Go for it! - Disability Cambridgeshire

Transcription

A handbook for young disabled people living in Cambridgeshire
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Fun
Money
Getting around
Independence
Education and work
Coping with rough times
Local Councils
The County Council is responsible for such services as social care, education,
libraries, most roads, transport, Connexions and youth services. The City and
District councils cover services including housing, refuse collection and recycling,
arts, leisure and entertainment, community services and some benefits.
Cambridgeshire County Council
Shire Hall, Castle Hill
Cambridge CB3 0AP
0345 045 5200 (general enquiries)
0345 045 5222 (main switchboard)
01733 234724 (out of hours/emergencies)
www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk
info@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Cambridge City Council
Customer Service Centre
Mandela House, 4 Regent Street
Cambridge CB2 1BY
01223 457000
01223 457050 (textphone)
www.cambridge.gov.uk
enquiries@cambridge.gov.uk
East Cambridgeshire District Council
The Grange, Nutholt Lane
Ely CB7 4EE
01353 665555
www.eastcambs.gov.uk
customerservices@eastcambs.gov.uk
Fenland District Council
Fenland Hall, County Road
March PE15 8NQ
01354 654321 (includes out of hours)
01354 622213 (textphone)
www.fenland.gov.uk
info@fenland.gov.uk
There are local service shops in Chatteris,
March, Whittlesey and Wisbech.
Huntingdonshire District Council
Centenary House, St Mary’s Street
Huntingdon PE29 3PG
01480 388308
www.huntsdc.gov.uk
mail@huntsdc.gov.uk
There are community information centres
in Ramsey and Yaxley, and customer
service centres in St Ives and St Neots.
South Cambridgeshire District Council
Cambourne CB23 6EA
0845 045 0500
01480 376743 (textphone)
scdc@scambs.gov.uk
www.scambs.gov.uk
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A handbook for young disabled people living in Cambridgeshire
This book is for you if you’re
aged somewhere between 14
and 20. It’s about your move
into adult life – opportunities
in further and higher
education, training and work,
and all the support you need
to live independently. It’s
about having fun, too, and
about coping when you’re
having problems.
There are thousands of
opportunities and services
out there but we cannot
include them all. So this
book is a guide through
the maze of services that
points you to more help
and more information
and advice. It’s a starting
point, so use Disability
Cambridgeshire, Disability
Huntingdonshire, the
Youthoria and Rough
Times websites, and
everything else listed here to
find out more.
Contact Disability
Cambridgeshire if you would
like information from this
book in large print.
Contents
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Fun
3
Going places
12
Making the transition: school,
college, university, training
and work
22
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Living independently
36
House and home
50
Good times and rough times
56
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Money
63
Information, advice and advocacy
71
Equality, action, politics and media
80
When things go wrong –
how to complain
87
Index
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Cover photo: Cambridgeshire resident and Anglia Ruskin University student Fran Williamson, who won silver
and bronze swimming medals at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games (Phil Mynott)
Acknowledgements
Thanks for their support and contributions
are due to:
Simon Adams
Paul Ainsworth
Sue Anderson
Claire Bailey
Phil Bales
Grant Chambers
Jean Clark
Olly Cooper
Amanda Davies
Tracy Denis
Clive Diver
Mike Francis
David Golding
Richard Holland
Iain Hood
Ella James
Lyn Jenkins
Amanda Kelleher
Chris Lakin
Jean Lambert
Paul McHugh
Diana Mackay
Joy Martin
Phil Mynott
Michael O’Fee
Jayne Oshaughnessy
Gill Riley
Marjorie Smith
Pam Timbrell
Peter Wetherell
Jason Williams
Fran Williamson
Angela Young
And, finally, the students
of Impington Village
College who told us
how to make this edition
better than the first one:
Beth Dalton
Alex Jennett
Rebecca Lawes
Amy Littlefair
Graham Main
Jenny Nott
Kersha Sanders
Jack Stevens
Francis Williams
Editor: Jim Smith
Editorial Assistants: Andy McCabe, Sally Cleghorn
Design: Hilary Cox hilary@dream2c.co.uk
Print: Altone Limited
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If English is not your first
language then people from some
of the services in this book may
have a problem communicatiing
with you. Ask them to hire an
interpreter from Cintra, the
interpreting and translation
agency, so they can give you a
proper service. Call 01223 346870
or see www.cintra.org.uk.
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The information in this book was gathered and checked during the spring and summer of 2009 and we are
confident that it is as accurate as possible. Colleagues from Cambridgeshire County Council and a number
of voluntary organisations read and commented on sections for us. Disability Cambridgeshire cannot take
responsibility for the quality of any services listed, other than its own. Please let us know about any changes
or inaccurate information.
© Disability Cambridgeshire, October 2009
Published by Disability Cambridgeshire, Company Limited by Guarantee, registered in England and Wales:
Number 04373745. Registered charity number 1091855.
Funded by grants from Cambridgeshire County Council and
Anglia Ruskin University
Disability Cambridgeshire
is affiliated to Dial UK
Fun
Cambridgeshire has plenty of leisure, arts and sporting activities to offer.
This is just a selection to whet your appetite, with pointers for you to find out
more. Access to mainstream events has improved because of the Disability
Discrimination Act and there are many activities aimed at disabled people. Much
happens in Cambridge, but there’s plenty going on in other towns and villages
across the county. Start with www.youthoria.net.
What’s in this section?
What’s on quick links
Don’t Lose the Music
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Venues: theatres, cinemas, arts centres and museums
Concessions and discounts
Taking part: arts
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6–7
Arts development and local council arts
Taking part: sport and outdoor activities
Personal development
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Youth centres, youth clubs and social clubs
Holidays
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Going to the
Impington
Village College
leavers’ ball
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What’s on quick links
Youthoria: www.youthoria.com
The Connexions website.
Cambridgeshire.net: www.cambridgeshire.net
Events and organisations in the county.
ADeC: www.adec.org.uk
Arts events in East Cambridgeshire.
Don’t Lose the Music
Artsline: www.artsline.org.uk
London listings.
Cambridge Explorer: www.explorermagazine.co.uk
Events around the county.
Cambridgeshire Agenda: www.cambsagenda.co.uk
Events around the county.
Look after your ears now,
enjoy music for ever.
Find out what the risks are
and how to stay safe, and
sign up for regular updates at
www.dontlosethemusic.com
Ely events: www.elyonline.co.uk/events.
Fenland Arts: www.fenlandarts.org.uk
Arts events in Fenland.
The List Live: www.thelistlive.org.uk
South Cambridgeshire arts listings.
Local Secrets: www.localsecrets.com
Music, films, plays, pubs, restaurants etc.
Moving Tone: www.movingtone.com
Music news, reviews and event listings.
Newspapers in Cambridgeshire:
What’s On
www.cambridge-news.co.uk
www.ely-standard.co.uk
www.huntspost.co.uk
www.wisbech-standard.co.uk
Peterborough
www.dialpeterborough.org.uk – click on Education and Leisure
www.peterborough.gov.uk – click on Leisure and Culture
www.peterborough.net/calendar
South Cambridgeshire events: www.scambs.gov.uk/events
View Cambridge: www.viewcambridge.co.uk
Clubs, pubs, restaurants, cinemas and the rest.
Visit Cambridge: www.visitcambridge.org
We’re All Neighbours: www.wereallneighbours.co.uk
Events in and around Cambridge.
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Funky Flamingo
(see page 7)
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Angles Theatre
Alexandra Road,
Wisbech PE13 1HQ
01945 474447
www.anglestheatre.co.uk
Cambridge Arts Theatre
6 St Edward’s Passage
Cambridge CB2 3PJ
01223 503333 or 01223 579003
(textphone)
www.cambridgeartstheatre.com
Some performances are BSL-interpreted,
captioned or audio-described. Audio
theatre brochures are available.
Cambridge Corn Exchange
Wheeler Street, Cambridge CB2 3QB
01223 357851
www.cornex.co.uk
Big-name gigs and comedy, classical
music, opera and Christmas shows.
Cambridge Folk Festival
www.cambridgefolkfestival.co.uk
Big names from the folk world, lots of
young people go, there are many
young performers, and access is good.
Ely Folk Festival
www.elyfolk.co.uk
A wheelchair-friendly, smaller folk
festival with well-known performers.
The Junction
Clifton Way, Cambridge CB1 7GX
01223 511511
www.junction.co.uk
Clubs, comedy, dance, music and theatre.
The Maltings
The Maltings, Ship Lane, Ely CB7 4BB
01353 662633
www.themaltingsely.com
Ely’s venue for music, theatre and film.
Mumford Theatre
Anglia Ruskin University, East Road
Cambridge CB1 1PT
www.anglia.ac.uk/mumfordtheatre
01223 352932
Concerts, drama and other events.
Venues: theatres, cinemas,
arts centres and museums
Cambridge Arts Picturehouse
38–39 St Andrew’s Street
Cambridge CB2 3AR
0871 704 2050
www.picturehouses.co.uk
Good-value concessions if you join.
Cineworld Cambridge
Clifton Way, Cambridge CB1 7DY
0871 200 2000
www.cineworld.co.uk
Cineworld Huntingdon
Tower Field Leisure Park PE29 7EG
0871 200 2000
www.cineworld.co.uk
Luxe Cinema
Alexandra Road, Wisbech PE13 1HQ
01945 588808
www.theluxecinema.co.uk
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Peterborough Showcase
Mallory Road, Boon Gate
Peterborough PE1 5AU
0871 220 1000
www.showcasecinemas.co.uk
Sawston Cinema
See page 7.
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Vue Cinema
East Road, Cambridge CB1 1PS
0871 224 0240
www.myvue.com
Wysing Arts Centre
Fox Road, Bourn CB23 2TX
01954 718881
www.wysingartscentre.org
Regular events and exhibitions.
Museums
Too many to list, but you can find everything
from a hippopotamus from Barrington to
a solid gold torc from the Fens, and from
Charles Darwin’s egg to Oliver Cromwell’s hat.
Look them up here:
www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/leisure/museums
www.admin.cam.ac.uk/museums
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Concessions and discounts
A Night Less Ordinary
www.anightlessordinary.org.uk
Free tickets for anyone under 26 for all sorts of theatre events. The Junction in Cambridge
(see page 5) is one of the participating venues.
The Cambridge Card
A free loyalty card (you save points that add up so you get discounts) to use in
restaurants and shops. You can pay to upgrade it so you get discounts on Cambridge City
Leisure facility charges. Details at www.localsecrets.com.
g2g card
Connexions provides this pre-paid debit card loaded with about £15 pounds a month
for you to spend on activities. You can get it if you get free school meals or if you are
looked after by the Council and if you are 13 to 16. More details at Youthoria and at
www.g2gcard.co.uk. You don’t need to apply as Connexions will contact you if you
are eligible.
Taking part: arts activities
Berern Arts
The Berern, Comberton Road
Toft CB23 7RY
01223 263950
www.berernarts.org.uk
Disabled and non-disabled people work together on drama, dance, and film production.
Berern enables disabled people to present their own cases and use their own voices.
Cambridge Film Trust
c/o Arts Picturehouse
38–39 St Andrew’s Street
Cambridge CB2 3AR
01223 500082
www.cambridgefilmtrust.org.uk
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Screenings, special events and projects which enable people ‘to be moved by, learn
about and interact with film’. It runs the Cambridge Film Festival.
Cambridgeshire Mencap
The Befriending Service (page 57) will support you to pursue your hobbies and
interests and go to activities such as youth groups, sports facilities or the cinema.
Mencap also runs dance and drama groups in Cambridge. See pages 33, 45, 52 and
57 for contact details and other services.
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Cambridgeshire Music
The Old School
Ermine Street North
Papworth Everard CB23 3RH
01480 373500
www.cambridgeshiremusic.org
Vocal and instrumental music
opportunities and lessons to
students of all ages.
CLiP
01223 441106: contact Inspire (see right)
Art forms such as film making, theatre,
and visual art help young people in special
schools in Huntingdonshire, Fenland and
Peterborough explore options for their future
progress.
Funky Flamingo
01223 441106: contact Inspire (see right)
funky@inspire.org.uk
www.funkyflamingo.co.uk
A club culture project run by and for
disabled people. Training includes event
management, singing, DJing, VJing, camera
crew and decor. Funky Flamingo has a rock
band and a hip-hop band that can perform
at events. DJs can also be hired.
Funky Flamingo TV is the first ever internet
TV station run by and for disabled people.
It makes short films, news pieces and
animations, and broadcasts Funky events
live. FFTV also runs the National Youth
Disability Film Awards, makes DVDs and
runs film workshops.
Inspire
2a Cambridge Road
Milton CB24 6AW
01223 441106
www.inspire.org.uk
Develops and delivers arts
projects, training, information
and advice. See entries on the
left for Funky Flamingo and CLiP
and look at the website for more
services. The Inspire Green Team
is a talented group of adults with
learning difficulties being trained
in conservation, horticulture and
creative arts to undertake projects
in the community.
Libra Theatre Company
01440 730552
admin@libratheatre.org.uk
www.libratheatre.org.uk
A mixed group of disabled and
non-disabled actors. Workshops
and rehearsals take place in
Cambridge.
Opportunities Without Limits
(OWL)
OWL (see page 33) runs leisure
activities as well as its training and
employment schemes.
Sawston Cinema
Youth and Community Centre
New Road, Sawston CB22 3BP
01223 712825
www.sawstoncinema.org.uk
Sawston’s community cinema (and
Cambridge Film Festival venue).
Funky Flamingo TV
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Arts development
and local council arts
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The councils run arts venues and
help promote the arts. There are
arts development agencies in three
districts, and a national disability arts
organisation.
Cambridge City
01223 457000
www.cambridge.gov.uk/leisure
East Cambridgeshire
Disability Cultural Projects
Arts Development in
East Cambridgeshire
Babylon Gallery, Waterside
Ely CB7 4AU
01353 669022
www.adec.org.uk
www.disabilityarts.info
Furthers the cultural equality of
disabled and Deaf people.
The website includes a what’s on listing.
Fenland
www.fenland.gov.uk/leisure
Fenland Arts
Town Hall, Market Place
March PE15 9JF
01354 652769
www.fenlandarts.org.uk
Listings of what’s on, clubs and groups,
and local classes. Publicises arts activities
in Fenland and makes opportunities to
develop new ones.
Huntingdonshire
01480 388057
www.huntsdc.gov.uk/leisure
South Cambridgeshire
01954 713343
www.scambs.gov.uk/LeisureandCulture
Supporting Arts Development in South
Cambridgeshire (Start)
www.start-arts.org.uk
Works with local people, clubs and organisations to develop
the arts, which means anything from classical music to hip-hop,
storytelling to film making, digital photography to painting and
ballroom dancing to parkour. It maintains this online arts directory:
www.thelistlive.org.uk.
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The Inspire CLiP project
(page 7)
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Taking part: sport and
outdoor activities
The local councils run sports and leisure centres and swimming pools, and promote
activities. There are too many sports activities for disabled people in the county for us to
list here, so here are the main contacts in each area. There’s a downloadable directory
for Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire and online listings for East Cambridgeshire,
Fenland and Huntingdonshire. Or you can contact sports development services on the
numbers below (if you get a switchboard, ask for Sports Development).
Cambridge City
01223 457000
www.cambridge.gov.uk/leisure.
Download the Cambridge and South
Cambridgeshire Disability Sports Directory.
East Cambridgeshire and Fenland
07951 378 297
01354 622508
01353 665555
www.ecsport.co.uk
www.fenland.gov.uk
The same person develops sporting
opportunities in both districts and supports
Fendis, the Fenland Disability Sport Form.
www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/
childrenyoungpeople/
careservicesdisability/disability/
events.
At this web page you’ll find links
to lists of clubs and groups in
Cambridge and the districts. Quite
a few are for younger children, but
there are plenty of activities for you if
you’re up to about 19. There’s some
information about sport here: www.
cambridgeshire.gov.uk/leisure/sports/
development/disabilitysports.htm.
Huntingdonshire Disability Sports Forum
01480 387098
www.huntsdc.gov.uk/leisure
Living Sport
Lakeside Lodge Health Club
Fen Road, Pidley PE28 3DF
01487 841559
www.livingsport.co.uk
01954 713349
www.scambs.gov.uk/leisureandculture
The Cambridgeshire and
Peterborough Sports Partnership.
Download the Cambridge and South
Cambridgeshire Disability Sports Directory, and
call to find out about the Cambridgeshire and
Peterborough County Disability Sports
Forum.
Disability Sport Focus Group Cambridge
and South Cambridgeshire
You can put forward your thoughts and ideas
about activities you would like to see provided,
and be added to the mailing list.
01223 457000
www.cambridge.gov.uk/leisure
British Blind Sport
Lakeside Lodge Health Club
Fen Road, Pidley PE28 3DF
01487 843344
www.britishblindsport.org.uk
British Paralympic Association
40 Bernard Street
London WC1N 1ST
020 7211 5222
www.paralympics.org.uk
www.london2012.com
The Olympic and Paralympic games
will be in London in 2012.
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BBC Disability Sport
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/
disability_sport
English Federation of Disability
Sport
PO Box 5215, Town Hall
Colchester CO1 1GL
01206 507890
www.efds.co.uk/east
Aims to improve opportunities for
disabled people to participate in sport.
Parasport
40 Bernard Street, London WC1N 1ST
020 7211 5222
www.parasport.org.uk
Bursaries for talented and highpotential athletes. Lots of information
on the website, and you can search for
clubs in your area.
Special Olympics
6–8 Great Eastern Street
London EC2A 3NT
020 7247 8891
www.sogb.org.uk
Training and competition in a variety
of Olympic-type sports for people with
learning disabilities.
Grafham Water Centre
Perry, Huntingdon PE28 0BX
01480 810521
www.grafham-water-centre.co.uk
Activities include sailing, windsurfing, canoeing,
kayaking, mountain biking and archery.
The Manderson Trust
01954 211307
www.themandersontrust.co.uk
Fishing for disabled anglers in lakes near Over.
Wheelchair-friendly paths and fishing platforms.
Mepal Outdoor Centre
Chatteris Road
Mepal, Ely CB6 2AZ
01354 692251
www.mepal.co.uk
Outdoor activities include canoeing, sailing,
climbing and archery. It’s a party venue, too.
Riding for the Disabled
0845 450 7069
www.rda-east.org.uk
Riding and carriage driving at 18 locations
around the county. Call or click to find your
nearest group.
Personal development
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
Box No: CC1210, Castle Court
Shire Hall, Cambridge CB3 0AP
01223 715492
www.dofecambs.org
Opportunities for personal achievement,
adventure, community and social
involvement, and widening of your
interests, if you’re between 14 and 25.
Beijing 2008 Paralympic medal
winner, Fran Williamson (Phil Mynott)
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Youth centres,
youth clubs
and social clubs
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There are 13 Youth Centres around
the county and many more youth
clubs. Find them at www.youthoria.
org or ask Connexions (see page 25).
Gateway Clubs
These are clubs for young people
with learning disabilities.
Ely Aquarius Gateway Club
01353 665200
Huntingdon Junior Gateway Club
01480 375030
St Ives Heron Gateway Club
01480 462958
Phab Clubs
Phab clubs run a range of social
activities for disabled and nondisabled people. Telephone for
more details and see
www.phabengland.org.uk
Cambridge Phab Club
Joyce Mitchell 01223 240163
Wisbech Phab Club
01945 700063
www.wisbech.phabclub.org
DJing at a Young
Funky workshop
Holidays
Tourism for All
c/o Vitalise
Shap Road Industrial Estate
Kendal, Cumbria LA9 6NZ
0845 124 9971
www.tourismforall.org.uk
Go For It! can’t compete with the
masses of information on the
Tourism for All website.
Use their online Directory to find
accommodation, holiday firms,
activity holidays, advice on flying
(also see page 21), and other
topics. They publish countryspecific guides and a guide to
activity holidays and there are
loads of links to organisations
that provide all types of holidays.
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On the Sit-Ski
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Going places
Getting around easily at a reasonable cost is a basic right for everybody and essential
for independence. You need to be able to get to shops, pubs, clubs and cinemas, school,
college and university, and training or work. Transport has always provided some of the
most disabling barriers, but changes in the law mean there are more accessible planes,
trains, buses and taxis, so things are getting better – slowly!
Information and timetables
Driving
Buses
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Shopmobility
13
Cycling
Taxis
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18
Getting to and around London
18
Dial-a-Rides, community buses and car schemes
Trains
20
Going abroad
12
21
Coaches
20
19
Information and timetables
Cambridgeshire Community Transport
0345 045 1151
www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/transport/around/communitytransport
Information about Dial-a-Rides, village taxicards, car schemes and community buses.
Cambridgeshire Passenger Transport Information
0345 045 0675
www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/transport
Information and timetables for bus travel around the county.
See page 17 for local bus companies.
Traveline
0871 200 22 33
www.travelineeastanglia.co.uk
Helps you plan travel by bus, train, coach and ferry throughout Norfolk, Suffolk and
Cambridgeshire, and national travel by train and coach.
Door to Door
www.dptac.gov.uk/door-to-door
The Government’s transport guide for disabled people.
National Express Coaches see page 20.
National Rail Enquiries see page 20.
Transport Direct
www.transportdirect.info
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Information about door-to-door travel for public transport (including flights within
Great Britain) and car journeys.
Transport for London
020 7222 1234 020 7918 3015 (textphone)
www.tfl.gov.uk
The Man in Seat Sixty-One
www.seat61.com
How to travel in the UK and abroad by train and boat –
and how to get the best fares.
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Being really independent: driving
Even if you cannot drive, many of the concessions
and types of help available will apply to you as a
passenger. There’s lots of useful information at www.
direct.gov.uk – follow the links under disabled people.
