Copies of Llais magazine

Llais

Llais ('Voice' in Welsh) is our quarterly bilingual magazine, free to members, and a rich source of debate, best practice, latest thinking and thought-provoking articles.

We always welcome contributions and articles for Llais. Please contact us if you would like to submit an article.

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Below is a selection of leading articles from previous issues of Llais.

Grand Designing in Wales

 Kate Young, Chair of ‘In Control Cymru’, explores the similarities and differences between ‘Direct Payments’ and ‘Self Directed Support’ and discusses what the future might be for personalised services in Wales

 Llais 88
"What would be a Good Life for...?"

 “What would be a Good Life?” .... Bob Rhodes believes
that it’s a very different question from, “what are your
needs” or “what services do you require”? It’s a question
that elicits very different and far more open-ended answers
that, in turn, generate an abundance of ideas and
possibilities about how a person’s life might be enhanced.


Llais 88
A call to prioritise services for disabled children

 Services for disabled children in Wales are not reaching minimum standards. In a recent self assessed audit of the Children’s National Service Framework, services for disabled children scored the lowest and were well below meeting minimum targets. Steve Beyer and Zoe Richards argue that, whilst policies are in place to ensure services reach best possible outcomes, unless the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) recognises that disabled children should be a priority and back the implementation of policies with a committed funding strategy over the next three years, fears are that there will be no improvement in the services delivered to disabled children.

 Llais 87
Transition from school to employment -What works?

 Transition planning for young people with a learning disability is
more likely to lead to a five-day college placement, or day service
place rather than an employment option. Steve Beyer describes the
outcome of a two year research project that sought to identify ‘what
works’ in terms of employment support for 16-24 year olds with
learning disabilities and their families.

 Llais 87
What Kind of Future

 Jill Davies and Hazel Morgan explain the background to the ‘What Kind of Future’ project that looked at innovate pproaches to transition to adulthood and discuss some of the findings.

 Llais 87
Bringing People Together on Line

 Rick Wilson of Community Lives Consortium talks about a website
that has been developed as a partnership between; City and County
of Swansea, the Swansea Learning Disability Provider Forum, and
the web development company CDSM called People and Places.

 Llais 86
Llais 85 - Autumn 2007

 Do you currently receive Llais? If not have a look at the brand new issue and see what you're missing. If you like what you see then click here and find out about what other benefits you get from being a member of Learning Disability Wales.

 Llais 85
'Break-Through' - innovation for children who challenge

 In 1999 funds were made available by central government to promote the social inclusion of children and young people. The Children and Youth Partnership (CYP) fund was aimed at 8-16 year olds and was initially for three years. Dr Pippa Mundy and Jayne Farr describe how this funding enabled the development of innovative services for children who challenge.

 Issue 84
Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin

 Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin is the leading Welsh 'early years' specialists that aims to give every pre-school child in Wales the opportunity to benefit from early years experiences through the medium of Welsh. Sian Owen describes its work.

 Issue 84
Promoting Independence through person-centred planning

 Is the Promoting Independence Project (PIP) the seed to develop better futures for young people with learning disabilities? Tracy Drew thinks it is.

 Issue 84
Opening Doors

 Advocacy Action Wales (AAW) recently added another advocacy service to its current portfolio of services which the Cwmbran-based charity has been providing since 1989. The new project, funded by the British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD), is aimed at extending advocacy support services to adults with a learning disability from the Black and Ethnic Minority (BEM) communities in the Gwent region. Innocent Chimba charts its progress.

Issue 83
Listening to people, but only so far

 Our Man in London explores the dilemmas the Mental Capacity Act raises in relation to decision making, choice, consequence and responsibility.

 Issue 83
The Italian Job

 Kai Jones, one of LDW's Information Officers took a 'Mini' trip to Italy for a training seminar under the EU's youth programme. Did he come back with the Gold? Read on and find out...

 Issue 83
Location, Location, Location

 Locality commissioning, BIG idea or BIG mistake? John Gilkes, Quality Development Manager at Perthyn, offers a personal view

 Issue 82
Llais - Autumn 2006

 Do you currently receive Llais? If not have a look at a recent issue and see what you're missing. If you like what you see then click here and find out about what other benefits you get from being a member of Learning Disability Wales.

Llais 81
In Control

 In Control has been working to change the current system for social care into a system of self-directed support. This has led to great interest in its idea of Individual Budgets and how they can be used to help all disabled people to get control of their own support and achieve better lives for themselves.

Llais 80
Europe

 Like it or not we are Europeans. Learning Disability Wales believes that we need to engage with other voluntary sector providers within Europe to shape legislation, share skills and facilitate contact and partnerships between service users. Jim Crowe describes how Learning Disability Wales has been achieving this.

Llais 80
Slow Road to Muszyna

 In August of last year Learning Disability Wales took part in a Contact Making Seminar in Poland. Information Officer Kai Jones, who attended the event with Director Jim Crowe, took along his Bill Bryson travelling pen to tell us about it.

 Llais 79
Public or Private?

 News of floatation of a care home business has prompted questions about the rights and wrongs of ‘the private sector’ making money out of the support needs of people with learning disabilities. Lessons for the (different) Welsh care market? Our man in London, reports.

 Llais 78
Lets Talk About Sex

 "Love is the answer, but while you're waiting for the answer, sex raises some pretty interesting questions..." Woody Allen. Tony Pape of SCOVO explores some of these 'questions'.

 Llais 77
Bron's Legacy -a lesson that must not be ignored

 Margaret Flynn, Adrian Roper, Aled Griffiths, Anita Watkins, Carolyn Griffiths, Michelle Burns and Jill Nicholson's description of Cartrefi Cymru's experience of supporting a tenant with a learning disability in secondary care sheds a cold light on the issue.

 Llais 77
Supported Employment: Cadwynau Ceredigion Making A Difference

 Bethan Davies describes the success and impact of an ESF funded supported employment project in Ceredigion.

 Llais 76
Abuse of People with Learning Disabilities: Everyone's Responsibility

 Rachel Davies, Ruth Northway, Rob Jenkins and Ian Mansell report on a two year study into the issues surrounding the 'Protection of Vulnerable Adults'.

 Llais 75