Naidex @ the SECC - Day 2.

Yesterday was Day 2 of the Naidex Exhibition.

As well as being my birthday!!!

 

I'll start with opening my birthday pressies!! I did have a sneak peek at one on Wed night - Louise's friend Charlene made me a birthday cake!!! The above photo is the creation!! Good, isn't it !!!!!  


I got some lovely pressies - A lovely cat ornament from Ortak. It is so cute - reminds me of Lilo scratching. I also got earrings and some other goodies Louise bought from Camden Market.
Matthew bought me some perfume - well - 2 bottles of my fav perfumes!!


I'd arranged with Matthew that i'd meet him at the SECC. He was going to the exhibition with a group he does some volunteering with. We had a look round before i went back to the Enable stand to meet up with the team. Mind you, in true fashion, i got talking to a Speech Therapist who was at the BSA open day we were at a few months ago and remembers Paul playing his clarinet!!


This was added to the person i met on the first day who i knew nearly 30 years ago!!!! 


I headed back to the stand and promptly brought out the bag of Percy Pigs and Rosie's Nosies i had to share.


Well - it was my birthday and i felt we needed goodies!! 


They are yummy and we all enjoyed!


We went to the place where we were doing the presentation. The one before us was also about Self Directed Support - I could tell that some of the people were worried about the introduction of this new way of getting support. And even tho  the guy "knew his stuff", i felt (from what i'd heard anyway) that he didn't quite get it over how this would help families who wanted to go this route. I think he was someone from the Scottish Government - but really, he should maybe have brought someone along who could speak of best practise.


Listen to me - i'm almost into Social Work Speak - Best Practise indeed!!! 
Where do i pick up the choice phrases from!?!?!?!


My comment to Theresa was that it'll be a bit like any other changes that take place in Social Services/Education/ Health - a couple of years down the line, people will wonder why there was so much fuss and why we hadn't thought of doing it this way before.


So the tone was set for us. The good thing was that we felt more comfy in what we were saying. I wish some of the people from the previous presentation had stayed to hear ours. We were very focused on how we put it across. Yes, you have to plan, yes it's scary at first, but when you got into it and talked to others, you can get so much more for the person you care for.


We had some questions. 
One was from Kitty - a lovely woman who works in the Enable Office, seems to have a wicked sense of humour, has a great laugh and oh - way down the bottom of the things i learned about her is that she has some learning disabilities. BUT - that's not the first thing i noticed!!!


Her question was about getting respite. She wanted to know what we'd done, how we'd sourced it. I told her that Skye - well, we went to visit friends and it meant that Peter got to know the girls and i got a break.
I went on to tell her about the small holding in Ayrshire 


The log fire.
The guy who mops the kitchen floor.
The grandad with the soft top, 2 seater sports car!!!


I could see Kitty was getting soooooo interested!!!!


We did talk a bit more later and i told her more. I think she is VERY interested in trying to find something similar.
And i do hope she does. Any family she chooses to visit will find a very lovely, friendly lady who loves to have a giggle and a good time. 


Another question i was asked was if we knew what our budget was before we chose who our provider would be. I said that i did know and after i found out i then went and commissioned services.


Mmmmm - that old social work speak coming through again. 
Here was me talking about commissioning services.


eeewwwww - get her, as my kids would say!!!


Back at the stand - after talking to a couple of people and having someone tell me i was really good (no - i didn't bribe them with sweeties!!), the team gave me a birthday pressie - Now that was a surprise!! And  a nice one. A bottle of  Southern Comfort and some choccies. 
Thanks Guys - that was really nice of you!!!


And the stand next to us - they had been giving out fizzy wine, so someone went to get a glass for me!! Haven't a CLUE who they were, but the wine was duly drunk - and enjoyed!!!!!


Some more questions and then it was almost time to go home.


Geraldine gave me a lift home - and she told me (after 2 days together!!) that she had gone to the School Lou and Paul went to and added to that, her Dad was Head of Art!!!! 
I think she maybe left the school a year or maybe 2 before Lou started. There are still a load of teachers roaming about that she knew!!!!!


It was a great experience doing the presentations. And no - i wasn't paid to say the nice things. 
Like many families who are caring for someone who has learning disabilities, it has been really hard to source services. Good, bad or downright rubbish, you often found yourself howling at the moon, have so called "professionals" question why you need these services and that "Maybe" your loved one will "grow out of the problems".


Thankfully, there are people like Enable who can help and encourage and generally just be there for you


I'm hoping i was of some help to some people. I did say to one or two parents that if they wanted to chat more to get my phone number from Geraldine. Sharlene, a young lady who was with us in Wednesday - she's really keen to do her "own thing" and of course - her mum is a bit nervous.
But i think her mum is a bit like me - worry wart control freak and just wants the best for her daughter!


My worry wart control freak persona is still locked up in the cupboard under the stairs.
She's staying there for the foreseeable. 
Heck - she's not important enough to share my bottle and my chocs with!!!!!