Year: 2016

Bexley Voice Wiki shows its power of communication at a DfE event

Bexley Voice For Special Needs Children (BV) is small charity, comprising volunteer parents and carers, which supports families of children and young people with special needs and disabilities age 0-25. We offer a programme of visits to all the schools in Bexley as well as meeting with professionals and our Local Authority. We generally have two volunteers attend.

At BV, we have been piloting the use of a Rix Wiki for our own forum, to help us with the visits and presentations, and have been delighted with the results. As parent volunteers, we often have ’emergencies’ where one person is unable to attend. By using a Wiki, we can be confident that we are presenting the correct and full information, without the need for a second person to be present.

With invaluable support from Sam Goncalves, one of our parents, the BV Wiki has enabled our team of volunteers to offer more detailed information to our parents and carers at the touch of a button.  There is so much information that we need to give out and it’s not always possible to retain it all.  This way, the volunteers know that they can visit schools and go to meetings, and present all the information accurately, for example, on the SEND Reforms, EHC Plans, all about Bexley Voice membership, support organisations and benefits advice. We can spend less time training the volunteers to present to schools, as the relevant information is already there to show to the parents or professionals. We also find that it’s more engaging for parents to watch the different short videos, rather than us talking for two hours!

Recently, our forum Wiki helped us with a real challenge.  As BV is a member of the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF), we were asked to create a new private Facebook Group to enable the 32 London NNPCF forums to share information. As part of this project, we were invited by Contact A Family to showcase a presentation at the Department of Education to all of the London forums and professionals from the DofE, all about the new Facebook Group.

Both myself and Juli Atkinson (BV Parent Coordinator) were extremely nervous to say the least, at the thought of presenting to such a large audience of professionals. We were concerned about missing out vital information to ensure the network of forums understood how to use the new Facebook Group. As we are all parent/carers experiencing similar issues, we wanted to be informal and relaxed but also be professional and informative. So it was suggested that we add a new section to our forum Wiki; a great way to introduce how we at BV are involved at a regional level.

We enjoyed filming the Wiki information sections, especially being able to do re-takes so that the information was correct.  Using video clips to explain the various sections (showing me at my computer) was much more visually engaging.  And knowing the exact timing of the presentation also helped with the planning of the day’s agenda.

Once the Wiki section about the Facebook Group was set up, both Juli and I were much more relaxed.  Just knowing that if either one of us was unable to attend or got ‘stage fright’ on the day, that it was all prepared beforehand made such a massive difference to our presentation. The Wiki was very easy to use, just a few clicks and we were able to sit back and watch the audience’s positive reaction.

It was so well received, we had great feedback from many attendees and we would certainly use a Wiki for many types of presentations in the future. It is easy to use, fun to film, can be updated regularly if required and takes a lot of stress out of presenting!  We even have a video from a Local Authority professional on there now talking about our forum’s valuable contribution.

Thanks to Sam and the Wiki, which really did make such a difference!

Rix Research is working with the Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH) in Greece on a new, two-year project funded by Erasmus+ KA2: Co-operation for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices. The project, called Puzzle, is a Strategic Partnership for adult education and also involves agencies from Sweden, Poland and Lithuania.

Currently, adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) in these European countries have fewer opportunities for education and training or for participating in the social and economic spheres of life. This is partly because much of the existing educational text has not been adapted to the specific needs and language skills of adults with ID, so that it can be easily understood. There is also a low take-up of suitable digital tools to support learning with adapted materials, both because the educators are not aware of the availability of such tools nor do they have the knowledge and skills to use them effectively.

The Puzzle project brings together the particular knowledge and experience of each partner agency to address this issue. The Swedish agency, MTM, is expert on the use of the ‘easy to read’ method, which facilitates the transformation of text into forms that are easily understood by people with limited capabilities in reading. Their expertise is being combined with that of Rix Research, which is a pioneer in the inclusive development of accessible digital media tools to support people with ID. Greek agency FORTH, which has extensive experience in the development of related applications, will contribute further to the work.

