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Issue 4 - Spring 2023

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COMMUNITY MAGAZINE<br />

SPRING <strong>2023</strong><br />

Meet Monika<br />

Page 15<br />

Upper <strong>Spring</strong>land: The Road Travelled<br />

Page 4<br />

Extending Our Partnership: Heriot’s Rugby Club<br />

Page 12<br />

Scottish Charity Awards: We’re Finalists!<br />

Page 19<br />

1


CONTENTS<br />

8<br />

Our Inclusive Community:<br />

The Road Ahead<br />

4<br />

15<br />

11<br />

Impact of your Fundraising<br />

How you’ve been helping<br />

19 We’re<br />

Scottish Charity Awards<br />

finalists!<br />

12<br />

Welcome<br />

Welcome to issue four of CS Matters. I’m<br />

not quite sure where to start – there<br />

has been so much going on across<br />

Capability Scotland since Christmas.<br />

We’ve seen quite an increase in activity from the Care<br />

Inspectorate in recent weeks. After a quiet period<br />

during the pandemic, we’ve seen a surge in services<br />

receiving visits from the inspectors. And I’m delighted<br />

to say that the feedback in the final reports has been<br />

really encouraging. Despite all of the challenges and<br />

arguably tougher standards being expected, our<br />

grades have remained strong and, in some cases,<br />

even increased. A huge congratulations to all our<br />

teams across Scotland for this achievement.<br />

We continue to advance the Our Inclusive Community<br />

Project (OICP) at Bertha Park, with a new microsite for<br />

updates and news: https://oicp.capability.scot/<br />

I’m particularly proud of the work we’ve been doing on<br />

co-production in relation to OICP. The process we’ve been<br />

going through to have the voices of our current residents,<br />

customers and their families heard has been outstanding.<br />

It is so important that those people most affected by the<br />

move to our new flagship facility have influenced and<br />

shaped the design of both the building and service.<br />

And that’s just scratching the surface! I hope you enjoy<br />

reading about all the latest news from Capability<br />

Scotland and that your <strong>2023</strong> is going well.<br />

2<br />

Brian Logan,<br />

Chief Executive


Our #CSNorthLanark<br />

customers and staff<br />

celebrated Easter with<br />

a fantastic party! Prizes<br />

for word searches, the<br />

best Easter bonnet<br />

decoration, good tunes,<br />

meeting new friends<br />

and lots of chocolate. A<br />

massive thank you to our<br />

friends at inspirent for<br />

allowing us to use their<br />

amazing meeting spaces<br />

free of charge, and<br />

providing complimentary<br />

refreshments!<br />

"I want to bring one<br />

of your employees,<br />

Paul, to your attention.<br />

Paul is part of my<br />

son Jamie's care<br />

team. Jamie had<br />

the opportunity to<br />

take part in a Karate<br />

tournament and<br />

needed the funds<br />

to participate. Paul<br />

from #CSDundee<br />

asked if he could<br />

Dundee<br />

organise a fundraising<br />

event for Jamie,<br />

which we gratefully<br />

accepted. The event was a roaring success, exceeding the<br />

amount needed. We as a family want to highlight the sterling<br />

work and commitment that Paul put into this event, in his own<br />

time too. We feel Paul is a credit to himself and Capability<br />

Scotland, and want to pass on our sincere gratitude."<br />

Jamie's father sent this to us about Paul - he truly is<br />

a credit to our charity, and constantly goes above<br />

and beyond in his work. Well done Paul!<br />

Corseford College<br />

had an exciting<br />

visit from Mhairi<br />

Black MP who<br />

met our students,<br />

explored our<br />

college projects,<br />

and sat for a great<br />

interview!<br />

Upper <strong>Spring</strong>land, Perth<br />

A massive #ThankYou to Rapid<br />

Relief Team UK for their visit to<br />

Upper<strong>Spring</strong>land in April, providing an<br />

amazing burger bar for our social care<br />

team - sun was shining and the burgers<br />

were fantastic!<br />

Corseford College, Kilbarchan<br />

3


Greig, The Studio<br />

