Tag Archives: TRAC

TRAC members at the University of South Wales

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Friday’s session was all about midwifery 👩‍⚕️💛 Ffion played the role of someone who was 9 weeks pregnant and did a fantastic job in her role. Christy played her mam, and the student nurses interacted brilliantly — speaking directly to Ffion, explaining everything clearly, and taking their time.

We also had a Learning Disability Nurse on hand 👩‍⚕️💙 who clarified things with Ffion and offered easy-read information, making sure she understood everything in a way that suited her needs. LD nurses are so important, especially when someone with a learning disability is pregnant. All fields of nursing should practice the same approach — clear communication, patience, and respect. It makes a huge difference. ❤️

Meanwhile, Gethin and Nat had just come home from the hospital with their new baby 👶🍼 And yes… believe it or not… they didn’t bicker for a change! 🤣 They were absolutely hilarious and kept everyone laughing.

A huge well done to everyone — our TRAC members and the students. ⭐ We’re already looking forward to the next session and working with you all again soon! 🙌💛

✨ Another Fantastic Day at USW in the Simulation Suite! ✨

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Yesterday we visited the University of South Wales for another brilliant session with the TRAC team.

🎭 Hannah took on the role of Geraldine, who is non-verbal, has a learning disability and Williams syndrome.
🧡 Christy played the role of Geraldine’s support staff.
💥 Nat played a patient who had a fit and knocked herself out, bruising and cutting her head.

The students were amazing! 👏 They asked thoughtful questions about the best ways to communicate with someone who is non-verbal and explored what medical checks and support Geraldine would need for her constipation. They also worked brilliantly as a team supporting Nat’s scenario. The feedback was fantastic — it’s wonderful that TRAC students get the chance to teach, share real-life experiences, and help future nurses learn in such a meaningful way. 🌟 Well done everyone! 🌟

✨ Another Fantastic Day at USW with TRAC! ✨

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Yesterday Ffion, Natalie, and Gethin attended the University of South Wales as part of the TRAC (Teaching & Resource Advisory Committee) project. TRAC gives nursing students the chance to learn through real-life scenarios, helping them build confidence, empathy, and the practical skills they’ll need in hospital settings. 👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️🏥

Our members acted out different hospital scenarios brilliantly:

🗣️ Ffion played a non-verbal patient
🍺 Gethin had “fallen after a night on the pop” and sported a black eye
🤕 Natalie presented with a grazed, bleeding head

They were amazing as always, and the student nurses did a fantastic job too. ✅ The feedback was brilliant, and everyone worked together with professionalism, care, and a lot of enthusiasm. Nurses—especially Learning Disability Nurses—play a vital role in ensuring that people with learning disabilities receive safe, dignified, and person-centred care. Their understanding, communication skills, and compassion make a huge difference in every hospital environment. 💙

We are proud to support projects like TRAC, where lived experience helps shape better healthcare for the future. 🌟 Well done everyone — we loved the experience! 🙌😊

💙 Lived Experience Training at USW 💙

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On Thursday Ffion and Amy went to the University of South Wales 🎓 to talk to student nurses 👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️. They shared their own stories about using health services 🏥 and what is important to them when seeing doctors or nurses. They said it helps when:

🗣️ People use easy words
⏰ We get longer appointments if we need them
👀 Staff talk to me, not just my carer or support worker
💡 We are told what will happen before our appointment

They also talked about:

✅ Reasonable adjustments – small changes that make things easier
❤️ Person-centred care – treating everyone as an individual and listening to what matters to them

The students asked great questions 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️ and learned how to make health care fair and friendly for everyone 🌈 👏 A big thank you to Amy and Ffion for doing a brilliant job and representing Caerphilly People First! 🌟💙

Last week at TRAC — lovely to see you all!

