Finding Your Feet takes flight in York..

Partner update - Tracy Wilson  

Tracy Wilson – Project Officer: York Blind and Partially Sighted Society

 Over the weekend of May 11^th & 12^th, we held our first ‘Finding Your Feet’ empowerment course in our offices at Holgate Villa – facilitated by Jeff Page (RNIB), Diane Roworth (our Chief Officer) and myself. Five people experiencing sight loss and two of their supporters came together to share experiences and new ideas about living with sight difficulties.

 Day 1

Everyone arrived on Saturday morning a little nervous, not sure of how the weekend would unfold. After refreshments and a warm welcome, everyone was keen to begin and soon appeared more relaxed. The morning session, led by a rehabilitation Officer, concentrated on some of the difficulties that people with sight problems have when reading and writing. He demonstrated lots of practical ways that people can overcome these barriers and group members also shared their views and useful tips that they had discovered. This was followed by a visit to the equipment centre located here to look at the wide range of equipment available to make life easier and improve independence. Everyone commented that this was really useful and took away lots of new ideas.

Using a magnifier

After we enjoyed a super lunch provided by a local catering firm, the afternoon session kicked off with the group discussing ways of getting around and different mobility aids that can help blind and partially sighted people. Following on from this the group discussed how money could be problematic with a sight loss Discussions took place around the practical handling of coins and notes and also withdrawing money from cash machines, when you have a sight loss. Some practical solutions were given such as coin holders, talking cash machines.  At that point the group were informed about their rights to having bills, statements and appointments provided in their preferred reading format.

After a full day and with lots of new information to take on board, everyone appeared happy but ready to relax at home for the evening ahead of day 2!

Day 2

Sunday morning saw everyone arriving bright and early and feeling refreshed. The day began with looking at different emotions the impact of sight loss can have. We broke into two groups, one for those with the sight loss and the other for those who support the person with sight loss. Why? Well, it was structured this way because both groups generally experience these transitions differently. Some found this more difficult to express and upsetting than others, but the whole group was very supportive and respectful of each other.  The two groups came back together and shared some of the discussions. Most people commented that this was a really useful part of the weekend! After a break, we moved on to discuss local services that are available in the York area for those with sight problems and some general forms of support that may benefit general health and well being.

Sharing ideas

The afternoon session had the theme of nutrition and healthy eating – in particular how this relates to looking after our eyes. The local dietician who led this session brought in some tasty, healthy snacks for the group to sample – as well as some simple recipes for people to try at home. Everyone really enjoyed this session and stated that there were lots of ideas they felt they would put into action once they got home.

The final session was dedicated to setting goals and the small, achievable things people would like to set themselves as a task or next step. People came up with some really positive ideas including joining an exercise class, making more homemade soups, contacting the local Rehab team to discuss white cane training, taking computer lessons, learning how to use a computer with software that makes it easier for someone with low vision and even having more happy dreams!

Was the course a success?

Everyone who attended said they would recommend the course to a friend which was great to hear. There will be much more to follow up on with these group members as they all go on to develop their own individual action plans. They have agreed to keep in contact with other group members by telephone and we hope to arrange a course reunion for this group very soon.

A very positive and enjoyable weekend overall. It was really encouraging and lovely to see how much progress people made, in just 2 days and how well they supported each other. We are thrilled as peer support and empowerment is the essence of our project.

Collaboratively Speaking…….

Charlie and Sonal in conversation

Listen to Sonal Rughani and Charlie Witzel deliver what turned out to be a masterclass on HIV and eye related conditions.

OPTIC and HWH Evidence Repository

• Sonal Rughani is an Eye Health Development Adviser at RNIB
• Charlie Witzel is the Health, Wealth and Happiness Co-ordinator at Terrence Higgins Trust  

Outside RNIB Judd Street

//STOP PRESS// OPTiC in the news…..

Partner Introduction: Hello from Tracy – York Blind and Partially Sighted Society

Tracy Wilson – Flying the flag for OPTiC

I am the OPTiC Project Officer covering York and I came into post on April 8^th, 2013. I am very excited to be part of this great project, and look forward to reaching out to and making a difference in the lives of as many older people with sight loss as possible, over the coming months.

I have previously worked for RNIB and my work background is in Counselling and Mental health support. I also have a visual impairment myself so I hope to offer both personal and professional insights into the work I do, through the OPTiC project.