Driving can be fun, and it certainly gives you
independence. But it also brings responsibility for
the safety of your passengers, other road users and
yourself. There are a number of organisations that
can help you decide what adaptations you need
(such as hand controls) and advise you on the type of
car to get and where to learn to drive.
Learning to drive
If you have higher rate Disability Living Allowance
Mobility Component (see page 67), you can start
when you are 16. Get a form to apply for your
provisional driving licence from a Post Office, or
download it from www.direct.gov.uk, or apply online.
Help you may get:
l Start driving when you are 16
l Assessment of your needs as
a driver
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l Adaptations
l Parking concessions
l No Vehicle Excise Duty
(‘road tax’)
l A Motability car
l A disabled person’s parking
space near your home
You must tell the Driver and Vehicle Licensing
Agency (DVLA) about your disability and any later changes to it that may affect your
driving.
If you are aged between 16 and 24, Motability (see page 15) may be able to offer
financial support towards the cost of driving lessons, as may the Family Fund (page 70)
if you are under 18.
Driving schools usually have instructors who are trained to teach disabled people.
Kilverstone and Hertfordshire Action (see below) both offer lessons and have lists of
other instructors.
Driving information, assessments,
adaptations and advice
Insurance
Hertfordshire Action on Disability
Mobility Centre
The Woodside Centre, The Commons
Welwyn Garden City AL7 4DD
01707 324581
www.hadnet.org.uk
You have to have it. Here’s one
company that specialises in
insurance for disabled people, but
ask one of the organisations on the
next page for more ideas so you can
shop around.
Kilverstone Mobility Assessment Centre
2 Napier Place
Thetford IP24 3RL
01842 753029
www.kmacmobil.org.uk
Fish Insurance
0500 432 141
www.fishinsurance.co.uk
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Mobilise
Ashwellthorpe
Norwich NR16 1EX
01508 489 449
www.mobilise.info
A campaigning organisation that offers
information and advice to disabled
drivers.
Mobility Information Service
20 Burton Close
Telford TF4 2BX
01743 340269
www.mis.org.uk
Don’t pay tax if you
don’t have to…
You don’t have to pay Vehicle Excise Duty
(‘road tax’) on a car that’s for your use, if
you get Disability Living Allowance Mobility
Component at the high rate, but you still
need the tax disc. Get certificate DLA 404
from the Disability Contact and Processing
Unit (see page 67).
Then you get form V10 (from a Post Office
or www.direct.gov.uk) and take everything to
the Post Office. They’ll issue your tax disc.
Too far to go for an assessment, but
they sell publications, useful gadgets
and wheelchair symbol stickers.
Or just do it online at
www.taxdisc.direct.gov.uk
or by phone on 0870 850 4444, textphone
0870 850 4445.
Motability
See right.
Adaptations to vehicles are exempt from
Value Added Tax (VAT).
National Association for Bikers
with a Disability
Unit 20, The Bridgewater Centre
Robson Avenue, Urmston
Manchester M41 7TE
0844 415 4849
www.nabd.org.uk
Information and advice on
adaptations to motor bikes.
Ricability
www.ricability.org.uk
Online information about vehicle
adaptations, plus lists of suppliers.
Buying
Motability
City Gate House
22 Southwark Bridge Road
London SE1 9HB
0845 456 4566
0845 675 0009 (textphone)
www.motability.co.uk
or leasing a car
You can lease or buy a car, powered wheelchair
or scooter by using your DLA high-rate Mobility
Component (see page 67). Motability may also be
able to give you a grant towards driving lessons,
adaptations or a wheelchair-accessible vehicle.
Parking
The Blue Badge
Get your Blue Badge from the County Council. Call 0345 045 5204, or apply online here:
www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/do_it_online/BuyIt.
The badge entitles you to park in some places where other people cannot (such as on
some yellow lines), to park in specially marked spaces, or to park free in spaces where
others have to pay. Check carefully all the rules about where you can park, which may
vary from place to place. Car parks may have marked spaces, but you may need to pay.
If you receive the higher rate of the Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance
or are registered blind you will qualify automatically. Otherwise, you’ll have to supply
medical evidence of your restricted ability to walk.
To drive into the Pedestrian Zone in Cambridge you need a permit: call 01223 457000.
15
The Blue Badge scheme does not apply in parts of central
London, but you can find spaces you can use at www.
bluebadgelondon.org.uk, which also explains the rules. You
can apply to be exempt from the Central London Congestion
Charge, but must do so before you go – see page 18.
To find spaces throughout Great Britain, look here: www.bluebadge.direct.gov.uk.
Parking spaces
You may be able to have a parking space installed near your home, but it won’t be for
your exclusive use, even if you requested it in the first place. Contact the County Council
on 0345 045 5212 or download the application form for your district from the County’s
website.
Cycling
Most of the county is nice and flat,
if often windy, and Cambridge is a city of bicycles. For disabled
people cycling often means other people riding on pavements and
taking them by surprise, or causing obstructions with their bikes.
But, for some people, using a bike or trike is easier than walking, and
there are special machines for various needs.
The London Cycling Campaign has an All Abilities Guide with lots of advice and a list of
specialist bicycle suppliers. Go to www.lcc.org.uk and click advice.
Here are some suppliers in Cambridgeshire.
Bike Care
92 The Avenue, March PE15 9PR
01354 660049
www.bikecare.co.uk
Conversions, tricycles and accessories.
D.TEK
Freepost, Little Thetford, Ely CB6 1BR
01353 648 177
dtekhpvs@btconnect.com
Advice and specialist bicycles for
disabled people.
Draft Wheelchairs
5 and 6 Roman Way
Godmanchester PE29 2LN
01480 451247
www.draftwheelchairs.com
Supplies handbikes, as well as
daily use and sports wheelchairs.
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Cycle maintenance in the OWL
Bike Shed: see page 33.
Buses
S
S
There are maps and timetables on
the County’s website and those of the
operators, or use Traveline (page 13).
You’ll need to contact bus operators to
find out how accessible their vehicles
are. There’s a full list on the County’s
website, and here are a couple of the
main providers:
Stagecoach in Cambridge
01223 423578
www.stagecoachbus.com/cambridge
Bus Passes
If you meet the conditions you’re
entitled to free off-peak bus travel
throughout England. If you’re blind
or partially sighted you can use your
pass at any time in Cambridgeshire and
Peterborough. If you’re a Cambridge
resident you get a discount on
Cambridge Dial-a-Ride fares (see page
19) – ask other DaRs if they do the same.
Get a form from your district or city
council office, phone them, or download
it from their website (see inside cover).
Stagecoach in Huntingdon
01480 453159
www.stagecoachbus.com/huntingdon
Cambridge 01223 457187
Stagecoach Peterborough
01733 554575
www.stagecoachbus.com/peterborough
Fenland 01354 654321
Whippet Coaches Ltd
01480 463792 www.go-whippet.co.uk
South Cambridgeshire 08456 500 280
buspass@scambs.gov.uk
East Cambridgeshire 01353 665555
Huntingdonshire 01480 388388
Taxis and Taxicard
S
The taxi licensing office at your district council can tell you which
local firms have wheelchair-accessible taxis. Not all vehicles have to
be accessible but firms and drivers must make ‘reasonable adjustments’. That means they
must be flexible about helping you, and are also obliged to carry assistance dogs unless
exempt.
Taxicard is a system of subsidised fares for disabled people who live in Cambridge.
Get a form via 01223 457316 or taxicard@cambridge.gov.uk, or download it from
www.cambridge.gov.uk. You need to be in receipt of a means-tested benefit and provide
evidence of restricted mobility (which can include being blind or partially sighted).
There are also taxicard schemes in a few villages around the City, run by the County
Council. There is one in Cambourne and another for Fen Ditton, Horningsea and
Teversham. Call Community Transport (see page 13) or look at the County Council’s
website.
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Shopmobility
These services are located in car parks and vary from town to town, but include hire
of wheelchairs and scooters, mainly so you can get around the shops. Telephone in
advance to check service times and make bookings.
Cambridge
Grand Arcade 01223 457452
Grafton Centre 01223 461858
01223 457050 (textphone)
www.cambridge.gov.uk/
shopmobility
Also includes a service at Drummer
Street bus station and escorts for
people with visual impairment.
Ely
Ely Museum
Market Street CB7 4LS
01353 666655
Huntingdon
Princes Street PE29 3PA
01480 432793
Wisbech
15 Albion Place PE13 1AL
01945 463772
Getting to and around London
Getting there fast by train means going down the main lines that serve Peterborough,
Huntingdon, Ely and Cambridge. Going from Cambridge to Liverpool Street may
be cheaper (but slower) than going to King’s Cross. There are National Express
coaches (see page 20) from various Cambridgeshire towns.
Contact Transport for London
(TfL, see page 13) for how to
get around. Most buses and all
trams and taxis are wheelchairaccessible, as are parts of the
tube system (especially the newer
part of the Jubilee line) and the
Docklands Light Railway. http://
journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk lets you
plan a route that takes into account
your mobility needs.
Driving in London
S
Read what we’ve said about parking on page 16.
If you have a Blue Badge (page 15) you do not have
to pay the Congestion Charge when you enter central
London, but you must register and pay a one-off fee of
£10. If you have a tax-exempt vehicle you should find
it’s already exempt and you don’t need to register – but
check at www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/congestioncharging.
The TfL website has large-print maps and a step-free guide to the tube – there are 48 stepfree tube stations. See www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround.
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Dial-a-Rides, community
buses and car schemes
DaRs provide door-to-door transport in accessible minibuses. You may need to be a
member and, depending on where you live, you may get a discount with your Bus
Pass. They may offer group vehicle hire as well as individual journeys, and local car
schemes, too. There are many locally run car schemes.
Cambridge Dial-a-Ride
01223 506335
www.colc.co.uk/cambridge/dialaride
Available to Cambridge residents
and people in surrounding villages
in South Cambridgeshire and East
Cambridgeshire.
Ely and Soham Dial-a-Ride
01353 661161
www.esdar.org.uk
Dial-a-ride and group vehicle hire.
Fenland Association for
Community Transport
01354 661234
contact@fact.gb.com
Runs local ‘Hoppa’ services a
couple of days a week.
Three Counties Transport
01440 712028
www.3ct.org.uk
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Based in Haverhill, 3CT runs a diala-ride and a community car scheme
that serve south-east Cambridgeshire
villages.
Voluntary Network Dial-a-Ride
01638 608080
01638 608049 (car scheme)
www.thevoluntarynetwork.org
Dial-a-ride and car schemes.
Based in Newmarket, this serves some
Cambridgeshire villages.
Nene and Ouse
Community Transport
01480 411114
www.tvcthrapston.co.uk
Ring-and-Ride service covers
Huntingdonshire.
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Ramsey and District Community
Bus Association
01487 814645
British Red Cross
Door-to-door transport to all
parts of the county and beyond in
wheelchair-accessible vehicles and
cars. Call 07932 405541 or
01480 811099.
Community Car Schemes
Far too many to list here – contact Community Transport (page
13) for information or look at the lists they post online. The Care
Network (www.care-network.org.uk) runs some of them.
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Travelling by train
S
National Rail Enquiries
08457 48 49 50
0845 60 50 600 (textphone)
www.nationalrail.co.uk
S
Online booking and information about trains in Great Britain.
For information on the help available while travelling there’s a downloadable
booklet called Rail Travel Made Easy.
Here are the contacts for the train companies that serve Cambridgeshire – get
more information about how they help by phone or online.
First Capital Connect
0800 058 2844 0800 975 1052 (textphone)
www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk
CrossCountry
0844 811 0125
0844 811 0126 (textphone)
www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk
National Express East Anglia
0845 600 7245 0845 120 2067 (textphone)
www.nationalexpresseastanglia.com
East Midlands Trains
08457 125 678
www.eastmidlandstrains.co.uk
National Express East Coast
08457 225225 08457 202067 (textphone)
www.nationalexpresseastcoast.com
This will be changing to the East Coast
Main Line Company.
Disabled person’s railcard
Get a third off most fares for you and a companion by buying a railcard – look at
the website below where you can download the form. If you’re not eligible then
you might get a 16-25 railcard: www.16-25railcard.co.uk.
Pick up a leaflet from a station, or contact:
Rail Travel Made Easy
PO Box 11631 Laurencekirk AB30 9AA
www.disabledpersons-railcard.co.uk
0845 605 0525 0845 601 0132 (textphone)
Going by coach
National Express Coaches
08717 818181 08717 818179 (Disabled Persons Travel Helpline)
0121 455 0086 (textphone)
www.nationalexpress.com/coach/ourservice/disabled.cfm
Online bookings and how to get around Great Britain by coach – includes
information about concessions.
20
Going abroad
Eurostar and trains in Europe
Eurostar trains leave London St Pancras, near King’s Cross where your
Cambridgeshire train arrives. See www.eurostar.com or call 08705 186 186
for information about help. If you need a wheelchair space it’s in the more
comfortable Leisure Select carriage, where you and your companion go at a
discount fare. Look at www.seat61.com and the German Railways site,
http://bahn.hafas.de, for how to get around Europe.
Flying
Travel companies, airlines and
airports should provide the help you need,
and you should tell them what that is when
you book.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission
(see also page 82) has information at www.
equalityhumanrights.com/airtravel, including a
downloadable booklet called Your Rights to Fly –
What You Need to Know that gives useful advice
on planning your journey. There’s information
about holidays on page 11.
London’s airports have information about their
services for disabled people on their websites.
Gatwick Airport
www.gatwickairport.com
Heathrow Airport
www.heathrowinformation.co.uk
London City Airport
www.londoncityairport.com
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Stansted Airport
www.stanstedairport.com
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21
Making the transition
school, college, university, training and work
You’ll never stop learning, even if you leave school when you are 16. If you go out to work or
into training, you’ll learn new skills and how to communicate and get on well with different
people. There are thousands of opportunities in further and higher education. Ideally, you’ll
have access to education and training throughout your life, not just when you’re young.
Learning also means getting the skills you need for work and living independently.
When you’re 16 there are many choices that depend on your
interests and abilities: stay at school or go to sixth-form
college, go to residential college, aim for university when
you are 18, go to a regional college, go into training and
work, or do supported activities.
Your statement and transition plan
Support for your parents
23
24
Connexions and career planning
25
Further education, sixth form and training
27
30
26
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28
31
Residential education
Going to university
Distance learning
Adult education
31
32
Support at work and help finding a job
Social training and work experience
Voluntary work
22
If you have had a so
cial
care assessment, m
eet the
eligibility criteria an
d have
a Personal Budget
, then
you may be able to
use
some of it to meet
your
social care needs so
you
can organise the tr
aining
and education you
need. See page 40
for
information about
this.
35
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Your Statement and Transition Plan
You may have been assessed when you were younger and have a Statement of
Special Educational Needs (SSEN) that said what extra help you should be given at
school. That statement would have been reviewed every year and in year 9 it forms
the starting point for your Transition Plan. When you leave school and go to college
or university they should take it into account.
Your special needs when you were younger may not have been enough to mean that
you had a statement. You’ll still get help to decide what to do when you are 16. If your
Connexions Personal Adviser or Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator think it will
help then your Adviser will draw up an action plan.
If you do have an SSEN, around the time you are 14 you will have a review meeting
at your school that will help you decide what studying or training you want to do
and the skills you will need after you are 16. Then you will be helped to draw up your
Transition Plan. This plan is reviewed every year after that to make sure that it is up to
date, and it’s meant to bring together all the help that you may need.
People at the review could include:
l You and your parents
l Your teacher
l Your Connexions Personal Adviser
l Somebody from Cambridgeshire Social Care
l Somebody from the Health Service
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S
Choices you make might mean that when you are 16 you:
l Go into the sixth form at your school or at another school or college
l Go to further education college
l Get a job
l Start training for work
l Go into supported employment
l Do supported activities run by Cambridgeshire Social Care
The Plan isn’t just about education and training.
It will also look at things like:
l What you want to do
l Where you live
l What information you need
l What support you need to decide about your future
l Practical stuff, like equipment you need and personal assistance
l What you need to become independent and confident
l Your social life
You’re entitled to be listened to and you can communicate in the meeting how you
like – symbols, British Sign Language or whatever you need. It’s your life, so your
views count. You should think about the meeting in advance – maybe make a plan
23
first so you’re ready for the meeting. Your Connexions Personal Adviser can help
you do this. Before your review meeting you and your parents may want to look
at some of the information sources that follow here.
For information about how Cambridgeshire Social Care help with transition,
see page 38.
Get more information about Transition Plans
l www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/social/transition/
l Cambridgeshire Connexions booklet, Making Plans: transition and future options
l The County Council’s Transition Pack – download it from their website
l Progress magazine: www.progressmagazine.co.uk
l Part 11 of Gateopener’s Cambridgeshire Parent Information Pack –
see www.gateopener.org.uk
l Look at www.teachernet.gov.uk and look for the SEN Toolkit, section 10
l Preparing for Adult Life – download this booklet from Contact a Family,
www.cafamily.org.uk
l The Transition Information Network – plenty of information online at
www.transitioninfonetwork.org.uk
l Moving On Up (01246 541675, www.movingonup.info) is for young people with
learning difficulties from ethnic minority communities
Support for your parents
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S
24
Tell them about the Parent Partnership Service (PPS) and Pinpoint.
The PPS gives them information and advice and helps them know how
the system works if you have special educational needs, so they can
participate in your education. It is based at the County Council but is
independent. Pinpoint gives them information and support to help
them support you.
They could also take a look at the special needs section of www.
parentscentre.gov.uk/educationandlearning.
Parent Partnership Service
Castle Court, Shire Hall
Cambridge CB3 0AP
01223 699214
www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/pps
Pinpoint
0751 741 9761
www.pinpoint-cambs.org.uk
Connexions and career planning
Connexions offers confidential support to 13 to 19 year olds and will help you up to the
age of 25 if you have additional needs, learning difficulties or disabilities. You have a
Personal Adviser for information, advice, guidance and practical help with:
S
l Your transition plan and choosing what to do when you are 16 or 18
l Knowing your legal rights
l Relationships with friends or family
l Planning your future
l Grants and benefits you can claim
l Volunteering
l Housing problems
You can contact and meet your Personal Adviser at school, college, a Connexions centre
and at some youth centres. He or she will discuss your plans with you and guide you,
and link up with the other services you need, including those listed in the next few pages.
Call 0800 561 3219, or use your textphone to phone 01480 376001.
There are two Cambridgeshire Connexions websites:
l www.youthoria.org
l www.4us.org.uk – if you have a learning disability
There’s lots of information for you there and they have a guide for your parents too.
Connexions offices
Cambridge
Central Library, Lion Yard CB2 3QD
01223 712800
Chatteris
Call the March office for information
about drop-in sessions.
Ely
The Library, 6 The Cloisters CB7 4ZH
01353 616990
Huntingdon
20 St Benedict’s Court PE29 3PN
01480 376800
March
Young People March,
The Centre, City Road PE15 9LS
01354 651703
St Neots
The Library, Priory Lane PE19 2BH
01480 376013
Wisbech
4–6 Stermyn Street PE13 1EQ
01945 585128
Connexions has a national website and free telephone number.
www.connexions-direct.com
080 800 13219, text 077 664 13219
25
Other careers advice services
Careers Advice Service
0800 100 900
www.careersadvice.direct.gov.uk
Online and telephone careers advice and information for anybody over 16.
Lifetracks
020 7250 5700
www.lifetracks.com
Information about work, study, training and personal development for 16 to 25 year olds.
Nextstep
This careers advice service, mainly for people over 20 (18 if referred by Jobcentre Plus)
has five offices in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough – but remember that you can get
help from Connexions until you’re 25.
0845 603 1059
www.nextstepeastofengland.org.uk
Further education,
sixth form and training
S
There are many different education and training opportunities for your Connexions
Adviser to guide you through: A levels, Diplomas, NVQs, BTECs, apprenticeships
and more. Look at the Coursefinder 14 to 19 site (www.cambscoursefinder.com) for
information about these. Schools and colleges hold Information, Advice and Guidance
events throughout the year to inform learners about academic and vocational
qualifications and financial support to study or train.
If you want to go to university, that normally means doing A-levels or the new
Advanced Diploma in the sixth form at school, at a sixth-form college or at one of
the regional colleges. There are too many possible places to list here, but they are on
the Coursefinder site. You could go into work or training afterwards instead of higher
education.
If you have a learning difficulty you will find that there are courses that help you learn
the skills you need to be independent and manage your own life. These have names like
Essential Life Skills, Learning for Living, Pathfinder, Moving On, Skills for Independent
Living, New to Work¸ Foundation Studies and Supportive Learning. These are often run
with partner agencies such as the social training enterprises (see page 32) that provide
on-the-job work skills training.
Improving Choice
This is a way for regional colleges to provide a tailor-made course and support for you
in the most convenient location if you have lots of support needs and cannot make use
of existing courses. It means you can stay in your home area when the alternative might
be going to a specialist residential college (see page 27). Ask your Connexions Personal
Adviser about this.
26
Cambridge
Regional College
Science Park Campus
Cambridge CB4 2QT
01223 418200
www.camre.ac.uk
College of West Anglia
Tennyson Avenue
King’s Lynn PE30 2QW
01553 761144
www.col-westanglia.ac.uk
The college also has centres in
Wisbech and Milton.
Huntingdonshire Regional
College
California Road
Huntingdon PE29 1BL
01480 379100
www.huntingdon.ac.uk
Apprenticeships and
Entry to Employment
Apprenticeship programmes are
run at the regional colleges. By
doing one you gain a recognised
vocational qualification while in paid employment,
so there’s college work and on-the-job training.
Get more information from the colleges, or look at
www.apprenticeships.org.uk. You may need to do
an Entry to Employment course first.
