Tag Archives: Meeting

National Council Meeting

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Ffion Poole recently attended the online All Wales People First National Council meeting. The meeting began with a welcome, and everyone introduced themselves. The group talked about the ground rules for the meeting. These rules help everyone feel safe, respected, and able to speak and be listened to. The group then looked at the minutes from the last meeting. People were able to check for mistakes, ask questions, and hear updates on actions agreed at the last meeting.

Joe Powell, the Chief Executive, gave an update to the group. He talked about the work of All Wales People First and shared information about the workplan for 2026. Representatives then shared issues from their local groups. These were issues that may need action across Wales.

Chloe Cannon spoke to the group next. She is an All Wales People First Representative on the Lived Experience Collective Board. Chloe explained the work of the CARE Research Centre for Adult Social Care and the work they do at Cardiff University. She also asked people to share their experiences of older people with learning disabilities.

All Wales People First has decided that a Member Code of Conduct may be needed. A Code of Conduct is a set of rules about how people should behave at events. The group talked about whether a Code of Conduct is needed and what rules should be included.

The group also talked about future National Council meetings. This included where meetings should be held, how people get information, and future meeting dates. Other updates were shared, including progress with Adfest planning, feedback from the Disabled People’s Rights Plan consultation, and feedback from the Direct Payments consultation.

All Wales People First National Council Meeting Report

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Yesterday, Amy Jones attended the All Wales People First National Council meeting via Zoom. The meeting started with introductions and a check of the last meeting’s minutes to spot any mistakes and hear updates.

Updates:
Joe shared what he’s been working on.
Reps talked about the Mirror Principles to see if they need changing and how to check if self-advocacy groups are following them.

After Lunch:
We talked about important issues like transport and benefit cuts. Lynne Griffiths, who knows a lot about learning disabilities, was chosen for the board.

Adfest Update:
Day One: Joe’s introductions, four workshops, talent show for members, stalls, Mirror Awards, photo booth, and disco in the evening.
Day Two: AGM, four more workshops to choose from, another talent show (with voting for winners), and more stalls.

Geraint’s Request:
Make a video answering questions like, “How do you want to be seen, heard, and valued?”
These videos will be shared on social media. Other Zoom participants can also make videos and send them to Tracy.

All Wales People First National Council

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Exciting News! This week Amy Jones is attending the All Wales People First National Council for the first time as a new representative. As a rep, Amy will share important issues from our group that might impact people across Wales and could need national action. This is a fantastic opportunity to make sure our voices are heard loud and clear. Wishing Amy the best of luck in her new role!

Yesterday, Amy and Christy had a great first day at the National Council Meeting. Chief Executive Joe Powell gave a talk about what National Council reps do and the jobs of the Chair and Vice Chair. After lunch, we had elections, when the following people were elected:

Lucy – New Chair
Kurtis – New Vice Chair
Neil – New board member

We also looked at the last meeting notes and talked about important actions. Amy spoke for Caerphilly People First and said our members want:

Better healthcare
Mental health support that is easy to understand
More information about health checks

A great first day—looking forward to more!

National Council Meeting

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On the 5th and 6th of March Ffion and Christy attended the All Wales People First National Council residential meeting at the Clayton Hotel in Cardiff. On day one, Joe Powell, Director of All Wales People First spoke about the role of the National Council, which was followed by the group going over the minutes of the previous meeting.

We then broke up into small groups and had a discussion about what we like and don’t like about being National Council representatives. Some people said they like being a rep because they get to have a voice for their members, while others said the meetings can be too long and it’s hard for people with autism to process all the information.

After lunch we talked about National Actions (when reps bring up issues from their groups). Caerphilly People First’s national action was that some our members receive limited care hours, which means they have to choose which activities they attend, and then miss out on other activities.

We then played a team-building game called Human Bingo which involved asking people questions like: Have you got a pet? Do you like cocktails? Have you sung at karaoke?

We finished day one with an item called Sub-Groups, where Reps were able to decide which sub-group to join. The groups were: Members (how more people can be self-advocates), Campaigning (what campaigns Reps want to start or join), and Position Statements (what Reps want All Wales People First to say about big issues).

Day two began with Joe Powell giving his Chief Executive’s report, followed by proposals to make changes to the All Wales People First rules at their next AGM. Reps unanimously voted yes to this proposal.

Next we heard from Simone Aspis from the Free Our People Campaign. This is a UK-wide campaign to get people with learning disabilities and autism out of inappropriate hospital settings. Reps voted yes unanimously to join this project.

Our last speaker of the meeting was Dan Biddle, a social entrepreneur who has written a proposal for an All Wales People First business. Reps and board members talked about how All Wales People First can start a business, and Dan presented ideas for the All Wales People First trading arm. Reps agreed with the proposals and All Wales People First will take these ideas forward.

Learning Disability Conference

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On July 19th Ffion, Gethin and Natalie attended the University of South Wales’ Learning Disability Conference 2023. Guest speakers included Professor Ruth Northway, and Shaun Haugh who spoke on the subject of mental health. Ffion spoke about the work TRAC does and what it means to be part of TRAC. Siobhan Benjamin was next, talking about her son Daf who has severe learning disabilities. After the speakers there was a quiz with really good questions, which was amazing. This was followed by the presentation of the Paul Wheeler award for excellence, which was awarded to learning disabilities nurse Kloe Leigh Edwards.

TRAC Annual Review

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Last week TRAC colleagues held their annual review, which we were very glad was a face-to-face meeting on campus. Discussions included past and future research, what has worked well this year, what needs to be improved, where shall we meet, and how often should we meet.

It was great to see everyone and we look forward to working with all the student nurses in the future. Also at the meeting TRAC colleagues decided to meet quarterly instead of monthly.

‘Have Your Say’ Consultation

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Thank you to everyone who attended our “Have your Say” consultation this week at Fleur De Lys Community Centre. What a great day we all had discussing our lives, and what we would like to see in our community. We had great conversations that brought tears and laughter. Caerphilly People First will now work towards looking for funding to deliver on your recommendations, needs and ideas.

Tackling Isolation and Loneliness Week 4

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For the fourth of the six events we have set up to tackle isolation and loneliness, we headed to the Fleur De Lys Community Centre in Blackwood.  We were delighted to be joined by ten people, some of whom we were meeting for the first time.  Everyone seemed very positive as we talked about our experiences of Covid, and how we have all coped. Thankfully, individuals are now increasingly going out into the community and attending events.  After the discussions we had a great time playing music requested by individuals, and we also hosted a quiz that was all about Easter.  Congratulations to Sophie and John who won the quiz and got to share the Easter egg.