Joint Training Newsletter - Autumn 2020

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Hello from all of us in Joint Training.

Welcome to our newsletter.  We want to continue to support you where we can.  To support COVID-19 responses, Joint Training undertook telephone reassurance calls to the Shropshire people who were NHS shielded earlier this year and continue with the telephone ‘welfare’ calls to providers of both residential and domiciliary care services.   What an incredible job you are doing!

We remain committed to supporting you with access to learning via webinars and online learning.   Our programme is developing weekly.

We have some appreciation of the recent difficulties and the daily challenges that you face.  We would like to THANK YOU for the care and devotion that you have shown for the people that you support.  Christine Scott, Joint Training Manager


Joint Training Webinar Sessions

We are delighted to report that our Webinar Schedule continues to grow and we now offer more than forty sessions covering all the key topic areas, e.g. mental health, learning disability, leadership & management, MCA and DoLS, safeguarding, dementia, epilepsy and dysphagia.  Between April and October there were: 

  • 838 webinar attendances, and
  • 636 MAPA online learning enrolments (more on this in the separate article below)

Establishing webinars as a method of training delivery has been both challenging and rewarding. We are so pleased to have been able to offer this alternative whilst unable to deliver our usual face to face learning due to the pandemic.  As always we are guided by you, our learners, and hope that the webinars are meeting your needs.  We always read and take on board post-course feedback and have been very encouraged by the positive comments made which include:

  • "The course was really interesting and informative.  I really enjoyed the part about stress managment and the Stress Container in particular.  I think it will make a big difference to me dealing with everyday stress and anxiety.  Also great to have so many useful resources to share with colleagues" (Mental Health First Aid Aware)
  • "The video clips were thought provoking.  I hadn't thought about the Stephen Lawrence case for a long time.  It was useful to be reminded of the impact of discrimination" (Diverse Shropshire: Promoting Equality)
  • "It made me think of how service users must feel, with perhaps having little understanding of what is going on in the world which has made such an impact on their lives.  Also gave me great ideas of what to do in difficult situations"  (Positive Behaviour Support for Learning Disability Services during Covid 19)
  • "Even though the topic of bereavement is a heavy one, it made me think about it, and it was good to hear from the other attendees, even through the chat.  I felt like I was part of something and that I learnt something - I felt connected again!" (Bereavement)

For the complete list and availabilty please see our Webinar Schedule and as always if you would like further information on any of the sessions please don't hesitate to contact us.


Safeguarding Adults Week

safeguarding picture

Safeguarding Adults Week is a time to come together to discuss safeguarding. We all have a right to a life that’s free from abuse and safeguarding is a responsibility we all share. 

Everyone should be aware of the role they can play in helping to prevent abuse - knowing how to spot the signs of abuse and what we can and should do if we spot any signs.

 

The themes for 2020 are:-

  • Safeguarding and wellbeing
  • Adult grooming and exploitation
  • Understanding safeguarding legislation
  • Creating safer places
  • Organisational abuse
  • Safeguarding adults in sports and activities
  • Safeguarding in your community

A great range of resources and links around these themes can be found here:-

https://www.anncrafttrust.org/safeguarding-adults-week-2020-links-and-resources/

Safeguarding Adults Awareness training is now available through Joint Training as an interactive live-learning webinar. Please see details on our webpage Course & webinar information & dates or e-mail joint.training@shropshire.gov.uk for further details.

For the latest local information and resources see the Shropshire Safeguarding Community Partnership Business Unit Newsletter.

 


MAPA® Training during Covid-19

cpi logo

The focus of MAPA® training is to ensure that staff gain the essential knowledge, skills and confidence to prevent, decelerate, and de-escalate crisis situations so that restrictive practices can be avoided.  The programme provides staff with the skills to manage risk behaviour using a range of MAPA® physical interventions, aiming to minimise risk without damaging the professional and supportive relationship they have worked so hard to establish with the individuals in their care. Further information regarding course content can be found here

Whilst we are unable to deliver the the usual face to face courses due to Covid-19, we are providing an online version of MAPA® training.  As with our standard MAPA® course, the programme is owned by the Crisis Prevention Institute and includes all the units covered by the face to face courses other than physical skills practice.  We will deliver face to face physical skills sessions as soon as we can do this safely.  The online programme enables services to evidence a commitment to continuing to provide essential training to new and existing staff, enhancing skills and encouraging them to build positive relationships with the people they support.  This interim arrangement supports organisations to follow best practice and regulatory guidance, please see our MAPA® Interim Policy for full details. 

