Click Start

Thanks to all those who attended the Click Start phase II workshop on 24th November.  The day went really well and was a great way to kick-off the next stage of the project, with borough editiors representing six London boroughs and wiki editors from various organisations all on hand to get their first look at the new portal designs and wiki templates. Miles Leonard from Ellingham Employment Services  said of the new designs  “I’d seen the new structure as I’d been involved in the planning, but what I was really pleased about was seeing the new wiki-sites in action. The new design is more effective and a great improvement.”

It was also really positive to hear people sharing the various issues they’ve experienced and the different  ideas and approaches they have to  implementing Click Start in their boroughs. We hope to see more borough editors at the next workshop, which takes place on Tuesday 8th December 09.

Click Start Phase I

Earlier in 2009 people from all kinds of services and organisations were involved in the first phase of the Click Start project. As a result more than one hundred easy build, accessible wiki websites were created, providing useful information and advice about the transition to independent living for young people with learning difficulties and disabilities.

Ten London boroughs tried and tested the innovative Click Start software and had the opportunity to make easy to understand websites, set up Borough Editorial Teams to co-ordinate them all under one portal website and create a one-stop-shop for accessible transition information in their boroughs.

This first phase of Click Start culminated in a launch event at the House of Lords in July 2009, where Lord Brian Rix called for a nationwide rollout of Click Start, asking where the next round of funding would come from to push this initiative forward.

‘Every borough in the land can do what these ten London boroughs have done and make a great contribution to improving the lives of young people with learning difficulties and disabilities.’

Rix Centre Director Andy Minnion speaking at the House of Lords, July 2009

Click Start Phase II

At the House of Lords event the LSC announced further funding for the project, and as a result Click Start is now moving into its second stage. Learning from the first phase of the project and drawing from the feedback and input of all of those involved, we have refined and simplified the website package making it even easier to use and understand. The new look Click Start website will be ready for launch on the 24th November 2009.

In the second stage of Click Start we will work closely with borough teams to help them establish a robust set up from which to run Click Start fully independently in the New Year.  This will be a joint research project with borough teams, and as part of this we will work closely with services and service users to help develop the best model of accessible information delivery for your borough. The second stage of Click Start will provide:

• A package of training & support for wiki website makers and portal editors
• Free weekly workshop sessions at the Rix Centre
• Advice & guidance on technical set-up
• Free training sessions in your borough

• We will help you work with senior staff in your borough to look at ways of establishing a workable and sustainable model for running Click Start.
• We will help you to recruit wiki website makers and organisations that want wiki websites, as well as help establish service user input.

For more information contact Charlie Saward on 0208 223 7561, or by email at c.saward@uel.ac.uk

The editorial team is working harder than ever and now the guys are actually confident of their potential. The websites building process is a lot faster now than in the first weeks of Click Start and in the last few days the team has been able to build new wikis at a pace of one a day!

Notable websites recently added to Click Start include:

- Picture House: The Picture House is a Cinema in Stratford with 4 screens, full access for people with disabilities and room for wheelchairs.

- Street League: Street League is a charity which organises football games for the homeless and disadvantaged. Every Wednesday, at the “Carpenters abd Docklands Centre”, in Stratford, there is a training session for people with learning disabilities.

- Eastway Care: Eastway care is an independent service for people with learning and physical disabilities and in some cases more complex needs.

- Another direction: Another Direction Ltd is an award winning London based media production company that specialises in work for councils, the community sector, and small to medium sized projects for the private sector.

On Monday 11th of May there was a Click Start graduation event for the editorial teams from the ten boroughs involved in the project.
The event took place in the Knowledge Dock at University of East London.
The editorial teams were presented with certificates and had the opportunity to showcase the wiki sites they have created. Miles, Jason, Lee and Vivek also presented the new Easy-build template and expanded on their new ‘hit-squad’ approach to using the new template.

The Independent Travel Training Team (ITT) provides intensive training and support for children and young people living in Tower Hamlets with special educational needs (SEN). It enables them to achieve a higher degree of personal freedom, confidence and independence.
Many children with SEN use home-to-school transport which can separate them from their peers and reinforce a sense of ‘difference’. The ITT programme therefore focuses on enabling children with SEN to travel independently to and from school.
There is no time-limit to the training and every student’s level of achievement is recognised and celebrated at an award ceremony where the students receive a portfolio of their work and a certificate. A child does not ‘pass’ or ‘fail’, but is simply given the chance to realise their full potential, whether this be travelling independently to school or crossing a road by themselves. For many this is the beginning of a much wider journey into increased independence, for example after-school activities and ultimately training and employment.
The scheme is open to all children with SEN from 11 – 19 years and recently funding was secured which has enabled the service to be extended to include the 19+ age group, extending the service to a much wider community.
Referrals can be made by schools, care-workers, other professionals, etc and students need’s are varied; for example, Dyslexia, Autism, accident trauma, Cerebral Palsy, Downs Syndrome, moderate and profound learning difficulties, to name a few. No one is refused the training.

For more information please contact
Sharon.whiteman@towerhamlets.gov.uk

Shared Lives is a scheme from Newham NHS Primary Trust. Shared Lives Schemes have been in existence for many years and are a proven success.  There are currently over 130 schemes around the country.

Shared Lives Schemes provide an ordinary home environment for people with learning disabilities who have support needs, offering an alternative to staying in a residential home, supported living environment or hospital.  Living with a family or individual offers the person the opportunity to become a member of the household and join in with normal every day activities.

Shared Lives Carers welcome into their family and home a person, or people, with learning disabilities giving them guidance, help and support as needed.  This involves sharing their home either on a long term or short term basis depending on what the carer wants to provide.  The person/people become part of the household and should have the opportunity to share and be involved in every day family life.  Most Shared Lives Carers have one person living with them, but they are able to accommodate up to 3 people at any time.

For info and details:
Anna McEwen
anna.mcewen@newham.gov.uk
020 8430 5686

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