Peterborough Regional College
Park Crescent
Peterborough PE1 4DZ
0845 872 8722
www.peterborough.ac.uk
Gretton School
Gretton is a special educational
needs day and residential school
for children and young people
aged 5 to 19 with autistic spectrum
disorder, due to open in Girton (near
Cambridge) in 2010.
www.grettonschool.com
Meldreth Manor School
Fenny Lane, Meldreth
Royston SG8 6LG
01763 268000
www.scope.org.uk/education/
meldreth.php
Run by Scope for pupils and students
aged 9 to 19 with profound and
multiple learning difficulties and
additional sensory impairments.
At the same address, but on
telephone 01763 268030, is Orchard
Manor, Scope’s Transition Service
for people aged 18 to 25 with
complex support and learning needs
– see www.scope.org.uk/education/
orchard.php.
Residential education
NATSPEC
0121 428 5050
www.natspec.org.uk
If your needs cannot be met in
Cambridgeshire, then going to a
residential college may be the answer.
The Association of National Specialist
Colleges (NATSPEC) publishes a directory
of its member colleges.
Funding for a place at one of these
colleges has to be agreed. Your
Connexions Personal Adviser can tell
you about this, and guide you through
the application
process.
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27
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Going to university
Your school or college and your Connexions Personal Adviser will help
you apply to university. See page 64 for information about grants,
loans and the Disabled Students’ Allowances.
A local option might suit you: the University of Cambridge has been in the City for
800 years, Anglia Ruskin University (which also runs courses in Peterborough and
Chelmsford and in partnership with local colleges) for 150 years. But you can apply
wherever you want and can expect a high level of support. The Open University
enables you to study when and where you want to.
You apply to university through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service
(UCAS), www.ucas.ac.uk, or direct to the Open University. If you indicate that you
have a disability when you apply, the universities should pick this up, offer you
support you might need at interview and then help you access support services,
equipment and sometimes accommodation when you start student life. Skill is a
good source of information about applying to higher education.
Access to Higher Education
If you’re a bit older and left school
without the right qualifications for
university you can still go by doing
an Access course. Ask the colleges
on page 27, or see
www.accesstohe.ac.uk.
Skill: National Bureau for
Students with Disabilities
Unit 3, Floor 3, Radisson Court
219 Long Lane
London SE1 4PR
0800 328 5050
0800 068 2422 (textphone)
www.skill.org.uk
Individual advice and a series
of information sheets (available
online) about further and higher
education.
East Road
Cambridge CB1 1PT
0845 271 3333
www.anglia.ac.uk/disabledstudents
Hundreds of courses at a number
of locations in and around
Cambridgeshire.
28
What support can you expect
from your school, college, or
university?
It could include:
l Willingness to be flexible about the help
you need to study effectively
l Lecturers and tutors who enable you to
participate fully
l Good access to buildings and facilities,
courses and social activities
l Help in getting the right equipment,
computers and software
l Practical support, depending on your
needs – an assistant to take notes,
advice on completing essays and other
coursework, help in the library, advice on
studying effectively
l Support and advice if you have a specific
learning difficulty like dyslexia
l A mentor – somebody who helps you get
organised and to be motivated
l Help to perform to your ability in exams
– extra time, use of a computer, rest
breaks, an amanuensis (somebody who
writes your answers as you dictate them)
Levelling the playing field
at Anglia Ruskin
(Photo: Jason Williams)
Case Study
Anglia Ruskin University has many students with
support needs, including those with physical
or sensory impairments, learning difficulties,
Asperger syndrome or mental health difficulties,
or combinations of these. Third-year student Ella
James describes how the support she gets means
she can pursue her long-held ambition to be a
Scenes of Crime Officer.
I’m really enjoying the Forensic Science course. It’s hard work and you really need to put
the study time in, but it’s great fun and I’ve made new friends and met lots of forensic
science professionals. There’s plenty of team work and I feel I’m really building up the
knowledge and skills I need. It’s definitely the course for me.
I’ve always struggled with spelling and writing, but I didn’t get any support at school or
college. It wasn’t until my first year here that I was assessed as having dyslexia. That
means I have a Learning Support Assistant, Jane, who works with me, and a lap-top with
mind mapping software that’s very useful for planning assignments.
The support makes loads of difference. It means I start level with everybody else and I
wouldn’t still be here without it. Jane takes notes in lectures and practicals and types
them up for me. Then she helps make sure my spelling and grammar are OK in my
assignments, and that they’re properly structured.
We also meet to plan my work – our plans give it all structure and help me get the tasks
done. Jane’s also great at liaising with lecturers, helps me solve problems and is always
there for me.
I get other support too – lecturers provide notes before lectures, will read my work
before I submit it and are happy to give extra tutorials when there’s something I haven’t
understood. And I get extended library loans and extra time in exams.
Now I’m starting my last year. It’s going to be hard and there’ll be loads of practical work,
including courtroom practice. There’ll be things like field trips, blood-splatter analysis,
visiting the mortuary and my dissertation on crime scene reconstruction.
I’m really looking forward to it and it’s the support I get that makes it all possible – and
you could go to university too!
For more information, contact Anglia Ruskin University (see left) and see
page 64 for how Disabled Students’ Allowances fund this type of support.
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University of Cambridge
The Old Schools, Trinity Lane
Cambridge CB2 1TN
01223 337733
www.cam.ac.uk
www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/disability
You normally apply to one of 29 colleges – too many to list here,
but all the information you need is on the website.
The University’s Disability Resource Centre helps organise the support
you need and the colleges support their students closely.
The Open University
PO Box 197
Milton Keynes MK7 6BJ
www.open.ac.uk
0845 300 6090
SS
The OU offers a huge range of courses via supported distance learning. You can
get Disabled Students’ Allowances (see page 64) to cover your extra costs, and
they offer plenty of support – see www.open.ac.uk/disability. You may be eligible
for a Fee Grant or Course Grant (see page 65 – or look at the OU’s information
about finance).
Distance learning
This means learning on your own at home – but there’s usually
support available. There are many distance and online courses from
a range of providers, including some universities. We can only list
three of the main providers here:
Learndirect
PO Box 900
Leicester LE1 6ER
0800 101 901 (includes textphone)
www.learndirect.co.uk
Online courses in basic English and Maths, IT and Business and Management.
National Extension College
Michael Young Centre, Purbeck Road
Cambridge CB2 8HN
0800 389 2839
www.nec.ac.uk
Over 100 courses in a range of academic and vocational subjects (for example,
English literature, history, accounting and book-keeping) leading to qualifications
such as GCSE, A level and NVQ.
Open University
See section above.
30
Adult education
Camlearn – www.camlearn.net – is the County’s database of adult
day and evening classes for leisure and for qualifications. The Adult
Special Learning Team runs courses for people over 18, and a supported
employment scheme: call them on 01223 703530.
Support at work and
help finding a job
Your first contact will probably be with Connexions (page 25) but there are other
agencies that help too.
AbilityNet
See page 77.
SS
Access to Work
Nine Elms Lane, London SW95 9BH
020 8426 3110 020 8426 3133 (textphone)
atw-london-region@jobecentreplus.gsi.gov.uk
www.disability.gov.uk
This Jobcentre Plus scheme may pay for equipment you need at work, adaptation of
premises, or a support worker. It may also pay towards the cost of getting to work.
Advice Now
www.advicenow.org.uk/youngworkers
Information about employment.
Association of Disabled Professionals
BCM ADP, London WC1N 3XX
01204 431638
www.adp.org.uk
Employment advice, information and peer
support, and the Disabled Entrepreneurs Network
– see www.disabled-entrepreneurs.net
Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs)
Contact your DEA through your Jobcentre Plus
office – see page 66. He or she can help if you are
looking for work or you already have a job that
you want to keep, and whether your impairment
is newly acquired or long standing. They can
refer you to Workstep, Work Preparation,
Residential Training, the Job Introduction
Scheme and Pathways to Work. There’s more
information about those schemes at
www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople.
Young people and work
Once you are 13 you are allowed
to do some light work. The type
and the hours of work you can
do are very limited. You cannot
work in school time, for example,
or at anything dangerous.
Cambridgeshire has byelaws
about this and, while you are of
compulsory school age (and that
means up to the end of June in
your last year at school even if
you’re already 16), you must have
a permit from them. You don’t
need one if you stay on at school
after that. There’s a leaflet on the
County Council website, or you
can call them on 01354 661736.
31
DisabledGo Jobs
www.disabledgo.info/Jobs
Online vacancy listings from
inclusive employers.
Leadership Recruitment
Scope, 6–10 Market Road
London N7 9PW
020 7619 7299
020 7619 7187 (textphone)
www.scope.org.uk/graduates
Work placements and facilitating access to
graduate schemes and jobs.
Papworth Trust
A major provider of employment advice and
support in Cambridgeshire. See also pages 33,
42, 43, 45, 52 and 75.
Recycling at OWL
Remploy
18c Meridian East, Meridian Business Park
Leicester LE19 1WZ
0845 155 2700
0845 155 0532 (textphone)
www.remploy.co.uk
Shaw Trust
Shaw Trust
15 Milton Road East
Lowestoft NR32 1NT
01502 527602
www.shaw-trust.org.uk
A large employer of disabled people, Remploy
also offers support and advice to help you find a
job with other employers.
Support into employment for
disabled and disadvantaged people.
Social training and work experience
Social Training Enterprise Group (STEnG)
c/o OWL (see below)
www.steng.org.uk
The following organisations are members of STEnG and provide
complementary learning, work and social opportunities.
In STEnG’s Access to Employment Project Job Coaches in the member organisations help
you move on from training with them to new training or work experience, or to voluntary
work or paid employment.
Branching Out
27 Grange Lane, Littleport CB6 1HW
01353 863221
www.branchingoutuk.net
Work-based training including making garden furniture, growing fruit and vegetables,
making hot lunches, working in charity shops and recycling.
32
Burwell Community Print Centre
The Causeway, Burwell CB25 0DX
01638 613102
www.burwellprint.co.uk
Training in a busy Print Room and Design
Centre that provides a variety of printing,
photocopying and finishing services,
promotional items like T-shirts and mugs,
plus envelope stuffing and labelling.
Edmund House, 9 Church Lane
Fulbourn CB21 5EP
01223 883130
www.cambridgeshiremencap.co.uk
Opportunities
Without Limits (OWL)
Sawston Village College
New Road, Sawston
CB22 3BP
01223 835329
www.owlgroup.org.uk
Wide range of workbased and vocational
training activities and supported
employment, including community café,
hot meals delivery service and bicycle
recycling project, plus leisure activities.
Training in catering and hospitality
at Cambridge University colleges,
volunteering and work experience in
gardening, and catering at Fare Shares
Café in Cambridge. See pages 6, 45, 52
and 57 for other services.
Darwin Nurseries
5 Quy Water, Newmarket Road
Cambridge CB1 9AT
01223 293911
Training and work experience in
horticulture, selling produce, and animal
husbandry.
Fenland Area Community
Enterprise Trust (FACET)
Marwick Centre, 21 Marwick Road
March PE15 8PH
01354 655080
Training in retail, catering, practical
woodwork, horticulture, art and design,
independent living skills, basic skills, job
clubs and job-seeking skills.
Hope Social Enterprises
15–17 Commercial Road
March PE15 8QP
01354 658732
Work experience, for example in
gardening and furniture repairs, in
centres in Wisbech and March for
vulnerable adults to help prepare them
for the world of work
OWL Gardeners
Papworth Trust
Bernard Sunley Centre
Papworth Everard CB23 3RG
0800 952 5000
www.papworth.org.uk
Centres in Cambridge (01223
478605), Papworth (01480 357200)
and Huntingdon (01480 423053)
provide opportunities to learn
to live independently and work
towards qualifications. The
Trust also helps people find and
keep a job, through vocational
rehabilitation, work experience,
voluntary work and supported
employment programmes such as
Workstep, Pathways to Work and
Work4You. See also pages 32, 42,
43, 45, 52 and 75.
33
Rowan Humberstone
40 Humberstone Road
Cambridge CB4 1JG
01223 566027
www.rowanhumberstone.co.uk
Prospects Trust
Snakehall Farm, Reach CB25 0HZ
01638 741551
www.prospectstrust.org.uk
Work experience, accredited training and
Accredited training and work
supported employment opportunities in
horticulture and organic market gardening. experience enable people
with learning difficulties
Red2Green
to work alongside skilled
Harvey’s Barn, Park End
artists and craftspeople producing high
Swaffham Bulbeck CB25 0NA
quality artwork.
01223 811662
www.red2green.org
S
A varied and innovative programme of
education and work opportunities for
people in Cambridgeshire.
Other social training opportunities
Adult Special
Learning Team
See page 31.
Camtrust
22 Cambridge Road
Impington CB24 9NU
01223 236786
www.camtrust.co.uk
Further education and a
comprehensive introduction
to life in the workplace in a
relaxed commercial studio
that offers print finishing
and design services, in
conjunction with Huntingdon
Regional College.
Misfits
258 Mill Road
Cambridge CB1 3NF
01223 415269
www.samamba.co.uk/misfits.
html
Training for people with
learning difficulties is
offered in this shop which
sells goods produced by
local crafts people. It was
formerly run as Castle
Project Print Finishers.
34
Phoenix Trust
Unit 8, Milton Trading Estate, Cambridge Road
Milton CB24 6AZ
01223 420669
www.phoenixtrust.org
Phoenix employs people with learning disabilities and
manufactures a range of paving slabs.
Reboot
Eastern Court, Social Enterprise Centre
182–190 Newmarket Road, Cambridge CB5 8HE
01223 365917
www.shopatreboot.co.uk
Reboot sells recycled/refurbished PCs and offers
people real work experience in a safe, structured
environment. A good place to take your old computer.
Richmond Fellowship Employment Services
Cambridge area
23 Signet Court, Swann Road, Cambridge CB5 8LA
01223 301032
Huntingdon and Fenland area
Island Hall Cottage, 17 Post Street
Godmanchester PE29 2BA
01480 456257
www.richmondfellowship.org.uk
Employment guidance and support into employment,
volunteering or training for people with mental health
problems. Work opportunities include horticulture and
garden maintenance.
Voluntary work
Voluntary work means giving your time for free because you want to
contribute to the community, usually by helping other people or doing
something like looking after the environment. The agencies listed will
help you find a placement.
Volunteering can be brilliant experience and useful because many
employers recognise its value when you apply for jobs. It’ll look good
on a university or college application too.
You usually get lots of support and training and it can be a good thing to do if you don’t feel
ready for a paid job. Training might lead to a certificate or qualification.
If you’re claiming benefits they shouldn’t be affected, but read our advice about this on
page 69.
Community Service Volunteers
Suite 2B, Essex House, 71 Regent Street, Cambridge CB2 1AB
01223 728460
www.csv.org.uk
Full-time supervised opportunities away from home for people aged 16 to 35 to volunteer
for four to twelve months with people needing support in the community. Volunteers
receive a weekly allowance, accommodation, food and travel expenses.
Cambridgeshire Youth Bank
01480 494333
www.youthbankcambs.org.uk
Opportunities for you to apply for money to
support your own ideas and projects.
Vinvolved
The Old Police Station, Priory Road
St Ives PE27 5BB
01480 461336
www.young-lives.org.uk
www.vinvolved.com
www.do-it.org
S
This youth volunteering programme
encourages and supports you if you’re
aged 16–25 years to take up volunteering
opportunities and helps you develop your
skills, give something to the community and
gain recognition.
Cambridge Volunteer Centre
Llandaff Chambers, 2 Regent Street
Cambridge CB2 1AX
01223 356549
www.cam-volunteer.org.uk
S
Volunteer Centre Ely and District
41e Forehill, Ely CB7 4AA
01353 666556
www.vcaec.org.uk
Volunteer Centre Fenland
Queen Mary Centre, Queen’s Road
Wisbech PE13 2PE
01945 582192
www.fenlandvb.org.uk
Volunteer Centre Huntingdonshire
7 St Mary’s Street, Huntingdon PE29 3PE
www.huntingdonshirevolunteercentre.co.uk
Huntingdon
01480 414766
Ramsey
01487 814117
St Ives
01480 301462
St Neots
01480 476047
Skill
Skill promotes volunteering as well as
access to education. See page 28.
Covers Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire.
35
Living independently
Living independently means having support and health services, housing,
adaptations, equipment and activities to suit you. When you ask for services or
support you’re entitled to have your voice heard. Services should be organised to
meet your needs and to be convenient for you. You can begin to take control, and
you can complain if things go wrong.
Self-Directed Support is a new way, if you are eligible, to choose, plan and
manage the support and services you receive and to achieve your personal goals.
You need to know about it: see pages 40 to 43.
How do you get
the services you need?
What do you get?
37
37
38
Making the transition
If you have a
visual impairment
Contacting
Cambridgeshire Social Care
If you have a
hearing and a
visual impairment
Daytime activities
39
38
45
47
48
48
Using health services
Self-directed
support and
personal budgets
Information and advice
about health services
How it’s funded
Help with NHS charges
40–43
44
44
44
How good are the services?
Independent social care
36
If you have a
hearing impairment
48
49
How do you get the services you need?
They might come from Social Care Adult or Children and Young People’s
Services (they’re part of Cambridgeshire County Council), from your local
District or City council, or from the National Health Service. They may
arrange services and ask other organisations to provide them. If you have
a learning disability then services are provided by the Learning Disability
Partnership run jointly by social and health services. They may come from
independent voluntary or commercial organisations or from individuals you hire as care
assistants. With proper planning you get all the services you need working together
smoothly.
Some services are paid for through Supporting People. That’s housing-related help that
makes sure you’ve got somewhere to live that you can afford that is safe, secure and meets
your needs: see page 51.
If you’re interested in what the law says, then the Children Act (1989) covers you until you
are 19. After that there’s a whole range of laws going back to the National Assistance Act
(1948), including the Carers and Disabled Children Act (2000), the Community Care (Direct
Payments) Act (1996), the NHS and Community Care Act (1990), the Disabled Persons Act
(1986) and the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act (1970). It could be worth knowing
about those if you ever need to complain about the services you receive.
Unlike the mostly free National Health Service, social care services can charge for care, and
there are eligibility criteria that mean you only get support if your needs are above a certain
level. Those criteria are set within the government’s Fair Access to Care Services guidance.
What do you get?
The NHS and Community Care Act (1990)
entitles you to your social care assessment. The
Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act (1970)
says they have to assess your need for:
l Practical help at home
l Radio and television
l Help to use a library and to go out to leisure activities or education
l Help with transport to those activities
l Adaptations and equipment at home
l Holidays, meals and a telephone
S
You may not actually receive all of these, but they must decide whether or
not you need them: now person-centred planning means that you and they
together look at all aspects of your life, including these.
S
People who help look after you, usually your parents, can have their needs
assessed too. They may get help from the Carers’ Support Team that has
managers in Cambridge, Huntingdon, Ely and March.
37
Making the transition to adult services
Transition at school starts when you are 14 – look at pages 23 to
24 where we describe transition planning when you decide what
education, training, work or other activities you want to do after you
are 16. But it’s all integrated so, if necessary, somebody from the Council’s social
care services will be involved at that early stage. It should be person centred, focusing on
you and what you want.
If you use Social Care services, when you are 19 you will move from children’s to adult
services. The Transitions Team (see below) give you and your parents/carers advice and
information as you approach your 17th birthday (or earlier if you need lots of support).
They’ll agree a suitable time for your social care assessment with you and decide whether
you are eligible for services. Then they’ll guide you through the Self-Directed Support
process (see page 40).
Person-centred planning helps you plan the life you want. As the Council says:
l You are the most important person
l It is not just about having a one-off meeting
l It should carry on through your life
l It is a way of working together to make changes
l Some people use a circle of support, a group of people who know you well, probably
family or friends who help you achieve your goals
Contacting Cambridgeshire
Social Care
General Social Care Contacts
Children’s Social Care Teams
Emergencies outside office hours
Emergency Duty Team: 01733 234724
0345 045 5203
Social Care Enquiries
0345 045 5201
Occupational Therapy
0345 045 5205
Transition
S
Transitions Social Care Team
Scott House, 5 George Street
Huntingdon PE29 3AD
01480 372669
38
Huntingdonshire
Buttsgrove Centre, 8 Buttsgrove Way
Huntingdon PE29 1LY
Fenland and East Cambridgeshire
Noble House, St Thomas Place
Cambridgeshire Business Park
Ely CB7 4EX
100 Churchill Road
Wisbech PE13 2DE
South Cambridgeshire and Cambridge
100 Rustat House, Clifton Road
Cambridge CB1 7EG
Learning Disability
Partnership Teams
Adult physical and
sensory impairment
teams
0345 045 5221
Cambridgeshire Physical
Disability Team
Amundsen House, Stocks Bridge Way
St Ives PE27 5JL
0345 045 5202
Huntingdon
Scott House, 5 George Street
Huntingdon PE29 3AD
Fenland
Hereward Hall, County Road
March PE15 8NE
Cambridge City
Block 7, Ida Darwin
Fulbourn CB21 5EE
Sensory Services Team
Amundsen House, Stocks Bridge Way
St Ives PE27 5JL
0345 045 5221
01480 498066 (fax)
07765 898732 (text)
01480 376743 (textphone)
sensory.services@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Works with adults of all ages who have a
hearing or a visual impairment and with people
who are deaf/blind (dual sensory loss).
S
Block 11, Ida Darwin
Fulbourn CB21 5EE
East Cambridgeshire
Princess of Wales Hospital
Lynn Road, Ely CB6 1DN
Daytime activities
S
Education, work experience and training at the
regional colleges and social training enterprises
are described on pages 26 to 27 and 32 to 34. Social
and recreational activities happen at Learning Disability Partnership and
independent day services. Get a list from Social Care, and see below.