Puzzle is now well underway. An international team of 12 education professionals from Greece, Poland and Lithuania is being trained by the MTM specialists on the ‘easy to read’ method and by the Rix Research specialists on using innovative technology platforms as the main way of disseminating ‘easy to read’ material. Everyone came together in February, for a week’s concentrated workshop held in London, at the Rix offices at the University of East London’s Docklands campus. The workshop was a great success as the participants explored how the quality and accessibility of information provided to people with ID can be improved.

Richard Lohan, accessible information officer at Camden Council, was a guest tutor at the workshop. He presented on the exciting work he is doing in Camden to promote the use of photosymbols in easy read information. Richard uses photosymbols in Camden’s exemplary wiki portal, which details many of the information and support services available to people with ID in the borough (https://www.rixwiki.org/camden/all-our-wikis/ ). Camden has also found a way of embedding their wikis in their local offer website in order to reduce the number of external links on the page.

Richard said: “Creating and using images is a key part of presenting information in an accessible, easy read format. In Camden, we are working with local people with intellectual disabilities to create local photosymbols that have real meaning for those living in the area. It’s a great example of co-production.”

The Puzzle project will also see further research, led by Poland, on assessing how adults with ID in Greece, Poland and Lithuania access information on their human rights and their difficulties in understanding the written information. The research will lead to the development of an e-learning platform and mobile application, with information and learning materials on human rights issues produced in ‘easy to read’ format. This will then enable the design and testing of a series of ‘easy to read’ lesson plans to help people with ID understand their basic rights, for example in employment, housing, social integration and education

The active participation of people with ID in the research to create the ‘easy to read’ text and accessible web platforms is critical. By working directly with the ID community on the design and production of the information, the researchers will achieve the best possible output and ensure that people with ID can communicate effectively about themselves and their rights. The expertise that Rix Research has developed in Inclusive Research Methodologies will also help the research team to gain confidence in taking a co-production approach and exploring how to develop this further.

The implementation of Puzzle will motivate and encourage professionals and organisations in the field to develop their skills and widen considerably the learning opportunities of people with difficulties in reading comprehension. Important information and educational course materials available in ‘easy to read’ formats, on accessible digital applications, will be free for use by any person with ID and difficulties in reading comprehension in each of the countries.

Another training workshop for Puzzle is set to take place in November, hosted by the Lithuanian agency, Jaunuoliu Dienos Centras, in Panevezys. Rix Research will present the digital platform and app that it is currently developing, as part of the resource set of accessible media tools that will be made available across Europe.

Andy Minnion MBE, Professor of Media Advocacy at Rix Research & Media, said:

“There is so much excellent work being done around the world to drive positive change in the lives of people with ID and their families. Enabling people with ID to learn about, and understand, their human rights is fundamental to their ability to move towards ever greater levels of self-advocacy, self-determination and independence. I’m incredibly proud of the work that we are doing at Rix at the forefront of this change.”

Project number: 2015-1-EL01-KA204-014123

Useful websites:

www.www.rixinclusiveresearch.org

https://www.forth.gr/

http://www.mtm.se/english/

http://www.pjdc.lt/

http://www.smialek.org/

Amanda Bailey is the Deputy Manager of CNWL Recovery and Wellbeing College. She has a background in social work and nursing but she says, “It is my personal experience with mental health services that is really important in my job as a peer trainer.”

Amanda was first introduced to the Rix Wiki in October 2015. After attending training and playing on a Wiki of her own, which helped calm her worries about using new technology, Amanda started to think about the Wiki in relation to her own health plan. “I really believe the Health and Wellbeing plan to be central to my recovery because before, I was just surviving on a day to day existence.  I find it’s really useful for actually learning about yourself and not just being passive and accepting what people give to you. It helps you to learn what works and doesn’t work for you, the warning signs and triggers. I found the original Health and Wellbeing plan very useful but I think the Wiki is a step up from that. It has the same principles and values but it just allows you to be so creative.”

