C.E. Jottings

Malealea in April. Such prospects.

Spoke with a young teenage girl in Waitrose this morning, offering to pack bags for customers at check-out. She and her friends were collecting for a project which will take her to Malealea in Lesotho in April for 2.5 weeks. There, they will be decorating a new community building currently under construction - a school, I think she said. It will also be the first time in her life that she has spent time away from her Mum and Dad.I... Read more →

Has The Time Come For Holistic Business Strategy in Conductive Education?

Some people I know (you don't need names) don't like "holistic" as a applied to conductive education. Indulge me a moment. SAHK have sought to apply conductive education to and embed it within their business model holistically, one might say, if by that we mean, the whole. "The Time Has Come For Holistic Business Strategy" says Brian Solis - now what could that possibly mean? You'll have to check the link yourself, as I'm not quite sure. I quite like... Read more →

"Mother who met PM asks to put disabled daughter into care"

From The Guardian, today: "Mother who met PM asks to put disabled daughter into care 'I can't cope,' says Riven Vincent after receiving letter telling her no more respite help is available for six-year-old Celyn" Apparently the story is on twitter, facebook and mumsnet - but you will have to search this for yourself as I don't have time just now. Sarah's gone to sleep, so I'm off to bed. Riven's six-year-old daughter, Celyn, has severe quadriplegic cerebral palsy and... Read more →

Are you unfit for leadership?

Recently, I was asked by a friend, Russell Cavanagh, to write a short piece about setting up a social enterprise for his blog "Business Posts". Many years ago, when Paces was beginning to take some recognisable shape at High Green, I happened across some advice that I have mentioned here before, from the late Steve Snow, one of the first community networkers, in an article entitled "Just Do It". Steve's advice ends with what he calls a "small note of... Read more →

2 blogs and a blogswarm - new to me anyway

Thanks to Glenda Watson Hyatt (@GlendaWH) for the ReTweet which led me to two blogs not previously known to me and to a "blogswarm" (also a word not previously known to me) campaign around the withdrawal of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance from those living in care homes. I've not explored either blog thoroughly enough yet to recommend them but here they are: The Broken of Britain - the disabled people's campaign. On Facebook and twitter too. Their... Read more →

Don't Limit Mobility

What bothers me most of all as a parent is what will happen to my daughter Sarah when (all too soon) her mother and I will be unable to care for her and she will depend upon the State for her needs. The Government is proposing to remove the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance from adults and children living in state-funded residential care. Today's Guardian reports the publication (download free) by a group of charities of "Don't Limit Mobility"... Read more →

SEN - Reforming provision in English schools

In passing, came across a November 2010 publication tonight from Policy Exchange which I had missed: "Special Educational Needs - Reforming provision in English schools". It can be downloaded as a pdf or purchased in hard copy. I have not yet fully read and digested it so do not wish to comment too soon. In my reading so far, there is much of interest, though I have an uncertain sense I would perhaps wish it to be a bit more... Read more →

An important contribution to Conductive Education literature #CondEd

"Conductive Education" written by Gabor Fellner, Headteacher of Paces School and published as a free eBook in pdf format. On first reading, it is a clear and, to the lay reader and professional alike, accessible account of conductive education. I shall look forward to reading it at leisure and reviewing. Read more →

GIGO or Ask the right question ...

Yesterday, to the surprise of some, to the delight of others, I suggested I was looking ahead into 2011 with some optimisim. "Positiveness" might have been a better word but that's a small point. I ended more-or-less by suggesting that "people like me who are charged with the task [of serving children with disabilities and their families] need to be focusing, not on 'the cuts' but ... creating and uncovering the opportunities and the ways through". GIGO, "Garbage In Garbage... Read more →

And so ... into 2011 with optimism

A few days late, but a Happy New Year to one and all. Paces opened for 2011 today. The long Christmas and New Year break has given time for rest, reflection and renewal. Actually, with the heavy snow that covered South Yorkshire in the last week of November, then the World Congress in early December, with just a few days remaining on my return before the Christmas closure, gave me personally a much needed extended break. On a strong recommendation... Read more →