worth and in young go to work!

Transcription

1 MAXLIFEIsse MAGAZINE OF 3 MAGAZINE OF CITY CARE PARTNERSHIP bilding self worth and self belief in yong people? let s go to work! edcation and I.T. - the way forward? haydock races - it s a winner! making a big song and dance!

2 Work Available Monday/Tesday/Thrsday: 10am-4pm We invite all people to exhibit their art work at the resorce center. We charge a 1%commission. All art work and photography mst be framed. This is open to all the members of the commnity. A photographic exhibition will be held from the 29th March for two weeks. Prizes will We have new opportnities for work -contact Merv for more details be given for the best photos taken by camera and the best photos taken by phone.

3 MAXLIFE MAGAZINE OF CITY CARE PARTNERSHIP City Care, Riversdale Hose, 18 Gatley Rd, Cheadle, Stockport, S8 1PY Registered in England: THE STAGE IS READY 5 TEN OF THE BEST 5 staff srvey otcomes craig s film reviews 6 HAPPY BIRTHDAY; LEE, FELA & Selina 9 WE VE GOT THE LOVE 12 LET S GO TO WOR RACING winners: HAYDOC PAR TRIP EDUCATION? TABLETS MAY WOR INTERVIEW: BERNADETTE ENT message from The editor elcome all to isse 3 of MaxLife. I W cannot believe it has been almost 10 years since I prodced City Care s first magazine. For those of yo who have been arond long enogh I am sre yo will all agree MaxLife is a far cry from the first magazine initially prodced sing Microsoft Pblisher and printed in hose! In this edition, as well as the sal fn-filled articles inclding birthday celebrations and days ot at the races, read a heartfelt, open and honest interview with Bernadette ent, a story all too familiar to those who live and work in the care sector. I think yo will all agree Bernadette s bravery and desire to help others by sharing sch a personal accont is a testament to her strength of character. At City Care we are committed to helping provide eqal access to the job market and eqipping yong people with the skills and opportnities to compete for employment. So we thoght it fitting that this isse wold be a work special. Read inspiring interviews with Daniel elly and Adam Harrison as they gradate from City Care s JobPod and embark on a search for work and a career. Read abot their ps and downs, trials and triblations and ltimate sccesses as they trimph in the job market, well done gys. I wold like to take this opportnity to say congratlations to Timothy Haynes and Mark Mrray both of whom celebrate 10 years at City Care. They have both been instrmental in ensring positive otcomes for nmeros individals within the service. Thank yo Tim for keeping the momentm going and contining to strive for high standards in all yor roles. And Mark, thank yo for yor steadfast ability to remain nflstered and always willing to lend a helping hand and spport to those arond yo. Finally, remember to book September 27th in yor diary and come along to spport or talent in a fnfilled singing, dance and interactive extravaganza (details on pg4). I look forward to seeing yo there!

4 4 MAX LIFE MAGAZINE Song & dance sperstar, Bernie, show organiser Sheila O Neill and msical maestro & prodcer Dave Skillin inspect the stage dinner at the perk The stage is ready! reparations are well P nderway for the fablos variety performance starring a massive cast of singers and dancers from the ranks of City Care. It s really taken off and those careflly rehearsed performances will now have a stage befitting their talents. The show will take place at East Didsbry Methodist Chrch, home to one of the last classic proscenim arch stages in Manchester, a tre variety stage for a big time variety extravaganza. Having attended a nmber of rehearsals we ve been amazed at the energy and enthsiasm of everyone taking part. The standard has srprised me, explains Msical Prodcer, Dave Skillin. It s taken my breath away at times. I can t believe how mch practise people have pt in. Having been involved in lots of shows in the past I wasn t expecting to see this mch talent and dedication, it s been trly plifting. fantastic time A was enjoyed by those who came to sample the delights of a roast dinner prepared by the team at Didsbry Perk. It was a great day, explains Matt. We got a great response and had loads of people wanting to come. We ll certainly be doing it again and next time we ll make it even bigger. Thanks to all those who got involved and spported the cafe. Fine food, fine wine and fine company the recipe for a great Easter dinner All proceeds from the show go to spporting Francis Hose Francis Hose and Francis Lodge exist to provide appropriate care for children and yong people with life threatening conditions and the necessary spport and shortterm rest for their families. To find ot more visit