Amanda describes the Wiki as a dynamic extension of the Health and Wellbeing plan. “A health plan is constantly being changed and updated. Having the plan on the Wiki makes it much easier to do that, as well as keep professionals and supporters informed,” she says.

Amanda also sees the Wiki as a door, leading to a deeper understanding of oneself. “Although the paper Health and Wellbeing plan is a very effective tool, I think it’s quite constraining when you’re filling it in. It’s all words and boxes. It’s very much about who you are in the present. But when you try to do this on the Wiki, you start putting things in, images and links and you start thinking, ‘Oh, I might try that or I want to do that someday.’ It completely opens your world up.”

For Amanda building her Wiki made her realise what she really enjoyed and helped her to discover new things that she wanted to do in the future, for example, to walk a half marathon.

For those who are considering a Wiki, Amanda encourages people not to be put off by technology. “It’s really important to learn from someone who has their own Wiki and has had time to develop it. That way you have something to reference.” She also stresses the importance of understanding the Health and Wellbeing plan “in terms of getting to know yourself, why that is so important, and how that can make such a difference.”

Lastly Amanda says it is important to understand that the Wiki takes time to develop. “It’s not something you can do in a week. It takes time and, as you evolve, your Wiki will evolve too.  I think the Wiki is amazing! I feel so excited about its use in so many different areas of healthcare and I think it would really appeal to younger people who are so skilled with technology and mobile phones.”

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Rix Research & Media is delighted that Charlton Park Academy has been shortlisted in the prestigious annual TES Schools Awards, in the Alternative Provision category.  This category recognises the invaluable support to pupils offered by these schools, which make sure that children who may not be able to attend conventional school do not go without the great educational experience they deserve.

Charlton Park Academy is a successful secondary special academy in Greenwich that offers a high quality, individualised approach to education to students with special educational needs.  It has been working with Rix Research & Media for over three years, to embed a Multimedia Advocacy approach through the use of Rix Wikis.

Wikis are simple, accessible, secure and easy to build personal websites which can be used to create multimedia person-centred plans that use pictures, words, video and sound to capture the voice, skills, aspirations and needs of the child or young person.  Too often, the focus can be on the limitations placed on someone by their disability but a Wiki can help children and young people build a detailed picture of who they are – what and who is important to them, what they like to do, how they communicate and how they see their future.  The focus is positive, highlighting their strengths and ambitions.

In 2014/15, Charlton Park Academy fully adopted Multimedia Advocacy and now uses Rix Wikis for all 240 of the pupils in the school. The Wikis have produced genuinely positive outcomes for the students and their families. Students enjoy greater independence, increased self-advocacy, better engagement and boosted self-confidence. The Wikis have improved the home-school partnership and support parents, teachers and health professionals to communicate and collaborate effectively by sharing a wide range of information.

In 2015, Ofsted twice cited Rix Wikis as examples of good practice, in the inspection report for the school:

“The school has … develop[ed] safe online individual forums, called ‘wikis’, for sharing plans and achievements. These student-led and created websites have enabled grandparents living overseas to also share in the celebrations of residential students’ progress. This technology and empowering process gives control of plans to residential students and means that students can define their own identity, hopes and aspirations.”

“Wikis are person-centred and empowering, as students can share information, express themselves and celebrate their progress and achievements in a safe way.”

Gosia Kwiatkowska, Research Centre Manager for Rix Research & Media, said:

“I am thrilled that the fantastic work of Charlton Park Academy – and the pioneering approach of its staff in supporting the students to realise their hopes and dreams – has been recognised by its inclusion in the TES Schools Awards 2016 shortlist.  We at Rix are so proud of all that Charlton Park Academy has achieved and believe it would thoroughly deserve to win.  We wish the school all the best for the big night.”