Customer<br />

Upper <strong>Spring</strong>land in Perth is one of the<br />

cornerstones of Capability Scotland and<br />

a mainstay for the Perth community - the<br />

largest and perhaps most widely recognised<br />

part of our charity.<br />

Up on Isla Road, we’re home to 56 people<br />

supported by around 200 members of staff<br />

who ensure the people living with us have<br />

everything they need to live their lives the way<br />

they wish to, whether that’s developing their<br />

education, learning new skills, or enjoying<br />

days in the sunshine with friends.<br />

As we develop plans for building a new<br />

facility with exciting opportunities but<br />

with the same exemplary support through<br />

Our Inclusive Community Project (more<br />

on this later in CS Matters), we wanted<br />

to take a little tour to enshrine what<br />

currently exists and the social care we<br />

provide.<br />

We opened Upper <strong>Spring</strong>land in June<br />

1978, thanks to generous donations of<br />

land and capital from the Gannochy<br />

Trust. John (below) was one of our<br />

first residents, Upper <strong>Spring</strong>land<br />

opened on a Thursday (1st June)<br />

and he moved in on the Monday.<br />

4<br />

Peter, The Studio Customer<br />

John, previous Customer


“Once I had seen what they were<br />

doing in Perth, I was determined to<br />

move there and have my own front door<br />

and key. This was the independence I<br />

had always wanted.”<br />

Reflecting on the move, John said: “I<br />

cannot describe the feeling I had. Here<br />

I was with my own front door and the<br />

key in my hand. It was fantastic.” John<br />

lived and worked at Upper <strong>Spring</strong>land,<br />

eventually working as part of our kitchen<br />

staff, preparing meals and snacks for our<br />

then residents.<br />

John (second from left) receiving keys<br />

to his own flat in Perth city<br />

For decades, across the UK social care settings<br />

have often been guilty of being institutionalised.<br />

Upper <strong>Spring</strong>land has always strived to be an<br />

exception to this: whilst people do live with us<br />

permanently, we have a strong focus on providing<br />

long-term support until such a time that someone<br />

has the skills to live independently.<br />

John moved out some years later, into his new<br />

home in the centre of Perth: “I remained at Upper<br />

<strong>Spring</strong>land until I became more independent. I then<br />

got the chance to move to a flat in the centre of<br />

Perth. I had lived in a care setting all my life so this<br />

was a huge move for me. I carried on working at Upper<br />

<strong>Spring</strong>land even when I was living<br />

in my flat.”<br />

Through the years, we have been<br />

steadfast throughout changes in<br />

society, as well as marked changes<br />

in our own organisation, but we’ve<br />

continued to deliver the same<br />

#CaringSupport for every resident<br />

that lives with us over the past 45 years.<br />

Grant, on the front of an older<br />

leaflet for Capability Scotland<br />

And what a 45 years it has been! We’ve<br />

supported so many memorable characters<br />

(like Hugh, always suited and booted for<br />

the day, pictured below), people who have<br />

met and become life-long friends, and even<br />

people who have met and later married.<br />

These days, Upper <strong>Spring</strong>land is now four<br />

distinct services but it continues to remain one<br />

community of residents, staff and volunteers.<br />

Hugh Arbuckle<br />

5


Erin working on<br />

communication<br />

Our Residential Services Today<br />

Named after their respective rivers,<br />

Annaty, Tayview, Rosiebank & Tummel<br />

are home to our residents and where<br />

we support them with communication,<br />

personal care, medical needs, emotional<br />

support, and achieving the goals that<br />

people set for themselves - and, of course,<br />

the daily living tasks that we all do such as<br />

shopping, paying bills and cooking meals.<br />

We support a wide range of disabled people<br />

with additional and complex needs in these<br />

