Information on Loughborough

New keep safe card helps people with learning disabilities

Posted on 08/09/2007
Loughborough Newsdesk

keep safe in charnwoodCommunicating with people with learning difficulties can pose a serious problem. With this in mind young people who suffer from learning disabilities in Loughborough and the rest of Charnwood have been busy and devised what is now known as a keep safe card. This will help them communicate any information that may be information and to keep them safe if they are faced with difficult situations.

This ground-breaking idea came from a collection of young people after they met with PC Mark Burns who is the North Area Youth Initiatives Officer for Leicestershire Constabulary. Mark talked to them about how they could keep safe when they were out and after his presentation to the group they  proposed the novel idea of a keep safe card that would have on it any information that might be of use, yet be small enough that it could be kept in the pocket, purse or wallet.

The Charnwood Action Group (CAG), which is a local planning and pressure group for people who have  learning disabilities,  worked alongside with Mark so that this great idea could be got off the ground. The results of the efforts was the launch of the scheme at Loughborough Police stations off Southfields Road on Friday 7th September 2007.

In Charnwood there are over 600 people who have learning difficulties, and every one of them will have access to the card. Information that is contained on the card can tell people how to communicate with the person, if there is a person who should be contacted in an emergency or if there is any medication that the person needs to take. Information such as this can help reduce the time establishing how to help the person and could potentially save a lot of distress, if not lives.

The small credit sized card can be used in a variety of circumstances, if there has been an accident, if the person has been hurt, or if they have been a victim of crime. Other scenarios would include being lost, upset or simply scared.

PC Mark Burns said; "This scheme will help people with a learning disability approach everyday situations with more confidence, things that most people take for granted. It will help people who want to take a full and active role in the community develop their confidence in situations where they might otherwise struggle to communicate."

Jane Bromley, the Community Development Worker responsible for this project, said, "This has been a very enjoyable project which has shown the value of partnership working. I think it is a great idea and I hope organisations and services across Charnwood and the rest of Leicestershire will see its worth and adopt it too."

Daniel Barrs (20), who goes to Loughborough College, was one of the young people who came up with the idea. He said; "People with learning disabilities do the same things you do, we go to schools and colleges. Some of us go to work or go to day services. We use the leisure centre and go to the pub, just like you.  We also go to into town to go shopping.  Our keep safe card will help us to be more confident when we do these things"

The cards have been paid for by the Leicestershire Learning Disabilities Partnership Board.

It is thought that nationally in the UK there are about 1.5 million people who have a learning disability. That equates to about 3% of the population. Every week in the UK there are about 200 babies born who have a learning disability.

People should be aware that it is not always possible to tell if someone has a learning disability from their appearance. However some may have some physical features that can make it clear that they do indeed have a learning disability. An example of which would be Downs Syndrome. The way a person speaks may indicate they have a learning disability, for instance they may speak slowly. Other people who have learning difficulties may not be able to speak whatsoever. This shows how effective the card that contains important information may be.