Charlton Park Academy, said:

“We are delighted to have been shortlisted for the TES Award! What a brilliant opportunity for us to celebrate and share the work of staff, students and families in their use of Rix Wikis and how this work is truly empowering and engaging everyone in putting the students at the centre of all that we do”

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Thea Fitch is a peer recovery trainer and peer support worker in a community health team for homeless individuals, who are admitted to psychiatric wards. She uses her personal experiences with mental health difficulties, hospital admissions, and homelessness to help people get their lives back on track.

Thea started using the Rix Wiki in November 2015. “I was so excited,” she says. Before the Wiki version of the Health and Wellbeing plan, Thea was using the paper version. “I got my paper version when I was a student here at the Recovery College and I had it for many years. I was on my second version, which I’d been using for four years and it was like my Bible but it was really difficult to add or change things.”

Thea also found it hard to keep parts of her plan private.  “My dad helped me put my plan together and was very respectful, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty when I had to cover certain parts with my hand.” Thea’s paper Healthcare plan was a folder stuffed with pamphlets and pieces of notebook paper and she could do only so much to protect a stack of paper covered in writing.

When Thea began using the Rix Wiki she saw how easy it was to add to, and edit her plan. “It was so amazing! I am not good with technology but the Wiki is quite easy to use,” she says. The privacy and the security of the Wiki online makes it easy for Thea to share sections of her Wiki with professionals and friends  – and her Dad – without having to feel embarrassed about not wanting to share other sections. “It’s like my own little scrapbook,” Thea explains, “except now I can change it without having to rip out pages.”

Thea finds great inspiration in certain quotes and now, instead of jotting a new quote down on the back of a piece of paper and stuffing it in a folder, Thea can add the image or type up the quote onto her Wiki and it is immediately uploaded and saved alongside her collection of inspirational words.

But a Wiki is more than just a scrapbook, it’s a representation of an individual’s wants, needs and aspirations.  It is their voice when they are unable to speak up for themselves. It is a reminder to doctors and professionals that this patient is a person.  “Having a Wiki allows me to communicate my person and character in a way that is meaningful to me. It helps others to understand how I like to be treated when I am unable to verbalise it for myself,” Thea explains.

A Wiki is also a reminder to the individual themselves that they can do it. It is a guideline that helps them to take care of their psychological and physical wellbeing. For Thea, the Wiki is an important tool. “My Health and Wellbeing plan has helped me to figure out how to live with all of these things and now I am working at a job that I love.  I feel quite proud of my Wiki. It’s not a self-indulgent thing but a compassion act towards myself.”

To view case studies about other users of the Rix Wiki, please click here.

Many congratulations to Ajay Choksi at Rix Research & Media, who has passed the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) skills certification programme with top marks.

Ajay works as a technical assistant and Wiki Master at Rix and is an invaluable member of the team.  Rix is based in Knowledge Dock and specialises in exploring and developing new media technologies to improve the lives of people with learning disabilities.  Ajay has communication difficulties himself, which makes his achievement all the more fantastic.

His scores for the ECDL were highly impressive, with an average score of over 83% and scores for the component parts as:

• Powerpoint – 86%
• Microsoft Office – 80%
• Excel – 80%
• Access database – 91%
• Project Management – 79%

The ECDL certification is a highly recognised qualification and is the fastest growing IT user qualification in over 125 countries, with many UK companies setting the ECDL as a mandatory requirement.

Everyone at Rix Research & Media is so proud of Ajay.  Gosia Kwiatkowska, Research Centre Manager, said:

“Ajay set himself a goal early this year to complete the ECDL course as part of his continuous staff development efforts. He worked extremely hard and with the excellent support from the UEL ECDL team he was able to achieve his goal. We are so proud of him and his achievement.”

Ajay received his certificate from Vice-Chancellor of UEL, Professor John Joughin, at a presentation in UEL’s Great Hall in Stratford on Wednesday.