services, as well as an even wider range of<br />

daily activity.<br />

own. It was kind of a big thing for me although<br />

for most people, that is probably nothing but for me,<br />

it was huge.”<br />

It was two years ago when Natalie made it the<br />

furthest she’s been on her own. Now, she is holding<br />

down two jobs that she loves: paid consultancy<br />

work at the Scottish Commission for Learning<br />

Disability (more on this role soon!) as well as<br />

Birmingham University - she was even involved in<br />

recruiting our current Chief Executive!<br />

In Tayview, you may recognise our residents<br />

Donna and Nicole.<br />

Donna (below) recently featured in our updated<br />

values campaign, lending her voice to what<br />

‘Open & Honest’ means to her: “it’s speaking<br />

your mind.”<br />

Natalie, ready to go to a play<br />

Natalie (above) has lived at Annaty since 2018:<br />

“the people who live here together, we’re kind of<br />

like a family”.<br />

At Annaty, Natalie is supported to maintain her<br />

freedoms to live her life as she wants. We’ve helped<br />

secure new and better wheelchairs for her, allowing<br />

her to go into Perth alone (or with us if she chooses).<br />

6<br />

“I went to the Tesco on Crieff Road, which<br />

is the furthest I’ve been<br />

on my<br />

Donna, giving views on our values<br />

In her words, Donna said: “I am a very<br />

friendly person and easy to get along<br />

with. I have a massive interest in music<br />

and have been lucky to be part of the<br />

Inspiration Orchestra which I play the<br />

keyboard in. This was a big goal of<br />

mine. I enjoy the practice sessions and<br />

performing in front of the community<br />

to make others as happy as me.”


David<br />

We caught up with Nicole at a<br />

recent photoshoot in Tayview,<br />

reading a story to the people she<br />

lives with. She continues to make<br />

vast improvements to her health,<br />

well-being and daily activities. You<br />

can read her full story on our website.<br />

Nicole at story time<br />

The Studio<br />

Rosiebank and Tummel offers nine<br />

apartments for people who have the most<br />

complex care and support needs, as well<br />

as three respite spaces for short breaks.<br />

The Studio is a skills-focused day<br />

opportunities service where people<br />

who live on the Upper <strong>Spring</strong>land<br />

campus can attend if they choose<br />

to do so, as well as people who live<br />

elsewhere.<br />

At The Studio, it’s always a bustling,<br />

lively place with art, music, outside<br />

sports, Makaton singing group, digital<br />

work, and access to our inclusive,<br />

accessible gym. Everything we do at<br />

The Studio is inclusive of everyone – no<br />

matter what the ability. And we do so in<br />

a way that promotes independence and<br />

enjoyment.<br />

Joseph out for a walk<br />

Joseph (above) lives in Rosiebank and Tummel<br />

who is a smiley young man - he enjoys going for<br />

a walk in green spaces, and we’re fortunate to<br />

be situated close to lovely parks and areas prime<br />

for a walk!<br />

With over 40 years of history and hundreds<br />

of residents across those years, it’s hard<br />

to fit in everything, and here we have only<br />

just scratched the surface of a place that<br />

has a special place in the story and heart<br />

of Capability Scotland. As we look forward<br />

to a new development, we look forward<br />

to ontinuing to have a positive impact<br />

on the lives of the people we support.<br />

You can learn more about Upper <strong>Spring</strong>land on our website. If you’ve got any<br />

hello@capability.scot7<br />

history to share about Upper <strong>Spring</strong>land, get in touch:


Our Inclusive Community Project:<br />

Strategic<br />

Definition<br />

Preparation &<br />

Brief<br />

complete complete<br />

Concept<br />

Design<br />

early work complete<br />

Microsite Launched<br />

Over recent months, we have been developing a microsite (small website) dedicated to<br />

Our Inclusive Community Project. The microsite is the online hub for all things related to<br />

