Solihull Life Opportunities

Commitment To Training

Solihull Life Opportunities is committed to training for all its staff and volunteers and in providing a quality training service to other organisations. In July 2011 our Chair of Trustees (Jan Prior) and Chief Executive (Janet Down) went along to Birmingham Botanical Gardens to receive our Investors In People Award.

Our approach to training staff and volunteers also extends to the training services we provide at very competitive rates. Our disability training team is unique in that the training is delivered by people with learning disabilities and therefore real life experience of the issues faced.

Read on for more information of the wide range of training we offer.

Training Opportunities

SoLO is offering training opportunities for staff and volunteers and also external candidates. If you do not work for SoLO but would like to take part in our training, the cost is £25 per session.

Current training on offer: 

Induction Training: 26th January, 16th March, 29th June and 5th October – covering disability awareness training, autism awareness, behaviour management, safeguarding/vulnerable adults (2 sessions)

Project Leader Briefing: 9th February – covering standards of behaviour – and 2nd November (topic to be confirmed) – note: for Project Leaders and Assistants only

First Aid:  29th June – SoLO staff only

Epilepsy Awareness: 28th January and 21st August

Crisis Prevention Intervention Training: 5th and 6th October – SoLO staff only

Augmented Signing:  12th November

Staff & Volunteer Training

All of our staff and volunteers are offered training in areas such as:

• First aid
• Health and safety
• Epilepsy
• Working with vulnerable people
• Augmented Signing Communication

In many cases, the training is mandatory.

Working with vulnerable adults

This course lasts for 1.5 hours and is specifically for paid workers and volunteers who are working with adults with learning disabilities. It covers the definition of a vulnerable adult, the issues that they face, how best to work with them and protect them from harm. It also covers how workers and volunteers can keep themselves safe in their work.

Epilepsy Awareness

This training course lasts for 1.5 hours and is for both paid workers and volunteers who work on any of our SoLO projects. It covers what epilepsy is, what to look for and how to deal with someone who is having a seizure.

Augmented Signing Communication

This course covers some basic signing to enable our paid workers and volunteers to communicate with those who have little or no communication. It is a fun, interactive course that lasts about 2 hours and is delivered by an external trainer with experience of working with children with learning disabilities.

Introduction to SoLO

This is for all new workers and volunteers who have joined us in the last 6 – 12 months. It gives an overview of the organisation, covers some essential information on health and safety, payment of expenses, and gives participants the opportunity to ask questions (always useful!) Lasts about 1.5 hours.

Autism Awareness

This introduction to autism is delivered by Signpost Inclusion and is a very interesting 2 hour insight into working with children and adults with autism. It is for either paid workers and volunteers.

Crisis Prevention Intervention Training

This is a two day course specifically for staff who work on the schemes for children and adults with challenging behaviour.

Holiday Activity Training Days

These are two days, at the beginning of the Summer Schemes for all staff and volunteers working across the SoLO Activity Days. It covers:

• Safeguarding
• Signing Communication
• Working with children with Challenging Behaviour
• Health and Safety
• Epilepsy
• Administering Invasive Medication (paid staff over 18 only)
• Wheelchair clamping and Child Profiles

 

Training Services

Whether it’s employees, volunteers, pupils, service users or customers; an awareness of how you can best meet the needs of people with learning disabilities is essential. SoLO offers individually tailored training delivered by our team of experts. Our Team includes paid, experienced trainers who have learning disabilties themselves.

They are supported to deliver elements of our training packages and share their life experiences.

SoLO has already provided training for National Grid, Birmingham Medical University Lyndon School, Lode Heath School and many more. Group sizes have ranged from 6 to 250! Training we provide includes:

• Disability Awareness training to organisations
• Disability Awareness training for schools under Citizenship
• How to be More Inclusive
• The Disability Discrimination Act
• Person Centred Approaches

Disability Awareness Training Brochure

Our Training Team

Scott Embley

Scott has a wealth of life experience of what it is like to have a learning disability. He was previously Chair of Mencap Birmingham and Solihull District Committee. Scott  is one of SoLO’s paid Disability Awareness Trainers. He has several years’ training experience, is a confident speaker and presenter with groups ranging from 5 people to up to 300. Scott has experienced discrimination, bullying and much more. He is now an ambassador for SoLO and an advocate for people with learning disabilities.

Dominic Wardle

Dominic also knows what it’s like to live with a disability and how it feels not to be taken seriously. Dominic has delivered training with other organisations. Dominic also has experience of dealing with the general public on a daily basis. Dominic is another ambassador for Solihull Life Opportunities and an advocate and champion for people with learning disabilities.

Lynn Humphreys

Lynn has worked for SoLO for several years gaining considerable experience working as a Disability Awareness Trainer. Lynn is also an “Essential Lifestyles – Person Centered Facilitator and Trainer”. This entails carrying out and training others deliver services centred around the clients needs and wants. Lynn has developed a Safeguarding training package and delivered it to the Voluntary Sector. This enables Lynn to work closely with the Solihull Local Children’s Safeguarding Board. She is a qualified social worker, and has worked with older people, learning and physical disabilities, hospitals and with palliative care teams. This has given Lynn vast experience of working with a wide range of people with a variety of disabilities and the sorts of discrimination they face.

Qualifications includes: Social work Diploma, BA Hons and 7303 PTLLS

Jacqui Bryan

Jacqui has over a decade and a half of experience working with and supporting people with learning disabilities. Jacqui worked with Mencap for 9 years and has been with Solihull Life Opportunities for the past 8 years. At Mencap, Jacqui became a qualified “Train The Trainer” and worked as part of a team that put together an award winning Trans-active Project pack. This contained training and teaching materials. She was responsible for co-ordinating and delivering training to schools across the country. Jacqui is an Essential Lifestyles Planning Facilitator and an Approved Trainer to deliver person centred tools and approaches. Jacqui has created and helps deliver Disability Awareness Training for outside agencies.

Qualifications include: BTeC National Cert in Social Care, Train the Trainer, 7303 PTLLS and she is RARPA trained

Feedback from a national organisation:

“I enjoyed looking at communication and talking mats”

“The emphasis is on the person not the disability”

“Ensure we recruit more people with learning disabilities and value their contribution”

Feedback from Lyndon School pupils

“They are just a person”

“A person with a learning disability is the same as us, they should not be treated worse or laughed at”

To find out more please call on 0121 788 3469 and ask for Jacqui or Lynn or email us on info@solihullsolo.org