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temporary voluntary work

laila

Hi, I m a disabled woman. I ve worked as an English teacher for 35 years.I m a mother of two young daughters.I ve managed quite well a life with a polio in the left leg.Now I m still dynamic because I practice sport, I sing an I play a music instrument. I wonder if I could spend a short time training with diabled in your centers. I need some experience to help the diabled in my country and also to practice the language. Thanks for offering me an opportunity that will have a great impact on helping the disabled in the developing countries. Can you please mail my text to those in charge of the decision.

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bendigedig

@laila

Have you tried the British Embassy in your home country?

I would be very interested to hear what they have to say in response to your enquiry?

I dont know where you are in the world but I have to be perfectly frank with you. Im not really sure comming to Britain and trying to learn from good practice in our institutions is a good idea?

Britain likes to perpetuate a myth that in some way we are world leaders in most things... On the contrary, with a few notable exceptions most British institutions are very underfunded and are operating on very low morale these days and have been for quite some time now.

Britain is not, nor do I personaly think it has ever been a Nation that cares well for its dissabled, infirm and/or needy.

I apreciate that things may look rosey from the outside looking in but Britain really isnt a very nice place to live. There is a great deal of justifiable unhappiness and poor conditions are more prevalent than you might think.

Our glorious leaders would be choking on their over priced artisan food products at my observations, saying things like "How dare you, do you know how fortunate you are to live in Britain"! Well, yes but thats largely because their ancestors managed to completely mess up the rest of the world with the British Empire, The Slave Trade, Arms Dealing etc oh and most recently thier own efforts in Supporting US forieghn policy etc.

The question should be "do we realise how unlucky the world is to have had to put up with the greed of the British ruling classes"? And the answer would be a resounding YES because we live with it here in Britain everyday.

I wish you luck with your efforts.

nanof6

well said that man, i totaly agree with all you said.

bendigedig

@nanof6
Yes, it is very suprising just how many of US there are

There is a MASSIVE number of dissatisfied unhappy and often angry people in Britain. In March 2011 I was very proud to "march for an alternative" with aproximately 1/2 a million of them in London calling for an alternative to the cuts.
These people are sentient, intelligent and congruent people that are sick and tired of the way our nation is run. BBC propaganda showing a tiny minority of Anarchists smashing up banks and storming the Ritz Hotel only serves to contextualise the feelings of the masses. The riots that followed later that year were a sign of how bad things are for people. Nothing has changed except perhaps for the establishment quietly tightening its hold on freedom of speech, protestation etc.
Many of us do not speak out as we are aware that our concerns and protestation falls on the deaf ears of the establishment. Without a catalyst for a mass movement, social justice reform in Britain will be out of reach for all.
Yes conditions are worse elsewhere in the world but the response "shut up with your moaning and remember how fortunate you are" just doesnt cut it in this day and age.
Globalisation means we are now a Global Community. The majority of whom are very unhappy with their leaders. The needs of all are comming to the forefront. The extreme of this is the mass exodus from African and Middleast War Zones created by "The West" and the burgeoning famine in Africa and Arabia. My protestation isnt limited to moaning about the unjust PIP system or the systematic dismantling of the NHS, the privatisation of ALL public services. I want people to wake up and speak out about ALL social injustice! To take our leaders to task.
The secreted wealth and security of the 1% holding 99% of the wealth can no longer be hidden from us all.
The ruling Banking, corporate and political classes are walking **** in the Emporers new clothes for ALL to see... how long do they think that they can keep that farce up for?
Unless we are heading for a "third world war" (all the indicators are apparent! History has shown us where things go in the circumstances we currently face. The key to our futures is written in our past) there will soon be the possibility of massive social discontent resulting in great upheaval. There is only so much a state controlled propaganda machine can do to hide the truth from us all. ****-defuse and distraction wont kid "all of the people all of the time".
The words of Niemollers "first they came". Have never been more pertinent and relevant if we consider the British Governments current treatment of our Nations disabled and vulnerable. When will people understand the importance of the lesson in this poem?

@laila Im not sure what it is that you will learn if they grant you the opportunity to see how Britain cares for its vulnerable? Im almost certain though that they wont tell you about how they've killed people through their policy of welfare and bennefits cuts!

iza

Hi @laila,
My colleague's mum is disable to polio too. Due to disability she needed to change carrier path from being layer to personal couch. Her professional webpage is http://www.inspirationalpathways.co.uk (http://www.inspirationalpathways.co.uk). She lives in Manchester.
I personally was thinking to become couch/ mentor to disable people (children, teenagers too) but by educational background are different. However, I do consider myself wise woman

by nature. So far I did not come across any short courses related to mentoring/ coaching at all.
I think that the best in working with disable kids is to help them build up confidence, uplift skills and set up plan of goals easily achievable at the beginning. I hope you will be lucky with your search and find way how to help the disable children.
Good Luck

