The FDF Centre for Independent Living What is

The. FDF Centre for Independent Living

What is a Centre for Independent Living ? • A CIL is an organisation which provides a range of services to disabled people from one location ie the hub. • To promote independent living. • Disability equality training. • Information, advice and independent advocacy • Campaigning and empowering. • Removing barriers that restrict life choices for disabled people. • Befriending • Social groups within the community, not just disability groups. • Equipment hire • Run by disabled people for disabled people within the Social Model of Disability under the Social Services and Wellbeing Act ( Wales ) 2014

Independent living is not × • About being able to live on your own • About overcoming things to prove you can do them • About being able to do everything for yourself • About having technology, aids, adaptations and other items to achieve independence • It is about something much deeper which involves rights and equality.

Where ?

Living with a disability in Wales • The. FDF is well recognised as a leading provider of disability services not just in Flintshire but across North Wales we have advised other organisations about how to improve access some recent examples • Churches removing pews and improving sound • Football clubs, Mold and Holywell • Welsh Coastal path campaign to remove A frame barriers. • Arriva trains improving signage and lift access to stations. • Acting as advocates on housing, benefits, health matters. • Toilets, technology and transport. • FDF recognises that challenging disability discrimination is not just about handrails and ramps, it’s also about the training of front line staff, or other users.

There has never been a more worrying time for disabled people not just in Flintshire but across all of Wales and indeed the UK with changes to benefits, the bedroom tax, care costs and managing direct payments and the outcome of Brexit. * The use of technology for all communication with public bodies. • Disabled people want to be included, they want what the rest of us experience, able to do what they want, when they want, with whom they want. • Disabled young people are particularly under resourced in Flintshire, our partnership with Daffodils will address some of the issues but we will be seeking ways to work with 18 to 40 year olds who are living with a disability. • Many disabled people present with one issue eg a benefit check request but they may also be socially isolated, have a housing problem or be unable to access transport or technology, our staff can provide support for a range of issues recognising the primary presenting disability for the best outcome for the service user.

Achievements to date • Advice, information and advocacy • Since April 2017 completed PIP/AA forms generating a total annual income into the community of more than a million pounds. • This figure does not take into account the premiums or any additional benefit entitlement • Housing issues 25 individuals inc. guttering, adaptations, kitchens, bathrooms and wet rooms, pathways, fencing, ramps and handrails, gardens and decorating.

Benefit advice • • On average 4 new claims each week Entitlement, criteria, process of claiming Form filling Mandatory reviews Complaints over 30 to Capita Support on face to face assessments Age range from 17 to 80+ OT assessments

Advocacy • Individual, person centred, issue based advocacy • eg recently supported a disabled person through the loss of her partner, arranging funeral, benefits, transfer of tenancy etc • Medical appointments • Job centre appointments • Blue badges • Parking ticket appeals.

Befriending • • • Telephone befriending Home visits Peer support Accompany to groups Outings with like minded people.

Contacts since May 2017 70 organisations contacted about our services 42 organisations met face to face 19 active cases 4 new fully trained volunteer befrienders 4 new office based volunteers 12 members receiving telephone befriending on a weekly basis. • 4 new volunteers at social groups • • •

Community Since June 2017 9 sessions in Connect offices Holywell, Connahs Quay, Mold, Flint 45 new contacts made 20 people signposted to other partner agencies 2 information sessions in Flint library 23 new contacts made 6 Doctor’s surgeries visited information given to staff across the services. • Personal goals within the community set for 6 members • Monthly newsletter. • •

Social empowerment groups • • • Pan disability, 18 years plus 4 groups each week across Flintshire Speakers Outings Friendship Run by the members for the members Currently under review. Criteria, members must have a disability. Disabled volunteers.

Loggerheads

Mold pancake races

Alyn Waters picnic

Campaigning Disability rights with Disability Wales Hate crime consultation North Wales Police Keep Safe Cymru Card Access issues, Bailey Hill Lottery application Advice for community facilities, football grounds, churches, shops. • Enabling Wales toolkit to create CIL’s throughout Wales • DRILL project in partnership with Glyndwr • • •

Bailey Hill consultation at our Mold Group

Holywell FC

A dodgy footpath

Welsh Coastal Path

The future • • • Providing services for disabled people is labour intensive, costly and historically we have worked on a culture of dependence not independence. It is our aim to improve the communities in which disabled and non disabled people live so they can integrate together to the benefit of everybody. To move away from this ‘’herding’’ practice of having social groups in dusty church halls, separated from the mainstream. To develop support that is appropriate and inclusive and respectful and is built upon removing labels and stereotypes. Disabled people want to have the same experiences as the rest of us to go to the pub, to go shopping, to access sports and theatres and cinemas, to eat in restaurants and most importantly to feel valued. Long term sustainability providing services that are identified and for which a charge can be made such as a Social enterprise for the provision of equipment through rental and sales Providing accessible transport at evenings and weekends Training courses using our expertise and experience Fundraising, targeting corporate donors reminding them of their Corporate Social Responsibilities.

GWYNT Y MOR