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Self Advocate’s Support and Action Group

Wednesday 11 January 2023

Time: 12:30pm-2:30pm https://us06web.zoom.us/j/97471173675 Meeting ID: 974 7117 3675

1. Present

Andrew Charles Simone Sarah

Jenny Ray Carinder

Vicky Dave Chris

Russell

Samantha Geraldine Phil

Kieran

2. Apologies: Olcay

Andrew and Jenny welcomed everyone to the first meeting of 2023.

Our last meeting was 7th December.

3. Check-in

Andrew was facilitating and asked how everyone was feeling and how their holidays were.

Everyone shared their news and said they were happy to see each other.

1

Charles said how happy he was to be meeting up again and shared some of the things that he had done over the holidays. There had been many changes with his team which does not help him to have the calm environment he needs.

Ray had a quiet Christmas. He bumped into Philipa in Sainsburys on Christmas Eve.

Vicky asked that people let her finish what she is saying before she finishes.

Simone said she is on the Disability Justice Fund panel and working hard on the Free Our People campaign.

Andrew and Phil had a productive meeting about the work People First are doing with self advocates in Nepal.

Jenny and Vicky had a good meeting on Direct Payments in the morning.

Sam was feeling good and was pleased to be back at work.

Carinder said he was feeling great and had just been helping his wife on radio. He also asked about producing a plain text version of the minutes.

Chris is waiting to hear if he will be involved in delivering the Oliver McGowen training. It will be a ‘casual contract’ on around £12-£15 per hour.

2

4. Discussion: Themes for 2023

Jenny said that the Patients Association had sent out a questionnaire about people’s experience of health care. Unfortunately, it was not accessible.

Jenny and Andrew thought it would be good to focus on inclusive communication and accessible information as a theme for our work for the next 6 months.

Andrew said it’s not just about easy read, it’s about how people are informed and given the opportunity to make informed decisions. This goes through everything and will help us address other issues.

Vicky said, ‘Information is knowledge and knowledge is power!’

3

Simone suggested having example letters and getting organisations to challenge poor practice.

The idea is to focus on a topic and organise some action around it. Then we can see if it has been effective.

The group voted and agreed that the focus of our work going forward will be Inclusive communication and independent living

The group started by working on a letter

Planning for the themes will happen at the next meeting.

Information share

Blogs by Chris

• •

Advocacy Plus training

Love, Sex and Relationships 13th January 2022 11am

Ace Anglia: Contact Dave dave@aceanglia.com https://www.aceanglia.com/category/stories-and- interviews/

https://www.aplecollective.com/2023/01/what-

exclusion-really-means-chris-burns/

https://www.aplecollective.com/2022/11/travelling-

to-london-for-appg-on-poverty/

4

Action to follow up

Action

• Invite suggested guests
• Agree meeting dates for 2023

Next meeting:

Wednesday 25th January 2023
12:30pm - 2:30pm https://us06web.zoom.us/j/97471173675C

Chris’s artwork

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