5 Craig s Film Reviews Every isse Craig from Broom Lane will give his expert verdict on the best in cinema MAX LIFE MAGAZINE 5 ten of the best from Mark & Tim Film: 21 Jmp St Craig s Award: 4 Stars Did yo enjoy the film? Yes Who was the best character in this film? And why? Jonah Hill s character Schmidt, I think he s a fnny gy. What was the best scene in this film? And why? The scene where they first go to college, nder cover - that was really fnny! What wold yo do to make this film better? Nothing, everything was really good. How wold yo sm p this film in one sentence? Really good! ongratlations to Tim & Mark who are C abot to srpass 10 years service with City Care. Both started as spport workers back in 2004, when we spported less than 15 people. I m delighted to offer my thanks to both Mark and Tim for the hard work and dedication they ve pt in for the last ten years, said Phillip Jones, Director of Care. It shows their commitment to the people we spport that Mark and Tim now hold senior positions and have been pivotal in the growth of the organisation. In their time we have developed to offer spport to over fifty people and they have been instrmental in maintaining the high standards we ve achieved. On behalf of everyone at City Care, Thank yo! we want yor ideas & Opinions Thanks to everyone who filled ot the staff srvey, there was some great feedback and we d like the chance to discss it frther. As sggested there will now be a series of staff forms to discss the findings and welcome yor opinions and soltions. The first session will be on Wednesday 23rd Jly at Cheadle Cricket Clb - each session will last approximately 1.5 hors and will rn from 10.30am throgh to 4pm. Additional dates and information will be sent ot prior to the event.

6 6 MAX LIFE MAGAZINE Lee For once Lee wasn t working behind the bar, that wold have been togh on his special day. He did do a good job emptying it thogh! Lee and Steff had a great night Chelsea did a great job with the cake. It was red and white for Utd and ble and white for Oldham - Lee s 2 favorite teams

7 MAX LIFE MAGAZINE 7 Fela Fela had a great party made all the more special by an amazing range of his favorite foods, prepared by Nan and Matt at Didsbry Perk.

8 8 MAX LIFE MAGAZINE 2 aty Perrys, a giant white cat, Sam looking cool in shades, what a party! Selina another great cake - this time featring cp cakes on sticks! Selina is now so famos at singing and dancing that celebrity friends come to her birthday parties. The one and only aty Perry played live in the back garden, how cool is that?! Photos by Sam

9 MAX LIFE MAGAZINE 9 We ve got the love! or anyone who stayed late at the Smmer Party there was a special F treat in store, a samba srprise! Fresh from lengthy rehearsals we were treated to a sneak preview of the entertainment on offer at the Charity Show, now pencilled in for September 27th, and it was amazing. I can t believe how well it s come together, laghed Sophia, City Care s choreographer and dance coach. Everyone s worked so hard and yo can see the effort they ve pt in coming together. The samba rotine isn t easy, so for them to perform it so well on stage for the first time was fantastic. There are still plenty of opportnities to get involved in the show, with reglar private vocal and dance training available at the resorce centre every Thrsday. Another of the show s big nmbers is Yo ve got the love and we ve created a gide to the steps on the next two pages. There is a video of Sophia teaching the steps and the fll version of the song available, jst contact Sheila or Sophia for more details. Remember anyone who s nervos abot appearing live on stage can be recorded on video and projected as part of the show so come on, get involved!

10 Bring arms down and croch RR R l R R Right arm high - Fingers click Right arm down Both arms high 1 2 Fingers click 3 look p. 4 5 R R 11 ick left foot forward 12 Pt left foot down and pick p right 13 Right leg to the side, Repeat x4 14 Click - right hand p- swish hips Circle right arm rond 15the head - psh left 21 eep stepping side to side 22 Roll hands - point right hand p 23 Alternate x4 24 A Face back - psh left arm to the side Swish hips side to side x4 25 Pivot to the front - swish to the side R Bonce arms p - 31down (chicken dance) 32 Alternate sides 33 Alternate sides 34 Pick p right foot 35 ick forward