Cats
1 Bull Lane
St Ives PE27 5AX
01480 375200
S
Darwin Workshops
Ida Darwin, Fulbourn CB21 5EE
01223 884063
S
Horizon Resource Centre
Coldhams Lane
Cambridge CB1 3HY
01223 568811
Huntingdon Community Centre
Ambury Road
Huntingdon PE29 1JE
01480 398050
Larkfield Resource Centre
High Barns, Ely CB7 4SB
01353 661128
Sawston Compass Centre
189 High Street
Sawston CB2 4JH
01223 712727
Tennyson Lodge
3 Gordon Avenue
March PE15 8AJ
01354 653284
Victoria Lodge
18 Larksfield, Victoria Road
Wisbech PE13 2UW
01945 461175
39
Self-Directed Support
and Personal Budgets
A new way of choosing, planning and
managing the support you need to live
independently, with you at the centre
If you are 19 or over, and if you are eligible for social care support,
instead of having things decided for you by Cambridgeshire Social Care and
its NHS partners, you will receive a Personal Budget. That’s money allocated to you up
front so you can plan your social care and choose the best ways to meet your support
needs and achieve your goals. You can have help with this if you need it.
To find out if you’re eligible for support you will have to be assessed by Cambridgeshire
Social Care, who make this decision under the Government’s Fair Access to Care
Services policy. You’ll have to fill in a Support Questionnaire which asks you about
your support needs and the things you want to do and achieve. Your Care Manager will
discuss this with you.
Then, your own Support Plan will list your support needs and your goals. It will show
how you intend to spend your money and get the life you want. It does not have to be
just about your personal care, but can include things like housing, leisure activities,
transport and holidays, work experience and training, and the support you need at work.
This process, called Self-Directed Support, gives you more choice over the support you
receive and will help you live your life so you can achieve what you want to. It will give
you more independence, freedom, flexibility, choice and control over the services you
receive and the things that you do.
If you need it, you can have help to produce your Support Plan but it is your plan and
you’ll be involved in deciding what to include. Once it’s all agreed the County Council will
allocate your Personal Budget.
If you want to you can take the money as a direct payment and manage everything
yourself, or you can get help to do it, or you can ask the County Council to do it for you.
Whatever you choose it will still be your Personal Budget. But, if you do take a direct
payment you will have responsibility for managing and paying for your own support.
You can also include money from other sources in your Support Plan.
This could include:
l Access to Work (see page 31)
l Independent Living Fund (see page 44)
l Supporting People (see page 51)
You may have to make a financial contribution yourself – it depends on your income.
40
Your Support Plan
Your plan:
l Has you as its focus
l Involves deciding what you want to do in
your life and what you need to do to make
it happen
l Includes people who care about you – your
circle of support, usually your family and
friends who get involved in helping you
achieve your aims
l Is a description of how you want your life
to be
l Can be in whatever format is best for you
l Is not itself the most important thing – but
making it all happen is
… and the Council will want the plan to
include:
l Things that are important to you
l What you want to achieve or change
l The support you need and how it will work
l How you’ll spend your Personal Budget
l How your support will be managed
l How you’ll stay in control
l An action plan to make it all happen so you
stay healthy, safe and independent
See the following page for more sources of
information about Support Plans.
41
One good answer to that is: services provided by
members of the Opportunities Trust, many of which
are listed in this book. See their website (below) for
a full list of their member organisations’ services.
Disability Cambridgeshire and Disability
Huntingdonshire can also tell you what
opportunities and services there are.
Commercial care agencies are listed in the County
Council’s Adult Care and Support Services
Directory and in their Accredited Provider
Catalogue, both of which are available on their
website. They are also listed on the website of the
Care Quality Commission (see page 44) where you
can see reports on them.
You can also employ and pay your own assistants.
Opportunities Trust
Saxongate Community Learning Centre
Bradbury Place
Huntingdon PE29 3RR
01480 423056
www.opportunitiestrust.org.uk
The Trust is a group of organisations working
together to provide a range of activities and support
that could be provided through your personal
budget. These include leisure activities, education,
personal support and help into employment.
The parents of a young
disabled person told
Disability Cambridgeshire:
~
What services can you use?
The fact that our son
is able to choose
what he does and when
he does it gives him more
freedom as an individual.
The principle of him
directing his own life, so
being able to work towards
his own goals and towards
being ‘in control’, is key to
maintaining his individuality
and ongoing development.
For us as parents, the fact
that we can help him and
be involved formally
through his circle of support
is a major and positive
aspect of providing care
through a Personal
Budget.
Get more information about self-directed support from:
l Social Care – www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/social/selfdirectedsupport/
– see the list of their leaflets on the next page
l Hands off My Plan! – www.handsoffmyplan.co.uk
l In Control – www.in-control.org.uk
l Valuing People – www.valuingpeople.gov.uk
l Personalisation Network – www.dhcarenetworks.org.uk/personalisation
l National Centre for Independent Living – www.ncil.org.uk
l Advocacy services like Speaking Up – see page 74
l Papworth Trust – see next page
l Cambridgeshire Direct Payment Support Service – see next page
l Disability Cambridgeshire and Disability Huntingdonshire – see back cover
42
~
County Council leaflets about Self-Directed Support
l Self-Directed Support: putting you in control of your social care
l Fairer Charging: what it means if you have a personal budget
l Developing your support plan
l Support Planning: a guide
l Self-Directed Support and Personal Budgets: information for people with
learning disabilities
l Self-Directed Support and Direct Payments for social care
How does it differ from the existing direct payments system?
Receiving some or all of a Personal Budget as a direct payment and organising your
own services is one way of using it, but you can ask Cambridgeshire Social Care
to do it all for you. You’ll still be involved in planning your own support and be in
control. An important difference is that other bits of money can be added to your
Personal Budget.
Getting help with your Support Plan and Direct Payment
Cambridgeshire Direct Payment Support Service
Ivan Peck House, 1 Russell Way
Chelmsford CM1 3AA
01245 392328
01245 392302 (textphone)
01245 392329 fax
www.ecdp.org.uk/cambsdpss
Essex Coalition of Disabled People runs this to help you manage your money and
recruit, employ and pay assistants or care agencies.
Papworth Trust
Bernard Sunley Centre
Papworth Everard CB23 3RG
0800 952 5000, 01480 357200
www.papworth.org.uk
The Community Support Team is paving the way for the introduction of Personal
Budgets for the Trust’s tenants by providing care and support for them to purchase,
and staff to help with person-centred planning. More Papworth services are on
pages 32, 33, 52 and 75.
National Centre for Independent Living
Unit 3, 40 Canterbury Court
1–3 Brixton Road
London SW9 6DE
020 7587 1663
www.ncil.org.uk
Their website is a resource on independent living,
direct payments and personal budgets.
43
How it’s funded –
and how to get
more money
Social care is funded by
Cambridgeshire County Council,
although you may have to make
a contribution. Health services are
free, but you may have to pay for
prescriptions and some other services:
see page 49 for more about that. See
pages 63 to 70 for the general benefits
and grants you can claim. If you need
lots of support you may get money
from the Independent Living Fund.
Independent Living Fund
PO Box 7525
Nottingham NG2 4ZT
0845 601 8815 or 0115 945 0700
0845 601 8816 (textphone)
www.ilf.org.uk
If you’re over 16, receive at least
£320 worth of Social Care support
each week, get the higher rate care
component of Disability Living
Allowance (page 67), have savings
of less than £23,000 and meet other
eligibility criteria, you may get a
payment from the ILF to pay for
more care. You can treat any payment
as part of your Personal Budget
(page 40).
S
How good are
the services?
Care and health services
are regulated and
inspected so that they
meet standards set down by the
government. If you’re not happy with the
service you receive you can use NHS and
local councils’ complaints procedures:
see page 87. Independent organisations
should have clear ways of dealing with your
complaints, too.
Care Quality Commission
Citygate, Gallowgate
Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4PA
03000 616161
www.cqc.org.uk
The CQC regulates health and adult social
care services provided by the NHS, local
authorities, private companies or voluntary
organisations. It lists care services and
residential homes on its website and
publishes its reports on them there.
Ofsted
Royal Exchange Buildings
St Ann’s Square
Manchester M2 7LA
08456 404045
0161 618 8524 (textphone)
www.ofsted.gov.uk
Ofsted regulates education and social care
services for children and young people.
Independent social care organisations
There are too many commercial agencies to put here, but you can find
them on the Care Quality Commission website (see above). They are also
listed in the County Council’s Adult Care and Support Services Directory.
Here are some voluntary organisations involved in care and support.
44
S
Crossroads Cambridge City
Lincoln House, The Paddocks
347 Cherry Hinton Road
Cambridge CB1 8DH
01223 415600
www.crossroads-cambridge.org.uk
Crossroads West Anglia
8 The Meadow, Meadow Lane
St Ives PE27 4LG
0845 241 0954
www.westangliacrossroads.org.uk
Covers all of Cambridgeshire except
Cambridge.
These two Crossroads services
support you while somebody in your
family who usually looks after you
takes a break. The West Anglia service
has a group for young carers (see
page 58).
Edmund House
9 Church Lane
Fulbourn CB21 5EP
01223 883130
www.cambridgeshiremencap.co.uk
Services for people with learning
disabilities: residential care, respite service
and home-based support for people over
18, and the Windmill Hydrotherapy Pool
which is available to disabled people of all
ages. See pages 6, 33, 52 and 57 for other
services.
Huntingdon Mencap
Stanley House
10–11 Orchard Lane
Huntingdon PE29 3QT
01480 450596
huntingdonmencap@btconnect.com
Services for people with learning
disabilities: home support, helping you to
live independently, help with daily living
skills, help to choose and do a wide range of
leisure and educational activities, and short
breaks for carers.
Ely Diocesan Committee for
Family and Social Welfare
Bishop Woodford House
Barton Road
Ely CB7 4DX
01353 652719
www.ely.anglican.org
Provides an independent social work
service to anyone in the diocese.
Papworth Trust
See pages 32, 33, 42, 43, 52 and 75.
If you have a hearing impairment
See page 39.
S
Cambridge Camtad
8a Romsey Terrace, Cambridge CB1 3NH
01223 416141
www.camtadcambs.org.uk
Loans of environmental equipment,
retubing and maintenance of hearing
aids and drop-in advice sessions around
the County except Fenland. Call or check
the website for details.
Fenland Camtad
4 Johnson Way, Chatteris PE16 6FD
01354 693062
Battery exchange, retubing and
repairs to hearing aids plus advice
on equipment in Chatteris, Manea,
Whittlesey, March and Wisbech.
Monthly equipment demonstrations
at Doddington Hospital.
S
45
Cambridgeshire Deaf Association
8 Romsey Terrace, Cambridge CB1 3NH
01223 246237(voice)
01223 411701 (fax)
01223 411801 (textphone)
suzanne@cambsdeaf.plus.com
www.cambsdeaf.org
The local organisation of Deaf people. Dropins, Deaf clubs, information, advice and
support, BSL classes.
Cambridge and Huntingdon Deaf
Children’s Society
01480 394408
www.ndcs.org.uk
Care services, communication services,
welfare and employment advice, tinnitus
helpline, text relay (see page 79),
equipment and campaigns.
Audiology Departments
County-wide activities including children’s
club, teen machine, family events,
information and support. See website for
more information.
Services include hearing tests, hearing
aids, balance assessments and
tinnitus counselling. Clinics are held in
community hospitals, too (see page 49).
Clarion
Newton Hall, Town Street, Newton CB22 7ZE
01223 870840 (voice)
0771 3082716 (text)
01223 874440 (fax)
office@clarioncall.net
www.clarioncall.net
Addenbrooke’s Hospital
Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QQ
01223 217797
01223 586912 (fax)
www.addenbrookes.nhs.uk
S
Services available include British Sign
Language interpreting, note taking, speechto-text, lip speaking, video conferencing and
Deaf awareness training.
Our Voice
For this advocacy service see page 74.
British Deaf Association
Bushell Street Mill, Bushell Street
Preston PR1 2SP
01772 259725 (voice)
05603 115295 (textphone)
01772 561610 (fax)
england@bda.org.uk
www.bda.org.uk
A range of campaigns and services,
including BSL classes, are provided by this
organisation run by and for Deaf people.
46
Royal National Institute for
Deaf People (RNID)
19–23 Featherstone Street
London EC1Y 8SL
0808 808 0123 (voice)
0808 808 9000 (textphone)
07800 000360 (text)
informationline@rnid.org.uk
www.rnid.org.uk
Edith Cavell Hospital
Bretton Gate, Peterborough PE3 9GZ
01733 874000
www.peterboroughhospitals.co.uk
Hinchingbrooke Hospital
Huntingdon PE29 6NT
01480 416137
www.hinchingbrooke.nhs.uk
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Gayton Road, King’s Lynn PE30 4ET
01553 613805
www.qehkl.nhs.uk
Audiology for children
There are clinics around the county.
For Cambridge City and South and East
Cambridgeshire call 01223 884174; for
Huntingdonshire, 01480 418614; for
south Fenland 01733 875502; for north
Fenland 01553 613805.
If you have a visual impairment
See page 39.
Cam Sight
167 Green End Road
Cambridge CB4 1RW
01223 420033
www.camsight.org.uk
S
A range of information, advice and support
services: resource centres in Cambridge and
Chatteris, assistive technology, practical
support to stay independent, sport and
leisure activities, and local groups in East
and South Cambridgeshire.
Fenvision
Room 7, Old School Buildings
Dartford Road
March PE15 8AN
01354 656726
S
Services for blind and partially sighted
people in the old Isle of Ely (mostly now in
Fenland) include liaison with Cambridgeshire
Social Care.
Huntingdonshire Society for the Blind
8 St Mary’s Street
Huntingdon PE29 3PE
01480 453438
Services include resource centre (including
equipment display), information and advice,
social activities and outreach support.
Action for Blind People
14–16 Verney Road
London SE16 3DZ
0800 915 4666
www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk
Free and confidential support in all aspects
of your life. Their mobile information service
sometimes comes to Cambridgeshire.
Royal National Institute of
Blind People (RNIB)
105 Judd Street
London WC1H 9NE
0303 123 9999
www.rnib.org.uk
Large range of information, advice
and support services from national
and regional offices.
Hospital Eye Units
Hills Rd, Cambridge CB2 0QQ
01223 216401
Hinchingbrooke Park
Huntingdon PE29 6NT
01480 416058
Peterborough District Hospital
Thorpe Road
Peterborough PE3 6DA
01733 874000
Gayton Road
King’s Lynn PE30 4ET
01553 613613
www.qehkl.nhs.uk
S
S
47
If you have a hearing
Information and
and a visual impairment advice about
health services
See page 39.
Patient Advice and
Liaison Service (PALS)
www.pals.nhs.uk
Sense East
Upper Floor, 50 Forder Way
Cygnet Park, Hampton
Peterborough PE7 8JB
0845 127 0080
0845 127 0082 (textphone)
0845 127 0081 (fax)
eastenquiries@sense.org.uk
www.sense.org.uk
Every NHS Trust has a PALS that will
tell you about its services and help
you with any problems or complaints.
District Hospital trust PALS are listed
on the next page.
Regional office of a national charity that
supports and campaigns for children and
adults who are deafblind. Provides advice
and information as well as specialist
services, to you and your family, carers, and
professionals who work with you.
Cambridgeshire Community
Services PALS
0800 013 2511
NHS Cambridgeshire PALS
0800 279 2535
NHS Choices
www.nhs.uk
Information about NHS services
Using health services
Access to most health services is
through a general practitioner: that’s
your family doctor, or GP. If you move
away from home make sure you register
with a doctor where you live. To find a
GP or an NHS dentist search at www.
nhs.uk or call 0845 4647. There are
services you can use direct, like those
that offer that offer sexual health advice
(see page 59), walk-in centres and
Accident and Emergency (Casualty).
Your doctor will normally refer you
to services run by Cambridgeshire
Community Services
(www.cambscommunityservices.nhs.uk),
but other health and social care workers
can as well. Here are a couple you might
use, followed by a list of community
hospitals, but these and other services
may be provided at other health centres
and clinics too.
48
NHS Direct
0845 464
www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
S
Health advice and information.
Dental services for people with
special needs
Cambridge: 01223 723100
Ely: 01353 652100
Huntingdon: 01480 416075
St Neots: 01480 472686
Wisbech: 01945 465919
There are clinics around the
county and dentists may be able
to visit you at home.
Speech and
Language
Therapy
01223 884494
www.slc.cambridgeshire.nhs.uk
Assessment, advice and therapy
for children up to 16 (or 19
if at a special school) who
have speech, language and
communication difficulties, or
feeding and swallowing
difficulties. Services
for adults are
provided at the
community hospitals.
Community hospitals
Brookfields Hospital
Mill Road, Cambridge CB1 3DF
01223 723170
Doddington Community
Hospital
Benwick Road
Doddington PE15 0UG
01354 740481
North Cambridgeshire Hospital
The Park, Wisbech PE13 3AB
01945 488088
Princess of Wales Hospital
Lynn Road, Ely CB6 1DN
01353 652000
Minor Treatment Centres
These are at North Cambridgeshire,
Doddington and Princess of Wales
hospitals.
Help with NHS charges
The NHS charges for some services, including
prescriptions, sight tests and glasses, and
dental treatment. But you may not have to
pay, or you may get some help towards costs.
These are some of the circumstances in which
you might get help, but you should get advice:
l Prescriptions are free if you are under
16 or you have one of a list of specified
conditions; dental treatment is free if you
are under 18; both are free if you claim one
of a selection of benefits
l Prescriptions, dental treatment and sight
tests and glasses are free if you are under
19 or 20 and in full-time education or
training
l Prescriptions and dental treatment are free
if you are pregnant or have given birth in
the last 12 months
District hospitals
These large hospitals have many services,
including Accident and Emergency
(Casualty).
Hills Rd, Cambridge CB2 0QQ
01223 245151 01223 274604 (textphone)
01223 216756 (PALS)
Hinchingbrooke Park, Huntingdon PE29 6NT
01480 416416
01480 428964 (PALS)
Thorpe Road, Peterborough PE3 6DA
01733 874000 01733 875847 (PALS)
Gayton Road, King’s Lynn PE30 4ET
01553 613613 01553 613888 (textphone)
01553 613351 (PALS)
www.qehkl.nhs.uk
l Sight tests
and glasses
are free if you’re
under 16 (or under
19 or 20 and you’re in fulltime education or training), claim certain
benefits or need certain lenses
l Sight tests are also free if you’re
registered blind or partially sighted or
have certain conditions
Unless you’re under 16 you’ll need
an exemption certificate to get free
prescriptions. Even if you don’t get these
services free, you may get some help.
It depends on your income and savings,
so get advice (pages 72 to 73) about
claiming from the Low Income Scheme.
If you do have to pay, you may save money
with a Prepayment Certificate. Get more
information about all this at www.nhsbsa.
nhs.uk/792.aspx.
49
House and home
To find somewhere to live that suits you, you’ll need advice, information and some
help. If you get support from Cambridgeshire Social Care (see page 38) your care
manager will explain how to register with Home-Link (see below). The care manager
will help you if you need residential care, but most people choose to rent single or
shared accommodation. That can have support staff who visit or who are there every
day, and be there overnight too if it’s needed.
Your assessment and Support Plan (see page 40) will decide your needs and
record your preferences. If you don’t need social care support, get advice from the
organisations listed on pages 72 to 73 or from the councils and housing associations
listed below. You may get help through Supporting People (see next page).
You might need to adapt where you live to make it accessible (see pages 52 to 53), or
you may be able to get accommodation that was designed to be accessible.
Supporting people
S
51
Council housing and housing associations
Housing advice
51
52
52–53
Adapting your home
Getting equipment to make life easier
Assistance dogs
50
55
53–54
Supporting people
This is housing-related support that enables you to live as
independently as possible. If you can get this help they’ll advise and
support you on things like maintaining your home, claiming benefits,
organising your gas, electricity and water supplies and going into
education, training or employment. They’ll also help you contact other service providers.
It could be part of the service you get with your accommodation or it might be ‘floating’
support, which means it comes to you. It may be provided by your housing association or
other provider. There’s specialist floating support if you have a sensory impairment.
For Cambridge, call their Housing Support Service on 01223 462255; for the other district
councils, call the numbers on the inside front cover, or ask your housing association.
Council housing and
housing associations
Only Cambridge City and South
Cambridgeshire councils have their
own housing. East Cambridgeshire,
Fenland and Huntingdonshire have
all transferred their accommodation
to housing associations but still
have housing departments and run
housing advice services.
To get council housing and most
association housing, or to move if
you’re already a tenant, you need to
use Home-Link.
Home-Link
This is the choice-based lettings
scheme for council and housing
association properties in
Cambridgeshire and part of Suffolk.
There’s information on the website
and a useful list of the participating
councils and housing associations.
If you’re getting social care support
your care manager will help you
register and then bid, if you haven’t
got anybody else to help you. Your
district council will help you, too.
www.home-link.org.uk
S
S
01223 457000
East Cambridgeshire District Council
01353 665555
Fenland District Council
01354 654321
01480 388388
South Cambridgeshire District Council
03450 450 051
Luminus Homes (Huntingdonshire)
Brook House, Ouse Walk
Huntingdon PE29 3QW
01480 428777
www.luminus.org.uk
Roddons Housing Association (Fenland)
Beacon House, 23 Hostmoor Avenue
March PE15 0AX
01354 660789
www.circleanglia.org/roddons
Sanctuary Hereward (East Cambridgeshire)
St. Mary’s Lodge, St. Mary’s Street
Ely CB7 4EY
0845 850 5757
www.sanctuary-housing.co.uk
51
Other housing
associations
Voluntary organisations
These are some of
the associations in
Cambridgeshire that have
large numbers of flats and
houses and which have some supported or
wheelchair-accessible housing.
Accent Nene
Manor House, 57 Lincoln Road
Peterborough PE1 2RR
0800 393890
www.accentnene.org
Axiom Housing Association
Axiom House, Maskew Avenue
Peterborough PE1 2SX
01733 347135
www.axiomha.org.uk
S
S
Housing advice
Cambridge City and the district councils
(use the numbers inside the front cover)
all run advice services that help with
finding accommodation, tenants’ rights
and other matters.
