Deis Cyfle Project Update October and November 2011
DEIS CYFLE PROJECT UPDATE OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER 2011
The Project is now in its final phase and due to end in April 2012. We have all worked hard over the last 2-3 months to bring our final 2 authorities (LAs), Swansea and Carmarthenshire on board. We are also putting a lot of effort to deliver on our promise to organisations within our 7 authorities of offering training to those working with the 15+ age group. We have developed some strong networks and our training sessions have been very well received as you will see below.
We are just putting to final touches to our Project’s Autumn Newsletter which will go out to all interested parties.
NEW LA’S ON BOARD
Our event at Ysgol Gwendraeth, Drefach on 4th October gave the 60 participants an entertaining introduction to the Project with the chance to hear our first A Factor ‘graduates’ Owen Vaughan and Thomas Pinder giving their thoughts on life as they know it. The evening was brought nicely to a conclusion by the guest appearance of Robert Lloyd Griffiths, the Welsh Government’s Ambassador for ASD who gave an overview of his work and fulsome praise to both young men.
We held Swansea’s Awareness raising event at the Marriott Hotel on 19th October. Our 2 A Factor graduates again wowed the audience of 78 people with their take on life and they fielded a number of questions at the end from participants who had been inspired by them.
TRAINING EVENTS
- Glyndwr University
Jan and Veronica, 2 of our training consultants, have run training on 3 occasions for Glyndwr up in Wrexham. The first of these sessions was held in September for 28 support staff in the morning and 37 in the afternoon. They returned in November to deliver training to the Association of Dyslexia Specialists in Higher Education where 13 delegates attended.
Feedback from all 3 sessions was very positive :
‘Very useful session. Excellent delivery making something very complex very to understand.
Very interesting, wish it had been a whole day course.
Friendly, professional delivery
Video clips very useful and informative. (Also help concentration by giving variety to presentation for a Friday afternoon)
Very good knowledge shown’
- Swansea Metropolitan University
16 tutors elected to come to a morning’s session delivered by Yvonne, our third training consultant, and Lynn, the Project manager. Feedback again was very complimentary.
‘A very interesting course and very informative
Thought provoking; condensed the information very well and a very nice pace to the morning’
- Wrexham secondary schools
Maggie Bowen, Deputy CEO of Autism Cymru and Lynn were invited to speak to a mixed audience of 40 teachers and LSA’s from Wrexham’s Secondary schools and received a lot of positive appreciation.
- University of Trinity, St David’s
Yvonne and Jan trained 64 students undertaking a Social Inclusion course at Trinity St David’s in November. Many of these students are peers of young people with ASD and once again their response exceeded our expectations.
‘Very enjoyable presentation
Diolch yn fawr – fe wnes I fwynha
Mwynheuais y ddarlith a dysgais lawer.
Wedi dysgu llawer.
Perthnasol iawn
Useful information
Fantastic – thank you
Mae’r darlith hefyd yn defnyddiol I fy nghwrs
Mwynheuais y darlith a dysgais lawer’
A FACTOR MINI PROJECT
Our new A Factor recruit Rob, from Swansea is now moving towards his 4th out of 5 sessions. He has done very well and received lots of feedback and encouragement from his mentors.
Dean Beadle, together with Lynn, have been trialling an online form of A Factor with Alex from Flintshire (who you may remember gave a talk at our Theatr Clwyd event). Alex thinks, plans and films his talk on a topic then posts it in a dedicated Facebook area for Lynn and Dean to provide written and online verbal feedback. Alex has completed 2 sessions so far and is doing very well.
Owen and Thomas from the first A Factor cohort have been completing some PR activities to assist them in marketing their talents. They are being mentored by Dean and Lynn.
TRAINING CONSULTANTS WORK
As you can see from the above, the Training Consultants have been busy with training commitments all through the Autumn as well as their ongoing work with building up databases of individuals 14-19 in all 7 local authorities.Our networks of FE and HE contacts in all 7 areas have produced some very rewarding training sessions which will in turn inform our development of appropriate training materials and resources.
We have achieved a lot this year and have our work cut out for the early part of 2012.
LAP 05/12/11