Shining Rainbows activities near you starting this November!

Shining Rainbows Parent and Toddler Group, a group for children in and around Calderdale with additional needs, are delighted to announce their exciting new classes near you!

All Saints Parish Hall – Godfrey Road Halifax HX3 0LY starting Wednesday 2nd November at 11:45-12:30 and 12:40- 1:25

also

My Tribe Fitness Studio and Parenting Hub – Unit 12, Kirklees Steel Works, Mill Lane Brighouse HD6 1PL starting Thursday 3rd November from 9:30- 10:15 and 10:30-11:15

 

Follow our Facebook Page @shiningrainbowsparentandtoddlergroup for the latest updates

e : shiningrainbowsparentandtoddler-group@hotmail.com for any enquiries

 

The group holds regular safe space sessions for parents and toddlers with additional needs to have fun and socialise.

£7.50 per session with drinks and snacks provided for parents and children.

We look forward to seeing you!

Become a virtual volunteer for Luv2MeetU

There is an exciting new opportunity to become a virtual volunteer for Luv2MeetU working with our Virtual Coordinator Kit to run an innovative and comprehensive service for our adults with learning disabilities and /or autism.

Can you run a drama workshop, music event, gaming session or quiz on-line? Or another workshop/event with your own unique skills and interests?

Here at Luv2MeetU, Kit is developing a full and varied programme of virtual events for our club members to access nationwide. They go on round the world tours, sing their hearts out at karaoke and have discussion groups to name but a few! There will also be workshops to provide learning and life skills such as first aid and on-line safety.

Could you give one slot a week or month to run your own virtual activity to provide the people we support with an ever growing rich and varied on-line experience? It is especially important and invaluable to those struggling with anxiety, mobility issues or illness for example. It gives them a chance to still join in a social setting, communicate and to feel part of a community.

About you

You just need to be confident, organised, able to communicate well and be patient and understanding. Some knowledge of adults with learning disabilities and/or autism would be helpful but not essential. To be able to have fun!

As a volunteer you will receive training, free DBS, expenses paid and invaluable experience and skills to add to your CV. You will meet other volunteers and become part of a nation-wide team of volunteers helping our club members to access social events, reach their potential and to feel included, an incredibly rewarding experience.

All our events are designed to be all inclusive as we are working with adults with special needs so a volunteer with a disability requirement should not have an issue. If there was we would accommodate this straight away and work with the volunteer to resolve any issues.

All volunteers would have support from our community coordinator and volunteer coordinator, emergency numbers and details. They would have links to other volunteers to share ideas, experiences, problems.

About Luv2meetU

Luv2meetU is a Community Interest Company (CIC), run by and for people with learning disabilities and or autism. Our main aim is to ensure that everything we do is about providing better opportunities and activities for our club members in response to their needs and wishes.

Luv2MeetU works with adults with learning disabilities and /or autism. We run events and workshops that provide our club members with social activities, new experiences and learning opportunities. Examples of previous events include climbing, bowling, alpaca trekking and a relationship workshop. There is a community coordinator that you would be working with, either helping them on events which would allow greater numbers or running your own event, with a friend maybe, taking a group to the cinema or for a meal out for example. We want to give our adults an enriched and varied life whilst promoting independence, learning and well-being.

We are looking for volunteers to either help our community coordinator on events or run their own events, after training, with the adults that we support. You could sign up with a friend or family member, train together and then take our club members to the cinema, meal out or bowling once a month or how ever often you had time for. Design your own event, liaise with the coordinator who will write it into the next flyer and provide all the details you need. Expenses are paid, you’d be doing something hugely rewarding, giving an invaluable service to the community and enriching your own experiences and CV.

Join ACDAF and discuss inclusive Commuting and Green Spaces access

The Accessible Calderdale Disability Access Forum (ACDAF) is a user led group of people with pan disabilities and who live in Calderdale. It is a very diverse group with ages ranging from 20-92 years!

We represent learning disabilities, sensory impairment, physical disabilities and neurodiverse conditions. We listen to our members lived experiences and everyday challenges and bring partners and stakeholders together with our members to look at how access and inclusion can be improved.

We are very keen to work in co production and we work in collaboration with with the local authority, West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), Canal and River Trust, Northern Rail and design teams/architects.

We meet online and occasionally face to face at an accessible venue in Halifax.

We have focus groups on Transport, countryside and green spaces, tourism and health and wellbeing.

Members can be as involved as they choose but everyone has an equal voice to raise awareness of issues affecting their lives in regards to access and inclusion.

If you would like a membership form or to find out more about our friendly group please contact Lorri 07596 707795 lorraine@visitsunlimited.org.uk

 

 

NHS Trusts recruiting in Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism

NHS Trusts in West Yorkshire are recruiting people to a range of roles in Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism

West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Collaborative Recruitment Day
(Register : vfairs.com)

30 June 2022 11am – 7pm

Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust, Leeds & Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and the South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust have announced they will be jointly delivering a virtual careers fair.  The event is being supported by the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership and a wide range of external partners who work in the field of mental health, learning disabilities and autism.

The free online event will be delivered on 30 June 2022 11am – 7pm.

Job seekers and volunteer applicants can register here: West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Collaborative Recruitment Day (vfairs.com).

The event will provide people looking for jobs and volunteering roles with and exciting opportunity to:

  • find out about the wide range of jobs on offer
  • hear directly from Trust staff about what it is like to work in mental health, autism and learning disability roles
  • apply on the day for jobs and volunteering roles.