Ajay said:

“I am really happy with my results from the ECDL course. I felt very emotional when I received the certificate from our Vice-Chancellor. I am so proud of myself”

Register your place at this free Webinar by clicking here!

• All the pupils involved have been more engaged, presenting their Wikis at their EHC meetings and Annual Reviews
• Pupils are showing much greater self-esteem and an ability to cope better with difficult situations

The Royal Free Hospital Children’s School (RFHCS) is a community Special School for pupils aged 5 to 16. It offers high quality education for all children who are inpatients at the Royal Free Hospital and for some children who are not inpatients but who are receiving support from medical or mental health services and may benefit from attending the school on a daily basis. The school operates within a multidisciplinary framework; working closely with a range of professionals including consultant doctors, mental health professionals, physiotherapists, speech therapists and other agencies.

Alex Yates, Headteacher, introduced Multimedia Advocacy and Rix Wikis, to pupils and staff at the school in September 2104. The results have been extremely positive. Alex states:

“Multimedia Advocacy is a really effective way of using media to communicate the wants and needs of children and young people, especially those with a large number of professionals involved across a number of sectors. Multimedia advocacy shows that even the little things are important and each individual has the right to change something if they wish.”

Case study

Purpose

What were your reasons for doing this development work?

• Building on research from UEL around effective pastoral planning and in response to new Code of Practice and the emphasis on CYP’s voice being placed at the centre of planning.
• There was also a need to codify and improve our own approach to planning around education, health and care.

How were you intending to improve pupil learning?

• Clearer sense of ownership of both academic targets and those related to personal development.
• It gives the student more power/control over their lives e.g. they make choices based on their own preferences.
• It is a great way of keeping everyone that supports an individual in the loop, but most importantly putting the individual child right at the centre of their own plans.
• It makes use of digital photography/ audio and video to organise thinking, reinforce memories, communicate preferences and viewpoints.

Who were the identified target learners?

• The target here is RFHCS Day School – generally outpatient referrals with significant medical and mental health challenges supported by large multi-agency teams.  But the approach could be applied in any pastoral context.

What were your success criteria?

• Improved attendance.
• Improved engagement from multi-agency teams around the child.
• Pupils achieving relevant SMART targets.
• Parents/carers and other professionals engaging with the process.

What specific curriculum area did you intend to have impact on?

• All – including specific outcomes for individuals Post-16

Methodology

What did you do – what teaching approaches did you use?

• Two school ‘champions’ undertook a 12 week training programme then led group sessions with young people.
• The school utilised online ‘Wiki Sites’. Wikis are simple and accessible, private and secure easy-to-build personal websites. They can be used to create multimedia person-centred plans that use pictures, words, video and sound to capture the voice, skills, aspirations and needs of the individual. Wikis give ownership of the planning process to individuals and families, facilitating genuine collaboration between parents, teachers and professionals.

What specific teaching resources did you use?

• The online ‘Wiki Sites’ allowed pupils to build their portfolio in different ways, depending on the needs of an individual, for example: a curriculum vitae, a person-centred plan, health action plan, a support plan or a record of achievements.

What CPD experiences, materials, research and expertise have you drawn on?

• Rix Research & Media is a research and development centre based at the University of East London.
• Its expertise is in making IT and new media technologies bring real benefit to the learning disability community and beyond. Rix has been delivering Multimedia Advocacy training courses to education and care professionals for almost ten years and has worked with key education, health and care providers in the UK to help them improve their services.
• At RFHCS we focused particularly on Circles of Support, two stages, first is based on working with the Relationship Circle tool to identify existing people in the person’s life. The second stage is building on the existing Relationship Circle, identifying the gaps and actively finding ways of making new connections and more effective strategies for support.

Outcomes and Impact

What has been the impact on pupil learning?

• Builds IT skills and self-confidence
• Creates more effective support network that is focused on improving outcomes
• Improved opportunities for aspiring, learning and achieving.