11 r r RR l R Trn to front - make eep heart shape - Open arms in line Click - right hand pswish hips side to side 10 heart shape - lean left stand p with sholders straight 9 Click - right hand down and swish hips R R 16 Bend knees - lean to left 17 Repeat to the other side x4 18 Raise right sholder and Step to the right - swap sholders (Right, 19 pt left leg behind left, right)x3 20 Alternate x4 26 Face back - 4 small steps backwards, roll alternate sholders Pivot with small 27 steps with right foot 28 Face the front 29 Face the right p - down R diagonal - Pt hands 30 Roll the body down 36 Cross right foot in front of left - trn arond (fll trn) 37 Bonce p - down - twist hands (light blbs) 38 Psh right elbow to the side - drop it 39 Swap sides x4 40 Raise arms - cross right leg in front.

12 12 MAX LIFE MAGAZINE Let s Go to work! Employment is now widely accepted as the key driver for self worth and independence. MaxLife meets Dan, to tell s how that works in the real world ooking for a job L is never an easy process. It takes a lot of corage to keep at it, to keep ptting yorself ot there, facing possible rejection with each application, or even worse applying and hearing nothing back. We ve all been there and I m sre we can all remember how personal the whole process can feel. At times of high nemployment it s often discssed how a spiral of dobt and depression can affect jobseekers. Think it s togh being in the onein-ten? Imagine then how it feels if yo re one of the nine-in-ten? Only 6.4% of people with a learning disability are in paid employment. Dan had been tirelessly searching for work for 4 months, sing all his spport hors and spare time, when he finally heard the words his hard work and effort richly deserved; yo ve got the job. That was a real relief becase I d been looking for ages, explains Dan happily. It was great, I jst thoght all my hard work looking for a job had finally paid off. It s very hard at the moment finding work when yo ve not got mch experience becase yo shold be given a chance to learn a role, bt yo can t if no-one gives yo that first chance. All smiles - Dan particlarly enjoys working with the pblic If yo keep trying yo are going to get noticed. One set-back doesn t mean yo shold stop yo ve got to keep going So how did Dan bck the trend and find employment, now widely agreed to be the major factor in developing independence and self belief amongst yong people with learning disabilities? Having started at City Care s own employment scheme, Didsbry Perk, he decided that he wanted to go into retail and with incredible determination after a cople of setbacks, inclding a brief spell at Next, he had the confidence and belief to find his own path and make it happen. Many of the yong people referred to City Care have a real grasp of what they want to achieve in life and want to develop into adlts that have access to everything society has to offer, explains Tim who is the Registered Manager at Broom Lane. They often say to me I want to be independent. When I think of this phrase it conjres p so many different scenarios inclding; finance & money, making decisions abot yorself,

13 MAX LIFE MAGAZINE 13 The Perk T-Shirt When City Care began to proactively look at the employment opportnities available to the people we spport we were disappointed with the scarcity of genine options available. Despite great strides in disability discrimination policies for people with a physical disability over 90% of the 1.5m people with a learning disability in the U are nemployed. As an organisation we were becoming increasingly aware of the disappointment and frstration felt by the people we spport at the lack of opportnities available to them and the resltant social exclsion they had experienced. Or work in developing the transition service at Broom Lane, where yong adlts are spported to live more independent lives, natrally fed into the need for more employment and work training opportnities. To fill the gap and provide an otlet for the individals coming throgh Transition we opened Didsbry Perk, a flly operational commnity cafe providing cstomer facing employment and training. The new niform, agreed pon and kindly modelled by Cafe workers inclding Bernie, Lee, Antonio & Matthew makes a clear statement.