Some organisations, Cambridgeshire
Mencap and Papworth Trust for
example, manage supported
accommodation. See page 33.
Cambridge Housing Society
Endurance House, Chivers Way
Histon CB24 9ZR
0845 712 5612
www.cambridgehs.org.uk
Granta Housing Society Limited
1 Horizon Park, Barton Road
Comberton CB23 7AF
01223 576756
www.grantahousing.org.uk
Tenant Services Authority
Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road
London W1T 7BN
0845 230 7000
www.tenantservicesauthority.org
Use the website to find all the housing
associations in the county.
Adapting your home
S
S
Your home may need to be adapted or provided with essential facilities to make
it more accessible and safer for you. Examples include improving access to
your bathroom, toilet or bedroom, installing a level-access shower or a stairlift,
or improving your heating system. Small items like grab rails may be supplied by the
Equipment Service, if you meet the eligibility criteria (see page 37) or by your council or
housing association if you rent from them. If you want to buy small items of equipment,
see page 53.
To pay for adaptations, if you are a homeowner or private tenant, you may be able to get
a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG). Whether you get it, and how much, depends on your
income and savings, unless you’re under 20 in which case they may be ignored.
52
If you are not eligible for a grant and decide to pay for the adaptations yourself, you are
advised to get advice from an independent occupational therapist. Find them at www.
cotss-ip.org.uk or www.hpc-uk.org, or get a list from Cambridgeshire Social Care. You can
still get help from a Home Improvement Agency and may be able to get funds elsewhere.
To find out more, contact Occupational Therapy on 0345 045 5205
or the Home Improvement Agency for your area (see below). Those
agencies also manage improvement grants and they supervise the
process of getting the work done.
If you’re a tenant of a council or housing association then they may pay for the
adaptations you need, so contact your housing department or association or
Occupational Therapy (above). Some housing associations expect you to apply for a
DFG to fund anything other than minor adaptations.
Getting equipment
to make life easier
There are millions of
products out there to make
things easier for you: special
cushions, telephones,
kitchen and bathroom
gadgets, wheelchairs and
other mobility equipment.
If you have an assessment
by Social Care or the health service
(page 37) they’ll say what equipment
best meets your needs and will lend it
to you from the Integrated Community
Equipment Service (see next page). Your
Personal Budget may give you freedom
to choose. If you need a wheelchair you
may be referred to an NHS wheelchair
centre (page 54).
There’s nothing to stop you going out
and looking for yourself. Disability
Cambridgeshire and Disability
Huntingdonshire can tell you about the
local disability equipment suppliers and
there’s a list that you can download from
the Social Care website. Some of them
have occupational therapists on hand to
advise you.
You can try things out and get advice at
the Cambridgeshire Independent Living
Centre or get information from the
Disabled Living Foundation. If you have
a hearing or visual impairment see the
Sensory Services Team on page 39 and
other services on pages 45 to 47.
Home Improvement
Agencies (HIAs)
Cambridge Home Aid
01223 457945
www.cambridge.gov.uk
East Cambridgeshire Care
and Repair
01353 723777
www.careandrepair-ecambs.co.uk
Fenland Care and Repair
01553 616677
www.careandrepair-wn.org
Huntingdonshire HIA
01480 388238
www.huntsdc.gov.uk
South Cambridgeshire HIA
03450 450063
www.scambs.gov.uk
Assistive and Telecare Technology
Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire
01223 883756
S
Huntingdon
01480 372433
East Cambridgeshire and Fenland
01353 865354
Supplies useful gadgets like
dictaphones so you can record
conversations or reminders to do
things, vibrating alarm clocks, pagers,
large-button telephones and devices to
remind you to take your medicine.
53
British Red Cross Medical Equipment
Cambridge: 01223 868696
Ely: 01353 664147
St Neots: 01480 213376
www.redcross.org.uk
Short-term loan of equipment, including
wheelchairs.
Cambridgeshire Independent
Living Centre
Lower Pendrill Court
Papworth Everard CB23 3UY
01480 830495
S
S
The Centre displays a range of assistive
equipment. Just call for an appointment
with an occupational therapist who
will give you impartial information and
advice so you can then go and buy with
confidence. There’s an NHS wheelchair
service there too (see right).
Integrated Community
Equipment Service (ICES)
Unit 1, Kestrel Place
Hinchingbrooke Business Park
Huntingdon PE29 6FJ
0845 121 3456
This is where the equipment you might
get after a Social Care or Health Service
assessment comes from. It’s listed here
in case you need to return equipment
to them or ask for a replacement, but
to get it in the first place you need the
assessment: see page 38 for how to
contact Social Care.
REMAP
01480 464283, 01223 570860
www.remap.org.uk
S
This is a group of engineers and
occupational therapists who meet
to solve individual mobility and
communication problems. They may be
able to construct or adapt a gadget to
meet your particular need.
54
Disabled Living
Foundation
380–384 Harrow Road
London W9 2HU
0845 130 9177
020 7432 8009
(textphone)
www.dlf.org.uk
Free, impartial advice about all
types of daily living equipment and
mobility products. There’s loads
of information on their website, or
give them a call.
NHS Wheelchair Services
You’ll need a referral from a doctor
or occupational therapist.
Hills Road
Cambridge CB2 0QQ
01223 217859
Edith Cavell Hospital
Bretton Gate
Peterborough PE3 9GZ
01733 874507
Huntingdonshire
Wheelchair Service
01480 830495
Gayton Road
King’s Lynn PE30 4ET
01553 613761
S
Assistance dogs
Dogs can be trained to perform a range of tasks: guide you if you
have a visual impairment, pick things up and carry them, alert you to
sounds like the telephone or alarm, open doors, alert you if you are
going to have a seizure, and more.
Canine Partners
Mill Lane, Heyshott
Midhurst GU29 0ED
08456 580480
www.caninepartners.co.uk
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People
The Grange, Wycombe Road
Saunderton HP27 9NS
01844 348100 (voice and textphone)
www.hearingdogs.org.uk
Dogs for the Disabled
The Frances Hay Centre, Blacklocks Hill
Banbury OX17 2BS
01295 252600
www.dogsforthedisabled.org
Support Dogs
21, Jessops Riverside
Sheffield S9 2RX
0114 261 7800
www.support-dogs.org.uk
Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
Burghfield Common
Reading RG7 3YG
0118 983 5555
www.guidedogs.org.uk
S
S
S
S
55
Good times
and rough times
Growing up and becoming an adult brings you opportunities, excitement, responsibilities,
new friendships and relationships and new independence. But it can bring worries too: you
may lack confidence in yourself or have difficulties in your relationships with your family
and friends; you may find sex and your sexuality confusing and worrying; and you may find
that you or your friends have problems with drugs or alcohol. And it all happens at a time
when you may be working hard at school or college and trying to decide what education or
training you want to do.
Counselling and support
Confidentiality
57–58
57
If you look after somebody
58
58–59
59
Friends, relationships, love and sex
Sexual health and contraception
Being a parent
60
Your ethnic background
Bullying
60
61
61
Drugs and alcohol
Eating disorders
56
60
A Guide to
Rough Times
We think ‘Rough Times’ is
a good way to describe the
difficulties you may be facing.
We got it from a website for
young people compiled for all of
Cambridgeshire by colleagues
in Huntingdonshire. We’ve
used some of their information
in this section, but they have
far more useful stuff than we
can get in here. Go to: www.
guidetoroughtimes.co.uk
Other mental health services
62
Counselling and support
Counselling provides support when you’re unhappy or depressed, angry,
worried or confused. Your counsellor will listen to you talk about anything
that worries you: that could be relationships with family and friends, sexuality,
bullying, abuse, lack of confidence and self-esteem, depression and loneliness, self-harm,
stress and bereavement. If you’re in higher education your college or university will probably
have a counselling service.
Befriending Project
Edmund House, 9 Church Lane
Fulbourn CB21 5EP
01223 883141
Support for people aged 13 to 25,
who have a learning disability and
who may also have a physical and/or
sensory impairment. It aims to increase
independence, learning opportunities,
self confidence and self esteem. See also
pages 6, 33, 45 and 52.
Centre 33
33 Clarendon Street, Cambridge CB1 1JX
01223 316488
help@centre33.org.uk
www.centre33.org.uk
Centre 33’s services are all free, friendly
and confidential. Phone, email or drop in.
Information and advice, someone to talk
to on any personal matter: drugs, alcohol,
health, benefits and more:
l Counselling in Cambridge, and weekly
sessions at Ely library
l Drop-in sessions and workshops in
colleges and youth clubs in Cambridge
and South Cambridgeshire
l Support for children and young people
who care for a family member
l Mental health service in South
Cambridgeshire: one-to-one support
to young people with arising mental
health issues
l Creative peer education project
supporting groups in Cambridgeshire
(www.flipp.org.uk)
l Housing and living skills, advocacy,
support and prevention of
homelessness in Cambridge up to 25
years old
l Sexual health advice, pregnancy and
chlamydia testing
Connexions
See page 25 for contact details.
As well as all the help you’ll get in planning
education, employment and training,
Connexions advisers and youth workers give
information on staying healthy, sexual health,
relationships, and how to cope with life’s
pressures. They can put you in touch with youth
clubs and centres and a range of activities that
can help you increase your confidence, make
new friends, develop new skills and enjoy
yourself. For youth centres and clubs, look at
www.youthoria.org.
Information Shop for Young People
Broad Leas Centre, Broad Leas
St Ives PE27 5QB
01480 386011
Free, confidential information if you’re
14 to 25. Specialist counsellor, health worker
and careers adviser available.
Richmond Fellowship Castle Service
Offices C and D, Dales Brewery
Gwydir Street, Cambridge CB1 2LJ
01223 566737
This works with vulnerable young people aged
16 to 25, supporting them in the community, in
their own or other accommodation. Users have
a range of histories, including drug/alcohol use,
mental ill health and learning disability.
Confidentiality
Information, advice, advocacy, counselling and
health services won’t tell anybody else what you
have asked or told them. But there are serious
occasions when they may have to tell someone
else what you’ve said. That could be if you say you
might harm yourself or somebody else, or if it’s
to do with child protection. If you break the law,
someone who knows you could be made to tell a
court about you even if they do not want to.
57
Timestop
101 Wellington Street, Peterborough PE1 5DU
01733 891891
www.theymca.org.uk
Romsey Mill
Hemingford Road
Cambridge CB1 3BZ
01223 213162
www.romseymill.org
A range of services that aim to
promote young people’s wellbeing include a programme for
young parents, social inclusion for
13-to-21-year-olds and the Aspire
programme for young people
with Asperger Syndrome.
Counselling for people aged 14 to 25 at various
locations in Fenland. Call to check details of their service
in Huntingdon.
Whittlesey Young People’s Counselling Service
Jenner Health Centre, Turners Lane, Whittlesey PE7 1EJ
07817 842 791
www.jennerhealthcentre.co.uk/wypcs.htm
Counselling for people aged between 14 and 25
If you look after somebody
Young carers are children and young people under 18 who provide
care, assistance or support to another family member who is ill or
disabled. These services offer you a chance to talk about this and to
socialise with other young carers, and may speak to your school or
other services on your behalf.
Cambridge (Centre 33): 01223 307488 Huntingdon: 0845 241 2125
East Cambridgeshire and Fenland: 01945 475440
Friends, relationships, love and sex
Growing up, sex and
relationships is a booklet for
young disabled people from
Contact a Family. Download it
from www.cafamily.org.uk. It’s
full of straightforward and frank
information about what it’s like to
be growing up with an impairment.
There’s a companion book for your
parents and another for teachers.
If you have a learning disability your parents
may want to get Talking together about sex
and relationships or Talking together about
contraception. They can get them from fpa
direct on 0845 122 8600 or fpadirect@fpa.org.
uk. See www.fpa.org.uk/Shop.
Friends and relationships
58
Growing up is about changes in the way you
look and feel, about being interested in many
new things and about developing friendships
and relationships. Part of it is about your
sexuality and relationships with sexual
partners: but it’s not just about sex, because
being able to trust, be trusted and have a
laugh with a partner are crucial too.
If you’re worried about any of this ask one
of the counselling services on page 57 and
above, or those listed here, and talk to
someone about it.
Childline
0800 1111 or 0800 400 222 (textphone)
www.childline.org.uk
Talk to them about anything: abuse,
bullying, online safety, friends, pregnancy,
drugs and more.
Family Matters
01474 537392
www.familymattersuk.org
Support if you have been subjected to
sexual abuse or rape.
Voice UK
0845 122 8695 or 07797 800 642 (text)
helpline@voiceuk.org.uk
www.voiceuk.org.uk
Supports people with learning disabilities
and other vulnerable people who have
experienced abuse or crime.
And now’s the time when you’ll want to make your own
choices about what you do, who you spend time with,
how you look and what clothes you wear. Taking pride in
your appearance is a way of expressing yourself which
can be fun and can boost your self confidence. How you
seem to other people will change too.
But all this can be confusing and most people feel very
sensitive about the changes they’re going through, which
can take a while to get used to. It can all be very difficult
to talk about, especially with your parents.
So, talk to people at Centre 33 or one of the other
counselling services, to a youth worker or to people at
2byou.
It’s your choice when to have sex – and you can
say NO if you want to
The law says that you have to be over 16 to consent to
any type of sexual activity, whether it’s with somebody of
the opposite sex to you or the same sex.
However old you
are, even if you’re
over 16, if another
person makes you do
something you didn’t
consent to, that’s
against the law.
You don’t have to have sex or any
intimate contact with anybody
if you don’t want to or don’t feel
ready. Anybody who really likes
you will respect that, and anybody
who makes you when you don’t
want to is abusing you and you
should tell someone you trust,
even if the other person makes you
promise not to tell. It’s not you,
it’s the other person who’s doing
wrong. Childline (page 58) has lots
more about all this.
Sexual health and contraception
C-Card
www.ccardcambs.org.uk
If you’re 19 or under this card allows you to collect free
condoms from places displaying the C-Card logo. See the
list on the website.
Centre 33
See page 57.
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Clinics for young people
There are clinics at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, central
Cambridge, Chatteris, Ely, Huntingdon, March,
Peterborough, St Ives, St Neots, Whittlesey and Wisbech.
They provide free, confidential pregnancy testing,
contraception, health screening, information and sexual
health advice.
You can often just drop in, but check the days and times
at www.sexualhealthcambs.nhs.uk or
www.ccardcambs.org.uk.
Dhiverse
Office B, Dales Brewery, Gwydir Street
Cambridge CB1 2LJ
01223 508805 (Cambridge, and South and East Cambs)
01480 420011 (Huntingdonshire and Fenland)
www.dhiverse.org.uk
2byou
Dales Brewery
Gwydir Street
Cambridge CB1 2LJ
07808 189158 (call or text)
www.2byou.org.uk
Runs drop-in support and
social groups for you if you’re
lesbian, gay, bisexual or just
unsure about your sexuality.
Saturday afternoons if you’re
under 16, Tuesday evenings
if you’re 16 to 24. Both
groups meet most weeks
at a safe location in central
Cambridge.
Leonard Cheshire Intouch
www.lcdisability.org/intouch
A project to give disabled
people aged 14 to 25 greater
and easier access to sexual
health services.
Support and information about living with and preventing
HIV and AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections.
59
Being a parent
You and your partner have the same rights as anybody else, and the same
responsibilities. Lots of people get involved when you are pregnant – doctors,
midwives, people doing tests and scans, so it’s a good idea to have somebody with
you when you go to appointments. Make sure your partner’s there too, or a friend or
advocate, so you can say what you want.
Disabled Parents Network
81 Melton Road, West Bridgford
Nottingham NG2 8EN
0300 3300 639
www.disabledparentsnetwork.org
Information, advice, advocacy.
Disability, Pregnancy and Parenthood
International
National Centre for Disabled Parents
Unit F9, 89–93 Fonthill Road
London N4 3JH
0800 018 4730, 0800 018 9949 (textphone)
www.dppi.org.uk
East Anglian Medical
Genetics Service
01223 216446
www.cuh.org.uk/genetics
You may be worried that a
condition you or your partner
have might be passed on to your
baby. It’s a good idea to talk
about it with someone from a
support group for your condition,
if there is one (ask Disability
Cambridgeshire), or contact this
service at Addenbrooke’s for
information and counselling.
Publications and an information service for
disabled parents.
Bullying
Your ethnic background
Even though it’s against the law, people
may treat you differently because you
are from a minority ethnic group. It could
happen anywhere, but schools must record
racist bullying. Bullying UK (see right) has a
page on racist bullying.
Cambridge Ethnic Community Council
62–64 Victoria Road, Cambridge CB4 3DU
01223 315877
www.cecf.co.uk
Helps promote
understanding
between people
from different
ethnic groups.
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If you’re
being bullied
consult one of
the support and
counselling services listed on page
57, or contact one of these:
Bullystop
01945 860496
help@bullystop.net
www.bullystop.net
Bullying UK
www.bullying.co.uk
Lots of information about how to
tackle bullying.
Cybermentors
www.cybermentors.org.uk
Help whether the bullying is online
or offline. For more help with online
bullying see page 77.
Drugs and alcohol
The only way to avoid problems with drugs
is not to take them.
Drugs include legal stuff like cigarettes and
alcohol (you have to be 18 to buy either) as
well as all the banned substances you hear
about and see. You may want to try drugs
out, and people you know may put you under
pressure to do so. You’re very likely to see
drugs around.
Once you’re old enough to decide, it’s up to
you. Take care of yourself and your friends
and remember that you could be breaking
the law and giving yourself health problems.
Smoking causes cancer and heart disease,
among other illnesses, and all drugs can
harm you. Find out the health risks of
anything you’re thinking of trying, and
whether it’s legal.
If you do have problems get help from one
of the counselling services (see page 57), or
from those below. Find more information at
www.cambsdaat.org/young_people.
Addaction
Church Terrace, Wisbech PE13 1BW
01945 584444
A range of services to those affected by their
own or someone else’s drug misuse.
and up to 25 if you’re at risk
of sexual exploitation, plus
advice and information for
parents and carers. Will
meet you wherever it’s
best for you.
Drinksense
Cambridge
Huntingdon
March
Peterborough
Wisbech
01223 350599
01480 456956
01354 650457
01733 555532
01945 474153
The website, www.drinksense.org,
includes pages for young people.
Young Users
Newton Centre, Nursery Road,
Huntingdon PE29 3RJ
01480 415278
yous@cpst.nhs.uk
Treatment, information, advice and
support for all parts of the county.
Frank
0800 776600
www.talktofrank.com
The government’s national drug
awareness campaign.
Dialdruglink
38a High Street, St Neots PE19 1JA
www.dialdruglink.com
01480 474974
Support up to 18 if you have substance
misuse problems.
Eating disorders
The counselling services on page 57 can help.
The Phoenix Centre
Ida Darwin, Fulbourn, Cambridge CB21 5EE
01223 884314
www.phoenixcentre.nhs.uk
Unit for people aged 12 to 17 who are suffering from
an eating disorder such as anorexia.
Beat
0845 634 1414
(if you’re over 18)
0845 634 7650 (younger people)
07786 20 18 20 (text)
www.b-eat.co.uk
Help to beat eating disorders.
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Other mental health services
Most of this section has been about your mental well-being but there are
many more services that you may be referred to. Local Mind associations
and Lifecraft offer a range of services that are mainly for adults and
likely to include social and educational activities, information, advice and
counselling. The NHS provides a number of mental health services for young people.
YoungMinds
www.youngminds.org.uk/young-people
Website offering information to young
people about mental health and emotional
well-being.
Cam-Mind
100 Chesterton Road
Cambridge CB4 1ER
01223 311320
www.cam-mind.org.uk
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Hunts Mind
The Limes, 24 New Street
St Neots PE19 1AJ
01480 470480
www.huntsmind.org.uk
Lifecraft
The Bath House, Gwydir Street
Cambridge CB1 2LW
01223 566957
www.lifecraft.org.uk
Peterborough and Fenland Mind
5 York Road
Peterborough PE1 3BP
01733 758211
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NHS Child and Adolescent Mental
Health Service
01354 644257
Fenland
01480 415300
Huntingdon
01223 746001
Cambridge, South
Cambridgeshire, East Cambridgeshire
www.camhs.cambsmh.nhs.uk
Learning Disability Team
Douglas House, 18 Trumpington Road
Cambridge CB2 8AH
01223 746038
This team specialises in meeting your
psychological and emotional needs if
you’re a young person with a learning
disability.
Young Adult Service
S2 Addenbrooke’s Hospital
Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QQ
01223 217958
Mental health services for people
aged 17 to 25 from Cambridge,
South Cambridgeshire and East
Cambridgeshire.
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Money
Having your own money is one of the good things about being an adult. You can decide
what to spend it on – clothes, having fun, and essential things like personal care and
transport. New ways of getting money like Personal Budgets give you more freedom
and choice. But that also means being responsible for things like rent and tax, paying
the bills, paying care workers, doing your own food shopping and managing your bank
account. Sometimes things go wrong, like getting into too much debt.
There’s always help available so that you get the money you’re entitled to and can
manage it properly.
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Money when you’re at school, college or university
Benefits
64–65
66–69
Grants from charities and trusts
Getting into debt
70
Money in other sections
Personal Budgets
70
40
Independent Living Fund
44
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63
Money when you’re at school,
college or university
When you’re at school or college
Education Maintenance Allowance
You may get this (up to £30 pounds per week in term) if you are 16 to 18
and stay on at school or college after year 11. It depends on your family’s
income. Get more information from:
l Your Connexions Personal Adviser
l A Connexions office (see page 25)
l http://ema.direct.gov.uk or the helpline at 0800 121 8989
l http://moneytolearn.direct.gov.uk
Discretionary Support Funds
This may help if you are having trouble meeting the costs of going to further education
college or sixth form. Ask your college.
