Scotland (SDSS) said:
“Self-Directed Support has been the mainstream approach to delivering social care in Scotland since 2014. However, we are still aware that many people struggle with navigating the social care system and knowing where to go to get started. We hope these factsheets will help more people understand their rights and how to access the support they need, and to be able to exercise choice and control over that support. One of our main priorities as an organisation is to increase access to SDS for people that still face significant barriers when trying to do so. We are therefore delighted to have worked with the Neurological Alliance of Scotland to ensure more people with neurological conditions and their families, get the support they need.”
Bernard Dunn
Bernard Dunn C.A. has recently retired as client director with T L Dallas & Co Ltd. A family-owned insurance broking and risk advisory business, which celebrated 100 years in business in 2019. Bernard now sits as a Non-executive director of the group board of this company. He set up the Glasgow office of T L Dallas in 2011, and developed the business in the Glasgow , Edinburgh and Shetland offices. He has over 35 years experience in corporate risk and insurance, working with clients across a variety of business sectors.
Out-with the old ‘day job’, Bernard has the following business / charitable interests :
- Member of Council at Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS)
- Member of ICAS Local Area Network Group
- ICAS Foundation Mentor
- Cerebral Palsy Scotland Trustee Board member
- Chair of trustees of Ethiopia Medical Project ( EMP )Trustee of the Dallas
- Benevolent Fund ( connected with Trades House of Glasgow)
- Volunteer for Hospital Broadcasting Service Glasgow
- Family (married to Kathleen, 39 years ), three daughters, three grandsons and one Tibetan Terrier
- Golf, football, rugby, ‘Spin and Gym’ and chess
How and why I started getting Self Directed Support
In this blog, Barry talks about his decision to start accessing Self Directed Support (SDS) and how it has helped him live independently.
My name is Barry Smith, and I am 43 years old, I have a physical disability which is cerebral palsy. Because I have this, I use a power chair as well as a Lightwriter what let people understand what I am saying to them.
When I am not able to do something for myself, I try to think of a different way to do it. Like I find it hard to type on my computer with my fingers – because of this I have a big keyboard with an overlay over it, so I don’t hit the wrong letters, then I use my big toe to type. Now I am going to tell you what I use for my mouse – a joy stick.
Before getting Self Directed Support
In 2006 I got my own house. Up to 2016 I used a support office that I liked at the time, down to being new to getting support in my house. But one thing I didn’t like at the support office was that they could send anyone – that upset me because the person might not know how to speak to someone who uses a communication aid.
Starting Self Directed Support
In 2016 I asked if I could go down the road to get a Personal Assistant (PA) to work for me. How do they help me to get what I need for life support? Just like if I need a hand to make a phone call to fix something in my house, I don’t have to worry about if the person can understand me because I have my own PAs who work for me.
By using my own PAs, for me they are my hands – I am saying this down to they do things that I can’t do for myself or am not able to do for myself.
In my eyes when anyone need support care setup they should be told about SDS because it is people’s right to know all the right support information and asked what road they want to go down.
During lockdown
In March 2020 you all know we all got told to stay at home, but I couldn’t let my PAs stay off work because they are my hands, doing things that I can’t do for myself. But I am there to ask them to support me with things I am not able to do for myself, like making me something to eat and feeding me with it. And do my housework for me as well as getting me ready as well as talking to me because I don’t go out. Because of it one of my PAs put out a tent for me at my back door which gave me a bit of head space, because they know I couldn’t go out, by doing this I stop wanting to go out.
My support with SDS now
Now I start going out a little bit more, but I try to stay away from catching Covid 19.
I would personally say to anyone who is thinking getting support, go down the SDS because you can teach your PA what you need and tell them what your outlook in life is.
Before I end my little talk I would like to make people aware you can use a communication aid when they are on SDS.