desperate for advice for job interview!

dk67

Hi all,

I hope this isnt too cheeky - but I have an interview on Thursday and would appreciate advice from anybody who may have expperience of being the family carer of a person with a learning disability...

I feel I am prepared, but wondered if anybody here has any personal experience I may quote..

• what do you feel are the main barriers when accessing services?

• if you are from an ethnic minority, have you faced discrimination or an equality of service?

Thanks all for reading this - I am sure you are all too busy and tired too at this time of night!

Would appreciate any feedback at all.

Thanks again :T

bunty109

dk67 wrote: »

Hi all,

I hope this isnt too cheeky - but I have an interview on Thursday and would appreciate advice from anybody who may have expperience of being the family carer of a person with a learning disability...

I feel I am prepared, but wondered if anybody here has any personal experience I may quote..

• what do you feel are the main barriers when accessing services?

• if you are from an ethnic minority, have you faced discrimination or an equality of service?

Thanks all for reading this - I am sure you are all too busy and tired too at this time of night!

Would appreciate any feedback at all.

Thanks again :T

As far as the first part goes, if it was where I work this would refer to physically accessing the service provided (in terms of getting into the building or around the building); and then it may also refer to being able to use the service. For example, if you work in a shop and have customers or staff who cannot speak English.

It's quite difficult to know what sort of answers are being looked for without knowing what the job is, but they are obviously equalities questions so you need to think about making whatever service it is you would be providing accessible to all.

dk67

Hi bunty,

Thanks, thats a good point.

The role is for an Equality Officer in a learning disability and ethnic minority project. My dream job - although

I am sure there will be loads of better qualified people applying!

bunty109

Well good luck!

So by the looks of things you need to think about how the learning disability would prevent someone from accessing services: do the people know where they need to go or who they need to speak to in order to get the service?

With regards to the ethnic minority side of things aspects to consider may be English not being a first language; cultural differences etc.

Funnily enough, I've just been given a whole policy document on this at work today that I need to read through (I work in the public sector). I'll try and skim through it tomorrow and if I get the chance to post anything I'll let you know if anything enlightening is in there!

dk67

Thats spooky!

Thanks so much - i would really appreciate that.

Goodnight

elsien

Main barriers when accessing services - communication - the person not understanding or being understood, or being ignored because of their disability. People talking to you (the carer) instead of to them, as the person needing help. (the "does he take sugar" syndrome). Lack of confidence in asking for things, or inability to do so on your own behalf, so the need for independent advocates.
Lack of knowledge of their rights - if you don't know you have rights, how can you uphold/ ask for information on them. accessible information, in terms of simplified language, format (visual, symbols or audio), sign language.

Discrimination/stereotyping - people making assumptions about the service you need, because of the nature of the disability, instead of taking time to find out whether these are what you really want. This might also do for the other bit - do people make assumptions about you and your needs based on their stereotypes of your race/culture?

People treating you as a child, because of your disability - looking to your family/professionals for info, instead of to you.(If you get time, do some quick reading on the new mental capacity act. It's just come into force, and doesn't just apply to learning disability; but it's going to be a biggie when it comes to decision making with/for people with learning disabilities, and even if you don't know all its provisions, you should get brownie points for knowing it exists)

Brain just died - hope this will do for starters, and good luck. Put yourself in the place of the person with the disability, and see how it feels from that perspective, and that should get you on the right track.

dk67

Elsien, thanks so much. I really appreciate this -- especially how you managed to think straight so late at night!!

Very valid points there. The stereotyping and discrimination is certainly a major point - I will make this a priority.

As for the Mental Capacity Act, you are right - major brownie points to be had here. This Act, as you said should be vital for the people I hope to be working with, so will get swotting. I had heard of the Act, at the Learning Disability Today conference in London last week - but due to claustrophobia, couldnt sit in the packed conference room listening to the talk!!! I managed to get through the door then had to leave! Would have really helped by the sounds of it...

Elsien, am I right in thinking you are a CAB adviser? Think I have read your posts before. I am currently training to be an adviser. So really appreciate your advice...many thanks again:A

floss2

Have you checked out the policies of the organisation the interview is for? You can usually get these off their website.

Info to drop into your interview / questions to ask:

• What performance indicators are they being targeted on (Government targets?) and what are their current performance indicators showing?
• Do they have a high ethnic population & what is the breakdown of cultures?
• Are these residents transient or settled?
• How has this number changed over the last 3 years?
• Do they live in communities or scattered?

Good luck!

dk67

thanks,

the policies of the charity are on the website so will bring these into my presentation.

i like the idea of researching those points you mention and also asking the interviewer questions.

really appreciate all this help - it is now a chance of last minute nerves!!!:eek:

floss2

It generally goes down well if you have one or two perceptive questions, so it looks like you're really interested & have done some homework.

I'm sure you'll do well!

elsien

dk67 wrote: »

Elsien, am I right in thinking you are a CAB adviser?

Nope, I manage a home for people with learning disabilities, and I was frantically trying to think of answers I would expect from people I was interviewing - I do shifts and was trying to distract myself from boring paperwork:D
If it helps with the last minute nerves, once you've got your basic points over, I tend to think that your values and attitudes in some ways are more important than having all the knowledge to hand. The other stuff is learned, the values are either there or they aren't. Good luck, got everything crossed for you.