Money when you’re a student in higher education
If you go into higher education you can apply for loans, grants and scholarships and
claim benefits. Disabled Students’ Allowances may pay for the equipment and support
you need. University disability advisers can give advice before you go and while you’re a
student. See page 28 for information about going to university.
Student Finance England
0845 300 5090
0845 604 4434 (textphone)
www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance
www.studentfinanceengland.co.uk
Apply here for student loans and
grants, and for your Disabled
Students’ Allowances.
If you’re studying with the Open
University, apply to the OU itself.
NHS Business Services
Authority
0845 358 6655 (healthcare
professional training)
0845 6101122 (social work)
www.nhsstudentgrants.co.uk
Apply here for your bursary and
DSAs if you’re doing healthcare
professional training or social work.
Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs)
You can apply for these if you have a physical or sensory impairment, a mental health
problem, a learning difficulty such as dyslexia, or a condition such as Asperger syndrome.
Apply at the same time as you apply for your student loan or grant. Ask Student Finance
for the DSA booklet called Bridging the Gap, or download it.
Your DSAs might pay for:
l Equipment – that could be a computer and specialist software
l Support from an assistant – perhaps somebody to take notes for you or advise you on
managing your time, or a sign-language interpreter
l Advice on study skills from a specialist adviser if you have dyslexia or another specific
learning difficulty
l Extra travel costs
l Extra expense such as converting documents to the right format, or extra photocopying
64
Student Loans and Grants
Loans and grants from Student Finance England cover your tuition
fees and living expenses. You can apply online, and what you get
partly depends on your family’s income.
You might get:
l A tuition fee loan
l A living expenses loan
l A grant instead of part of your loan
l If you study part-time, a Fee Grant and
a Course Grant
You have to repay loans after your course
once your income reaches a certain level.
Bursaries and Scholarships
Universities have to give you a bursary if
you get the maximum loan or maximum
grant. They may offer scholarships too – ask
when you apply for a place.
Access to Learning Fund
You may get support from this if you
are experiencing financial hardship as
a student. Ask your university’s student
money adviser.
Working while you
are a student
Most Universities don’t mind if you get a
part-time job in term – if you have the
time and energy. Some even have an
employment bureau that helps you find
work. Don’t forget to check how a job can
affect any benefits you claim.
Money from other sources
Educational Grants Advisory Service
(EGAS)
501–505 Kingsland Road
London E8 4AU
020 7254 6251
www.family-action.org.uk
DSA assessments
You’ll have to provide evidence of
your disability at the beginning of the
process. Then you’ll need an assessment
at an assessment centre (there are two
in Cambridge – see below) or, if you
have a specific learning difficulty such as
dyslexia, a diagnostic assessment from
an educational psychologist or suitably
qualified teacher. You’ll end up with a
full report on the support and equipment
you need.
The assessment centres assess you
wherever in the country you go to study.
Their websites describe the assessment
process.
Anglia Assessment Centre
East Road
Cambridge CB1 1PT
0845 196 2378
01223 417730 (fax)
www.anglia.ac.uk/assessmentcentre
Cambridge Access Centre
9 Orwell House, Cowley Road
Cambridge CB4 0PP
01223 223701
www.cambridgeaccesscentre.com
Family Action (page 70) runs EGAS, which offers information and advice on all types of
funding for post-16 education. It can sometimes make grants for educational needs.
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65
Benefits
In
Find out what you might be entitled to. The system is complex and
often changes, so we can’t explain it all here. Benefits are often
linked – having one may entitle you to another. We don’t give
amounts here as they change every April, and
we cannot guarantee that you will get every
benefit that you claim.
Remember to get help!
There are different benefits if you cannot work,
if you need care and help, if you need help with
Benefits are complicated, so:
your rent and council tax, if you are a parent
l Get advice about what to claim
or carer, or if your income is below a level set
l Get help to claim it
by the Government. Some benefits depend
l Get more help if they turn you
on paying the right National Insurance
down – appeal within one month
contributions or being credited with them.
as they may change their decision
or they may have made a mistake You can get independent benefits advice
and help from Disability Cambridgeshire,
If you’re not sure whether
Disability Huntingdonshire (see back page)
you’re eligible, our advice is:
or one of the agencies listed on pages 72
to 73.
claim it to find out!
Jobcentre Plus
Jobcentre Plus is the agency that deals with most benefit claims.
You can claim Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance or Employment and Support
Allowance by calling 0800 055 6688 (textphone 0800 023 4888). Or claim online – go to
www.dwp.gov.uk/eservice. For DLA claims, see the next page.
Jobcentre Plus Offices
These include some outside the county that serve some Cambridgeshire villages.
Cambridge
Henry Giles House
73–79 Chesterton Road
Cambridge CB4 3BQ
01223 545000
01223 364549 (textphone)
66
Newmarket
Wellington Street
Newmarket CB8 0WJ
01638 683600
0845 603 2852 (textphone)
Ely
52 Market Street
Ely CB7 4LS
01353 605400
Peterborough
Clifton House, 84 Broadway
Peterborough PE1 1QZ
01733 297600
0845 608 8617 (textphone)
Huntingdon
2–6 Hartford Road
Huntingdon PE29 3PB
01480 322000
Wisbech
Albion House, Albion Place
Wisbech PE13 1AN
01945 675800
Benefits you can claim
Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
This is paid in two parts: care, if you need looking after, and
mobility if you need help getting around. You may get both or
only one of these – it depends on your needs.
Claim by getting the form from the Benefit
Enquiry Line on 0800 882 200, textphone
0800 243 355. A successful claim will date
from the day you called them if you return
the form within six weeks. Or claim online
at www.dwp.gov.uk/eservice. The form is
very long – get help to fill it in as writing
all the right information down will help the
claim succeed.
DLA Care has three rates – lower, middle
and higher. To qualify, you have to show
that you need help with things like washing,
dressing or going to the toilet, or that you
might need to be supervised by someone.
You don’t actually have to be getting the help
– it’s about showing the need, so you can
claim even if you cope on your own.
If you get DLA Care, somebody who looks after
you may be able to claim Carer’s Allowance,
but that may affect other benefits you claim, so
check first.
DLA Mobility has two rates. You’ll get the
higher rate if you can’t walk, if you can’t walk
without pain or walk safely, if you are deaf and
blind, if you have no legs or feet or, from 2011,
if you have a very severe visual impairment. You
may get the lower rate if you can walk but need
someone with you when outdoors.
Getting DLA means you may get more money if
you claim benefits like Income Support, Housing
Benefit or Employment and Support Allowance.
What has happened to
Incapacity Benefit?
Incapacity Benefit (IB) is no longer
available to new claimants – see
Employment and Support Allowance
(page 68)
If you were receiving IB (or Income
Support paid because of incapacity)
before October 27th 2008:
l You will continue, for a period, to
receive that benefit as long as you
continue to satisfy the entitlement
conditions.
l For a while, you will be assessed
under the old rules.
l If you are under 25, you will be
assessed under the new Work
Capability Assessment, but you
will remain entitled to IB/IS if
you pass this more difficult
test.
l You will eventually be moved
onto ESA, but you will not get
less benefit as a result.
l If you stopped claiming to
start full-time work before
October 27th 2008 you can
make a new claim within
104 weeks and return to
your old benefits.
If you get higher rate Mobility you can use the
benefit to get a Motability car (see page 15) and
you do not have to pay Vehicle Excise Duty (‘road tax’).
If your impairment gets worse after you claim, you may get a higher rate than you did
before or qualify for a component you did not get at all. Tell the Disability Contact and
Processing Unit. It’s a good idea to get advice first.
Disability Contact and Processing Unit
Warbreck House, Warbreck Hill Road
Blackpool FY2 0YE
08457 123456
08457 224433 (textphone)
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Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
www.dwp.gov.uk/esa
This benefit replaced Incapacity Benefit (IB) and Income Support (IS) paid
to new claimants on the grounds of incapacity in October 2008. It is the
benefit you can claim if you are over 16 and have limited capability for
work. The assessment is meant to focus on what
you can do, not what you cannot do.
Employment and Support
To get ESA you have to undergo the Work
Allowance in Youth
Capability Assessment (WCA) which tests how
your impairment affects your ability to work. It’s in
Once you are over 16 but still under
several parts.
20 (or under 25 if you have been in
l First there is a test to see if your capability for
full-time education or training) and
work is limited
you have limited capacity to work, you
l Then they test your capability for ‘work-related
may be able to claim the contributory
activity’ – you may be put in what they call the
part of ESA without having paid the
Support Group, in which case you won’t have to
National Insurance contributions.
do any work-related activities
The advantage of this is that any other
l Or, you may be put in the Work-Related Activity
income or savings you have do not
Group – then you go through the Work-Focused
affect how much you get.
Health-Related Assessment which assesses what
work you may be able to do and what help you
might need to do it – you also have to attend work-focused interviews that aim to get you
back to work
l If you don’t do the required work-related activities they may reduce your benefit
The benefit you receive relates partly to your National Insurance contributions (but you don’t
need these if you’re under 20, or under 25 if you have been in education or training). See the
box called ESA In Youth, above. It partly depends on your income and savings. You get more
after 13 weeks of the assessment period, and this varies with which group you are in.
If you were getting Employment and Support Allowance and it stops because you start work
or training, the work and training beneficiary linking rule allows you to re-claim your old
benefit at the same rate as before at any time within 104 weeks.
If you ‘fail’ the WCA – that is, they decide your capability is not limited and you are capable
of work – you will have to claim Jobseeker’s Allowance instead, or possibly Income Support.
Get advice.
Income Support
Getting this depends on your circumstances and on what income and savings you have,
and you may have to claim Jobseeker’s Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance
instead. You may be able to claim if you are a student (see page 69).
Jobseeker’s Allowance
You may have to claim this if you are looking for work and do not qualify for Employment
and Support Allowance. It may be income-based (it depends on your income and savings) or
contribution-based (you’ve paid the right National Insurance contributions while working).
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit
Claim these from your District or City Council. They may visit you, or there may be a local
office in your area or village – see the addresses inside the front cover.
Housing Benefit helps you pay rent, Council Tax Benefit helps you pay Council Tax (the
68
money you pay
your local council).
How much you get
depends on your
income and savings
and who is living
with you. You may
also be able to
claim if you are a
student (see below).
Reducing your Council Tax
Before you even claim benefit – and even
if you can’t claim it – your Council Tax
bill may be reduced. If you live on your
own you pay less and if you have a very
severe mental impairment you may not
have to pay.
Benefits while you are working
l Disability Living Allowance is unaffected
by working – except that your getting
a job may make the DWP review your
claim to see whether your care needs
have reduced
l You can do permitted work while
claiming Employment and Support
Allowance, but there’s a limit to the
number of hours and the amount you
can be paid – get advice
l Wages you earn may affect incomerelated benefits
l You can work as a volunteer but always
let Jobcentre Plus know what you are
doing
If you are substantially disabled you may
get a Council Tax Disability Reduction.
l You may be able to claim Working Tax
That’s if you have an additional bathroom
Credit from Her Majesty’s Revenue
or kitchen, or if you have another room
and Customs (HMRC) –
needed and mainly used by you, or if you
www.hmrc.gov.uk
have enough space to use a wheelchair
indoors. Ask for a Council tax officer to inspect your home. Get advice.
The Social Fund
Jobcentre Plus makes one-off payments from this fund. For Community Care
Grants (help to buy essentials like beds, fridges or heaters) or Budgeting Loans you
have to be claiming Income Support or income-based Jobseekers’ Allowance or
Employment and Support Allowance.
Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit
These are both claimed from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) –
www.hmrc.gov.uk.
Your parent or guardian will claim Child Benefit while you are under 16, or under 20
if you stay in secondary education or approved training. They may also claim Child
Tax Credit, if they have a low income.
If you claim other benefits in your own right after you are 16 this will affect how
much your parents get. Get advice and check this before you claim.
If you are responsible for a child then you will be able to claim Child Benefit and
may get Child Tax Credit too.
Benefits while you are studying
l Get advice about this – you can do some studying, depending on your age, what
the course is and how many hours you study each week, and still claim benefits,
including Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance, Housing Benefit
and Disability Living Allowance.
l For student grants, loans and other sources of money when you are studying, see
pages 64 to 65.
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Grants from Charities and Trusts
Disability Cambridgeshire (see
back page) has a computer package
called FunderFinder which helps to
find these. Give us a call to find out
more, or contact your local advice
agency (see pages 72 to 73) to see
if they have it. Or you can look at
www.turn2us.org.uk. A couple of
possibilities follow.
Family Action
501–505 Kingsland Road
London E8 4AU
020 7254 6251
www.family-action.org
As a young person aged 19 to 25, or
because you have a disability, you
may be eligible for a grant to meet
a range of domestic needs. They
sometimes make educational grants
and they run the Educational Grants
Advisory Service (page 65).
The Family Fund
4 Alpha Court
Monks Cross Drive
York YO32 9WN
0845 130 4542
01904 658085 (textphone)
www.familyfund.org.uk
If you are under 18 and are
severely disabled, and your
family has a low income and
low savings, your parents or
carer may be able to apply
to the Fund for a grant.
This might, for example,
be for a holiday, a washing
machine, driving lessons or
a computer.
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Getting into Debt
Sometimes things go wrong and you get into debt that you
can’t manage.
Don’t ignore it: do get help from an advice agency (pages
72 to 73). Citizens Advice Bureaux are a good option (page
72), or contact National Debtline on 0808 808 4000 or look
at www.nationaldebtline.co.uk.
70
SS
Information, advice,
and advocacy
Most organisations in this book provide information and advice about their own area of
interest. For example, Cambridgeshire Deaf Association and the Royal National Institute for
Deaf People (page 46), have loads of information if you have a hearing impairment.
But there are many general services. Some offer advocacy – that can mean speaking for you,
writing letters to organisations for you, and enabling you to speak for yourself.
So, this section lists those mostly local services that give general help, advice and advocacy.
Make use of them – they’ll help you gain access to the benefits and services you’re entitled to.
Use their websites to find information, and contact them if you need more help. But look in the
Action chapter too as many of those national information and campaigning organisations will
also help.
Where to start
72
72–73
Disability information and advice
Citizens Advice
and other advice services
74
75
76
Advocacy
Libraries
S
Audio and Braille
Computers and the Internet
77
78
Accessible television and radio
Telephones
79
Good organisations to
begin with are Disability
Cambridgeshire
and Disability
Huntingdonshire (also
known as Disability
Information Service
Huntingdonshire, or
DISH). We’ve put them
together on the back of
this book.
You may prefer to contact
a young people’s service:
try Centre 33 (page 57),
Connexions (page 25) or
Timestop (page 58). Look
at www.youthoria.org or
search Cambridgeshire.
net for information about
groups, clubs and societies,
local events, halls for hire
and courses, plus links to
local council services.
S
71
Disability information and advice
See back cover.
Disability Huntingdonshire
See back cover.
Dial Peterborough
Kingfisher Centre, The Cresset
Bretton, Peterborough PE3 8DX
01733 265 551
dialpeterborough@btconnect.com
www.dialpeterborough.org.uk
Disability information and advice for
people who live in Peterborough.
Gateopener
Unit 5, Craven Way
Newmarket CB8 0BW
01638 667614
www.gateopener.org.uk
Disability information and advice for Suffolk and
part of East Cambridgeshire.
Disability Law Service
39–45 Cavell Street
London E1 2BP
020 7791 9800
www.dls.org.uk
S
S
Provides legal advice and information on
discrimination, consumer matters, community
care, further and higher education, employment
and, for London only, benefits.
Citizens Advice Bureaux
Citizens Advice Bureaux
The CAB provides
information and advice on
many matters, including benefits,
debt, employment rights, housing,
immigration and nationality, family
law and divorce, legal matters and
consumer problems. They vary in
size, and some may have workers
who specialise in employment, debt,
welfare rights or other subjects, but
they all help with all topics. They
may offer home visits.
Check opening times before you go.
Cambridge CAB
72/74 Newmarket Road
Cambridge CB5 8DZ
0844 848 7979
www.cambridgecab.org.uk
There are outposts in Girton and
Sawston and at Addenbrooke’s
Hospital (see page 73).
72
Ely CAB
70 Market Street
Ely CB7 4LS
0845 130 6442
www.elycab.org.uk
S
S
There are outposts in Burwell,
Littleport and Soham.
Fenland CAB
12 Church Mews
Wisbech PE13 1HL
01945 464367
www.fenlandcab.org.uk
Main office in Wisbech, plus two
or three sessions each week in
March, Chatteris and Whittlesey,
and monthly or twice-monthly in
Emneth, Manea, Parson’s Drove,
Upwell and Wimblington.
S
Huntingdonshire CAB
6 All Saints Passage
Huntingdon PE29 3LE
01480 388900
www.huntscab.org.uk/Huntingdon.htm
28 New Street
St. Neots PE19 1AJ
01480 388905
www.huntscab.org.uk/St_Neots.htm
Newmarket CAB
Foley Gate
Wellington Street CB8 0HY
01638 665999
Royston CAB
Town Hall SG8 7DA
08456 889897
www.northhertscab.org.uk
There’s an outpost in Bassingbourn.
Citizens Advice
The national association publishes an online advice guide. www.adviceguide.org.uk
Other information and advice services
Addenbrooke’s Hospital Information Centre
01223 217397 (3397 inside the hospital)
Different agencies run in the centre at different times:
l Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) is open every day, including Sunday afternoons.
l Disability Cambridgeshire: Tuesday and Friday, 1pm to 4pm
l Cambridge Citizens Advice Bureau: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 10am to 4pm
Village Benefits Advice Service
Freepost CB66
Ely CB7 4SB
01353 666990
This will visit you at home if you live in
a rural area and help you claim social
security benefits.
Centre 33
See page 57.
S
S
Advice Now
National website providing accurate, up-todate information on rights and legal issues.
www.advicenow.org.uk
Community Legal Advice
Free, confidential and independent legal
advice.
0845 345 4 345
www.communitylegaladvice.org.uk
Turn2us
www.turn2us.org.uk
Information on benefits and grants.
73
Cambridgeshire Advocacy Project
285 Coldhams Lane, Cambridge CB1 3HY
01223 247957
Advocacy service for adults over 16 with profound
and multiple disabilities. One-to-one advocacy
enables people to communicate their choices and
have them acted on.
Advocacy Service
Fenland: 01354 652445
enquiries@cias.org.uk
Advocacy for people with mental health problems.
Centre 33
See page 57.
S
Just Us
SS1015, Shire Hall, Cambridge CB3 0AP
01223 717734 07785 333 307 (text)
www.avoice4us.com
Support for looked after young people in
Cambridgeshire, including from a Participation
Officer who makes sure you can say what you
want to about being in care. Also see NYAS, next.
National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS)
Egerton House, Tower Road
Birkenhead CH41 1FN
0800 61 61 01 0777 333 4555 (text)
help@nyas.net
www.nyas.net
The County Council pays NYAS to provide
Advocates and Independent Visitors for looked
after young people in Cambridgeshire. To get an
Advocate, who can make sure you are listened
to when decisions about your life are made, call
the NYAS number. To be put in touch with an
Independent Visitor, who can offer you friendship,
fun and support, call 01480 437953.
Our Voice
91 Cherry Hinton Road, Cambridge CB1 7BS
01223 240065
www.our-voice.org
Advocacy for disabled people, including
Deaf people.
74
Advocacy
Speaking Up
Mount Pleasant House
Huntingdon Road
Cambridge CB3 0RN
01223 555800
www.speakingup.org
Speaking Up provides a range of
advocacy services from offices in
Cambridge, March and St Neots:
l Advocacy and self-advocacy in
schools and colleges from Young
People Speaking Up, empowering
people aged 11 to 25 to speak up and
be more in control of their own lives
l The Next Steps self-advocacy project,
in Cambridge, Ely and St Ives,
supporting adults and young people
with learning difficulties to develop
the skills and confidence they need
to live an active life
lSelf-advocacy at Cambridge Regional
College
l Projects called Integrate and Getting
a Life that bring together young
people with and without disabilities
l The Cambridgeshire Parliament,
representing disabled adults, and
the Speaking Up Youth Parliament,
a forum for elected MPs, aged 14
to 25 with learning difficulties, to
represent their peers and engage
with decision makers
lIndependent Mental Capacity
Advocacy, representing people
who lack capacity to make specific
decisions
lAdvocacy to support adults (18
to 65) with disabilities living in
Cambridgeshire
l One-to-one advocacy for parents
with learning difficulties
S
Cambridgeshire Libraries
0345 045 5225
your.library@Cambridgeshire.gov.uk
www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/leisure/libraries
Our local libraries are brilliant sources of information. There are big libraries in the larger
cities and towns, many smaller ones in other towns and villages, mobile libraries visit
smaller villages, books and other items can be delivered to you and audio tapes posted.
You can find your nearest library or mobile library stop on the website or by calling
0345 045 5225. There you will find books, journals, CDs, DVDs, community information,
internet access, computers and local history collections. Membership gives you access
to a number of online services such as dictionaries and encyclopaedias, and you can do
your reservations and renewals online too.
There’s access information on the website. Modern buildings, including those in
Cambridge, Ely, Huntingdon, Papworth and Cambourne have good access and many
others have been improved with ramps, handrails, clear signs and hearing loops. The
Learning Centres that are in some libraries, where you can do a range of courses, have
assistive technology equipment.
Here’s a list of some of the larger libraries and other services:
Cambridge Central Library
Lion Yard CB2 3QD
Cambridge’s newly refurbished library
reopened in September 2009.
S
Papworth Library
Papworth Everard
Cambridge CB23 3UY
S
This fully accessible library offers a
training programme in library skills
for users from the Papworth Trust (see
page 33).
Ely Library
6 The Cloisters CB7 4ZH
All facilities are on the first floor,
accessible by lift.