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Last week we had an online TRAC meeting with Stacey Rees and friends from Cwm Taff People First. It was lovely to see everyone. 💻❤️

What we talked about:

Training and research. 📚🔍Some members will be trained and paid to become researchers. 💷🧑‍🔬
TRAC members will teach Year 1, 2 and 3 students. 👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️🎓
Teaching will happen in the simulation suite at USW. 🏥➡️🎓
Students will practise real life situations. This gives them hands-on experience. 🤝🩺
Why this matters:
It helps students learn from real lived experience. 🗣️❤️
It makes learning more realistic and safe. ✅
LD nurses are very important. They keep people safe teaching them helps them to learn how to give the right care. 👩‍⚕️🧑‍⚕️💙
People with lived experience teach students things you can’t read in a book. 📘❌➡️✅

Big thanks to members who joined the meeting. Well done! 👏🎉

TRAC Online Meeting

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Today Ffion and Nat attended TRAC online! TRAC is an exciting project with the University of South Wales 🏫 helping to train student nurses by including the lived experiences of people with learning disabilities 💬💡

We spoke about developing an Easy Read Risk Assessment ✅ and we’re thrilled to say…🎉 Ffion and Gethin will be involved as Teaching and Research Leads / Co-Researchers 👩‍🏫👨‍🔬🙌 Well done Ffion, Nat and Gethin!

💥 There’s currently a shortage of learning disability nurses across the UK – now’s the perfect time to make a difference!
💙 Want to help change lives?
You can apply to study Learning Disability Nursing at University of South Wales, Pontypridd Campus 📍👩‍⚕️🧑‍⚕️
👉 Visit www.southwales.ac.uk to find out more and apply!

TRAC in Action at the University of South Wales!

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Yesterday our amazing TRAC members Amy, Gethin, and Natalie teamed up with maternity student nurses and learning disability nurses for a powerful training session! They took part in realistic scenarios based on being new parents and preparing for the arrival of a baby. The goal? To show how all fields of nursing must work together for the best outcomes.

Communication is key! It’s not just what we say – it’s how we say it. Clear explanations, empathy, and tailored support can make a HUGE difference for parents with learning disabilities. By supporting people properly, we give everyone the chance to become amazing parents and raise their babies in a safe, loving environment. They absolutely loved the day and took away some important lessons!

Massive thanks to our TRAC members, the brilliant nurses, and Stacey and the whole team for making it such a great day! So proud of Amy, Gethin & Natalie; you’re helping change the future – one conversation at a time!

Gethin & Nat Join TRAC Discussion Online

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Gethin and Nat recently joined other TRAC members via Teams for an important research discussion led by Professor Steven Walden. TRAC (Teaching, Research, Advisory, and Committee) is a group that brings together people with learning disabilities to work alongside professionals, providing valuable insight into health and social care.

The session covered:

Research discussions on key topics
Training and teaching student nurses
The importance of cervical screening for health and well-being

Stacey Rees led an insightful discussion on teaching and training, helping members understand the role they can play in educating future healthcare professionals.

TRAC at the University of South Wales

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Last Thursday our amazing members, Amy Jones and Natalie King, attended a TRAC meeting at the University of South Wales. The morning kicked off with a productive discussion alongside Tracy Drew and two representatives from Public Health Wales to consult on an exciting new initiative — a lung screening service that will be available in the future. Lung screening is a vital health check designed to detect early signs of lung disease or cancer before symptoms appear. This often involves a low-dose CT scan, enabling healthcare professionals to identify and address issues early, significantly improving outcomes.

We also discussed teaching interviewing and research skills and even the possibility of some members becoming researchers—an exciting opportunity for personal and professional growth. It was lovely to see members from other People First groups and connect with everyone working towards making a difference! Advocacy and participation like this truly make an impact.

Student Nurse Training

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On the 2nd March, Ffion Poole and Amy Jones—supported by Christy Taylor—attended the University of South Wales to talk to the student nurses about what it’s like living with a learning disability and how difficult it can be.

As part of the training, everyone watched a video about how nurses should interact with people with learning disabilities.  We then went into groups with the students and discussed our lives and what things are difficult for us.  The students will use this information to design a poster which will be marked by us at the end of May.

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