C.E. Jottings

C4EO theme: Disability

C4EO - the "Centre for Excellence and Outcomes in Children and Young People's Services". I've not had the opportunity yet, having only just come across it, but the C4EO theme Disability might repay some careful reading by everyone in CE in the UK. "Disability is the second theme that C4EO will be working on as part of its three-year work programme. It will run from September 2008 until July 2010. C4EO's work on Disability supports Directors of Children's Services and... Read more →

Just a couple of 'feel good' stories from Paces

The forecast "BBQ summer" turns into endless rain; the recession it seems is to be a "W" not a "V"; charities face shortfalls in fundraised income in 2010 ... and so it goes on. And so too the ordinary day-to-day work of a charity active in its community just goes on. A couple of 'good news' stories from our local paper: "Concert for Paces" "North Sheffield community centre celebrates 40 years of security" Read more →

Allez! Allez! Allez! Barney.

The Tour de France ends for another year. And what an event 2009 has been. Contador! Armstrong! Bradley Wiggins! Barney Herring! Actually, those paying attention, will know Barney was not in the Tour de France. He was a good friend of mine at school. We cycled a lot together for a couple of years as schoolboys - day rides out from Ilford to Southend and Walton-on-the-Naze and such places. One year we hitch-hiked around the north of France. We went... Read more →

Walmart Foundation puts up $3m for transition

"In the US, retail giant Walmart has teamed up with The Arc of the United States - "the world’s largest" community-based organization of and for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities - to establish the Walmart Foundation School-to-Community Transition Project. "The Walmart Foundation awarded The Arc $3 million to start the project, which will be dedicated to improving outcomes for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities, especially during the transition from school to adult life. "The goal of these transition... Read more →

David Cameron's 5 lessons

Perhaps there has never been a time when it has been easier to be cynical about politicians. Yet that is perhaps a very strong reason for pausing and not rushing to be dismissive. Somebody, after all, has to speak; to re-new discussion; to give a lead. So, in The Independent today, David Cameron, a politician whose experience as father, until his recent sad death, of a disabled son, gives him unusual authority: The five lessons I learned as a father... Read more →

GMTV - Raising a Disabled Child

I'm away in North Carolina taking a break. But this [Raising a Disabled Child] came my way via Facebook. There's no CE connection but Julie Evett is an amazing Mum in the fight for her daughter. She has a wonderful ability to "tell it like it is" from a parent's point of view. Read more →

Authors of their own life story

"Education has an emancipatory, liberating, value .... [it].... allows individuals to become authors of their own life story." I was re-reading Andrew Sutton's blog posting "What use is physical therapy?" and the exchange that followed with Rony Schenker by way of Comments. I had downloaded and read Diane Demiano's paper to which Andrew and Rony refer. Now these are two very clever people, much cleverer than I, so I hesitate even to think of introducing a contrary thought. I hope... Read more →

A couple of quotes on Strategy

A couple of quotes on Strategy: Found this one a while back: (1) “I would have thought it self-evident that winning prizes comes with stability and long-term planning,” said Ferguson of Chelsea’s troubles. “Yet so often, when a club is faced with a few problems, wisdom flies out of the window." And this just a few minutes ago: (2) "The important thing in all of this," he reminisced, sharing a phrase he heard while attending a conference in Stanford, CA,... Read more →

Coming together to find our own solutions

I just enjoyed this couple of paragraphs in an article "State of Loneliness" by Charles Leadbeater in today's Guardian. He argues that whilst the Government's reforms focus on entitlements, supportive relationships are the real key to transforming "social ills". Giving people a right to more services might not be the right starting point, however, because it is not what people want. Radical public services innovation will only come from a markedly different starting point. The key will be to redesign... Read more →