Really fantastic day at The Q-Team open day today!! Thanks to everyone that came and really got involved. The Q-Team did a great job of presenting to the group with some of us presenting for the first time (you know who you are). Brilliant job to everyone!!! We are very pleased almost everyone that attended wants to join the team and we look forward to working with you and starting training. Thanks to Kitty and Kittie for doing such a great job in coordinating the day!!

A vibrant Q-Team meeting today. Lots to discuss! The Q-Team continue to be really busy. We have an open day for prospective new team members tomorrow with all Q-Team members presenting and running workshops; our 28th Q-Team visit on 7th November; 19th November attending the Oska Bright film festival; 21st November our 29th Q-Team visit; 25th November The Q-Kit training in Lewes; 26th November "It's not on" Hate Crime Conference at Hove Town Hall; 28th November LD Today at Kensington Olympia!! Phew!!! Fortunately we make sure we are always well fed!

Really powerful weather in our area today. The team are due to visit a service today but we have had to cancel it. I hope we can rearrange our visit soon. The Q-Team hopes that everyone is safe and well.

The Q-Team are really upset and angry about the abuse at Veilstone Care Home
http://ow.ly/qatmv  The team are still affected by what they had seen happen at Winterbourne and are stunned and shocked that this sort of thing continues to happen. The Q-Team are more determined than ever to try to speak to as many people who use services as possible in an attempt to provide an environment in which people can talk candidly about their lives and how they are being supported in their own homes.

Here are some photos of Andrew presenting to people at the British Institute of Learning Disabilities conference on Friday. We presented with Stay Up Late and asked people to talk about what a great life for people with learning disabilities looks like and what are the current blocks to achieving this. Stay Up Late are writing their manifesto based on the blocks that people have identified. The manifesto is not finished yet but you will be able to find it on their website soon.

http://stayuplate.org/

Hi my name is Stephen Clark, and I joined The Q-Team in January 2013. I wanted to join the team as I wanted to help people and use my experiences to help others improve their lives. I have had some times in my life where things were hard for me but having come out of the other side and in joining The Q-Team I have been able to improve things for me and I hope for others too. Outside of The Q-Team I love to do magic (sometimes at The Q-Team) and I provide volunteer magic shows at nursing homes. I have also performed at parties and social events. I am hoping to meet that special person to share my life with at some point but in the meantime I have plenty to keep me busy.

The Q-Team created The Quality Checking Network as a place where people who are committed to involving people with learning disabilities in assessing their support services can discuss ideas and share information.
If you think that people with learning disabilities should be at the centre of the support they receive, feel free to join the network by following the above link or by emailing a.grindley@southdownhousing.org for an invitation.