Since it was introduced in May 2020, in excess of 600 workers have been enrolled on the online MAPA® programme and feedback has been very positive, with managers welcoming the opportunity for their staff to be able to complete this essential training at a time when it is not possible for them to attend a face to face session. 

For further information on MAPA® training please see our website or email  joint.training@shropshire.gov.uk

 


New Webinar - Mental Health First Aid Aware: Youth

Our half day course is an introductory four-hour session to raise awareness of young people’s mental health.

By the end of this course you will be Mental Health Aware and will be able to:

  • Define mental health and emotional wellbeing
  • Relate to young peoples’ experiences
  • Recognise some signs of mental health distress
  • Start a supportive conversation about mental ill health
  • Practice self care

Target: Individuals working with or supporting young people

For more information and availabilty please see our Webinar Schedule


Co-production during Covid-19 - Experts by Experience

Clair Challinor

When redesigning the Joint Training learning disability courses so they could be delivered digitally during the pandemic, it was still imperative that we included the knowledge, experience, thoughts and feelings of our expert by experience trainers, particularly their perspective on how the pandemic has impacted their lives and what we can do as professionals to best support people with learning disabilities during this time.

Claire Challenor was determined to co-produce the training sessions by upskilling herself with the use of Microsoft Teams and creating a number of videos that can be embedded into the courses.

Claire said

'Like you Covid-19 has had a big impact on my life.  At the start I had to shield which meant I didn't see any of my friends or family and even my fiancee.  It also means I was unable to do any of my jobs including for Joint Training.  I had to learn all the new rules about wearing a mask or getting on the buses, even going to the shop is very different.  I am really looking forward to the days when life will go back to normal and I can do training face to face'.

You can hear more from Claire in our ‘Understanding Learning Disability’ and ‘Supporting Health and Wellbeing for people with learning disabilities’ which are now available through Joint Training.

For more information and availabilty please see our Webinar Schedule

 


SAND - Safe Ageing No Discrimination

SAND

Our daily conversation is now peppered with a new vocabulary, created in the space often referred to as the ‘new normal’. We are zooming, meeting in teams (although not ACTUALLY meeting), maintaining social distance, sanitizing, forming bubbles, shielding, isolating, quarantining, oh and ‘don’t forget your mask!’. Life is different. We are different, of this there is no doubt. Covid 19 has left nobody untouched or unaffected.

Like many, we at SAND have had to rethink the mode of our work however, this is the only change. The message and our focus is, and will always be the same. We work towards improving the life experience of LGBT+ people across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, particularly older and old members of the community who access health and social care services. As has been well documented the new normal has had a significant impact on those who were invisible to start with, including members of the LGBT+ community. In October 2019 we launched our campaign to Embrace A Culture of Inclusion and are delighted with the interest and support that we have received since then. With Sandi Toksvig as the well recognized and universally loved face of our campaign, we have been working together with service providers who recognise the need to ensure that their practices are inclusive for the benefit of all; clients and colleagues. Many people feel alienated and forgotten by the way that services are currently operating. What can you and your team do to remove the margin that leaves people marginalised? If you feel motivated to facilitate change then please visit our website or email admin@lgbtsand.com for more information.


Autism Alert cards and Poster

Autism West Midlands have just re-launched their Autism Alert card for adults and young people (previously called the Attention Card) which has been developed in conjunction with West Mercia and other regional police forces.

West Mercia Police has also produced an Autism help poster which is available for display.

https://www.autismwestmidlands.org.uk/news/new-alert-card-for-autistic-people-launched/

Autism Help Poster


HSE e-bulletin - latest updates and guidance

Please see this HSE Covid-19 ebulletin for all the latest updates and guidance.


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