Training Services
Whether it's employees, volunteers, pupils, service users or customers; an awareness of how you can best meet the needs of people with learning disabilities is essential. SoLO offers individually tailored training delivered by our team of experts. Our Team includes paid, experienced trainers who have learning disabilties themselves. They are supported to deliver elements of our training packages and share their life experiences. SoLO has already provided training for National Grid, Birmingham Medical University Lyndon School, Lode Heath School and many more. Group sizes have ranged from 6 to 250! Training we provide includes:-
- Disability Awareness training to organisations
- Disability Awareness training for schools under Citizenship
- How to be More Inclusive
- The Disability Discrimination Act
- Person Centred Approaches
Our Training Team
Scott Embley
Scott has a wealth of life experience of what it is like to have a
learning disability. He was previously Chair of Mencap Birmingham and
Solihull District Committee. Scott now facilitates Solihull Leisure
Opportunities (SoLO) Service User Reference Group meetings, and is one of
SoLO’s paid Disability Awareness Trainers. Scott has 3 years training
experience, is a confident speaker and presenter with groups ranging from 5
people to up to 300. Scott has experienced discrimination at work, bullying
and much more. He is now an ambassador for SoLO and an advocate for people
with learning disabilities.
Dominic Wardle
Dominic also knows what it's like to live with a disability and how it feels not to be taken seriously.
Dominic chairs Solihull Leisure Opportunities Service User Reference Group. Dominic has delivered training with other organizations.
Dominic also has experience of dealing with the general public on a daily basis.
Dominic is another ambassador for Solihull Leisure Opportunities and an advocate and champion for people with learning disabilities.
Lynn Humphreys
Lynn has worked for SoLO for several years gaining considerable experience working as a Disability Awareness Trainer.
Lynn is also an "Essential Lifestyles - Person Centered Facilitator and Trainer".
This entailes carrying out and training others deliver services centred around the clients needs and wants.
Lynn has developed a Safeguarding training package and delivered it to the Voluntary Sector.
This enables Lynn to work closely with the Solihull Local Children's Safeguarding Board.
She is a qualified social worker, and has worked with older people, learning and physical disabilities, hospitals and with palliative care teams.
This has given Lynn vast experience of working with a wide range of people with a variety of disabilities and sorts of discrimination they face.
Qualifications includes: Social work Diploma, BA Hons and 7303 PTLLS
Jacqui Bryan
Jacqui has over a decade and a half of experience working with and supporting people with learning disabilities.
Jacqui worked with Mencap for 9 years and has been with Solihull Leisure Opportunities for the past 7 years.
At Mencap, Jacqui became a qualified "Train The Trainer" and worked as part of a team that put together an award winning Trans-active Project pack.
This contained training and teaching materials. She was responsible for coordinating and delivering training to schools across the country.
Jacqui is an Essential Lifestyles Planning Facilitator and an Approved Trainer to deliver person centred tools and approaches.
Jacqui has created and helps deliver Disability Awareness Training for outside agencies and takes care of essential training for staff, volunteers and our service users.
Qualifications includes: BTeC National Cert in Social Care, Train the Trainer, 7303 PTLLS and is RARPA trained
Feedback from a national organisation:
"I enjoyed looking at communication and talking mats"
"The emphasis is on the person not the disability"
"Ensure we recruit more people with learning disabilities and value their contribution"
Feedback from Lyndon School pupils
"They are just a person"
"A person with a learning disability is the same as us, they should not be treased worse or laughed at"
To find out more please call on 0121 788 3469 and ask for Jacqui or Lynn or email us on info@solihullsolo.co.uk
Staff & Volunteer Training
All of our staff and volunteers are offered training in areas such as:
- First aid
- Health and safety
- Epilepsy
- Working with vulnerable people
- Augmented Signing Communication
In many cases, the training is mandatory.
Working with vulnerable adults
This course lasts for 1.5 hours and is specifically for paid workers and volunteers who are working with adults with learning
disabilities.
It covers the definition of a vulnerable adult, the issues that they face, how best to work with them and protect them from harm.
It also covers how workers and volunteers can keep themselves safe in their work.
Epilepsy Awareness
This training course lasts for 1.5 hours and is delivered by a health professional.
It is for both paid workers and volunteers who work on any of our SoLO projects.
It covers what epilepsy is, what to look for and how to deal with someone who is having a seizure.
Augmented Signing Communication
This course covers some basic signing to enable our paid workers and volunteers to communicate with those who have little or
no communication.
It is a fun, interactive course that lasts about 2 hours and is delivered by an external trainer with experience of working with children with learning disabilities.
Introduction to SoLO
This is for all new workers and volunteers who have joined us in the last 6 – 12 months.
It gives an overview of the organisation, covers some essential information on health and safety, payment of expenses, and gives participants the opportunity to ask questions (always useful!) Lasts about 1.5 hours.
Autism Awareness
This introduction to autism is delivered by Autism West Midlands and is a very interesting 2 hour insight into working
with children and adults with autism.
It is for either paid workers and volunteers.
Physical Intervention Training
This is a two day course specifically for staff who work on the schemes for children and adults with challenging behaviour.
Holiday Activity Training Days
These are two days, at the beginning of the Summer Schemes for all staff and volunteers working across SNAP and SoLO
Activity Days.
It covers:
- Safeguarding
- Signing Communication
- Working with children with Challenging Behaviour
- Health and Safety
- Epilepsy
- Administering Invasive Medication (paid staff over 18 only)
- Wheelchair clamping and Child Profiles