For many of us our years of involvement and knowledge of our own children and the systems they encounter brings us a deep insight into our children’s well-being.
We know what makes them happy, how they communicate and what support they need.
We know what they are trying to say and we work hard at sharing that information with others. However, only too often that is missed and our young people are misunderstood and problems arise.
We want our young people and adults to be independent with a safety net.
We want our children and young people to grow up knowing and feeling what it is like to be in the “driving seat” and to understand the real power of making decisions, what good looks like, and what support they need to be part of their communities.
As parents of disabled children we share similar fears and ask ourselves the same questions.
- What happens to our young people when we are dead or no longer able to look after them ourselves?
- How do we keep them strong and supported to make decisions that have a huge impact on their lives?
- How do we keep our young people safe as they grow up into a world that is full of prejudice, fear, abuse and discrimination?
- How do we keep their voice at the centre?
Some of us are confused around the Mental Capacity Act and not sure how it relates to us as parents and our children. There is a lot of good information out there already but the reality may be quite different than what we already know.
Many families are unaware of the Mental Capacity Act. Through telling our stories and using positive ways that families have used it plus ways in which it has been abused will enable families to learn from one another.
The Justice for LB campaign highlights our fears and brings many of us together as we reflect and contemplate. This could be the reality of each and every one of us. Whatever our young person’s impairment we are fully aware of their long lasting potential risk. We are fearful that our young people will be victims of ill-trained and inadequate staff who do not listen, know how to communicate effectively and that our children and families’ voices will be lost.
Bringing Us Together believes that everyone has the right to communicate and be supported in making informed choices and decisions with a circle of people around who know, respect, value and understand them.
We are holding an event in July to listen to a group of parent’s voices and their stories. We will then be working with larger organisations to bring them the experiences of families, what works for them, around the Mental Capacity Act, and what does not.
Read about our first workshop – #familyrights are important, get involved.
