Visit to Inclusion North Workshop

Folk Hall, York Monday 9th November,

9:30am – 1:30pm

11/11/15

1

Introduction:

1. People Present

2. Introductions

3. Basis of what workshop was all about

4. Group work (what is good leadership and what does it mean?)

5. Group discussions with Autism Advocates on priority issues

6. Quick lunch break (12:00 – 12:30pm)

7. Second half of workshop (12:30pm onwards)

8. Individual Interviews for volunteer board of directors roll.

9. Workshop comes to a close at 1-30 afternoon.

10. Late run home from Hull train station back home to Grimsby

11/11/15

2

People Present:

Sarah Scrimshaw (Officially trained Autism Advocate, Positively Autistic Radio Shows Co-

ordinator and Host, Grimsby North East Lincolnshire)

Gary Stark (Officially trained Autism Advocate)

Samantha (Inclusion North Chief Executive Board of Directors)

Marie Shrewsbury (Personal Admin Assistant – Inclusion North)

Lucy (Personal Admin Inclusion North)

Tanya woodhouse (Connecting the North/Service User)

Judi Williams (Sunderland’s People’s First)

Dana Lofthouse (Crown Prosecution Service Volunteer/Service User)

Paul (Chair of Inclusion North/Service User)

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3

Activities:

Both groups of male and females were divided up into two groups for the group work we

were assigned. In order to carry out this, we were given large sheets of paper with the main

heading being ‘What is good leadership and what does it mean?’

1. Working together as a team

2. Communication

3. Leadership

4. Engagement

5. Have to have a voice

6. Be a good role model

7. Be professional

8. Be responsible

9. Involvement

10. Equality with other professionals [NHS]

11. Respect other people opinions

12. Share the same powers as all directors

13. Making hard decisions

14. No Discriminating

15. Listening skills

16. Calm approach

17. Be able to attend meetings

18. Meeting deadlines

19. Persevere

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4

Minutes of Meeting/Activities:

Following the activity on paper, Samantha then got the four girls around a table together and

explained about the idea of this part of the workshop, which was to have a discussion on

priority issues that we felt was priority to needing to make a difference for all those on the

Autistic Spectrum, on and needing to make change happen in reality. It needed to be

something in which meant something to us, if it is to make change for those on the Autistic

Spectrum and to meet the government’s requirements around meeting the needs of all those

on the Autistic Spectrum implementation law. Once we were happy on the issues discussion

we had, we then had to bring the Board of Directors back into the room to explain the

discussion we had and what issues were raised and how we felt they were needed to be

addressed.

Lunch break (12-12:30pm)

We all got to sit down to dinner together and got to know each other as officially trained

Autism Advocates and good friends and discussed what we had learnt so far during the

morning session.

Second half of workshop (12:30pm onwards)

Each of the girls were individually interviewed on a volunteer basis for the Board of Directors

roll.

Workshop comes to a close (1:30pm)

The workshop then came to a close at 1:30pm, and all the people in attendance were escorted

back by York Taxi to York Train Station for their connection trains home.

Unfortunately, myself and my service user I am professionally supporting as an Autism

Advocate arrived home late at 8:45pm in the evening from Hull Train Station, and I spent all

of Tuesday afternoon catching up on sleep from such a long exhausting trip from York.