Huntingdon Library
and Archive Centre
Princes Street PE29 3PH
Wisbech Library
5 Ely Place
Wisbech PE13 1EU
Reopening with new facilities in 2010.
A brand new building, opened in
June 2009.
Postal Tape Service
See next page.
March Library
City Road PE15 9LT
A modern, accessible single-storey
building.
S
S
The Doorstep Service
Home delivery of books and other items if you can’t get
to a library and have no one who can go for you.
01223 718358 (Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire)
01353 616169 (East Cambridgeshire)
01354 754766 (Fenland)
01480 375023 (Huntingdonshire)
75
Audio and Braille
Cambridgeshire Libraries Postal
Tape Service
Box RES 1016, Room 14
Shire Hall, Cambridge CB3 0AP
01223 712013
Fiction, non-fiction and local interest
cassette tapes from Cambridgeshire
Libraries. Catalogue available in a
range of formats.
Cue and Review Recording
Service
18 Crowhill Road, Bishopbriggs
Glasgow G64 1QY
0141 563 0306
www.cueandreview.org.uk
Audio in CD, mp3 or cassette
formats, and podcasts.
Magazines available include
FourFourTwo, Kerrang!, SFX,
Earth Matters and History
Today.
Listening Books
12 Lant Street
London SE1 1QH
020 7234 0522
www.listening-books.org.uk
Wide range of books in mp3
format on CD or streamed
to your computer.
S
S
76
National Talking
Newspapers and Magazines
National Recording Centre
Heathfield TN21 8DB
01435 866102
www.tnauk.org.uk
A wide range of papers and
magazines in various audio formats
(including downloadable).
RNIB National Library Service
PO Box 173
Peterborough PE2 6W
0303 123 9999
www.rnib.org.uk/library
Wide range of books and magazines
(including some aimed at children
and young adults) in a range of
formats including audio, Braille and
electronic text.
Talking Newspapers in Cambridgeshire
A number of weekly or monthly recordings, mostly of news
from local papers, are produced by local groups across the
County.
Fenprobe (East Cambridgshire) 01353 861153
Linton (Granta Grapevine) 01223 893619 or 01223 892076
Huntingdonshire 01480 810817
March and Chatteris 01354 653848
St Neots 01480 215892
Wisbech 01945 773805
S
Computers and the internet
This book assumes you’ll be
chasing more information
online – everything you ever
need to know is on the Web somewhere! But
finding what you need and telling the useful
stuff from the rubbish takes a bit of practice and
skill. You’ve probably got your own computer or
you can use one at school, college, in a library,
advice centre or Internet café.
There’s a vast range of assistive software and
hardware that enables you to make the most of
information technology for fun, study and work.
Websites should meet the standards set by the
Web Accessibility Initiative at www.w3.org/WAI.
Cambridge Online
Hester Adrian Centre
Hawthorn Way CB4 1AX
0845 458 0192
www.cambridgeonline.org.uk
Free computer access, training,
information and accessibility advice.
Reboot
See page 34.
Ability Magazine
www.abilitymagazine.org.uk
AbilityNet
PO Box 94, Warwick CV34 5WS
0800 269545 (includes textphone)
www.abilitynet.org.uk
The experts on assistive technology:
there’s loads of information online,
including factsheets and skillsheets,
or give them a call.
Information technology
for study and work
If you are going to university
you will be assessed for any
equipment you need, including
information technology, at
an Assessment Centre (page
65) when you apply for your
Disabled Students’ Allowances.
At work this is covered by
Access to Work (see page 31).
Staying safe online
The Web and the other services on the
Internet are a fantastic resource but when
you are online and using social networking
sites you don’t always know exactly who
you’re communicating with. Be careful what
information you put out. Surf safely – these sites
tell you how:
l www.chatdanger.com
l www.childline.org.uk/Info/OnlineSafety
l www.childnet-int.org
l www.getsafeonline.org
l www.thesite.org
l www.thinkuknow.co.uk
l www.cybermentors.org.uk
For more information about bullying, see page 60.
British Computer Society
Assistive Technology Group
www.bcs.org/disability
British Computer Association
of the Blind
58–72 John Bright Street
Birmingham B1 1BN
0845 430 8627
www.bcab.org.uk
This newly formed group
encourages good practice and the
development and use of assistive
technology.
BCAB promote the use of information
and communication technology by
visually impaired people in education,
employment and the home.
77
Accessible television and radio
Television providers offer a range of services that include audio
description, subtitles and sign-language interpretation. For programmes
with disability content see page 86. Here are relevant web pages from
some of the main producers:
l BBC
www.bbc.co.uk/reception/digitaltv/audio_sub.shtml
l Channel 4
www.channel4.com/access
l Channel 5
www.five.tv/accessibility
l ITV
www.itv.com/AboutITV/Disability-Accessibility
l Sky
www1.sky.com/accessibility
l Virgin
http://allyours.virginmedia.com/pdf/002034_EPG_Statement.pdf
Television audio description and easy-to-use radios
On some digital TV programmes audio description allows you to hear a verbal description
of what is happening on screen in between the dialogue. It’s available on cable and satellite
services: to get it on Freeview you may need a new receiver. See www.tvhelp.org.uk.
British Wireless for the Blind Fund
10 Albion Place
Maidstone ME14 5DZ
01622 754757
www.blind.org.uk
BWBF sell robustly built radios with high-contrast controls and give them on permanent
loan to people in need.
Television sub-titles and sign-language interpretation
Subtitles are available on all digital services and on some programmes on download
services like iPlayer and ITV Player. For subtitles on an analogue television you must have
one that receives teletext. Television in Cambridgeshire will be digital only from 2011.
The RNID has a factsheet called How to Get Subtitles. Download it from www.rnid.org.uk.
Some BBC Programmes on the iPlayer include BSL interpretation. Click on Sign Zone in the
categories list.
Sign Post (www.signpostbsl.com) is run by ITV but provides information about interpreted
programmes on several channels.
British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust
www.bslbt.co.uk
The BSLBT has been set up by broadcasters and the Deaf Community to commission new
and exciting BSL-presented programmes.
78
SS
Telephones
You probably use a mobile phone most of the time, but for mobiles
and non-portable phones there’s equipment available to make
life easier: hands-free phones, amplifiers, phones with big
buttons, and more.
BT has a catalogue of equipment: see www.btplc.com/inclusion/
BTproducts.
The RNID and RNIB websites (see pages 46 and 47) have pages of information about
phones, including mobiles, for people with visual or hearing impairments. These include
information about phones that have features like large and well spaced buttons that may be
good if you have trouble handling small gadgets. Check out the Disabled Living Foundation
(page 54) and Ricability (page 15) sites as well.
Telephone relay, textphones and real-time text
With a textphone plugged into a telephone line Deaf people and people with speech
impairment can have two-way conversations with other textphone users. If you use your
textphone to call someone who uses a telephone, a relay assistant joins the conversation,
tells the other person what you type and then types their replies for you. It’s all confidential.
A hearing person can contact you, too. With the right software you can turn your computer
into a textphone.
Instead of the telephone system, TalkbyText uses the Internet. With an Internet connection
on your mobile phone or your home computer and the TalkbyText software, you can have
free real-time text conversations.
www.textrelay.org
www.ictrnid.org.uk/talkbytext
SS
79
Equality, action,
politics and media
Disabled people have long campaigned for an end to discrimination and an equal place
in society. There has been a lot of progress – a series of laws, beginning with the first
Disability Discrimination Act, have been passed since 1995 and services developed as
a result. The support disabled students receive to gain access to higher education, for
example, has expanded considerably. Disabled people in public life and in the media have
raised the profile of disability.
You will expect to have a say in matters that affect your life, to be in control of
organisations that serve you or speak for you and to have your abilities recognised.
The Social Model of Disability – the view that disability is not caused by your
impairment but by social attitudes – has been widely adopted and recognised. There are
many organisations that campaign on this basis, and you may wish to be involved.
Equal opportunity
81
Government and disability law
Local disability action
S
81
82
83
National disability action
S
Political parties, representatives and voting
Disability in the media
80
86
84–85
Equal Opportunity
Many organisations and people claim to promote equal opportunities,
but what it means can be rather vague. For Disability Cambridgeshire
it means making sure that everybody, especially disabled people,
has the same opportunity to be independent, work to the best of
their ability and make their way in the world, be respected and listened to, receive the
support they need, and develop their potential without experiencing discrimination.
Providing information, advice and advocacy can help make that happen.
Legally, this means that you cannot be treated less well by an employer, somebody
providing you with goods or services, or in education:
l Because of your disability
l Because of your religion or belief
l On the grounds of race, colour, nationality or ethnic or national origin
l Because you’re a woman, a man or transsexual
l Because you’re gay or bisexual
Older people are also protected against discrimination on the grounds of age.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is there to help enforce the law
(see next page).
Government and disability law
As a disabled person you are protected from illegal discrimination
in employment, education and the receipt of goods and services
by the Disability Discrimination Act. The original Act of 1995 was
extended and strengthened in 2001 and 2005 when The Disability
Equality Duty was introduced. The Duty is meant to ensure that
all public bodies – such as central or local government, universities, schools, health trusts
or emergency services – promote equality for disabled people in every area of their work.
There is more new legislation on the way: the Welfare Reform Bill before Parliament
in 2009 includes a right to control the way services are provided to you, and the Single
Equality Bill will strengthen anti-discrimination law. The Government, through its Office
for Disability Issues, is working with other agencies to achieve its goal of equality for
disabled people by 2025.
Office for Disability Issues
6th Floor, The Adelphi
1–11 John Adam Street
London WC2N 6HT
www.officefordisability.gov.uk
The Office is the centre of disability expertise across government and is the
guardian within government of the vision of equality for disabled people by 2025 –
see www.officefordisability.gov.uk/equality2025.
81
Equality and Human
Rights Commission
Freepost RRLL-GHUX-CTRX
Arndale House
Arndale Centre
Manchester M4 3AQ
0845 604 6610
0845 604 6620 (textphone)
0845 604 6630 (fax)
www.equalityhumanrights.com
The Commission works to eliminate
discrimination, reduce inequality, protect
human rights and build good relations, ensuring that
everyone has a fair chance to participate in society.
The EHRC took over the role of the Disability Rights
Commission in 2007. There is plenty of information
on their website on disability discrimination and
how to make the Disability Discrimination Acts work
for you. If you have a case you need to fight, the
Commission may take it up for you.
Local disability action
Cambridge City Council Access Officer
The Guildhall, Market Hill Cambridge CB2 3QJ
01223 457075
Gives advice on any aspect of the Council’s work
that specifically involves disabled people, planning
and facilities, and on the standards set out under
the Disability Discrimination Act. Also produces the
Council’s Guide to Services for Older and Disabled
People.
Equalities Development Team, Mandela House
4 Regent Street, Cambridge CB2 1BY
01223 457876
www.cambridge.gov.uk/equalities
The Team provides support and information to
groups and organisations working with people
who experience discrimination, including disabled
people.
Cambridgeshire User-Led Organisation
c/o Speaking Up
Mount Pleasant House, Huntingdon Road
Cambridge CB3 0RN
01223 555800
info@cambsulo.org.uk
www.cambsulo.org.uk
S
A new user-led organisation for people who
experience disability or health impairment, and
their family and carers. Services are developed
and, where possible, delivered by people who have
support needs. It offers new ways to get involved
and get your voice heard.
82
Cambridge Forum of
Disabled People
c/o Disability
Cambridgeshire
(see back page).
thecfdp@yahoo.co.uk
A campaigning group
for Cambridgeshire
that puts on four events a year.
Changing Directions
01223 704994
cdkarenhunt@ntlworld.com
A self-help and support group of
young disabled people who discuss
issues and help each other sort out
problems. They aim to improve
access to and increase the facilities
for young disabled people. The
group is open to any disabled
person over 18.
Disability Cambridgeshire (see back
cover) is a disability information
service rather than a campaigning
organisation, but it does make its
voice heard, it supports some local
forums of disabled people, and
its disabled staff, volunteers and
committee members understand
the issues. Contact the Forum
Manager for more information.
Disability Huntingdonshire (see back cover) works in partnership with
other voluntary and statutory organisations to raise disability issues and
ensure equal rights to access and services.
Friends with Disabilities
01223 425595
gerri.bird@yahoo.co.uk
Campaigning and social group that works closely with the Cambridge Forum.
Speaking Up
See page 74 for information about the Cambridgeshire Parliament and the
Speaking Up Youth Parliament.
National disability action
Disability Awareness in Action
www.daa.org.uk
info@daa.org.uk
An information network on disability
and human rights with a mission to
provide information and evidence to
support disabled people in their own
actions to secure their rights – at all
levels: local, national, regional and
international.
Disability Lib
6 Market Road, London N7 9PW
0844 800 4331
07967 185 752 (text)
www.disabilitylib.org.uk
An alliance offering capacity building
support and advice to disabled
people’s organisations in England
using rights-based principles and
business skills.
Disabled People’s Direct Action
Network (DAN)
cripps_r_us@tiscali.co.uk
DAN is a grassroots network of proud,
angry and strong disabled people,
who use non-violent civil disobedience
as a means to fight for freedom and
equality. There’s a DAN Facebook
group. To join DAN’s email community
send a blank message to: danmailsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Mencap
123 Golden Lane
London EC1Y 0RT
020 7454 0454
www.mencap.org.uk
Mencap works to change
laws and services, challenge
prejudice and directly support
thousands of people to live their lives
as they choose. See Cambridgeshire
Mencap on pages 6, 33, 45, 52 and 57 and
Huntingdonshire Mencap on page 45.
National Forum of People with
Learning Difficulties
PO Box 2100
Shoreham-by-Sea BN43 5UG
www.nationalforum.co.uk
The Forum tells the government what
people think about services, plans and
changes that are being made.
People First
Unit 3.46, Canterbury Court
Kennington Park Business Centre
1–3 Brixton Road, London SW9 6DE
020 7820 6655
www.peoplefirstltd.com
Run by and for people with learning
difficulties to raise awareness of and
campaign for their rights and to support
self advocacy groups.
83
RADAR
12 City Forum, 250 City Road, London EC1V 8AF
020 7250 3222
020 7250 4119 (textphone)
www.radar.org.uk
National network of disability organisations and
disabled people. Represents members to policymakers and legislators in Westminster and
Whitehall, runs campaigns to promote equality
for all disabled people in all areas of life and
publishes a range of guides.
Scope
6 Market Road, London N7 9PW
020 7619 7100
www.scope.org.uk
S
Scope runs many campaigns and services
focused mainly on people with cerebral
palsy but with plenty of general disability
action. It runs Time to Get Equal (www.
timetogetequal.org.uk) and publishes Disability
Now (see page 86).
United Kingdom
Disabled People’s
Council
Rodin House
Ivy Grove
Ripley DE5 3HN
01773 746698
The UKDPC is run by
disabled people to
promote full equality and
participation within society.
Values Into Action
Oxford House, Derbyshire Street
London E2 6HG
020 7729 5436
www.viauk.org
This UK-wide campaign with people
with learning difficulties works to
support and promote their right to
enjoy and be treated with the same
respect due to all citizens.
Political parties, representatives and voting
Political parties pay quite a lot of attention to disability, so we’ve listed the
main ones. Use their websites to find their local offices.
Conservative Party
30 Millbank, London SW1P 4DP
020 7222 900
www.conservatives.com
www.thedisabilitychallenge.com
www.conservativedisability.com
S
Green Party
1a Waterlow Road, London N19 5NJ
020 7272 4474
www.greenparty.org.uk
Labour Party
Eldon House, Regent Centre
Newcastle Upon Tyne NE3 3PW
08705 900 200
0191 246 5111 (textphone)
01609 773284 (Disabled Group)
www.labour.org.uk
84
S
Liberal Democrats
4 Cowley Street, London
SW1P 3NB
020 7222 7999
www.disabilitylibdems.org.uk
www.libdems.org.uk
UK Independence Party
PO Box 408
Newton Abbot TQ12 9BG
0800 587 6587
www.ukip.org
Register to vote
You can vote when you are 18. Make sure you get
on the Electoral Register, kept by the Electoral
Registration Officer at your District or City Council.
You can do that when you are 16 and you can
register to vote by post if you want to.
Government has many layers and you’ve
probably got all these people who represent
you: Member of Parliament, Member of the
European Parliament, County Councillor,
District or City Councillors and (outside
Cambridge), Parish or Town Councillors.
WriteToThem
www.writetothem.com
A quick way of finding your local
representatives at all levels except parishes.
TheyWorkForYou
www.theyworkforyou.com
A non-partisan website which helps you keep
tabs on your representatives.
Members of the European Parliament
(MEPs)
UK Office of the European Parliament
2 Queen Anne’s Gate
London SW1H 9AA
020 7227 4300
Seven MEPs for the Eastern Region from the
Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats and
UKIP were elected in June 2009: find them at
www.europarl.org.uk or www.writetothem.com.
Members of
Parliament
Because a General
Election is due
within a few months
of publishing this
book, we have
not listed MPs. In
Cambridgeshire they represent
Cambridge, Huntingdon, North
East Cambridgeshire, North
West Cambridgeshire, South
Cambridgeshire and South East
Cambridgeshire. Find your MP at
http://findyourmp.parliament.uk
where there are links to their own
websites, or contact her/him at the
House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA
020 7219 3000.
Local Councillors
Cambridgeshire County
Councillors
0345 045 5200
www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/council
City and District Councillors
Telephone your City or District
council or look at their websites (see
inside front cover).
Parish Councillors
There will be a Parish Clerk in your
village or town who will know who
your Parish Councillors are. Your
District Council (see inside cover) will
tell you who it is and how to contact
them.
S
S
85
Disability in the media
Disabled people from all walks of life, but notably politicians,
journalists, sports people, actors and broadcasters, are much more
visible in the media than a few years ago. But media representation
still has its problems: you may object to non-disabled actors
playing disabled people, for example. Unfortunately, old-fashioned,
discriminatory language is still seen and heard. For help with watching
and listening to television and radio see page 78.
Here are some programmes, magazines, papers and websites that cover disability issues.
Able Magazine
Disability lifestyle magazine, online and in print.
www.ablemagazine.co.uk
SS
Disability Now
Monthly newspaper, published by Scope, available in print and online.
www.disabilitynow.org.uk
Hearing Times
Print and online news for you if you have a hearing impairment.
www.hearingtimes.co.uk
In Touch
News, views and information for people who are blind or partially-sighted.
www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/intouch.shtml
Ouch!
www.bbc.co.uk/ouch
Ouch! reflects the lives and experiences of disabled people. It has regular columns, features,
quizzes, a monthly podcast, blogs and a community message board. Nearly all contributors
are disabled, as are the members of the editorial team.
Maverick
www.mavericktv.co.uk
A production company with a positive record of making programmes with disabled people.
See Hear
The BBC television magazine programme for the Deaf community. There’s lots of
information at www.bbc.co.uk/seehear.
You and Yours
Radio 4’s general consumer programme has regular coverage of disability issues.
www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours.
S
86
S
When things go wrong
– how to complain
County and District Councils
Health Service complaints
There’s a complaints or customer care
service in every council. Apart from talking
to council staff, don’t forget you can ask
your councillors for help (see page 85).
Cambridgeshire, Norfolk
and Suffolk ICAS
POhWER, Unit 26A
E Space North
181 Wisbech Road
Littleport CB6 1RA
0845 456 1084
0845 337 3067 (textphone)
0345 045 5200
01223 699663 (for complaints about
social care)
customercare@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/feedback
Cambridge City
01223 457000
complaints@cambridge.gov.uk
www.cambridge.gov.uk/complaints
East Cambridgeshire
01353 665555
customerservices@eastcambs.gov.uk
Fenland
01354 654321
www.fenland.gov.uk/contact-us
3cs@fenland.gov.uk
Huntingdonshire
01480 388388
www.huntsdc.gov.uk/complaints
0345 045 0500
www.scambs.gov.uk/complaints
The Local Government Ombudsman
PO Box 4771, Coventry CV4 0EH
0300 061 0614
www.lgo.org.uk
Use this if you’ve been through the stages
of a council’s complaints procedure and you
are not happy with their response.
ICAS provides free advocacy
support if you wish to make a
complaint about the service that
you have received from the NHS.
Patient Advice and Liaison
Service (PALS)
Information and advice about
health services in each NHS trust
and advice about complaints
procedures: see pages 48 and 49.
Independent organisation
complaints
Voluntary and commercial
organisations you use should
all have their own complaints
procedures.