the development of the project. Take a look:<br />

oicp.capability.scot<br />

When we embarked on Our Inclusive<br />

Community Project, we developed<br />

a busy schedule of co-production<br />

activities which is already well underway.<br />

So far, we have made sure there have been<br />

lots of opportunities for our customers, staff,<br />

friends and families to submit their feedback,<br />

and we have been delighted with the positive<br />

response that has been received.<br />

Since November 2022, we have been busy meeting<br />

people on a one-to-one basis or in groups, issuing<br />

surveys and asking for feedback. Across all of these<br />

activities, we have covered an array of topics:<br />

bathrooms, laundries, kitchens, therapies, and day<br />

opportunities. The level of detail provided has been so<br />

insightful – the knowledge and experiences of people<br />

living and working at Upper <strong>Spring</strong>land have given<br />

our architects lots to think about. The information<br />

that has been collectively shared will truly help<br />

influence the service design of comfortable homes for<br />

customers, an efficient workplace for staff and, most<br />

importantly, a thriving community for all to enjoy.<br />

8<br />

We have a packed year ahead in <strong>2023</strong>. Over<br />

the next few months, we will continue to gather lots<br />

of information and think hard about what life could<br />

be like in our new surroundings. Our focus will be<br />

on communal areas, transport, external grounds<br />

and staff working practices. Assistive technology is<br />

another area we will explore – modern tools which<br />

could help support daily life in our homes and centres.<br />

How we present plans about potential assistive<br />

technologies is yet to be decided… watch this space!<br />

Developing our Design Statement<br />

The basis of any successful project is a clear, wellinformed<br />

“Brief”. This should capture not only<br />

what the development must contain, such as the<br />

spaces and functions (a “Design Brief”) but what it<br />

must support people to do (a “Design Statement”).<br />

However, both processes are interconnected and<br />

should also build on previous consultation work<br />

and guidance produced by legislative bodies such<br />

as Town Planners and the Care Inspectorate.<br />

Design Statement Work<br />

In early 2022, Architecture and Design Scotland<br />

(A&DS) started to work with Capability Scotland to


Developed<br />

Design Technical<br />

Design<br />

December <strong>2023</strong><br />

May 2024<br />

Construction<br />

early 2025<br />

Handover<br />

end 2026<br />

In Use<br />

early 2027<br />

support the charity’s ambitious proposals for Our<br />

Inclusive Community Project at Bertha Park.<br />

A&DS have drawn on their experience advising on<br />

major health projects and combined this with direct<br />

engagement with Upper <strong>Spring</strong>land customers,<br />

their families, and staff hosting three hands-on<br />

workshops and recording over 500 responses to help<br />

us create a Design Statement for this project.<br />

The Design Statement is intended to act as a visual<br />

reference guide for architects and planning teams,<br />

to help them understand some of the key principles<br />

we are looking for in a development. It helps develop<br />

agreement on shared values and records key<br />

preferences, such as improved access to services,<br />

increased integration, increased well-being, and<br />

benchmarks for how these might be achieved.<br />

A Design Statement generally contains short statements<br />

of needs matched with images of what success might<br />

look like. Our Inclusive Community Project Design<br />

Statement also includes a view of how the development<br />

will provide a positive addition in a community context.<br />

Our Design Statement looks beyond the hard edges of<br />

the built environment and prioritises key user experience,<br />

and aspirations-focused areas such as accessibility<br />

and site layout, well-being, shared spaces both inside<br />

and out, as well as staff working environments and<br />

the experience of moving around the buildings.<br />

Design Brief<br />

The process for completing the design of a building is<br />

divided into stages. This helps establish milestones for<br />

the submission of progress reports, the preparation<br />

of information for approval, when decisions<br />

need to be made, and for making payments.<br />

It’s taken a significant amount of time and investment<br />

to get to this stage. However, the more information<br />

we can gain from Co-Production in the early stages<br />

of the project, the more effective our decisionmaking<br />

and problem-solving process will be later.<br />

