Hope everyone’s enjoying the summer.  At Inclusion Barnet, we’re excited to be working on a new project with Inclusion London and other DDPOs, funded by City Bridge Trust. Over the next two years we’ll be doing some in-depth research into the language society uses to talk about disability, and how people think about disabled people. We aim to develop new ways of talking about disability designed to ultimately help people to become better allies to disabled people, moving away from the old pity or hero narratives that currently exist. We will be involving diverse focus groups of people with lived experience of disability.  As I mentioned in my last newsletter, nothing changes overnight, but these are the sort of projects that edge us towards long term shift in reducing the attitudinal barriers we want to see in our society. 

As always, I welcome your emails to: caroline@inclusionbarnet.org.uk. If you don’t find email accessible, you can call the IB switchboard on 020 3475 1314 or send us a text message on 07719 105 534 and our administrator Patricia will ensure I get your message so we can book a time to talk.

Caroline Collier
Chief Executive Officer

Vacancy – Enquiries Peer Worker

We are looking to employ a passionate, motivated individual with excellent communication and people skills to join our Touchpoint Team as part of a team of four Touchpoint Peer Workers.

Salary: £27,750 pro rata, actual salary £22,200 per annum
Contract: Fixed term contact ending 31 August 2024
Location: Hybrid (Barnet, NW9 & home working, plus borough meetings)
Hours: 28 per week
Application deadline: 19th July 2022

Do you enjoy managing a varied caseload of people and working in a person centred and empowering way? Are you enthusiastic about tackling the barriers that disabled people face on a day-to-day basis? Then this could be the role you’re looking for.

This role manages the 'front door' to our Touchpoint service, assessing, prioritising, and dealing with initial queries. It is fast paced but rewarding, and a key role in the team.

Become a Trustee for IB

If you are a disabled person with a strong connection to Barnet who might have something to offer (could be marketing, HR, accountancy, running a small organisation, anything like that) then please do email our CEO, Caroline Collier for a chat.  Anyone over the age of 18 (and not disqualified by virtue of bankruptcy or certain convictions) can be a trustee.

Councillor Surgeries return – New Barnet Library

Our team at New Barnet Library are pleased to announce that fortnightly Saturday morning councillor surgeries are returning to New Barnet Library for the East Barnet Ward.

Local councillors are there to represent us, our views, concerns, our needs so it is worth booking an appointment to talk with them about local issues if you can.  You can raise issues about council matters that impact disabled people, including accessiblity in public spaces and at events, planning, council housing, rubbish collection, local roads, and public paths.

New Barnet library is accessible by wheelchair and has a disabled loo.

The next July sessions are on 9^th and 23^rd and 30^th. Please contact the councillors directly to make an appointment:

Cllr. Philip Cohen – Cllr.P.Cohen@barnet.gov.uk 07716092333 

Cllr. Edith David – Cllr.E.David@barnet.gov.uk 07716092375

Cllr. Simon Radford – Cllr.S.Radford@barnet.gov.uk 07716092393 

Ask your MP to take action

Our CEO has written to our local MP, Matthew Offord to support the Z2K campaign calling  for true change to the assessment processes for Employment Support Allowance (ESA), Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

This is about disabled people pushing for a fundamental reform of disability benefit assessments processes.

You can help to support this campaign by using the link below to write to your local MP using the easy template, it takes less than 60 seconds of your time.

Healthy Heart Support

Our new Healthy Heart Peer Support team, Judi, Salna and Riffat, who all have lived experience of long term conditions, have been busy the past few weeks setting up our new service. It is targeted at people of African, Caribbean and South Asian heritage. They’ll be offering free face-to-face sessions, educational programme sessions, with specialist speakers who have lived experience of heart conditions and one-to-one phone sessions on healthy heart and heart disease advice, exercise, and diet.

Look out for new flyers in your local community spaces, such as community centres, churches and libraries and visit their website page over the coming weeks for more information.

New project

This month we held our first workshop for a new project two year project we are co-leading with Inclusion London and funded by the City Bridge Trust. We are working in partnership with six other London Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations (DDPOs):  Action on Disability, Ruils Independent Living,  Camden Disability Action,  Merton Centre for Independent Living,  Choice in Hackney, and Real

The project will be looking at the way we talk about disability and how that can influence the way people think and feel about disabled people. It will also look at the role of DDPOs, like us, in supporting disabled people and our rights.

Claire Fisher, Communications Lead (she/her)

1.   How long have you worked at Inclusion Barnet? 

I started in April 2021 as Communications and Operations Lead, but it quickly became apparent that we needed to split the role to support the rapid growth of our organisation.

2.   What is the main thing you are working on right now? 

I’m busy setting up internal processes and systems to help us communicate better as an organisation right across all of our projects and services. At the same time, I’m also looking at how we can improve our website and local face-to-face outreach, all whilst making everything we do more inclusive.

The other half of my role is project managing a new piece funded work we are doing with Inclusion London and six other London Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations (DDPOs). We are looking at the way we talk about disability and how that can influence the way people think and feel about disabled people. It will also look at the role of DDPOs in supporting disabled people and our rights.

3. How does having lived experience impact your role?

Having a long-term mental health condition, being neurodivergent (ADHD) and experiencing mobility issues with chronic pain, due to herniated discs, arthritis and bursitis gives me first-hand experience into the limitations, complexities and ripple effect of managing and navigating life around impairment. I believe this gives me a small insight into all the many adjustments one makes as a disabled person that often go unspoken, just to be able keep up with the pace of life around you, or to have the courage and energy it takes to advocate for oneself, including asking for reasonable adjustments. We can only know our own lived experience, but it helps me be more empathetic to other peoples experience of disability and take what they say at face value, without making assumptions or questioning their reality.

4. The best thing about working at Inclusion Barnet? 

Feeling valued. There is a culture of kindness here, in everything we do, which comes from the top down. There is a definite absence of the blame culture that I’ve experienced in other organisations. Here we are supported to be our best selves by sharing our knowledge and expertise generously and celebrating each other’s strengths. We know that we are far from perfect, but for me, working here has been the best 14 months of my working life.

5. Favourite way to spend time when you’re not working? 

During this season, its mostly cooking and eating food grown at my allotment, or basically any chance to be in nature! I’ve combined these top hobbies with setting up a mental health community allotment in my spare time, it’s been awesome, now in our second year.

If you run, or know of any, local accessible activities or events in Barnet and the surrounding areas please tell us about them! We’d love to include things that have either been designed with disabled people mind or includes specific accessibility info and is free or heavily subsidised: info@inclusionbarnet.org.uk

Edinburgh's first Deaf Festival set for August

If you’re planning to be up in Scotland this August, don’t miss this awesome festival will taking place from 12 -19 August.

Organised by Deaf Action, with the support of Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, the festival is the first of its kind to be held in Scotland. Its organisation, production, shows and events are all deaf-led and it is scheduled to feature drama, magic, comedy, cabaret, tours, exhibitions, workshops, book clubs and a Deaf rave.

Performances will be interpreted and captioned.

Changes to access to GP appointments – survey

From October this year there will be changes to evening, weekend and bank holiday GP services. These changes are happening nationally. They may affect the way you book appointments and when and where you might go to be seen. It is important for the people running the services to hear your views and concerns so they can understand what is most important to you when designing how this will work locally. The NHS North Central London Primary Care Team have created this survey for you to give your feedback.

Our colleagues at Healthwatch Barnet have provided more info on their website  Changes to GP’s Enhanced Access appointments | Healthwatch Barnet