14 14 MAX LIFE MAGAZINE friendships, relationships and often most important in the context of being perceived as an adlt, employment. One thing we try to get across to the people we spport is that being independent doesn t jst mean doing things alone. I consider myself independent bt I can do so mch for myself becase I have people arond me who help me to learn and give me the confidence to develop skills. In the past there have been a nmber of companies that have spported people into work, which is great, bt one area that really needs to be improved is developing the nderstanding of atism and learning disabilities in the work place. Nothing gives a person more self worth than feeling valed by their peers and gainfl employment has the power to do this. It was very hard at times, explains Dan. Some of the jobs I went for said they weren t looking for experience and then when I applied said yo don t have experience. That s frstrating and it s hard to keep going when that happens. There were lots of times I felt like giving p and jst concentrating on college bt then this job at Sainsbrys came p. I d had a few interviews in between and a few near misses. After 4 months of searching Dan was determined to see throgh the whole application process even thogh it worried him at times. When I passed the first stage (phone interview) I started to get a bit nervos, he explains. The first time I called the man pt me on hold for abot 10 mintes and I got bored and pt the phone down so had to call them back! Bt they were nice and I spoke to a woman for thirty mintes. I explained why I wanted to work and that I liked helping people. The Pod on the p The JobPod contines to offer work opportnities to those who prefer physical or otdoor work. There s big news on the way and next isse we ll discss a range of new work opportnities with Mervyn O Malley. Sainsbrys were really good, they did a lot of talking to me and took me on after getting to know me and my friendly natre. They knew I d be good with people. They did a cople of stages like that and then invited me to come down to one of their stores for a face-to-face interview. When I was waiting with other I did feel like giving p at times bt I wanted to prove that I cold get ot there and find my own job and make a go of it people who were going for a job I started to feel nervos, bt then in the interview with the manager from Deansgate I got more confident as the interview went on. Then we had a grop session where we had to talk abot what we d do to improve the store to show how we cold get involved it was a long day! There was a period after where I got qite anxios, thinking I d messed it p, then I was asked to phone them back and give them my applicant reference nmber and they told me there and then I d got the job. Everyone at Broom Lane is prod of Dan s achievement; even more so as he has recently won the employee of the month award, showing he s ptting as mch effort into the job as he did finding it! Dan was the very first person to move into the Transition service at Broom Lane nearly 2 years ago now, explains Glen who leads Dan s spport service. I ve managed that service from the start so I m incredibly pleased to see Dan come throgh with sch self-belief and confidence. I see him every day so it s hard to notice the change bt a staff member who hadn t seen him for 6 months visited him last week and said the change in him was massive.

15 MAX LIFE MAGAZINE 15 He s had great spport from the staff bt it shows his determination how he s taken this on and driven it himself. He s achieved so mch in sch a short time, it s amazing. I d spent a lot of time in the evening with my spport staff jst looking and applying and I did feel like giving p at times, explains Dan. I wanted to prove that I cold get ot there and find my own job and make a go of it. At college they tried to teach me cstomer service skills there s a lot I cold teach them now becase I m ot there doing it! Dan had been nervos at raising the sbject of his disability, bt with the spport of his staff team, decided it was best to make sre the employers nderstood his position. I think they re really good as long as yo are open and honest abot yor sitation, he explains. If yo re willing to work, they re willing to give yo a chance, which is great. Sainsbrys also believe strongly in eqal opportnities, so yo know they re willing to give everyone a fair shot at getting the job. There are jobs ot there if yo jst keep at it. If yo keep trying yo are going to get noticed. One set-back doesn t mean yo shold stop, employers can see that yo ve applied for 20 jobs and kept going and someone is going to see that and appreciate it yo ve jst got to keep going till that happens. They ll see that yo re willing to work hard at getting a job so they know yo ll work hard when yo do. Yo ve jst got to keep going and yo ll be rewarded. Recent PBS training with Dr Gary LaVigna, co-fonder of IABA in California has reinforced City Care s belief in the empowerment of the individal throgh employment. We ll take a look at their pioneering work, and hopeflly interview Dr LaVigna in the next isse. Having worked at the JobPod and Didsbry Perk to gain valable experience, Adam has recently started at McDonalds. Working means everything to me. It s a career, an opportnity and the chance to expand yor lifestyle and earn some money. I love going to work. Sometimes it can be stressfl, sometimes it s bsy and sometimes it s hard, bt it always makes me feel good. The money isn t great bt at the end of the month it s a great feeling to get yor wages and know yo ve not jst sat abot relying on benefits. Long term I hope to open my own bsiness, probably in food and catering. That s why I m working at McDonalds, to get the experience I need. I m thinking of going to college to get more training - that ll help me to learn more abot being a chef. The job I do now is more sing eqipment like deep fat fryers rather than cooking, bt it s good as I need to know how to se eqipment. I like the gys I work with, they ve become good friends too. It s a nice part of the job. Will has worked at Cineworld in Didsbry for 4 years and still loves it! I really like going there, it s a great place to be and everyone is really down to earth. I look forward to it every week. I like meeting the people and helping them have a good time. I like talking to them I like talking to everyone really. They re ot to have a good time and I like being part of that. Having my own money helps with the things I like to do like going to the cinema. It also helps that I can save for recording eqipment and things to help me with my msic. I m enjoying the day-to-day job and what it brings bt it also helps me follow my dream of becoming a world rap star. If I can t afford a stdio it still helps me to get involved with prodcing stff for YoTbe and getting on rap battles. I d like to follow my dream like Biggie Smalls. Then I d like to perform in charity concerts and spport The Teenage Cancer Trst, what that gy achieved is amazing and I d like to spport that going forward.

