Projects The Dream Team Bill of Rights Project

Organisation and contact details:

Nikki Girvan / Mary Haughey
Promoting Wellbeing Team
The Health Centre
John Mitchel Place
Newry
BT34 2PU

Tel: 028 3083 4322
Email: nikki.girvan@southerntrust.hscni.net

Project title:

The Dream Team Bill of Rights Project

Introduction:

The Dream Team was established in August 2006, in response to a need for adults with learning disabilities living within Supported Living Schemes in the Newry & Mourne area, to articulate their own health and social care needs, and to have their own voice.

Aim:

The Dream Team’s aim is to develop a project in the form of a short film which will produce a consultative and assistive dvd. The dvd will showcase key rights which impact upon adults with learning disabilities using the medium of drama, and also demonstrate how the Bill of Rights, when invoked, can be used by adults with learning disabilities as a safeguard.

Objectives:

• To work jointly with a drama company called “Spanner in the Works” who have funding available to carry out 6 community workshops. Drama workshops will take place to teach the Dream Team how to use drama to highlight rights issues.

• This project will ensure that The Dream Team are aware of the proposed Bill of Rights, are able to contribute to its development and are aware of how they can use a future Bill of Rights to protect themselves.

• When the film has been produced, The Dream Team plan to launch the dvd to a wide range of stakeholders, and ultimately distribute a number of copies to day centres, supported living schemes, schools and student social workers throughout the Newry & Mourne area.

• Following the launch, it is hoped that a number of focus groups sessions will be held with the following groups within the area:

(a) Schools. The dvd will be shown in schools to highlight rights issues which affect adults with a learning disability and also the impact of a Bill of Rights on our community. It is hoped that this will educate young people about the proposed Bill of Rights and in particular, highlight issues which are important to adults with learning disabilities, and raise awareness of the impact of a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland.

(b) Day Centres. We will be able to educate our peers, and indeed day care staff on key rights issues, the impact of the Bill of Rights, and what that might mean for them.

(c) Student Social Workers. To highlight the proposed Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland and to distribute the dvd to this group to be used as a learning tool for best practice in user involvement.

• Finally, we hope to invite Monica Wilson, Disability Action (member of the Economic and Social Rights, including relevant Equality issues Working Group) to a presentation by the Dream Team which will showcase all the rights which were discussed during the consultation sessions. A written report will then be given to Monica Wilson to feed back to the working group.

Methods of engagement:

The Disability Action Advocacy Worker (Sinead) and the Community Development Worker (Nikki) came to visit us, over a number of weeks at our homes, to talk about rights issues and to ask us what rights we felt were important to us. At the end of this process we had came up with 50 rights.

Results / outcomes:

• Adults with a learning disability have increased knowledge and awareness of importance of Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland.

• A significant increase in and interest of learning disabled people in the Bill of Rights issues and how the new Bill will affect them, and increased confidence to become involved in discussions around human rights.

• In the development of this project we have promoted best practice in user involvement.

• Adults with a learning disability have developed skills, knowledge and confidence in film-making, producing, and drama.

• Adults with a learning disability have advocated on behalf of their peers to raise awareness of and highlight rights of individuals.

• Raised awareness of Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland and its impact, particularly with regard to disabilities, across wider community.

• Promoted social inclusion and integration with wider community.

• Promoted and developed partnership working with Trust and other key agencies.

Evaluation process:

Evidence for evaluation will be gathered through quantitative and qualitative tools. A follow-up to the launch of the dvd will take the form of a series of focus groups where the Dream Team will visit various centres to show dvd and provide information on the Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland. We hope to establish an evaluation framework in conjunction with the Trust audit department which will detail activities of the project, outputs/outcomes, indicators of evidence, and sources/methods of data collection. Methods of data collection will include focus group sessions, semi-formal interviews, one to one meetings, questionnaires with participants, key workers, staff members and other stakeholders involved in the implementation and roll-out of the project.

The Dream Team:

• Case Study features in a publication by the Bill of Rights Forum.

• Performed their drama at Bill of Rights Conference – Making the Bill of Rights have a lasting legacy.

• The Dream Team have hosted a workshop at conference for people with a learning disability.

• The Dream Team have performed their drama at a student social worker induction day.

Comments:

The Dream Team have now lost their advocacy worker and community workers from the Southern Health and Social Care Trust are currently in discussions with Supported Living Unit Managers to explore ways of sustaining this work.