bendigedig

@iza, @laila, @nanof6

Just to be clear.
I have a profesional background in SEN Secondary Teaching and SPLD Further Education Lecturing. I am a Biological Sciennce Graduate and have conducted Post Graduate research into Progression Routes for learners with SEN in the UK system.
I do not consider myself amongst the "wise" Iza. Perhaps many people would say I would be WISE to keep my gob shut!
I never spent my life studying and working to help others simply for self gain.
Speaking out about injustice, "to me", It is far preferable to pandering to a system that treats people SO badly.
I have accepted that "whistleblowing" behaviour is counter productive to self advancement as it is in all BACKWARD regimes. This however is part of the price that the individual MUST pay in order to protect the rights of the many. Collectively the people that speak out make life better for those who are unable to or those who sadly elect not to.
Maslows Hierachy of needs models the concept that an individual must have their basic needs satisfied in order to pursue an ultimate goal of higher learing and self actualisation. The latter being the prefered ultimate goals of any system of care and learning.
I ask you? How is it possible for us to accept working in a system trying to help our vulnerable young if the State is KILLING vulnerable people with draconian and frankly EVIL welfare changes and the destruction of our benefits system?
When I was teaching and Lecturing to pupils and students with disabilities In my classroom I often worked with Learning Support and Care Workers, some of whom were superb but unfortunately the majority of them were very "mumsy" middle aged ladies who fancied the idea of working with kids with disabilities.. The system allows "favoured" unqualified people to work in care and support of young disabled people. The role isnt taken seriously by the system here. Often individuals obtain care roles through nepotism their motivation being that it makes them feel benevolent and affords them some pin money. Of course not all Support and care staff are in this bracket! Some (in the minority though). Deserve medals as big as dinner plates for their work I expect that these "more qualified" (by qualified I mean both experientially/emotionally and formal credentials) individuals would be the very types to turn thier noses up at offers to work as PIP Assessors.
It seems to me Laila that your intentions and motivations are very honourable. However, I would caution you to take care about trying to learn from a brokn system largely populated by workers who lack apropriate experience and or qualifications! I make this very serious statement obviously acknowledging the exceptional staff that do make an excellent contribution to our care and education system.

The best advice I can give you Laila if you really want to volunteer in Britain is to try and utilise these avenues:-

Volunteer.gov.uk
NCVO (uk)
Directly aproaching Disability Charities that have frontline care services.
As a teacher you could approach the respective General Teaching Councils? These organisations formally oversee the conduct of all profesional teachers in the UK each devolved Nation and Northern Ireland has its own GTC.

As I say though Aproaching the British Embassy in your home country or Perhaps the British Council via the UK Government might be the most apropriate first port of call.

The Church in whatever form or denomination can somtimes have some influence in facilitating the sort of request that you have made. In England and Wales the main Church is the Church of England and in Scotland (somwhat different) The Church of Scotland (although the Episcopal Church is well represented in Scotland too,

Have you considered aproaching your own government? What relationship does your government have with the UK? If you are a Teacher, there may be avenues for formal secondment or exchange in UK schools? There is apparently a shortage of teachers in the UK. I often find this funny as both my wife and I are experienced teachers but we have been pushed out of our jobs due to corruption in our Local Authority!

Like Iza, I wish you luck! Be careful though, Britain is not a land of milk and honey by any means!

laila

I m very pleased to have you answering my message and informing me about the situation there. I know it s never perfect anywhere but I feel that I need to give a hand to some diabled who are miserable in this world, especially children who need someone to back them and show them that relying on the self makes one stronger to live this life better than anyone else. I ve never considered myself unable and that's the key to my success.thanks again.

laila

I don't want to live in Britain,I actually have a job in my country . I just want to spend a month there to learn new techniques and to practice a language I m teaching without ever having had the possibility to practice it in the homeland.

iza

Hi @bendigedig,
I would like to remind you to keep your conversation at appropriate level and try to not judge me personally.
I just copied below the words you use against myself and I fund them rude. You said
" I do not consider myself amongst the "wise" Iza. Perhaps many people would say I would be WISE to keep my gob shut!" and " Like Iza, I wish you luck! Be careful though, Britain is not a land of milk and honey by any means!"
Read more at https://community.scope.org.uk/discussion/32866/temporary-voluntary-work#XRuFEG5MjA2J82tm.99

For your information I graduated from 2 Universities ( Abroad and UK ) and completed in both countries Master of Science degree : MSc in Microbiology (UK) with Merit and MSc in Agriculture with Outstanding (Abroad) .
Apart the fact I am very intelligent woman who see myself wise.

I expect official apologies from you on the site here for being rude towards my person.

Do never ever again try to be rude towards any person in this community.

With respect

Iza

laila

I m afraid you re quoting something I haven t said and I haven t even used the word :wise.
A misunderstanding for sure. I do respect all humanbeings what ever is their level.

iza

Hi @laila,
if you would check my message was clearly mentioning a person @bendigedig as he mention me and be rude to me once replaying to you.

IZA

Alex

Hi everyone,

Looks like there's a bit of confusion in this thread - just a gentle reminder that words read online don’t always convey tone or context and so may be misinterpreted. We all want the community to be a safe and supportive place, - so please make sure your messages respect other users’ views and suggestions.

laila

Hi Iza, ok you weren't addressing me then. Thanks again for your help.

bendigedig

@Alex @iza

Im a little confused Iza as to why you think that I have been rude?

Im very sorry that you feel that way. Im not entirely certain exactly what it is you want me to apologise for?

If I make a self deprecating comment about myself not counting myself amongst the wise. I fail to see how this relates to you?

Perhaps maybe we use the word wise in a different way?

Telling a prospective visitor to Britain what I think about Britain doesnt in any way constitute an act of rudeness towards you Iza.

Perhaps I would be wise to keep my gob shut?

Alex

Hi @bendigedig,
I think this was just a misunderstanding. I can see that you weren't trying to be rude.
Words/tone etc. can be misinterpreted, it's just an unfortunate limitation to the internet! I hope we all move on from this.

bendigedig

@iza @Alex
I do not wish to be rude or come across as rude. Especially to lovely people like Iza.
This was the furthest thing from my mind.
Im genuinely sorry if my poor communication led to any upset.

laila

I agree that that we should avoid being susceptible about what we share. We all have weaknesses even if we try to overcome them. This community needs their members to back them up.

laila

Hi bendigedig. Can you tell me a little bit about your disability.if you don t mind it