Disabled High Challenges

Well, the staff training paid off and our new converted paraglider harness worked well. We recently had a student stay with us who had cerebral palsy. The transfer from wheelchair to the adapted harness was much more straightforward than using a conventional full bodied harness and it also provided comfortable and protective support whilst still providing freedom for involuntary muscular movements.

 'J', our student, loved it and had 3 goes down the zip wire.

 'J' also got some altitude on the High Ropes Course and was ably assisted by his team mates who hauled him the whole way up - good teamwork. He then enjoyed a swing from lower down followed by some spinning. So action packed sensory experience was had.

During his 3-day stay 'J' went round the Sculpture Trail in his wheelchair, was involved with his team's problem solving challenges, shelter building and orienteering and gained a lot from the residential experience.

Staff Training for Work With Disabled Students

Well we picked a rather chilly day to do some staff training with our Instructors! The aim of the day was to try out different systems for enabling disabled students to go down the Zipwire and to also get high and have a swing on the Ropes Course.



After consultation with experts in the field and a bit of experimentation, we have adapted a paraglider harness to offer additional head support. Yes, if you look closely the head restraint is actually an adapted car booster seat! The result is we can offer a more comfortable experience for the profoundly disabled where a normal full body harness does not offer the necessary support and comfort.

 We then used a 10:1(?) hoisting system to be able to lift a person up high. Using this method one person can haul a person single handed. Once they are off the ground we can then also turn it into a giant swing!

We also experimented with the idea of using the whole group to pull a person up.

Heading back inside to warm up with a cup of tea we then had useful discussions about various other techniques, risk assessments and ways of working with students on all the other High Challenges we offer.

Decorating

We have just had a very rare week without a residential group staying. This is extremely infrequent and we don't have another such term time week free before January next year. In fact we're nearly completely booked up until August 2013. So when we do get such a week we make the most of it to do things we can't do when we have guests.

 We've always aimed to make the Lounge a warm and friendly place that is somewhat homely and it's always be decorated with that in mind. But gone is the orange theme seen in the photo on the left and instead staff have been busy decorating to give it a more 'contemporary look'.

We now have a 'Toasted Beige' bottom with a 'Seashell' upper to the walls. The curtains are in the prossess of being replaced by blinds and decorative pelmets. And some colour themed artwork now complements it  for the homely feel.

The DFSC staff are displaying their supressed interior-designer personas and it's a bit like 'Changing Rooms' here.

The finished look below:

We have also had some plastering work done in the dining room and the kitchen staff have redecorated the whole of this room as well. I'm sure they have carried out a dynamic risk assessment to determine that tables are safer than step ladders! And don't worry they'll be well washed down - they want to keep their 5 stars award for food hygiene!

 

We hope our guests like the fresh new decor. In the last two years we've more-or-less decorated the entire house from top to bottom.

Planning for Disabled Canoeing

We have taken wheelchair users canoeing several times in the past and have always managed with manual handling to lift them either directly into the canoe or into their wheelchair secured inside the canoe. We have carefully risk assessed techniques and procedures for managing such sessions but have recently reviewed these to take account of using our new mobile hoist. This now allows us to safely lift heavier and less mobile disabled students into and out of a canoe. We have been practicing the techniques required ready for running a canoeing session with a disabled student in March.

Generally taster sessions with disabled students are done with them comfortably and stably sat in a rafted canoe surrounded by beanbags and cushions to provide the necessary support. This still allows them to use a paddle if they can and means they are not dangerously secured into the boat in the extremely unlikely event of a capsize. It is more-or-less impossible to capsize a rafted canoe on sheltered inland water. If you want to find out more about canoeing with disabled students e-mail the Centre Manager and ask for a copy of our information sheet on 'Canoeing With Disabled Students'

First Aid in the Outdoors

We have again this January hosted our annual First Aid in the Outdoors Course. This is an intensive 18+ hour training course in First Aid that takes casualty care beyond the first 30 mins and looks at how first aiders might care for a casualty in a remote outdoor environment when medical care is potentially several hours away. This year 20 candidates, mostly teachers, practiced the basics of diagnosis, bandaging,

resuscitation etc. inside and then we went outside to try it in a 'real' context.

To make things even more realistic we had a make-up expert create life-like wounds and then scenarios were set up outside with 3 casualties at a time. The first aiders needed to make triage decisions and then treat each casualty for their injuries. 

The three trainers include a retired SW Amulance Superintendent with 40 years experience and another with experience as the team leader of a Mountain Rescue Team. Anecdotal discussion and lectures in topics such as hypothermia, diabetes, asthma and heart conditions etc. all increase the candidates knowledge of how to care for different ailments. At the end of the course all candidates were independently assessed by external examiners and due to their excellent training all passed! The course is approved by the BCU and recognised by UKMLTB and is valid for 3 years. If you are interested in doing next January's course give us a call. 



Contacting The Dark Side of the Moon!

Our guests soon discover on their first visit here that they won't be disturbed by their mobile phone going off. In terms of mobile phone reception we are on the 'dark side of the moon' and their is no network coverage in the building and it is necessary to go at least half a mile to get a signal. This is often viewed positively by visiting teachers as it means students won't be texting and social networking online in the middle of the night etc. The 'digital divide' helps preserve some of the values and behaviours of the past and students spend time talking to one another face to face and even interacting through traditional board games etc. We do have a payphone available, that also takes incoming calls, if it becomes appropriate to phone home, but this is often discouraged by visiting staff.

Until now we have also not had internet availability for visiting staff outside office hours. This however has now changed. I am pleased to announce that we have now installed a dedicated computer in the lounge by the 'visiting staff corner' which has internet capability. You will be able to update the school website with photos etc. in the evenings and check e-mail as required. We hope to in the future to connect it to an interactive whiteboard allowing it to also be used as a teaching resource. Of course if you want to continue to escape computers and social networking etc. for a week then you can always leave it switched off! Continue telling people you are in the Forest of Dean - on 'the dark side of the moon!' Other than this blog post we won't tell them you're now contactable!

Another LOTC Champion!

Well, following straight on from our last blog post we have today celebrated another teacher's thirtieth year of visiting the Centre! She has similarly been bringing groups up to two or three times a year for three decades and in fact now has students coming to the Centre who are children of parents who came as students with her! Another champion of Learning Outside the Classroom (LOTC) and someone who sees and believes in the benefits of the residential experience and how much it can influence the lives of students.