Now that we have completed Stage 2 (concept<br />

design) as the final part of the Design Brief<br />

document, we are commissioning Stage 3 (developed<br />

design) work to allow us to consider various<br />

options and refresh our project cost estimates.<br />

9


of your<br />

1<br />

1<br />

The unwavering commitment of the<br />

people involved in our work never<br />

ceases to amaze and inspire. In<br />

recent months, the (literally) ‘hairraising’<br />

and innovative efforts to raise<br />

funds for Capability Scotland have been<br />

incredible - keep up the good work!<br />

1 There’s No Place Like Home<br />

We are committed to ensuring that the<br />

people we support live in homes which<br />

are welcoming, comfortable, and fully<br />

equipped to meet their needs. We are<br />

delighted to have been awarded £5,000<br />

from the B&Q Foundation to improve<br />

the communal living spaces within our<br />

bungalows at Stanmore Residential.<br />

These improvements will add comfort<br />

and warmth to the spaces, ensuring<br />

2<br />

10<br />

3


the young people living there can<br />

feel relaxed and happy at home.<br />

2 Inclusive Fitness is Fab!<br />

The Loaningdale School Company<br />

donated £1,760 to enable young people<br />

to attend fitness sessions at Edinburgh’s<br />

DR Inclusive Fitness & Wellbeing,<br />

offering access to a gym exclusively<br />

for disabled people with the use of<br />

bespoke equipment and professional<br />

expertise of the staff. This allows<br />

attendees to work towards physical<br />

targets and enjoy a new experience.<br />

3 Thomas’ Birthday Memorial<br />

Lynsey Durkan hosted a party night on<br />

what would have been her Uncle Thomas<br />

O’Neill’s birthday to raise money<br />

for a sensory garden at the Annaty<br />

Service at Upper <strong>Spring</strong>land. Thomas<br />

would have been 68 on 13 March but<br />

sadly passed away in November.<br />

“I chose to fundraise for Capability<br />

Scotland after my Uncle sadly passed<br />

away after a short illness. He was born<br />

with Cerebral Palsy and there was<br />

nowhere in Glasgow or surrounding<br />

areas that had the facilities that<br />

Upper <strong>Spring</strong>land has: skills centre,<br />

hydrotherapy pool, garden centre,<br />

aviary and more, so he moved<br />

from Glasgow to Upper <strong>Spring</strong>land<br />

in Perth 25 years ago. He settled<br />

very quickly and especially loved<br />

attending the skills centre. He made<br />

great friends with all the residents<br />

and enjoyed playing dominoes and<br />

having a shandy with his friends.”<br />

The event was attended by family<br />

and friends celebrating Thomas’ life<br />

and sharing many fond memories.<br />

An amazing £1,968 was raised as a<br />

thank you to Capability Scotland for<br />

caring for Thomas over the years - it<br />

is has been our absolute pleasure.<br />

4 Hair-Raising Stuff!<br />

Some ideas just come off the top of<br />

your head and that was certainly<br />

the case for Emma Reid who<br />

“braved the shave” at the end of<br />

March, shaving her head to raise a<br />

phenomenal £1,200 to go towards<br />

fun summer plans and outdoor play<br />

equipment at Stanmore Residential.<br />

Well done Emma!<br />

4 4 11


Extending Our Partnership<br />

Heriot’s Rugby Club<br />

Our Charity Partners<br />

Team Capability Scotland at Murrayfield<br />

Tam Cowan, guest speaker<br />

For the past two years, Capability<br />

Scotland has been the charity<br />

partner of Heriot's Rugby Club. Over<br />

that time an incredible £24,000 has<br />

been raised from two charity dinners,<br />

a sponsored cycle as well as raffles<br />

and general donations from the club.<br />

The most recent event was a gala dinner held<br />

at Murrayfield Stadium on in February. 200<br />

guests came from across Scotland to support<br />

the partnership and raise money for Capability<br />

Scotland. The evening was hosted by Willie<br />

Allen, friend of Heriot’s, with guest speakers<br />

including comedian Tam Cowan and former<br />

Scotland International Union playe Andy Nicol.<br />

The speakers were complimented by a welcome<br />

from Brian Logan, Chief Executive of Capability<br />

Scotland, plus a raffle, auction, and a (rather<br />

chaotic!) game of ‘Heads or Tails’ resulting<br />

in an incredible £12,000 being raised.<br />

Mel McCallum, President of Heriot's Rugby<br />

Club said, "We are pleased with how successful<br />

our partnership has been and recognises<br />

there are many more opportunities for<br />

our two organisations to work together<br />

in the future. Partnering with Capability<br />

Scotland has enabled Heriot’s to engage<br />

with new audiences and allowed us to<br />