16 16 MAX LIFE MAGAZINE Picking winners is thirsty work Mickey and John or racing experts

17 MAX LIFE MAGAZINE 17 Racing winners It was a great day when everyone got together for a big day ot at the races at Haydock Park. Some people won money, some people didn t, bt everyone agreed it was a great day ot - so in the end everyone who went was a winner! Atif enjoyed all the people and the horses Winning can make yo feel 10ft tall they tell Bernie and Petrina! Dan, the coolest gy on the corse Lee and Steff, I think Lee s telling s how many winners he s picked!

18 18 MAX LIFE MAGAZINE There were plenty of people cashing in their winnings. Amongst them were Lisa,Cassie and Matthew. Win or lose Petrina was all smiles as sal Cassie lets s know what she thinks of Merv s predictions

19 MAX LIFE MAGAZINE 19 edcation? tablets may work Atism creates many isses for commnication, casing frstration and increasing anxiety. MaxLife talks to Alan Greenhalgh on the potential for technology to help hen Fela sees a W pictre of a cat or a fish he knows what it is explains Alan, a respected teacher and athor who works with Fela and John on their commnication skills and edcation. The atism is a barrier to him bringing that word forward and yo can feel his frstration becase he knows what it is, whereas some other people I work with don t. It s similar when we se the dominoes, to some people I work with they re jst a tactile experience. Whereas with Fela, yo can see in the way he does it very qickly withot any help, he knows that each nmber has significance. He knows there is an order and a pattern, and yo can feel the intelligence as he works throgh it. He nderstands everything that s said, and what he wants to say is there, it s jst how to help him get it ot. So far the emphasis has been on Makaton bt he s exhasted those books and knows them off by heart. He also knows the PEC system well and can se that system withot any troble, bt it s limited and not the most natral way to commnicate so I m interested in anything that cold help expand that latent ability that Fela has. Every atistic learner is different so there wold be a great benefit to sing technology if it was centred specifically on Fela. I think there s a great opportnity with the technology available now, sch as ipads and tablets to create a system that cold help Fela in everyday commnication. Fela will se Makaton for food and drink items and some emotions, bt he has felt frstration in the past at not being able to expand his vocablary with Makaton. It s different for John, as it is with all atistic learners, bt there is potential to help them both in different ways and it s great that City Care are looking into that. It s also valable that all the care staff here have ndergone Makaton training, which is really good bt the problem with that is keeping all the staff p to date with what John and Fela are learning. If we cold se more Information Technology both in the commnication and the edcation, then the staff wold be able to follow that process and be even more involved. I know Lisa Owens, City Care s Speech & Langage Therapist, is keen on this technology. If we can make it specific to Fela and John, maybe we cold overcome some of their commnication isses, that d be a real breakthrogh. City Care have a working grop researching the se of IT for commnication. If yo ve any thoghts or ideas contact Lisa Owens or Tony Crowther (tonycrowther@ citycarepartnership.co.k) hrram s online for instant rewards There s a great programme we se called ixl, it s aimed at schools p to year 12, explains Wayne Archer. It s an online system that helps teach comprehension and maths. We se it with a few people, hrram enjoys it. He likes sing the laptop and gets a lot ot of the rewards system, the more he does the more he earns. It s a great way to learn as it s very interactive and motivating, he loves getting that instant response that tells him when he s achieved. I really enjoy it, explains hrram. I get a lot ot of it. I like doing the maths, the sqares and the circles. It s good, I m going to get a certificate. I m going to frame it and pt it on my wall. see for more info or speak to Wayne Archer.

