Director's Blog.
UK Vision Consultation - Let us know!
Well, the UK Vision Strategy for Wales has been sent out to our partners. We really encourage you to look at a copy, and welcome your comments. The whole point of a consultation is to hear your views on what you think is good, bad and indifferent.The strategy will drive much of the progress here in Wales over the forthcoming years, so we beleive it is really important to hear YOUR views.
If you would like to receive a copy, get in contact with us using our address above, email or call the office. We can get one sent out in Braille, audio version, large print or any other type that you'd like to have.
Happy Christmas!
Well, it's the time of year to eat far too much, and reflect on the year that's past, and the one that's coming up.I'm sure that we're all going to be very busy next year, with the launch of the UK Vision Strategy here in Wales, the introduction of new service streams in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and RCT, not to mention the work going on in Gwent around black and ethnic minority engagement.
I hope you all have a great Christmas, and very, very Happy New Year!
Uk Vision Strategy: What it means for Wales
Next week, WCB and the RNIB launch a consultation on our proposed UK Vision Strategy Implementation Plan for Wales. 'Oh good', I hear you all say.. 'Another Plan. Just what we've been waiting for'.Normally, I'd be the first to say that there are way to many plans around. Sometimes the sector is accused of spending more time making plans about plans than actually doing stuff. But this time I'm going to go so far as to say that we NEED this plan. If there was a 'most-important-plan-ever-for-visually-impaired-people' award, I'd recommend the UK Vision Strategy.
Why?
Well, it used to be that if there was a big problem, for example, poor access to a desperately needed drug to avoid blindness, or trying to ensure that people get access to timely rehab, then we'd hear about it from our users. Our job was to traditionally try and squeeze improvements out of whoever was thought to be to blame. The NHS, central government, local councils.. all would be subject to campaigning from charities to try and address the problem. It's a crude way of putting it, but we'd try to squeeze them to spend more money to address problems. We wanted them to employ more staff to deliver quicker services to a higher standard. We wanted more money.
All well and good, but as I write this now, it's 16 days away from the beginning of 2010 and we're seeing the long term impact of the biggest recession on record. Everyone I talk to says that we're going to be dealing with the financial legacy of this for years to come. Savings, cut-backs and rationalization will colour public services for the foreseeable future. The traditional pressure from the third sector to get our partners to spend more cash will not achieve much.
We need a new approach.
That's why the Welsh Strategy Plan is so important. Firstly, it really is collaborative. It's not about one party shaming or coercing another party to do something. It's about genuinely sharing the need to change something.Its membership covers health, social care, third sector, users, government and professionals. Any partner who would like to join can. There is no 'us and them' about this plan.
Secondly, it's the biggest thing Wales has ever done to achieve change. It covers many strands of work that people with a visual impairment say is important. By the time the consultation finishes it will be an agreed set of priorities that we can focus on. Together. All of us.
Lastly, it will give all of us a rallying call. WCB will be working hard in the New Year to ensure that local societies know about the plan, and understand how they can be a part of it. From the largest local society to the smallest club that meets in someone's kitchen, there is a part for us all to play.
So don't sigh when the Plan goes out for consultation.
Read it.
Let us know your views.
Be part of it.
Supporting the Sector. But how?
How's the best way to help small local societies?There's a question that's rarely asked. But there are more small societies in Wales than any other type. Whilst each of them may only come into contact with small numbers, they quickly add up to represent a large number
So how can we best support their work?
How do we help societies that want to develop further?
What I often hear is that they need encouragement and support to help more people in a broader range of areas.After all, shouldn't we all be working to raise the standards of services for people with a visual impairment?
At times national agencies from across the sector, including our own, will presume that we know the answer as to how best to develop small societies. At various times I've heard that the answer is more money, paid staff, and better training. But a lot of the small societies we work with actually have trouble spending their money, could never support the supervision, employment and direction of a paid staff member, and there is enough training out there that the societies can't claim that they can't find anything.
Some smaller (and maybe even some medium sized) societies for visually impaired people present no real desire to improve. They are quite happy with the occasional Trustee meeting, and an AGM. .
The reality is that many small clubs are happy with what they do - a coffee morning once a month, a Christmas gift for their members, and that's the limit of their services.
More the better? Diversity and sight loss Charities
This year has seen considerable debate around the sector on how best to develop services for people with a sight loss. Across Wales and the UK, large national agencies have formed stronger working links, often through the process of merging so that one agency is the coordinating partner. This has led to much talk about national organisations 'dominating' the sector.But is that a bad thing?
Listening to some people it appears that having a single national agency running affairs would spell the end of the independent sector. But the one thing I've come to see is that people who passionately wish to support people with sight loss are a forceful bunch when they wish to be. If it's said that smaller societies are being 'swallowed up' by national agencies, it realy is because they choose to be. There is little doubt about the benefits of working in a coordinated way, and the effeciency that can be had by working together as opposed to apart. If smaller third sector players wish to be independent, then they can do no better than by ensuring that they meet the needs of local people by offering the best services they can,
Trustees Wanted!
Around this time of year WCB gears up for it's Annual General Meeting. This year round we've decided to hold our AGM as a smaller, more focused event. This might seem puzzling for some, who associate an AGM with a large conference. However, at a time when budgets across our sector are tight, it was felt that a more frugal affair was appropriate. WCB has had plenty of successes this year, the KPI's for social care, the support for the rehab course, and of course, the support of the many little clubs and societies that work with us being just a few. We felt a more 'conservative' approach to celebrating these would serve to remind us all of some of our friends and colleagues who have faced redundancies and service cuts in these tough times.The Eyecare Conference 2009
Well, last Friday's Eyecare Conference held in Cardiff seemed to be a roaring success. After the event, WCB staff held an interesting conversation about emotional counselling for people with a visual impairment. Should such a service be developed, or should the sight loss sector work with mainstream mental health services to address their lack of awareness?The website goes live!
Well, after much hard work by Richard, our ever-suffering website officer, the website is now live.This blog will be updated on a weekly basis, and offer an informal way of sharing the discussions and work that WCB is undertaking. The blog represents a way of discussing ideas and themes briefly. As ever looking forward to hearing your views.