People can attend the event conveniently from any location as it will be accessible through mobile devices.

There will be a range of current open positions available through the virtual career fair, including both clinical and non-clinical roles, at a range of salary levels.  The event programme also includes seminars, aimed at the graduate and college leavers audience.

Interested candidates, or those who know of potential candidates are also invited to register for the event and refer other professionals within this space.

Rob Webster, CEO-Designate, West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership commented:

“I am pleased we are supporting this event and encouraging people to work in three fantastic local organisations. We recognise that in the post Covid-19 pandemic climate, people are looking for opportunities to change and progress their careers and the NHS offers a multitude of roles and opportunities. West Yorkshire is also a vibrant and diverse area to live and work. Whether starting your career or seeking to lead in our system, there is something for everyone.

 Greg Moores, Chief People Officer, South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust commented:

“This event is a fantastic opportunity for us to reach and recruit people who would like to work in the interesting and rewarding field of mental health, autism and learning disabilities.  As people continue to work remotely, the virtual fair is a convenient way for job seekers to find out more about available roles.”

 Muhammad Younas, CEO of vFairs commented:

“We are very happy to supply the technology that will help drive meaningful work that supports the community in West Yorkshire. We look forward to seeing all the wonderful outcomes that this event produces.  If your organisation is interested in working with us, please visit: www.vfairs.com ”

Request for Insight: Mental Health, Neurodiversity, Autism and Learning Disabilities

NHS Calderdale CCG is undertaking a mapping exercise to understand what insight we have of peoples experiences of services that provide support around mental health, neurodiversity, autism and learning disabilities. This includes services provided by the NHS, other health providers and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector organisations. 

If you have collected any insight, or are aware of any engagement / consultation activity that has taken place or reports developed across Calderdale about these services, please could you share this with kirsty.wayman@nhs.net by Monday 30 May.

Click Here To Email Insight

S4ND: Society 4 Neurodiversity to help those with Autism and ADHD in Calderdale

The Society 4 Neurodiversity (S4Nd) is a new community group based in Calderdale led by neurodiverse members. We are a community of people that specialise in ‘different’.

Our mission is to build and nurture a neurodiverse community. We aim to break down barriers and promote acceptance for neurodivergent people.  The S4Nd community is a place for support, friendship, and inspiration.

Many people have become increasingly vulnerable during the current Coronavirus crisis and some are not known to services or accessing support. People with learning disabilities, who are autistic or have other neurodivergent conditions such as ADHD can be more isolated at this time.

S4Nd are involved in the new regional ‘Keeping Neurodivergent People Connected’ project, coordinated by the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health Care Partnership and Inclusion North. We are one of the services funded to run short-term peer support and information service for people in Calderdale with neurodivergent conditions including autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and Tourette’s as well as people with learning disabilities. An official diagnosis is not needed to access this service

The Keeping Neurodivergent People Connected service will provide information on staying safe during the Coronavirus crisis and peer support.  We understand that many services are not accessible, so we will

  • Connect with you by phone, text, email, or video at a time that meets your needs
  • Give you information on how to stay safe and well during the Coronavirus outbreak
  • Tell you about and help you to access local support in your area
  • Call you regularly if you need support and connect with your community

This service operates 7 days a week 09:00-23:00 and ends on Sunday 12th July

To contact the service or make a referral, please send an email to enquires@s4nd.org, call or text Angie on 07971 450062.  Alternatively, you can sign up for the Keeping Neurodivergent People Connected service via our website here

Click here for a PDF copy of our flyer about the service.  If you know anyone that you think may benefit from this project, please send/give it to them.

Apologies if you receive similar information twice, but S4Nd and Cloverleaf are both offering support through this short project. We hope in this way we can reach as many people as possible who need this.

The Society 4 Neurodiversity
Tel: 07971 450062
www: https://s4nd.org/
@: enquiries@s4nd.org

Morrisons Introduce Quiet Hour for Those with Autism

Morrisons Supermarkets is introducing a ‘Quieter Hour’ across all stores from this Saturday 21 July. From 9:00am until 10:00am every Saturday morning, they will attempt to make the store environment quieter and calmer for customers. For more information see po.st/QHour.

A statement from Morrisons reads;

This new initiative has been created with the support of the National Autistic Society. Many people who are autistic or those with autistic children can find shopping in a supermarket an anxious experience. Having carried out a trial earlier in the year in our Lincoln, Woking and Gainsborough stores, we identified improvements that could be made as well as the best time for the Quieter Hour to take place.

“Around 700,000 people are on the autism spectrum in the UK. This means they see, hear and feel the world differently to other people, often in a more intense way. Morrisons ‘Quieter Hour’ is a step in the right direction for autistic people who find supermarket shopping a real struggle.”
Daniel Cadey, the from the National Autistic Society

Listening to customers, we found that one in five had a friend or family member with autism* and many liked the idea of being able to shop in more comfort at 9-10am on a Saturday. Angela Gray, Morrisons Community Champion at Woking said: “I was involved in the initial trial as my son is autistic and we found that these changes made a real difference. The trial showed there is a need for a quieter shopping experience for some customers.”

During Quieter Hours, our stores will:

  • Dim the lights
  • Turn music and radio off
  • Avoid making tannoy announcements
  • Reduce movement of trolleys and baskets
  • Turn checkout beeps and other electrical noises down
  • Place a poster outside to tell customers it’s Quieter Hour