A Picture Paints a Thousand Words

I am not very good at painting and drawing.  That’s probably an understatement if I’m honest!  I’m too heavy with the brush and go over things far too much. 

However, I love paintings and pictures in general. I adore photography. 

Capturing an image of something beautiful or interesting or simply just capturing a memorable moment.  As infants we are introduced to pictures and photographs, before we can understand or produce words.  But slowly some of us begin to associate the picture with the word, for example, cat, dog, tree. 

Another of my loves and hobbies is reading,  (although perhaps it would be more accurate that my hobby is buying books I intend to read, but haven’t yet got round to picking up!) 

However, I’m aware that for many people reading is something that they are unable to learn due to their difficulties with learning new things.  

Books...

Over the years working in NHS services for people with a Learning Disability I often came across situations where we would work with an individual client who was presenting with behaviour that was challenging the service or who had been identified as having difficulties with mental health.

More often than not, following assessment, it would be clear that the staff were desperately trying to do the right thing for the service users but the conflicting pressures on the management were preventing change.  

I spent many hours talking with managers about their worries for the service, their staff and their service users.

I could hear their passion and commitment to providing outstanding care for the service users, yet they were drowning in their frustrations with the endless spreadsheets, rotas, staffing issues, safeguarding reports, demands from the local authority and the constant threat of a statutory inspection. 

Yet, with some simple steps to consider the...

I’ve been thinking…. It’s pretty horrifying how stigmatised people with a learning disability continue to be within our society.  

Whilst it had appeared that there had been progress and there were steps by those high up in the NHS and the government to address health inequalities, the use of Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation orders (DNACPRs) during the pandemic highlighted that there is an underlying stigma that emphasises that your worth and value is based on the sliding scale of cognitive ability.  

How can we change this stigma?  What can be done?  

I feel ashamed to be part of such a society.  Yet I remind myself that we have come a long way from the many injustices of the past.  But we must do more… this cannot carry on.

Sometimes when we see such a huge task it can feel overwhelming and it feels like we cannot make a difference.  

The boy with the starfish

This reminds me of the story...

Last week I was privileged to attend the NAIDEX 2022 at the NEC – #Anythingispossible

It was great to be with so many others who are advocating tirelessly for disability rights and for inclusion.  

There is so much on offer now

• adaptations to ordinary door keys to help them turn
• easy peelers
• ways to hold playing cards
• easy to put on shoes
• architectural lifts in your home
• beds that rotate and rise to make it easier to get in and out
• the adaptations for young people to help them with playing computer games or browse websites 

It was also great to hear of the work of AccessAble.co.uk who have a database on exactly how accessible individual venues are. 

You can search the AccessAble database to find out whether there are:

• steps
• hearing systems
• accessible and easy to use toilets
• and then plan your trip out around the information

It was also wonderful to hear Baroness Tanni Grey-Thomson speak and highlight the campaigning she has been doing...

Welcome to my first blog post! I'm so glad you've joined me here today. 

Let me firstly introduce myself. I’m Dr Hannah Dennis, Clinical Psychologist and Director of HRD Consultancy.  

I’ve worked in Learning Disability Services for the past twenty years, initially within the NHS but more recently providing consultancy to residential schools and residential homes.  

I also work as an expert witness for family courts here in the UK.

I’d like to tell you a story of a guy named Pete (real name changed).  

I met Pete when I was a trainee Clinical Psychologist within Staffordshire UK.  

Pete had really complex needs.  He had a significant learning disability and some mobility issues.  He had no speech but made preverbal sounds. He had been presenting with some behaviours which were challenging the service in which he lived.  

Stock photo from unsplash credit to photographer Nathan...