use our resources to support people in<br />

the local community. We went through a<br />

12<br />

Heriot’s Players & Guests<br />

Raffle and Auction Prizes all donated -


fairly rigorous process to select our charity<br />

partner and we have not disappointed. I look<br />

forward to the next stage of our partnership<br />

and all the possibilities that brings with it.”<br />

Following the success of the initial two-year<br />

partnership, we are delighted that Heriots<br />

have decided to extend the partnership for<br />

another three years and will continue to<br />

support Capability Scotland until <strong>Spring</strong> 2026.<br />

Planning has already begun for another dinner<br />

at Murrayfield next year and an open road<br />

cycle from St Andrews to Edinburgh, which will<br />

take place in July, and some Heriot's players<br />

joining the Capability Scotland Team taking<br />

part in the Edinburgh Kiltwalk in September.<br />

Ailsa Wallace, Fundraising and<br />

Communications Manager for Capability<br />

Scotland, said, “We would like to say a huge<br />

thank you to everyone at Heriot’s who has<br />

supported Capability Scotland over the past<br />

two years. It has been a pleasure working<br />

together to change and enhance the lives of<br />

disabled people across Scotland. We look<br />

forward to the next three years and celebrating<br />

all that we will<br />

achieve together.”<br />

Willie Allen, Host & Compère<br />

Playing Heads and Tails!<br />

thank you!<br />

13


Our two schools have availability for additional pupils.<br />

Are you (or someone you know) exploring school options soon?<br />

If you follow our social media, you’ll<br />

likely have come across our #YouBelong<br />

campaign over recent weeks.<br />

We’ve been sharing information about our two<br />

grant-aided specialist schools, and showing<br />

our community why Stanmore House and<br />

Corseford Schools are fantastic places for<br />

children with complex and additional needs to<br />

attend - and if they’re going to Stanmore House,<br />

they have the opportunity to live with us too.<br />

We thrive on providing a sense of belonging<br />

in our schools, showing young people that<br />

there is always a place for them in the<br />

world and that they are never alone.<br />

needs as part of the school day, and tailor the<br />

outcomes not only in a way to meet their own<br />

personal outcomes and goals, but to achieve the<br />

very best in their academic outcomes too. We<br />

offer therapies as standard in our timetable.<br />

We have great relationships with the local<br />

community, and recognise community<br />

partnerships as a key element in our school<br />

life, working with organisations such as Project<br />

Ability, indepen-DANCE, the Scottish Poetry<br />

Library and many more. We love introducing our<br />

learners to the new experiences and friendships<br />

that great community links can offer, and we<br />

feel it’s the perfect way for us to round out<br />

our already excellent educational delivery.<br />

Our school curriculum is based on Scotland’s<br />

Curriculum for Excellence, ensuring that learners<br />

have to opportunity to be successful, confident,<br />

effective contributors, and responsible citizens.<br />

We’re consistently investing in our<br />

school campuses to ensure our learners<br />

have the very best education, offering<br />

modern and assistive technology for<br />

communication, interaction and learning.<br />

We deliver key therapies on campus with our<br />

own, multidisciplinary allied health teams. This<br />

14<br />

means we can meet our learners health<br />

Stanmore House School is located in Lanark<br />

and offers residential placements for children<br />

across the country. Corseford School is located<br />

near Johnstone and offers full-time, split<br />

placements or temporary places to children with<br />

complex needs from the Renfrewshire area.<br />

We have available places to<br />

join us in either school.<br />

Get in touch with us to arrange a visit:<br />

hello@capability.scot / 0131 337 9876


You may have already<br />

seen 22-year-old<br />

Monika as the<br />

face of our recruitment<br />

campaign in Perth.<br />

We sat down with Annaty<br />

resident Monika, her mum<br />

Julie, and Support Worker<br />

Alison, to learn more<br />

about Monika and her life<br />

at Upper <strong>Spring</strong>land.<br />

Julie said: “She’s always<br />

been cheery, but I’ve<br />

seen her become more<br />

independent since moving<br />

to Upper <strong>Spring</strong>land. I’ll visit<br />

and see her do something<br />

and think ‘I didn’t know<br />

she could do that’.”<br />

Monika prides herself on<br />

being friendly and has made<br />