S
S
S
87
Index
2byou 59
4us 25
16–25 Railcard 20
A Night Less Ordinary 6
Ability Magazine 77
AbilityNet 31, 77
Able Magazine 86
Accent Nene 52
Access Officer, Cambridge City
Council 82
Access to Employment
Project 32
Access to Higher Education 28
Access to Learning Fund 65
Access to Work 31, 40, 77
Action and politics 80–86
Action for Blind People 47
Adaptations 15, 37, 50, 52–53
Addaction 61
Addenbrooke’s Hospital 46, 47,
49, 54, 73
Information Centre 73
ADeC 4, 8
Adult education 31
Adult Special Learning Team 31,
34
Advice agencies 70, 72–73,
back cover
Advice Now 31, 73
Advocacy 42, 46, 57, 60, 71,
74, 87
AIDS 59
Air travel 13, 21
Airports 21
Alcohol 56, 57, 61
Angles Theatre 5
Anglia Assessment Centre 65
Anglia Ruskin University 2, 28,
29, 65
Angling 10
Apprenticeships 27
Archery 10
Arts 3, 4, 5, 6–8, 34
Arts centres 5
Arts development 7, 8
88
Arts Development East
Cambridgeshire 4, 8
Artsline 4
Asperger Syndrome 58, 64
Aspire 58
Assessment centres 65, 77
Assistance dogs 17, 55
Assistive and Telecare
Technology 53
Assistive technology 28, 29, 31,
46, 47, 53, 54, 75, 77–79
Assistive Technology Group 77
Association of Disabled
Professionals 31
Association of National
Specialist Colleges 27
Audio description 5, 78
Audio recordings 76
Audiology departments 46
Axiom Housing Association 52
Barrington, hippopotamus
found at 5
Beat 61
Befriending 6, 57
Benefit Enquiry Line 67
Benefits 25, 66–69, 72, 73, back
cover
Berern Arts 6
Bicycles 16, 33
Bike Care 16
Biking 15
Bisexual people, support for 59
Blue Badge 15–16, 18
Braille 76
Branching Out 32
Bridging the Gap 64
British Blind Sport 9
British Computer Association of
the Blind 77
British Computer Society
Assistive Technology Group 77
British Deaf Association 46
British Paralympics Association
9
British Red Cross 19, 54
British Sign Language 23, 46,
64, 78
British Sign Language
Broadcasting Trust 78
British Wireless for the Blind
Fund 78
Broadcasting 10, 78, 86
Brookfields Hospital 49
Budgeting Loans 69
Bullying 60, 77
Bullying UK 60
Bullystop 60
Bursaries 64, 65
Burwell Community Print Centre
33
Bus passes 17
Buses 13, 17
Cam-Mind 62
Cam Sight 47
Cambridge Access Centre 65
Cambridge and Huntingdon Deaf
Children’s Society 46
Cambridge Arts Picturehouse 5
Cambridge Arts Theatre 5
Cambridge Camtad 45
Cambridge Card 6
Cambridge City Council inside
front, 6, 8, 9, 17, 51, 52, 53, 82, 87
Cambridge Corn Exchange 5
Cambridge Dial-a-Ride 19
Cambridge Ethnic Community
Council 60
Cambridge events 4, 5
Cambridge Explorer 4
Cambridge Film Trust 6
Cambridge Folk Festival 5
Cambridge Forum of Disabled
People 82
Cambridge Home Aid 53
Cambridge Housing Society 52
Cambridge Online 77
Cambridge Regional College 27
Cambridge Volunteer Centre 35
Cambridgeshire Advocacy
Project 74
Cambridgeshire Agenda 4
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
County Disability Sports
Forum 9
Cambridgeshire Community
Services 48
inside front, 2, 5, 9, 15, 16,
17, 24, 73, 74, 85, 87 see also
Cambridgeshire Deaf Association
46, 71
Cambridgeshire Direct Payment
Support Service 42, 43
Advocacy Service 74
Living Centre 53, 54
Cambridgeshire libraries 75–76
Cambridgeshire Mencap 6, 33,
45, 52, 57
Cambridgeshire Music 7
Cambridgeshire Parliament 74
Cambridgeshire Passenger
Transport Information 13
Cambridgeshire Social Care 23,
37–44, 50, 52–53, 54
Cambridgeshire User-Led
Organisation 82
Cambridgeshire Youth Bank 35
Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and
Suffolk ICAS 87
Cambridgeshire.net 4, 71
Camlearn 31
Camtad 45
Camtrust 34
Canine Partners 55
Canoeing 10
Car schemes 13, 19
Care Network 19
Care Quality Commission 42, 44
Career planning 25, 26, 57
Careers Advice Service 26
Carers 37, 45, 58 see also
Young carers
Carers’ Support Team 37
Casualty 49
Catering 33
Cats (centre in St Ives) 39
C-Card 59
Centre 33 57, 59, 71, 73, 74
Changing Directions 82
Charities 70
Child and Adolescent Mental
Health Service 62
Child Benefit 69
Child Tax Credit 69
Childline 58, 59
Children’s Social Care Teams 38
Cinemas 4, 5, 6, 7
Cineworld 5
Cintra 2
Circle of support 38, 41, 42
Citizens Advice Bureaux 70,
72–73
Clarion 46
Climbing 10
CLiP 7, 8
Clubs 4, 5, 7, 11
Coaches 13, 20
College of West Anglia 27
Community buses 13, 19
Community car schemes 19
Community Care Grants 69
Community health services
48–49
Community Legal Advice 73
Community Service Volunteers
35
Community Transport 13, 17, 19
Complaints 44, 48, 87
Computers 28, 34, 77, 79
Concessions 6
Condoms 59
Confidentiality 57
Congestion charge 16, 18
Connexions 6, 11, 23, 25, 26, 27,
31, 57, 64, 71
Conservative Party 84
Contact a Family 24, 58
Contraception 58, 59
Council housing 51, 53
Council Tax Benefit 68, 69
Council Tax Disability Reduction
69
Councillors 85
Counselling 57–58, 60
Coursefinder 26
Crime 58
Cromwell, Oliver, his hat 5
CrossCountry Trains 20
Crossroads Cambridge City 45
Crossroads West Anglia 45
Cue and Review 76
Cybermentors 60
Cycling 10, 16
D.TEK 16
DAN 83
Dance 6
Darwin, Charles, his egg 5
Darwin Nurseries 33
Darwin Workshops 39
Daytime activities 39
Deaf awareness training 46
Deaf people – services 4, 39,
45–46, 55, 74, 78, 86
Deaf/blind people – services 39, 48
Debt 70
Dental treatment 48, 49
Dentists 48
Dhiverse 59
Dial Peterborough 72
Dial UK 2
Dial-a-Rides 13, 17, 19
Dialdruglink 61
Digital television 78
Direct Payments 40, 42, 43
Disability action 80–84
Disability Awareness in Action 83
Disability Cambridgeshire 1, 2, 42,
53, 66, 70, 71, 73, 82, back cover
Disability Contact and Processing
Unit 15, 67
Disability Cultural Projects 8
Disability Discrimination Act 3, 80,
81, 82, back cover
Disability Employment Advisers
31
Disability Equality Duty 81
Disability Huntingdonshire 1, 42,
53, 66, 71, 83, back cover
Disability information 72, back
cover
Disability Law Service 72
Disability Lib 83
Disability Living Allowance 15, 44,
66, 67, 69
Disability Now 84, 86
Disability Rights Commission 82
Disability Sport Focus Group 9
Disability sport forums 9
Disability, Pregnancy and
Parenthood International 60
Disabled Entrepreneurs
Network 31
89
Disabled Facilities Grants 52–53
Disabled Living Foundation 53,
54, 79
Disabled Parents Network 60
Disabled People’s Direct Action
Network 83
Disabled Person’s Railcard 20
Disabled Students’ Allowances
28, 29, 30, 64, 65, 77
DisabledGo 32
Discounts 6
Discretionary Support Funds 64
Discrimination 80, 81–82, 83–84,
86
Distance learning 30
DJs 7
Doctors 48
Doddington Community
Hospital 49
Dogs 17, 55
Dogs for the Disabled 55
Don’t Lose the Music 4
Door to Door 13
Doorstep Service 75
Draft Wheelchairs 16
Drama 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Drinksense 61
Driver and Vehicle Licensing
Agency 14
Driving 14–16, 18
Driving lessons 14, 15, 70
Drugs 56, 57, 61
Dual sensory loss 39, 48
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award 10
Dyslexia 28, 29, 64, 65
East Anglian Medical Genetics
Service 60
East Cambridgeshire Care and
Repair 53
East Cambridgeshire District
Council inside front, 8, 9, 17,
51, 87
East Cambridgeshire events 4, 8
East Coast Main Line
Company 20
East Midlands Trains 20
Eating disorders 61
Edith Cavell Hospital 46, 49, 54
Education 22–31, 64–65
Education Maintenance
Allowance 64
90
Educational Grants Advisory
Service 65, 70
Electoral registration 84
Eligibility criteria 22, 37, 40, 52
Ely and District Volunteer
Centre 35
Ely and Soham Dial-a-Ride
Ely Diocesan Committee for
Family and Social Welfare 45
Ely events 4, 5
Ely Folk Festival 5
Employment and Support
Allowance 66, 67, 68, 69
Employment support 23, 31–32,
42, 46
English Federation of Disability
Sport 10
Entry to Employment 27
Equal opportunity 80–83
Equalities Development Team 82
Equality 2025 81
Equality and Human Rights
Commission 21, 81, 82
Equipment 23, 37, 52–54, 64
Essex Coalition of Disabled
People 43
Ethnic minorities, people from
24, 60
Eurostar 21
Evening classes 31
Eye units 47
Fair Access to Care Services
37, 40
Family Action 65, 70
Family Fund 14, 70
Family Matters 58
Fenland Area Community
Enterprise Trust 33
Fenland Arts 4, 8
Fenland Association for
Community Transport 19
Fenland Camtad 45
Fenland Care and Repair 53
Fenland Disability Sports
Forum 9
Fenland District Council inside
front, 8, 9, 17, 51, 87
Fenland events 4, 8
Fenland Volunteer Centre 35
Fenvision 47
Film see Cinemas
First Capital Connect 20
Fish Insurance 14
Fishing 10
Flipp 57
Flying 11, 13, 21
Forums 74, 82, 83, back cover
Frank 61
Friends 25, 56, 58
Friends with Disabilities 83
Fun 3–11
Funky Flamingo 4, 7, 11
Further education 22, 23, 26–27,
64
g2g card 6
Gardening 7, 32, 33, 34
Gateopener 24, 72
Gateway Clubs 11
Gay people, support for 59
Genetics 60
German railways 21
Glasses 49
GPs 48
Grafham Water Centre 10
Granta Housing Society 52
Grants 25, 30, 52–53, 64, 65, 69,
70, 73
Green Party 84
Gretton School 27
Guide Dogs for the Blind
Association 55
Hands off My Plan! 42
Health Service 23
Health service complaints 87
Health services 23, 37, 48–49
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People 55
Hearing impairment – services
4, 39, 45–46, 53, 55, 74, 78, 86
Hearing Times 86
Hertfordshire Action on
Disability 14
Higher education 22, 28–30,
64–65
46, 47, 49
Hippopotamus, found at
Barrington 5
Holidays 11, 37, 70
Home Improvement Agencies
52, 53
Home-Link 50, 51
Hope Social Enterprises 33
Horizon Resource Centre 39
Horticulture 7, 32, 33, 34
Hospitals 49
Housing 25, 50–53, 57
Housing advice 52
Housing associations 51–52, 53
Housing Benefit 67, 68, 69
Housing support 51
Huntingdon Community Centre
39
Huntingdon Mencap 45
Huntingdonshire Disability
Sports Forum 9
inside front, 8, 9, 17, 51, 53, 87
Huntingdonshire events 4, 8
Huntingdonshire Home
Improvement Agency 53
Huntingdonshire Regional
College 27
Huntingdonshire Society for the
Blind 47
Huntingdonshire Volunteer
Centre 35
Hunts Mind 62
ICAS 87
Improving Choice 26
In Control 42
In Touch 86
Incapacity Benefit 67, 68
Income Support 66, 67, 68, 69
Independent Complaints
Advisory Service 87
Independent living 26, 36–49,
50–55
Independent Living Fund 40, 44
Independent Visitors 74
Information and advice agencies
72–73, back cover
Information Shop for Young
People 57
Inspire 7, 8
Inspire Green Team 7
Insurance 14
Integrated Community
Equipment Service 53, 54
Internet 77
Interpreting 2, 23, 46, 64, 78
Intouch 59
Job coaches 32
Job Introduction Scheme 31
Job seeking 31–32
Jobcentre Plus 26, 31, 66, 69
Jobseeker’s Allowance 66, 68, 69
Junction 5, 6
Just Us 74
Kayaking 10
Kilverstone Mobility Assessment
Centre 14
Labour Party 84
Language therapy 48
Larkfield Resource Centre 39
Leadership Recruitment 32
Learndirect 30
Learning Centres 75
Learning Disability Partnership
37, 39
Learning Disability Team 62
Learning support 28, 29, 64
Legal advice 72, 73
Legislation 37
Leisure 3–11
Leonard Cheshire Intouch 59
Lesbians, support for 59
Liberal Democrats 84
Libra Theatre Company 7
Libraries 37, 75, 76
Lifecraft 62
Lifetracks 26
List Live 4
Listening Books 76
Living independently 36–49,
50–55
Living Sport 9
Loans 64, 65
Local Government Ombudsman
87
Local Secrets 4
London 4, 16, 18
London Cycling Campaign 16
Looked after young people 74
Luminus Homes 51
Luxe Cinema 5
Magazines 86
Maltings (venue in Ely) 5
Man in Seat Sixty-One 13, 21
Manderson Trust 10
Maverick 86
Media 4, 78, 80, 86
Meldreth Manor School 27
Mencap 83 see also
Cambridgeshire Mencap,
Huntingdonshire Mencap
Mental capacity advocacy 74
Mental health 56, 57, 61, 62, 74
Mepal Outdoor Centre 10
MEPs 85
Mind 62
Minor treatment centres 49
Misfits 34
Mobilise 15
Mobility Information Service 15
Money 63–70
Motability 14, 15, 67
Moving On Up 24
Moving Tone 4
MPs 85
Mumford Theatre 5
Museums 5
Music 4, 5, 7, 8
National Association for Bikers
with a Disability 15
National Centre for Independent
Living 42, 43
National Debtline 70
National Express 13, 18, 20
National Express East Anglia 20
National Express East Coast 20
National Extension College 30
National Forum of People with
Learning Difficulties 83
National Health Service 48
National Talking Newspapers and
Magazines 76
National Youth Advocacy
Service 74
NATSPEC 27
Nene and Ouse Community
Transport 19
Newspapers 4, 86
Next Steps 74
Nextstep 26
NHS Business Services
Authority 64
NHS charges 49
North Cambridgeshire Hospital
49
NYAS 74
Occupational Therapy 38, 52–53,
54
Office for Disability Issues 81
91
Ofsted 4
Olympic Games 9
Online safety 77
Open University 28, 30, 64
Opportunities Trust 42
Opportunities Without Limits 7,
16, 32, 33
Orchard Manor 27
Ouch! 86
Our Voice 46, 74
Outdoor activities 10
OWL see Opportunities Without
Limits
PALS see Patient Advice and
Liaison Service
Papworth Library 75
Papworth Trust 32, 33, 42, 43, 45,
52, 75
Paralympic Games 9
Parasport 10
Parent Information Pack 24
Parent Partnership Service 24
Parenthood 60, 74
Parking 14, 15–16
Pathways to Work 31, 33
People First 83
Personal Adviser 23, 24, 25, 26,
27, 28, 64
Personal assistance 23
Personal budgets 22, 40–43, 44,
63
Personal development 10, 26, 35
Personalisation Network 42
Person-centred planning 37, 38,
40–43
Peterborough and Fenland Mind
62
47, 49
Peterborough events 4
Peterborough Regional College
27
Phab Clubs 11
Phoenix Centre 61
Phoenix Trust 34
Physical Disability Team 39
Pinpoint 24
Political parties 84, 85
Politics 80, 84, 85
Postal Tape Service 76
Pregnancy 49, 57, 58, 59, 60
92
Prescriptions 49
Princess of Wales Hospital 49
Progress magazine 24
Prospects Trust 34
Queen Elizabeth Hospital 46, 47,
49, 54
Racism 60, 81
RADAR 84
Radio 37, 78, 86
Rail travel 13, 20, 21
Rail Travel Made Easy 20
Railcards 20
Ramsey and District Community
Bus Association 19
Real-time text 79
Reboot 34, 77
Red Cross see British Red Cross
Red2Green 34
Regional colleges 22, 23, 26, 27,
28, 74
Relationships 56, 57, 58–59
REMAP 54
Remploy 32
Residential education 22, 27
Residential Training 31
Ricability 15, 79
Richmond Fellowship 34, 57
Riding for the Disabled 10
RNIB 47, 76, 79
RNIB National Library 76
RNID 4, 46, 71, 78, 79
Road tax see Vehicle Excise Duty
Roddons Housing Association 51
Romsey Mill 58
Rough Times 1, 56
Rowan Humberstone 34
Royal National Institute for Deaf
People see RNID
Royal National Institute of Blind
People see RNIB
Sailing 10
Sanctuary Hereward 51
Sawston Cinema 5, 7
Sawston Compass Centre 39
Scholarships 64, 65
Scope 32, 84, 86
See Hear 86
Self-directed Support 36, 38,
40–43
Sense East 48
Sensory Services Team 39, 47, 53
Sex 56, 58–59
Sexual abuse 58
Sexual health 57, 59
Sexuality 56, 58, 59, 81
Shaw Trust 32
Shopmobility 18
Showcase Cinema 5
Sight tests 49
Sign Post 78
Sign Zone 78
Sixth form 22, 23, 26
Skill: National Bureau for Students
with Disabilities 28, 35
Social care 22, 36–48, 50, 51,
52–53, 54 see also
Social Care teams 38
Social clubs 11
Social Fund 69
Social model 80
Social services see
Social training 32–34
Social Training Enterprise
Group 32
South Cambridgeshire District
Council inside front, 8, 9, 17, 51,
53, 87
South Cambridgeshire events 4, 8
South Cambridgeshire Home
Improvement Agency 53
Speaking Up 42, 74, 83
Speaking Up Youth Parliament 74
Special Educational Needs
Co-ordinator 23
Special Olympics 10
Specialist residential colleges 27
Speech Therapy 48
Sport 3, 9–10
Stagecoach 17
Statement of Special Educational
Needs 23
Student Finance England 64, 65
Student Loans and Grants 64, 65
Student support 28, 29, 64
Sub-titles 78
Support Dogs 55
Support Plan 40, 43, 50
Supported activities 22, 39
Supporting Arts Development in
South Cambridgeshire 8
Supporting People 37, 40, 50, 51
TalkbyText 79
Talking books 76
Talking newspapers 76
Tape services 76
Taxicard 13, 17
Taxis 17, 18
Telephone relay 79
Telephones 37, 53, 55, 79
Television 7, 37, 78, 86
Tenant Services Authority 52
Tennyson Lodge 39
Text relay 46, 79
Textphones 79
Theatres 4, 5
TheyWorkForYou 85
Three Counties Transport 19
Time to Get Equal 84
Timestop 58, 71
Timetables 13
Tinnitus 46
Torc, gold, found in the Fens 5
Tourism for All 11
Training 22, 23, 26–27, 31,
32–34, 34
Training 26
Trains 13, 20, 21
Transition Information Network
24
Transition planning 22–35, 38
Transitions Team 38
Translation 2
Transport 12–21, 37
Transport Direct 13
Transport for London 13, 18
Traveline 13, 17
Travelling abroad 21
Tube trains 18
Turn2us 70, 73
UK Disabled People’s Council 84
UK Independence Party 84
Universities and Colleges
Admissions Service 28
University 22, 28–30, 64–65
University of Cambridge 5, 28,
30, 33
Values Into Action 84
Valuing People 42
Vehicle Excise Duty 14, 15, 18, 67
Victoria Lodge 39
View Cambridge 4
Village Benefits Advice
Service 73
Vinvolved 35
Visit Cambridge 4
Visual impairment – services 9,
39, 47, 49, 53, 76, 77, 78, 86
VJs 7
Vocational rehabilitation 33
Voice UK 58
Voluntary Network Dial-a-Ride 19
Voluntary work 25, 33, 35
Volunteer Centres 35
Volunteering see Voluntary work
Voting 84
Vue Cinema 5
We’re All Neighbours 4
What’s on 4, 8
Wheelchairs 16, 18, 53, 54
Whippet Coaches 17
Whittlesey Young People’s
Counselling Service 58
Windmill Hydrotherapy Pool 45
Windsurfing 10
Wisbech events 4, 8
Work Capability Assessment
67, 68
Work experience 32–34
Work Preparation 31
Work4You 33
Working Tax Credit 69
Workstep 31, 33
World Wide Web 77
WriteToThem 85
Wysing Arts Centre 5
You and Yours 86
Young Adult Service 62
Young carers 45, 58
Young People Speaking Up 74
Young Users 61
YoungMinds 62
Youth Bank 35
Youth Centres 11, 57
Youth clubs 11, 57
Youthoria 1, 3, 4, 11, 25, 57, 71
Pendrill Court, Ermine Street North,
01480 839192
info@disability-cambridgeshire.org.uk
www.disability-cambridgeshire.org.uk
Disability Cambridgeshire (formerly Directions Plus) is the publisher of this book, and
we have a lot more information than we can put in here, so if you live in our patch
make use of us (or if you don’t, contact our colleagues at Disability Huntingdonshire).
We’re the information and advice service for disabled people and carers in
Cambridge, South Cambridgeshire, East Cambridgeshire and Fenland.
Here’s what we do:
lHelp you follow up the information, services and benefits listed in this book
lGive you information on any topic – discrimination, benefits, health and social
care, independent living, support groups, national organisations, equipment and
adaptations, education and employment, transport, leisure and holidays
lHelp you with your benefit claims and appeals or communicate with any
organisation for you
lMaintain an online directory of services on our website
lOffer volunteering and work-experience placements in a friendly and supportive
workplace
lSurvey access to buildings and services to help organisations comply with
the Disability Discrimination Act, train you on the Act and provide Disability
Awareness Training
lProvide support to forums of disabled people
Contact us by phone, fax or email, Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm, or drop in to
see us at the Addenbrooke’s Hospital Information Centre (by the main entrance) on
Tuesdays or Fridays between 1pm and 4pm. We may be able to visit you at home if
you cannot get to us.
Pendrill Court, Ermine Street North
01480 830833 01480 830036 (fax)
info@dish.org.uk
www.dish.org.uk
Disability
nformation Service Huntingdonshire
Disability Huntingdonshire (formerly known as Disability Information Service
Huntingdonshire or DISH) provides information and advice for disabled people
and carers living in Huntingdonshire, covering the same range of topics as
Disability Cambridgeshire.
Contact us by phone, fax or email, Monday to Thursday 9.30am to 2.30pm.
Home visits are available for families.

Go for it! - Disability Cambridgeshire

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