Staying Safe: a workshop for people with learning disabilities

Transcription

1 Staying Safe: a workshop for people with learning disabilities Exploring your rights, the risk in your life, how to keep safe, and where to get help and support. Bernie Gibbins 1

2 Our behaviour Today we must all agree about the way we will behave: We will respect each other We will not interrupt people We will be on time We will help each other We will not gossip about the things that other people tell us here today Bernie Gibbins 2

3 Aim: to introduce adults with learning disabilities to the issues of: Rights Risks Staying safe Getting help Bernie Gibbins 3

4 We will do this by: Talking together Listening to each other Understanding what can happen to us Bernie Gibbins 4

5 Exercise 1 Talk to a person in the room who you do not really know and ask them: Their name Their favourite food What makes them laugh Bernie Gibbins 5

6 People s rights We all have rights The law is there to protect our rights Adults with learning disabilities have the same rights as other adults Some special laws exist for people with learning disabilities Sometimes our rights are controlled by others Bernie Gibbins 6

7 Exercise 2 As a large group we will make a list of some of the rights that we have Bernie Gibbins 7

8 Some of the rights we have To be private To have the right treatment when we are ill Not to be punished outside the law To be treated with dignity and respect To have a family life Not to be kept prisoner unless we have broken the law Bernie Gibbins 8

9 Good and bad From childhood we all learn that some things are good and some are bad Sometimes we decide this because we do or don t like something We might not like some things which are good and We might like some things which are bad Bernie Gibbins 9

10 EXERCISE 3 Group 1. make a list of the things that you like but are bad for you Bernie Gibbins 10

11 Exercise 3 Group 2. make a list of the things that you do not like but are good for you Bernie Gibbins 11

12 Right and wrong The society we live in makes decisions about what they think is right or wrong There are some things which we decide for ourselves are right or wrong Anything that takes away or interferes with our rights is wrong Sometimes people who do wrong things are breaking the law Bernie Gibbins 12

13 Exercise 4 In pairs Look at the cards talk about them with your partner and decide which box each card should go into RIGHT or WRONG Bernie Gibbins 13

14 Vulnerability Vulnerability is when we cannot look after or protect ourselves There are times when all of us can be vulnerable Some people are vulnerable most of the time When we are vulnerable we often depend on other people Bernie Gibbins 14

15 Exercise 5 As a large group we will make a list of times when we might be vulnerable Bernie Gibbins 15

16 Learning disability and being vulnerable People with learning disabilities are often vulnerable because: They might not understand things They might need help with personal care They might have difficulty managing money Bernie Gibbins 16

17 Learning disability and being vulnerable They might not be able to speak They might not know where to get help They might not have anyone they can trust Bernie Gibbins 17

18 Exercise 1 continued Remember the person you shared information with at the start of the session? Do you think that you now know this person? Would you trust them? Why? Would you tell them your biggest secret? Bernie Gibbins 18

19 Trust Being able to trust others is very important We sometimes give our trust to someone because of who they are, or what their job is Make a list of the people you trust Sometimes people break our trust Bernie Gibbins 19

20 When bad and wrong become abuse Sometimes people do bad or wrong things to others more than once. This is ABUSE Abuse means that someone is not respecting your rights. Bernie Gibbins 20

21 Types of abuse We can be hurt by how people talk to us and by what they say Bernie Gibbins 21

22 Types of abuse Abuse can happen in many ways: We can be hurt by what people do to us Bernie Gibbins 22

23 Types of abuse We can be hurt by how people behave towards us Bernie Gibbins 23

24 Types of abuse We can be hurt by how people make us feel about ourselves Bernie Gibbins 24

25 Types of abuse We can be hurt because people take or damage what we own Bernie Gibbins 25

26 Types of abuse We can be hurt because people stop us from making our own decisions, and run our lives Bernie Gibbins 26

27 Exercise 6 In your smaller groups look at the cards and talk about what is happening in the picture. Decide if abuse is happening and why. Bernie Gibbins 27

28 People who hurt others We cannot always tell which people might hurt or abuse us It can happen: By accident Because of mis-understanding On purpose We might even do it ourselves! Bernie Gibbins 28

29 How people who abuse behave When people abuse others they have ways of stopping others from finding out: Bernie Gibbins 29

30 Tell the person to keep a secret Bernie Gibbins 30

31 Threaten to hurt the person or someone they care about Bernie Gibbins 31

32 Tell the person that they will get into trouble Bernie Gibbins 32

33 Give them presents or special treats Bernie Gibbins 33

34 By making others not believe them Bernie Gibbins 34

35 What happens if we are abused People react in different ways when they are abused: Bernie Gibbins 35

36 You might become very quiet Bernie Gibbins 36

37 You might change the amount that you eat Bernie Gibbins 37

38 You might start staying in your room Bernie Gibbins 38

39 You might show anger or frustration Bernie Gibbins 39

40 You might cry a lot Bernie Gibbins 40

41 You might stop caring about how you look Bernie Gibbins 41

42 Exercise 7 In two groups Look at the cards and talk about how the people in them might protect themselves from harm Bernie Gibbins 42

43 Keeping safe from harm and abuse We all need to know how to keep ourselves safe: Understand our rights and where to get help Understand the difference between right and wrong Know what makes us feel upset, sad, unsafe or uncomfortable Bernie Gibbins 43

44 The Keep Safe Guide The Government have provided a book to help us understand how to keep safe. It gives information about keeping safe: At home, outside, on transport and with our money Bernie Gibbins 44

45 Exercise 8 In two groups Look at the cards and talk about how the people in them might protect themselves from harm. We will now also watch a short film and talk about what happens. Bernie Gibbins 45

46 Keeping safe from harm and abuse It is important to know where to go for help if you are worried that someone might want to harm you: Think of someone you trust to talk to See your social worker Ask to speak to the police Talk to your local councillor Bernie Gibbins 46

47 How social services and the police can help you The social worker and police officer will tell us how they can help us in keeping safe. When you talk to the police or social worker, your information is confidential. This means that they need your permission to share it with others, but there are some things that they may have to talk to their managers about. They will explain how this works. Bernie Gibbins 47

48 What we have learnt We are not always safe Sometimes other people can hurt or upset us We do not have to put up with being hurt There are people we can go to for help We have the right to feel safe Bernie Gibbins 48

49 Promise to yourself Take a sheet of paper and pen from the box Write down a promise to yourself about how you will keep yourself safer Write down the name of someone that you can talk to about what we have been doing here Bernie Gibbins 49

50 Goodbye Remember most of us are safe and there are people who will help us Bernie Gibbins 50