lots of friends since she<br />

started living with us. If she<br />

had to pick one best friend<br />

though, it would be Katy.<br />

Monika and Katy went to<br />

school together before they<br />

moved to Upper <strong>Spring</strong>land.<br />

Alison, who sees the young<br />

ladies interact, said: “It’s<br />

Happy. Smiley.<br />

Always laughing.<br />

The best friend.<br />

15


Julie & Monika<br />

lovely watching them<br />

communicate with each<br />

other, Katy verbalises<br />

and Monika mimics that<br />

back and you hear them<br />

conversing with each other.”<br />

Last week was a particularly<br />

busy week for Monika, she<br />

has enjoyed swimming,<br />

visiting the dentist, and<br />

cycling followed by picnics<br />

with ham sandwiches (that<br />

she made) and ice cream<br />

(her favourite is strawberry).<br />

In the spare time she does<br />

have when not out and<br />

about, Monika loves reading<br />

books and magazines,<br />

dancing and singing to<br />

pop music - the song “I<br />

Love It” by Icona Pop is a<br />

particular dance favourite<br />

just now. On top of this,<br />

Monika enjoys exploring<br />

music through Makaton.<br />

On first meeting Monika,<br />

one might be forgiven for<br />

thinking she is non-verbal<br />

in her communication<br />

but this is far from the<br />

truth. Julie mentions “Her<br />

biggest thing to support is<br />

communication. It’s really<br />

important to Monika that<br />

people understand her<br />

and that she understands<br />

them. So, learning some<br />

basic signing through<br />

Makaton would be the first<br />

step.” Not only can Monika<br />

speak some words and<br />

comprehend conversation,<br />

she is also bilingual.<br />

Growing up in Finland,<br />

Monika has a good grasp<br />

of the Finnish version of<br />

Makaton signs and some<br />

words and phrases. “She<br />

loves to throw in a Finnish<br />

version of a Makaton sign<br />

just to confuse people!”<br />

How would Monika like<br />

others to see her?<br />

Happy. Smiley. Always<br />

laughing. The best friend.<br />

Monika loves laughing with<br />

people, Julie said: “She<br />

always has a laugh with<br />

people singing, especially<br />

if they’re not very good,<br />

you’ll know it because<br />

Monika will laugh.”<br />

Monika approved of our<br />

singing ABBA when talking<br />

to her - a great compliment!<br />

If Monika could say one thing<br />

to the world for everyone to<br />

hear, what would she say?<br />

“Be patient and please<br />

learn some basic sign<br />

language so you can chat<br />

with people like me.”<br />

That would make her<br />

happy - if everyone<br />

could sign.<br />

16


Supporting Monika’s Dreams for<br />

Inclusive Communication<br />

We understand the vital<br />

importance of effective<br />

inclusive communication for<br />

Monika, and all the people we support,<br />

who deserve to have their voice heard<br />

and understood in a way that supports<br />

them to communicate effectively<br />

We know the importance of this through<br />

learning from people like Monika in how<br />

they see the world and what changes are<br />

required to make society more inclusive for all.<br />

With your donations to Capability Scotland,<br />

we can make a positive impact on the lives of the<br />

people we support by providing them with access to<br />

inclusive communication tools, training for our staff in<br />

Augmentative and Alternative Communication and increasing<br />

awareness of the importance of alternative means of communication<br />

throughout society. The people we support have the right to have their voices heard and<br />

Capability Scotland are dedicated to making this possible. Thank you for your support.<br />

Donate to Capability Scotland<br />

Turn over to make a regular<br />

donation by direct debit!<br />

I would like to donate<br />

Donate Online<br />

(tick here)<br />

I want to Gift Aid my donation to add 25p for each £1 I donate at no cost to me, and any<br />

donations I make in future or have made in the past 4 years to Capability Scotland. I am a UK<br />

taxpayer and understand if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax in the current tax<br />

year than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations it is my responsibility to pay any<br />

difference.<br />

05/2022<br />

17


Donate by Direct Debit<br />

Donate Online<br />

monthly<br />

1st of the month<br />

I want to Gift Aid my donation to add 25p for each £1 I donate at no cost to me, and any<br />

donations I make in future or have made in the past 4 years to Capability Scotland. I am a UK<br />

taxpayer and understand if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax in the current tax<br />