20 20 MAX LIFE MAGAZINE Bernadette tells s what it is like to be in care of the Local Athority. Bernie was in care from 18 months to 18 years in children s services and from 18 to present day in adlt services? Bernie, if the world was perfect and yo cold have the perfect life who wold yo have in it? A My adopted Mm.? Jst yor mm? Wold yo have anyone else? A No jst my adopted Mm.? Were yo very close? A Not close like, bt close if yo know what I mean.? Did she look after yo? A Yeah she did bt in some ways I looked after her.? Was she ill? A She had depression. Her brother died and that made the depression worse and she drank. Then she had a seizre and I had to look after her I called the amblance and they helped me. Talked me throgh it.? Were yo frightened? A No not really, the amblance people were helping me talking me throgh it like.? How old were yo then? A I m not sre I think maybe 10 or 11.? Was yor adopted mm alright after that? A No she got worse. I had to look after her she didn t eat. Bt then I had to go back into care. interview Bernadette ent? What do yo mean go back into care? A Into a residential home.? Why did that happen? A I didn t get on with my adopted Dad and one day he hit me so the social services took me away and he got into troble for it. My adopted Mm didn t believe me, she blamed me and said she didn t want to see me again.? Why do yo think she said that? A I think she was afraid of my adopted Dad.? Did yo see her again? No I never saw her again she died.? How did she die? A She had liver failre and her appendix brst. She was on her own she got worse and worse and didn t eat. She had no one to help her. I blame myself every day. I blame myself that I coldn t help her.? How old were yo when yo went into residential care? A I was abot 14, it was before my adopted mother died.? What happened? A The social services took me to the police station said I coldn t go back to my adopted mm cos of what happened with my adopted father. It was 7 O clock at night. I had to wait there in the police station ntil 10 O clock.? What happened then? A The social worker took me to this place - it looked horrible, looked like a dmping grond. It was scrffy like in a Tracy Beaker

21 MAX LIFE MAGAZINE 21 story. (The story of a yong girl placed in care) When I got there they showed me where I was staying and got me some toiletries. Then they locked the door and I cried myself to sleep. Next day I had to go for a video interview. I had no clothes so they gave me a life jacket, it was too big for me and they gave me baggy trosers and boots that were too big.? Was it really a life jacket? A Yes they didn t have anything else and I had no clothes with me I jst left with what I had on. It was horrible I had to do the video interview dressed like that I felt bad. Like I wasn t even important.? What happened to yo after that? A I jst had to stay there. My adopted Mm said I coldn t go home. She was afraid of my adopted dad, I believe it was becase of him I had to stay at the home. I hated it. I started to hrt myself. I know it was wrong and I m not prod of it. It was the way I felt. The only way I cold express how I felt. I jst did it and it made me feel a bit better. It was a kind of a release. I stopped eating and got really thin and they moved me to where my 2 sisters were. I moved in with them and their adopted mm.? Had she adopted yor sisters? A No I don t think so I don t know.? Cold she have fostered them? A Maybe, maybe I don t really know.? Were yo happy there?