Partnership working: Diane Roworth (Chief Officer – York BPSS) and representatives from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

It has been a busy few weeks setting the York wheels in motion. I have made good progress with contacting local community groups, planning and preparing for our first empowerment course (Finding Your Feet), forming links with the Eye Clinic Liaison Officer (ECLO) at YorkHospital and other professionals supporting people experiencing sight loss.

One of the highlights of the past 3 weeks is the training day that took place at our offices in York. Led by RNIB’s Prevention team, the session involved Fire Officers from York Fire station (FRS) and some of the staff from York Blind and Partially Sighted Society (YBPSS). It gave attendees an introduction to the ‘Eyes Right’ screening tool and visual awareness training, and an opportunity to talk through how YBPSS and FRS can work together through OPTiC.

York Press

We were very pleased that the local press have taken an interest in this new project and even sent a photographer to the training event we hosted. Here is a link to the article which was published as a result.

I look forward to posting further updates on the progress of OPTiC in York.

Age UK Stafford and District

Partner update: Jayne Palmer

Jayne Palmer – Age UK

After frustrating recruitment and referral issues, I am pleased to report that as far as Age UK Stafford and District are concerned ‘All Systems Are Go!’

Introducing our new Staying Active Assistant   

Christine Moore

• We have now recruited Christine Moore for this post, a welcome addition to our Silver Dream Team.  A former nurse and midwife, Chris has two sons who are both studying to be vets. She is looking forward to the opportunity of working alongside visually impaired people and to support them to gain control of and make the most of their lives and better manage their eye conditions. Chris is currently undergoing an induction programme for her new role and has been working alongside other staff members at existing Staying Active clubs, as well conducting assessments with prospective clients for the new club. Part of her induction will be getting out and about in the Stafford area to meet partners in the OPTiC project and helping to promote the service.

 Supporting older people – Age UK Staying Active clubs

• Our first Staying Active club is scheduled for the beginning of May, and will be held at the offices of Action for Blind People – in Stafford. The club will operate on Wednesday’s between 11.00 and 14.00, and offer a range of activities such as confidence building trips. Transport is available if required. For more information about the activities available and cost, contact Jayne Palmer on 01785 607060.

Inside View: Meeting with a visually impaired Self Help Group

• A gentleman who used to attend Staying Active clubs before his sight deteriorated invited Louise Norgate (Action for Blind People) and I to meet up with a visually impaired group who have formed their own luncheon club, of which he is a member. The group are from all over the Staffordshire area and meet up once a month. Louise and I met with the group (after they had eaten their lunch!) at the Vine Hotel in Stafford. The meeting was very informal but extremely informative. We were given many useful ideas about the provision of useful and enabling activities at the new Staying Active clubs including swimming, theatre trips, shopping trips, to name but a few. We also discussed the patchy provision offered in different areas regarding activities for visually impaired people and the need to challenge councils, private providers etc. to improve this situation. This was our opportunity to beat the drum for the Change/Exchange element of the OPTiC project. Through the meeting we were also able to recruit a volunteer for the Beneficiary Action Group (BAG), which is currently being formed by Mel Austin, OPTiC Beneficiary Representative.  All in all, the meeting was very helpful in gaining an insight into the problems faced by visually impaired people in Staffordshire.

‘Living With Sight Loss’ is under way!

By Louise Norgate – Project Co-ordinator

Two chilly March days marked the exciting arrival of the very first of OPTiC’s empowerment courses in Stafford last month.

Our course was created as a kind of ‘capsule’, delivering the essence of both RNIB and Action’s work to date by offering group-based, confidence building programmes to allow people with sight loss time to talk, share experiences and learn from others. Our aim is simple: for attendees to end the programme feeling better equipped with the tools, knowledge and networks to help them live the life they want to, their way. 

Day 1

So, Friday 8th March saw our 9 participants arrive at the venue (thanks to the Hurricane Premier Inn for looking after us!), some from close by in Stafford and others from neighbouring districts – the very first to participate in this kind of programme within the County. In true partnership style, we were ably facilitated by Jeff Page (Finding Your Feet Programme Manager at RNIB) who put everyone at ease with brief introductions and an overview of the two days… and then we were off. 

We began with an interactive icebreaker to give the group some early ownership of the two days: making The Rules! Agreeing some boundaries and expectations as a group certainly got people talking, and was followed by some individual stories as everyone shared a little about themselves, their experience of sight loss and their hopes and expectations for the two days. The rest of the day seemed to fly by as we were joined by Marian Tague (Visual Impairment Rehabilitation Officer with Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Partnership Trust) for two very thoughtful and practical sessions on reading, writing and recalling information and mobility. We ended with a session on money, finance and the recent changes to the benefit system, and with the help of Paul Sims from Action’s Stoke team and Niall McMurtry of RNIB there was plenty to discuss to bring the day to a close. 