Evidence of impact on pupil learning

• LAMS Reports (Looking at Myself and School)
• ECM Profile Data
• Learner Profile
• Year 11 Outcomes

What has been the impact on teaching?

• More transparent, child-centred practice.

Evidence of impact on teaching

• LSAs have developed technical skills and confidence that help them personally and professionally.

What has been the impact on school organisation and leadership?
Outcomes for staff:

• Gain wider knowledge of applications for IT and assistive technology in the SEN classroom
• Gain a new understanding of person-centred approaches and how to apply them in your practice
• Transition arrangements more robust

Evidence of impact on school organisation and leadership

• Very much In line with SEND policy and new legislation/reforms and Brian Lamb’s report
• Professional staff development linked to National policy objectives and reforms
• Develops your services with the latest methods and approaches
• Improves staff retention with meaningful learning and satisfying personal development

Sharing Practice

If another individual or school was attempting to replicate this work, where should they start?

Contact Rix Research & Media Coordinator at rixadmin@uel.ac.uk or on 0208 223 7561

What would be the essential elements to include?

Appoint school based champions to undertake the online Rix Wiki Builders Course in Multimedia Advocacy

Waldo Roeg is a CNWL Peer Recovery Trainer and an author of the Health and Wellbeing Plan. Two years ago he was invited to be a part of a pilot project which sought to bring multimedia into the trust as a form of self-advocacy.

“I have used services for 30 years and I know what it’s like to feel as if you don’t have a voice,” he says “but when I was first shown the Wiki I immediately saw it as a fantastic tool that could be used to help advocate for individuals like myself.”

Since the Wiki’s introduction into the recovery college Waldo has worked alongside Rix to create a Health and Wellbeing plan Wiki.

“I have worked in films for a long time and I love storytelling. I love images and I think they are such a brilliant way of communicating our needs, our loves, and our desires. So to find a tool that is a natural fit with that is really exciting.”

Waldo himself has been developing his own Wiki Health and Wellbeing plan and really enjoys the media aspect of the Wiki.

“We use photographs to capture those important moments in our lives and to connect with not just those moments but with things that are important to us. This element of the Wiki has played a huge part in my rediscovering of my own value which had been lost to a certain degree.”

Unlike the paper plan, the Wiki changes an important element: the focus on the positive over the negative.

“It is a really fantastic vehicle for celebrating a person’s strengths rather than always focusing on the negative and that is of great value within mental health services”

says Waldo. He describes it as a “great vehicle for discussion.” The use of a Health and Wellbeing Plan Wiki is completely voluntary and is owned by the individual.

“Some people will chose not to engage in technology and they are welcome to create their plan however they would like, but there will also be people who will find the Wiki a really great way of actually having a voice that they may not have had before through this new multimedia tool.”

One of the biggest concerns of those considering the Wiki is technology. “I am a computer migrant,” Waldo says of his technology skills “and it took a little bit of getting used to,” but it is a small setback that once overcome can open the doors to a whole new world.

“The landscape of how we communicate, how we understand the world now is through these technological mechanisms. Nobody goes around without a mobile phone today and giving people who have been excluded from a lot of that social networking the opportunity to finally be a part of that social network, of being able to find support through the Wiki, makes a huge difference. We use technology and phones as an extension of ourselves and I think the Wiki is a fantastic opportunity to include people who have been excluded from social connectivity and enable them to have a voice.”

Waldo is excited to bring the Wiki to mental health services and believes that it is a

“universal tool with the capacity to serve a wide array of uses. The Wiki is pushing the boundaries of what people can and can’t do. It is pushing the boundaries of involving people in their own care and being able to advocate for themselves and what their needs are. We need to push those boundaries, be more inclusive and Wikis are the vehicle that are going to do that.”

To view case studies about other users of the Rix Wiki, please click here.

The Tower Project is a community based voluntary sector organisation and leading service provider for children and adults with a learning disability, sensory disability, autism, physical disability or health related issue.

