Anti-Racism local authority launch

I was in West London last week working as a live scribe for a bi-Borough local authority event. The keynote speaker Meera Spillett was very inspiring. The whole day was a spur to action and ultimately focussing on how to keep this going, as it’s an evolving process.

Scribing in Devon

Here is some recent live scribing work for Devon County Council for a training day for Children's services on the theme of child neglect. 

There have been some extreme cases of neglect in Devon and the service is keen to prevent this happening in future. 

To bring things very much to life the training involves a group of actors from a company called AFTA Thought, more on them here: https://www.aftathought.co.uk/

And above is the second job for Devon County Council I completed this week. A dedicated group of social workers, trying very hard to keep children not only safe but flourishing.

Illustrations for a new book on brain health!

I've been asked to draw gazillions of images for a new book by a GP Dr Clara Russell (who also has Multiple Sclerosis), all about how we can all look after our brains as we get older. Here are a few of them, I'm not sure when the book is going to be published but will update as soon as it is. 

And more about Clara here:

https://brainsciences.scot/the-sbs-blog-welcome-our-new-senior-clinical-investigator/

Live Digital Scribing for the Royal College of Occupational Therapists

Last week I was at a 2 day conference for children and young people OT's (Occupational Therapists) and it was quite an emotional couple of days! 

So many great people, doing all they can to help people get back to what they love doing, whether that's walking to school (after a brain aneurism), or dancing freestyle in a wheelchair. 

Here are a few of the images I drew for the conference, and more about the RCOT here: https://www.rcot.co.uk/

Illustration of a live event - in advance!

This is the 10th year I've done illustrations for the annual 'My Voice Matters' event for Merton Centre for Independent Living. https://www.mertoncil.org.uk/

This time they've given me the main points in advance and they are going to print this as an A3 poster to give to attendees. I think it's probably the first time I've been asked to draw out a live event in advance, but it does take the pressure off!

If you've never heard of the 'Social Model of Disability' it's basically the built environment and lack of adjustments that makes it difficult for people who live with a disability to live as they'd like to. 

The 12 pillars at the bottom of the graphic outlines what needs to be in place to support people in their day to day living.

Cafcass Practice Week

 I've been asked to cover Cafcass Practice Week for the last few years and it gets better each time!

This image was commissioned in advance of the live work and represents the difficult balance that Cafcass' staff are involved in, between the voices of families and children and the law, and trying in the midst of it all to get it 'right' for the welfare of the vulnerable.

This was one of the compulsory sessions, it's so important that children know and understand what's going on, and in a child-friendly way:

These were two think-in workshops, they were interactive and about gathering ideas and suggestions from staff:

Part of the opening event:

This session was all about supporting the workforce:

A great session with Justice Gwynneth Knowles. All about a focus on policy and the need to protect people in cases of domestic abuse, as this has been on the rise nationally:

Strengths Based Social Care - Illustrations

This was a commission by a local authority in London, it came out of a live event where I drew out people's ideas at the event, and then these were worked up and used in this short booklet to help social workers focus on this way of working, that empowers individuals to have agency and a say in their own futures.