Sharing experiences: The Living With Sight Loss programme in progress

Day 2

This day began on a very different note, looking at the emotional impact of sight loss in a session sensitively facilitated by RNIB Counsellor Toni Hoskins, who was on hand for support as participants opened up about how they personally had dealt with their loss of sight. After a breather, we continued looking at local support and talked about the OPTiC project in more detail, to get people thinking about their individual skills and what they have to offer. Our penultimate session on healthy eating and nutrition from Bav Heer (a member of the British Association of Nutritional Therapists) gave us some very literal food for thought, and we closed on a positive note with some thoughts on goal-setting from Jeff.

 Did we achieve our aim for the two days?

Our participants certainly thought so, and we were delighted to receive overwhelmingly positive feedback on each session and on the programme as a whole. One of the most valuable outcomes was in evidence by Day 2, as we saw participants forming friendships and planning to remain in contact. Already, some have branched out to engage with Age UK locally to try out new social activities on offer through OPTiC. Others who discovered they lived close by have subsequently met up… in other words, peer support in action! Not that we’re complacent; this is the first of 9 courses due to run during the project and we will be following participants over the longer term, to understand their experience over time and how they feel they’ve benefitted from being involved.

The last word for the moment, however, goes to Stuart. After he attended the course, I asked him for his summary of how he found the experience; you can hear his thoughts in the audio clip below.

Listen to Stuart talking about his experience

Winter to Spring – the first 6 months of OPTiC

We are on an incredible journey which, month by month, has seen OPTiC gather momentum and take flight! With the majority of outputs for Q1 and 2 either on target or complete, the Silver Dream Team is homing in on our project outcomes – which are that:

•  Older people can demonstrate a better understanding of how to manage their eye health to prevent sight loss and confidence in seeking support.
• Older people can demonstrate an increased awareness, take-up personal choice of services and support available to help them cope with life-changing transitions.
• Older people are actively contributing to making a difference to the lives of others through peer support or campaigning activities, resulting in improved confidence and self-esteem and a reduction in social isolation.

 Partnership working – firing on all cylinders

•  We are delighted to welcome new colleagues Christine Moore (Staying Active Assistant, Age UK) and Tracy Wilson (Project Officer, York Blind and Partially Sighted Society). Both are in post and our staff recruitment drive is now complete.
• OPTiCs Beneficiary Action Group (BAG) has been established! Comprised of older people with sight loss who are engaged with OPTiC, the overarching role of a BAG member is to be the communication link with other beneficiaries throughout their OPTiC journey of support to empowerment. This marks a significant milestone in the project as BAG’s contribution will be pivotal to OPTiCs success.
• It’s all hands to the pump for those volunteers who are now either assigned to or actively involved in key areas of the project, which includes evaluation monitoring, empowerment courses, referral process and the Change Exchange programme.
• With Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service offering eye health advice and screening to over 4,200 people and Action for Blind People providing support to 100 older people, we’re on a steady course to meet our project milestones and indicators!

 Collaboration with other Silver Dreams projects

•  The podcast OPTiC recorded with ‘Health Wealth and Happiness’ in February went extremely well. The original idea was for Sonal Rughani (Optometrist and Eye Health Advisor, RNIB) to conduct an interview with Charlie Witzel (Terrence Higgins Trust). The combination of their expertise however resulted in a master class on links between HIV and sight loss – which healthcare professionals and wider audiences will find informative. The audio file is currently being edited and will be available to download from this site shortly.
•  Sight Support Derbyshire recently attended Action for Blind People’s inaugural ‘Living with Sight Loss’ 2 day Empowerment course, which took place on the 8th March 2013(look out for a detailed account of the course – coming soon!). They will also be attending an ‘Eyes Right’ training course organised for the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, taking place on the 23rd April 2013 – in York.

Across the Border: OPTiC reaches Scotland

Silver Dreams in Stirling: David Allen, Head of Sight Loss Prevention – RNIB   

David Allen addressing the conference

“On March 20th 2013, I gave a presentation about OPTiC at the Scottish Vision Strategy Conference in Stirling. It was well received by around 100 delegates and a recording of my presentation will be aired by RNIB Insight Radio on March 21st”.