Its award winning Job Enterprise and Training Service (JETS) is East London’s leading provider of specialist supported employment services for disabled people and people with long term health conditions.

Scott Kennedy, Training and Development Manager for JETS, is using a Multimedia Advocacy approach and Rix Wikis to enable the young people he works with to showcase their work experience, their skills and aptitudes.

He said, “Wikis mean the young people can develop an online, highly visual CV, with pictures and video clips demonstrating exactly how they are applying their skills in a work environment. They can also present an up to date record of all their achievements.”

“A prospective employer can get to know the young person in a matter of minutes, seeing very quickly what they are capable of and where their talents lie.”

JETS is currently involved in a new project with Hackney College, helping around 10 young people gain specific work experience in three different settings over four months. They will be working at the Olympic Park in Stratford, setting up an Easter market stall in Spitalfields Market and rolling up their sleeves to get stuck in at a social enterprise which provides a valeting service for community transport vehicles.

At the end of the four months, each young person will be awarded three Entry Level 3 Gateway Qualifications, in customer service, work experience and valeting proficiency.

The young people will be recording their experience and skills development each step of the way, through photos and film clips, updating their Wikis to show their progress and learning.

We will also be following them through the four months, seeing how they get on and celebrating their achievements. You’ll be able to get a regular update on their progress right here.

Update – 17/03/2016

The group has just completed their first project, working with Our Parklife in Stratford, and were delighted to receive their certificates at an award ceremony.

Graham Smithers, Head of Services, Tower Project, Job Enterprise and Training Service (JETS) said:

 “We would like to thank Our Parklife for their help with young people with special educational needs in east London, just 7% are in paid employment and schemes like this will go a long way to ensure that more young people with learning disabilities will gain paid employment in the future either at the Olympic Park or at similar thinking establishments.”

Rowan Longhurst, General Manager Our Parklife said:

 “It’s been fantastic having the students from the Tower Project join our dedicated team of Park Champion volunteers here at the Park. We’re committed to providing local young people with the opportunity to be the face of the Park through volunteering on a range of roles – whether it’s Customer services, event support or helping tend to the parklands. The skills they learn with us can open exciting new doors to a range of opportunities that are evolving on the Park all the time.”

Our Parklife is a Community Interest Company (CIC) with a mission to connect local people to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, by providing employment, training and volunteering opportunities.

Top left to right.

Layla Conway – London Legacy Development Corporation; Kadir Yilmaz (19); Mohammed Miraj (19); Sean Hoffman (19); Piergiorgio Carrus – Hackney Community College; Luis Pais (23); Scott Kennedy – Tower Project; Stephen Jackson – Our Parklife

Bottom left to right.

Michael Hogarth (18); Matthew Trew (21); Terrance Frank (20); Arran Graham (19)

Key fact

‘The National Audit Office report “Oversight of special education for young people aged 16-25”, published in November 2011, estimates that supporting one person with a learning disability into employment could, in addition to improving their independence and self-esteem, increase that person’s income by between 55 and 95 percent.’

We have been working with a group of parents who have children aged between 4 and 19 with varying disabilities and complex needs, all of whom either had an EHCP or were in the process of an EHCP, and all of whom confirmed that their child’s views were not sought during their EHCP process.

Only one parent confirmed that her child had been invited to their Annual Review (and stayed for two minutes); for the majority, their child had never been invited.

We wanted to explore how a Multimedia Advocacy approach and the Rix Wiki tool could improve their experience and participation in the EHCP process.  The results were very interesting.

Annual Reviews

Most parents felt that their child/YP could now attend, and contribute to, their Annual Review by using their Wiki.  One confirmed that her son was able to attend and participate in his Annual EHCP Review for the first time.

Collaboration and Communication with Professionals

Parents very much welcome the opportunity for professionals working with their child/YP to provide video input into their Wiki; all felt by having a Wiki their child’s/YP’s EHCP could be better co-ordinated in a joined up way.  For example, one child’s paediatrician provided medical information on their Wiki to aid with secondary school transition.