22 22 MAX LIFE MAGAZINE A I was O I looked after my little sisters. Then it went wrong. I took her and my little cosin ot to the park and there was a gang of lads. They set abot me and one of them ct my head open with a knckle dster. I was lcky we got away bt I had to have a lot of stitches and my head is scarred. After that I was afraid to go ot, woldn t go ot nless someone was with me and got scared if there was a crowd. Am still scared of crowds. Frightened of what they might do. So they moved me again. I got sent to Longsight and the woman I was staying with said some friends wold look after me. She said they were good people and were applying to be foster carers. Bt they weren t and the man sexally absed me and I had to move again. From being 14 I lived in Manchester, then Didsbry, then Gorton, then Longsight and then to Blackbrn. It was like another world. Every time I moved I lost my friends. After the abse I was taken to a family in Blackbrn who liked me and I liked them. I was happy there and stayed there ntil I was 18, then I had to leave.? Why did yo have to leave? A I was 18, the people were in the children s services, I coldn t stay with them becase I was an adlt and the social services woldn t pay for me to stay. So I had to go to an adlt place and I came to City Care.? Did yo see these people again? A Yes I am still in contact with them, they really did care abot me.? Is there anyone else in yor life other than yor adopted mm and these people who yo know cared abot yo. A I had an Anty, I cold stay with sometimes and she cared abot me.? Do yo still see her? A No not now she lives in Blackpool.? Bernie, what do yo think the care system has done for yo? A It hasn t done anything it jst moved me from place to place. Only there (to help me in crises) for their own sakes. Jst to cover their backs. Came to help so they woldn t get into troble. They didn t help me. Before I came to City Care the social worker didn t even know me and she said I was disabled. She I wold like my own place with my own space I cold be my own person not jst be what people want me to be. only met me once or twice bt said I wasn t capable of looking after myself, that I needed spport 24 hors a day. She said I had a learning disability and coldn t look after myself bt she didn t even know me.? Do people still think yo can t look after yorself? A No they know I can bt they try to protect me all of the time.? Is that hard? A Yes it is sometimes. I know I can do things and I am not stpid? What abot relationships? A I have had a few bt they went badly. I don t pick right.? Do people let yo get on with yor own choices in relationships? A No not really it s social services, they have to have meetings to decide and they never do and it jst goes on and on. So yo can t be together jst one afternoon a week and if I am late back after six o clock, even a few mintes I am in troble. Yo can t go away together or anything like that or be together. I think the social services jst don t bother abot what it means to me that I can t jst have a relationship like everyone else. The staff who work with me, well I think they re jst trying to protect me.? What do yo feel abot that? A I nderstand bt think I have the right to try it. How can I know if it will work if I m not given the room to try?? How does it make yo feel?

23 MAX LIFE MAGAZINE 23 A It makes me feel angry, I always have to prove myself no matter what and prove people wrong and it makes it hard.? Yo were in care from 18 months to 18 years. What were the worst things abot being in care? A The loneliness, not really having anyone or being special. Then being mistreated and absed. Also being moved all the time making new friends then losing them. Making friends with new staff and then they jst move on. Yo learn it s best not to make friends, jst keep yor distance that way it doesn t hrt so mch when they move on. Care managers, they don t really care, most jst do it for the money. Like they come when there s a problem and they act like they care bt then they jst find a new place to pt yo and that s it. It s like they wash their hands of yo. They ve done their job yo re the new person s problem now. Yo don t see them again.? In the ftre what is yor ideal world? The best place yo cold be in. A Getting my NVQ. I am on the corse and I am prod of myself for that, I never thoght I wold get to be on that corse. I wold like my own place with my own space cos it s like more freedom. I cold be my own person not be what people want me to be. I have a job and I enjoy it and I am learning, I wold like to be able to choose jobs. Be the same as everyone else.? Wold yo like to marry? A No not yet maybe in the ftre, bt then again it s too mch hassle. Money, dresses, all the fss. I wold like the bit after the wedding - the relationship, having someone of my own and having a proper home with someone.? Wold yo want to do this all on yor own or do yo think yo wold like spport? A I wold like spport - to know someone is there if I need help bt wold like a go at being independent. Call someone when I need help. See people.? What wold yo like people to know abot yor life in care? What wold yo like to tell them? A I wold like to tell them they were wrong abot me. I have showed them I am strong that I can do things. I went to mainstream school and it was hard bt I did it. Then they moved me from college to college bt I did it. I can work and earn money. I can look after myself I am not disabled. They were wrong to say that, it made my life hard. All my experiences will inspire others who are in care to know they can have a life. One day I wold like to write my atobiography to show people what it is like to be in care. To show other people who end p there that it s O, they can still scceed. They can have a life.

24 Choose a job yo love and yo can make a difference! We spport people in employment roles Recritment days are as active as the job itself! Edcation is a key part of or spport role Do yo want: an interesting and varied role to work with people and help them grow and develop to gain real job satisfaction to be part of a team to work with people who vale yo and yor contribtion? We offer: good basic salary (average earnings 17.5k) benefits package fll training career progression and degree level training - many of or Managers and Senior Managers started as Spport Workers Website QR City Care Spport Workers needed Or staff are as diverse and interesting as the people we spport. We re opening new services across Manchester and are looking for people to join or rapidly growing organisation. No experience is necessary as we provide otstanding accredited and in-hose training. k manal driving license is essential! we hold reglar open recritment days. See the website for the date and location of the next event Manage Risk Maximise For more info call Life