Urgent call for short break carers
Local woman Judi Gibbons, who provides short break care for children with disabilities, is lending her support to Kirklees Council’s drive to encourage others to take up the essential role.
Kirklees Council logo
Originally from Mexborough in South Yorkshire, 54-year-old Judi, has been looking after children with complex medical needs for 12 years, giving birth parents a much-needed break from caring. This can range from a couple of nights a week, a weekend or a week or two during the school holidays.
Commenting on her role as a short break carer for Kirklees Council Judi said: “I used to be a nursery nurse for children with special needs so I already had a lot of experience in this field.
Childhood trauma of the real Horse Whisperer
“It didn’t take much to provoke my dad into a rage – even just a look across the room “
Buck Brannaman, the model for the animal healer made famous in Robert Redford’s film The Horse Whisperer, is the subject of a new prize-winning documentary being tipped for Oscar success. Here he talks about how his difficult childhood brought him closer to the animal world.
“It didn’t take much to provoke my dad into a rage – even just a look across the room at him, he might take that as being provoking.
Just a glance at him, he might come across the room and he beats you up like you’re a full-grown man in a bar fight.
I got to where I could hardly look anybody in the eye. I just tried to be invisible. I was like a ghost in the room. And I was that way for a long time.
Hastings college is first in UK to get autism award
The College ticked all the boxes!
Published on Thursday 14 July 2011 08:00
Sussex Coast College Hastings (SCCH) last week became the only general further education college in the country to be awarded autism accreditation status from the National Autistic Society (NAS).
A review team from the NAS carried out a visit of the town centre campus and decided that the college’s department for pupils with learning difficulties ticked all the boxes.
Their report found that the college’s provision for students with autism was strong, particularly in helping the pupil’s adapt to new surroundings, and also praised the quality of SCCH’s support network.