All parents strongly agreed that their child’s/YP’s communication will be better understood by everyone involved with their child’s/YP’s education and care by accessing their Wiki.

     “The short video of xxx singing the ABC song clearly showed how he tries to pronounce sounds, and this is instant information without having to spend time trying to speak to other professionals.  In time these clips will build to demonstrate improvement progress (or not).”

Comment from parent.

All parents felt that information could be shared in an effective way between professionals by using their child/YP’s Wiki.

     “Makes me and the family more reassured and less stressed to know that we have a way to communicate easily and effectively with others involved in his life”.

Comment from parent.

Transition

All parents felt that having a Wiki could facilitate a smoother transition between educational and residential settings.

     “Leaving home, this would be a fantastic tool to ensure support staff and work experience staff know everything”.
Comment from parent.

     “I can see how this will augment communication and sharing of information between my son and everyone working to support him. As he progresses into adulthood and away from home, we will be able to withdraw, confident that those responsible for him in the future will have access to his history and a clear picture of his current needs; will benefit from input from those who have known him best and xxx himself.”
Comment from parent.

     “I can see the enormous potential of the WIKI for xxx – who is nearly 20 years old.”
Comment from parent.

Achieving for Children (AfC) is a social enterprise company set up  by Kingston and Richmond Councils to provide targeted help and support to children and families in need within the two London boroughs.  It has partnered with Rix Research & Media to pioneer the use of Multimedia Advocacy and the Rix Wiki tool and training to embed person-centred approaches which, it believes will be invaluable in implementing the new Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP) for those with learning disabilities in the area.

James Mannion, Business Systems Project Manager for AfC, said, “We want to empower our children and young people who face challenges because of their communications difficulties, to show how they can use Wikis to get across their preferences and viewpoints by using pictures, sounds, video and words – to give them a voice and enable them to take control of their lives.  We call this multimedia advocacy.

“We want people to take a full and active role in the EHCP process, and we believe that using Wikis will lead to genuine collaboration between parents, teachers and professionals.”

AfC hosted an event in October last year to show children, parents, carers and teachers in the learning disability community how Multimedia Advocacy and the Rix Wiki can support them.  After the event, James asked parents and carers to share their comments which are highlighted below.  The feedback is critical in ensuring the roll out of Wikis within the borough is effective.

How do you think you might use Wikis?

“I think I could develop a Wiki for /with my autistic Son and use it to collate a full picture of his strengths, aspirations and difficulties.”

“Collecting information from a child/young person’s perspective for Section A of an EHC plan.”

“I like it as a tool to make my son visible to service providers, e.g. local authorities, SAL, and other therapies. And perhaps it can be a campaigning and advocacy tool?”

“As a place for our child to see and celebrate his many successes and friendships.”

“amongst family and professionals to have a greater understanding of my child when he can’t always express things himself for his needs.”

What do you see as the benefits of using Wikis?

“not having to explain how my child is affected by his condition to everyone all the time”

“It is my son in his environment and snapshots of his actual life and not a piece of paper that service providers get to see. He might find it very empowering to be involved in creating this.”

“The wiki presents as a user friendly, up to the minute way of engaging a child/young person in the process of creating their EHC plan in a positive meaningful way, without appearing an overwhelming, bureaucratic or overly corporate process in which they may feel they don’t belong.”

As a result of the event, there are a further four schools who want to lead the way using Multimedia Advocacy and Rix Wikis and there are also two families who want to use Wikis for their annual reviews.

AfC is also taking further the use of Rix Wikis in Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans.  Instead of using a conventional Section A of an EHC plan, parents and carers could use a Wiki instead of the form to convey the views, interests and aspirations of the child or young person.

This is an exemplar of a new EHC plan template that has been posted on AfC’s Local Offer website  https://www.afclocaloffer.org.uk/.