We seem to be racing through the new year! I meant to write a post wishing everyone a Happy New Year and thanking you all for your support in 2018! Is it too late to do that now?…..it’s never too late!
Thanks so much to everyone who supported us during 2018, it is down to all you lovely people that Zach is able make a contribution to the working world. The Spectrum of Misconception got off to a flying start with the wonderful Christmas cards that the very talented Laura Dixon illustrated for us. We sold lots more that we expected and although we had issues with things taking longer than expected and some of the packaging we had purchased not being very strong our customers were happy with the product.
We are learning lessons along the way, we are looking at new packaging and realise that we need to start preparing for Christmas in the Summer! This year we hope to have a few products available at Christmas time…watch this space!
Just before Christmas Laura told us she needed to concentrate on her course work for her Fine Art degree which is entirely understandable, we were disappointed and the search for a new artist started.
Thanks to everyone who suggested someone who maybe able to help us.
It was a bit of a grey Saturday in early January, John and I had a coffee in Hertford after a bit of shopping, called into the Museum to look at an exhibition and then when walking past Courtyard Arts I saw there was a display of young artists work on there. I had to twist John’s arm a bit but in we went.
We worked our way around the room looking at all the art, it was all good. We came to the last but one display and I knew that the artist of this work was just who we were looking for!
I made sure to get the artists details down by taking 110 photos of her bio and set off for home with my fingers tightly crossed.
I’m not sure whether it was because I crossed my fingers but Lauren was interested in our Enterprise and we planned a meeting.
Lauren is the final year of a Fine Art Foundation Degree. She has loved art from a young age, starting with paint by numbers but using her own paints! Lauren’s main interest is digital art which she uses a tablet for. She is excited about where her art work can take her and we are very excited to have her on our team.
We can’t wait for her to get started on new ideas we have for Spectrum of Misconception!
Another good thing has happened, after approximately two long years John and I have been appointed Zach’s Welfare Deputies. This is a complicated process but so necessary for Zach’s ongoing welfare that we have it.
A Deputy is someone who is appointed by the Court of Protection to act in the best interests and make decisions of someone who lacks capacity to make decisions themselves.
Welfare Deputies can make decisions regarding care, housing, medical treatment.
Very often people do not apply for Welfare Deputyship until something has gone wrong for the person that they care for.
We have had the expert advice of Belinda Blank an independent advocate at advocacyandsupport.co.uk email: info@advocacyandsupport.co.uk who signposted us to a top Solicitor in Alex Rook of Irwin Mitchell. In our case our reason for applying for Deputyship is that we cannot afford to let things go wrong for Zach so with this we are his voice and we can ensure that his life reflects what we know will be best for him and make him happy.
There is at present a campaign underway which is trying to get the law changed. A group of parents want to change the law to stop the marginalisation of parents after their children turn 18. They want to end rules under the Mental Capacity Act that see’s parents shut out of key decisions.
The Act says that when someone with learning disabilities reaches the age of 18 the decisions about that persons life are then taken by Social Workers.
Rightly the campaigners want the parents to continue to have the final say on the welfare of the person who they know better than anyone!
To find out more about the campaign follow this link https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/3forall
Belinda Blank runs Seminars for Parents, Carers and Professionals, her next is called Transition to Adult Life and runs on the 27th February in Central London. Cost is £15 which includes Lunch. Please find a link below.
thezachproject 