(tick here) year than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations it is my responsibility to pay any<br />

difference.<br />

18<br />

05/2022


Capability Scotland shortlisted for national charity award<br />

Capability Scotland is set to<br />

star at this year’s Scottish<br />

Charity Awards. Held annually<br />

by the Scottish Council for Voluntary<br />

Organisations (SCVO), the Scottish<br />

Charity Awards celebrate the best<br />

of Scotland’s voluntary sector.<br />

This year’s shortlist includes 32 individuals and<br />

organisations from charities and voluntary<br />

groups across the country following a recordbreaking<br />

number of nominations. While a<br />

judging panel will determine the winners<br />

under nine distinct categories, members of<br />

the public have been voting for their favourite<br />

overall entry in the People’s Choice Award.<br />

Capability Scotland’s Corseford College has<br />

been recognised as a finalist in the Pioneering<br />

Project category.<br />

Liz McConnachie Head of Corseford College<br />

said: “We are so delighted to be shortlisted<br />

for the SVCO Award, we think the title suits us<br />

perfectly, because it describes what we are<br />

- pioneering. It promotes the college and will<br />

let other people know it is a great place for<br />

learning”.<br />

The <strong>2023</strong> Scottish Charity Awards winners<br />

will be announced at a celebratory awards<br />

ceremony in Edinburgh in June, hosted by TV<br />

presenter Sally Magnusson.<br />

Anna Fowlie, Chief Executive of SCVO, said:<br />

“This year’s Scottish Charity Awards are<br />

a fabulous opportunity to celebrate the<br />

exceptional individuals and groups within<br />

our vibrant sector.<br />

“This year’s record-breaking number<br />

of nominations underlines the strength<br />

of Scotland’s voluntary sector, and the<br />

crucial work that we see from charities and<br />

voluntary organisations across the country.<br />

The hard work and dedication of people<br />

and organisations like these 32 finalists are<br />

making Scotland a better place to live and<br />

work.”<br />

Keep an eye on our social media in June to<br />

find out the results.<br />

Read more about our pioneering project,<br />

Corseford College, on our website:<br />

capability.scot/corsefordcollege<br />

19


Coffee Stop<br />

Crossword<br />

1 2 3 4<br />

5<br />

6 7<br />

8 9<br />

10 11 12<br />

13 14 15<br />

16 17 18<br />

19<br />

Across<br />

5 Large paper pad on a stand (4,5)<br />

8 Young male horse (4)<br />

9 As is the Pope (8)<br />

10 Reading matter available from the internet (1-5)<br />

11 Toasted bun (6)<br />

13 Despicable (informal) (6)<br />

15 Awkwardly eccentric (6)<br />

16 Japanese dish - I try IKEA (anag) (8)<br />

18 South American cape (4)<br />

19 Prince of Darkness (9)<br />

Sudoku<br />

9 3 2 4 1<br />

3 1 4 5<br />

2 1 7 8<br />

6 8 9 4<br />

9 8 3 1<br />

6 8<br />

5 7 1<br />

9 8 1 2 6<br />

6 7 4 3 8<br />

Down<br />

1 Raised horizontal surface (8)<br />

2 Makes more interesting (6)<br />

3 Cadence (6)<br />

4 Consequently (4)<br />

6 Last leader of the Sovient Union, d. August 2022 (9)<br />

7 Mary Quant’s iconic attire (9)<br />

12 Loyal (8)<br />

14 Every 52 weeks (6)<br />

15 Arrows carrier (6)<br />

17 Wild goat (4)<br />

LET’S TALK<br />

Answers: www.capability.scot/answersissue4<br />

Capability Scotland Matters is our magazine for the CS community. It<br />

is written by our Fundraising & Communications Team, with the help<br />

of our guest contributors and produced by Capability Scotland.<br />

Email us: hello@capability.scot<br />

Call us: 0131 337 9876<br />

Write to us: CS Matters, Vantage Point, 24 St John’s Road, Edinburgh, EH12 6NZ<br />

Limited by guarantee, registered in Scotland, number SC036524.<br />

Registered Scottish Charity, number SC011330<br />

We’d love to hear what you<br />

think about our magazine or<br />

anything else you’d like to<br />

share. You can email us on<br />

hello@capability.scot

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