Case Study 2


	EMPLOYMENT


	"EMPLOY YOUR EXPERT" Case Study 1 Case Study 2 Case Study 3


	Alison Hi there! My name is Alison Owen, I am married with three children and I am a self advocate with a full time job at Speakup Self Advocacy as a trainer.


	I do office work, help with the wages and have learnt a lot about Person Centred Planning. I am the co - chair of the Person Centred Planning Development Group in Rotherham. I have made three DVDs about my life, and how good Person Centred Planning can change your life for the better.


	I know good Person Centred Planning works, it did for me. I got a job, I moved house with my husband, I go on lots of holidays, I enjoy being


	in the darts team at my local pub and I spend lots of time with my family. This year I am going on an aeroplane for the first time, it's a dream come true!


	I enjoy my job at Speakup. I do lots of Person Centred Planning training, but this year I have also done lots of training to tell people about the Mental Capacity Act.


	I have done this work with colleagues Jono, Robert and Vicky (who are self advocates at Speakup) and our supporter Annie. We tell people about the Mental Capacity Act and how important it is. We have been to Norfolk, Sheffield, Harrogate and North Allerton doing this training. We have also done lots of training in our local area and hope to go up to Newcastle soon. People need to know about this Act. It protects us and tells us that its ok to make decisions for ourselves and its ok to make bad decisions sometimes.


	At Speakup I have done lots of qualifications for myself as part of my job so I can keep doing my job well. I have done a business unit, a practical office unit, a team working unit, a leadership unit and a food hygiene course.

I am good at speaking up when I prepare things to say, but I still need confidence to speak up in new places and I'm still learning to do this. I also think that having a job has really improved my reading, writing and speech..


	Having a job and working and speaking out for people with a learning disability like myself is great. Having a paid job also gives me lots more independence because I don't rely on benefits anymore. Alison Winter 08