Setting the scene: Disability Rights UK
Disability Rights Uk is a national rights-based organisation that works to create equal opportunities in all aspects of disabled people lives.
‘Get Yourself Active’ aims to lead change in the social care, health and sports sectors, in order to improve health and wellbeing of Disabled people and help them to get active in a way that is right for them.
The delivery of the ‘Get Yourself Active’ project has at its heart had the recognition that ‘everyone has the right to get active and have fun’. To deliver this there is an understanding of the need to educate the sport sector and the care system and to ensure the voices of disabled community informing every aspect of the project.
‘Get Yourself Active Local’ is funded by Sport England and is delivered across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin in partnership with Energize and working with local organisations.
Get Yourself Active Local – The journey so far
The key message is that movement supports wellbeing and wellbeing is for everyone. One hundred and twenty-three Adult Social Workers have been trained through the programme in Shropshire to date. The training is based around discussions about the importance of movement opportunities being embedded in care plans, how to have this conversation with those accessing care and the creation of a movement tool kit for Social Workers. This part of the project builds on Moving Social Work
Senior leaders in Adult Social Care have committed to the approach and in Telford and Wrekin there are now embedded questions about movement in assessments and care planning paperwork. It is hoped that Shropshire Adult Social Care will also do the same. Energize are working to embed a champions model in Social Care sector
Training has also been also provided for carers and paid carers to discuss the importance of physical activity, with top tips for how care professionals could support the delivery of this. It is recognised that more work on supporting unpaid carers through the project is needed.
In the physical activity sector, there was a focus on promoting coproduction and shared decision making with those with a lived experience, to ensure the right opportunities to get active were available locally.
PACC’s Involvement
PACC has supported the project by attending Steering Group meetings and promoting the project through our community networks. The project currently focuses mainly on Adult Social Care but PACC has championed the need to establish a similar approach in Children’s Social Care, so that children and young people from the SEND community experience the recognised benefits of being active. At the conference Sarah Thomas, PACC’s Influence and Change Lead talked about the development and impact of PACC’s Healthy Lives Holiday programme. You can read the presentation here.
We were also please to hear from Jess Young about the difference that PACC Healthy Lives Programme had made to her, helping her to recover her love of sport and to rebuild her confidence in participating in community activities.