I start thing about leave Southwark Start FC on football base to say big thanks you Louis my football coach and support team mate play with 8 year I want new Chapter I start another football team share my skills and work as team make new friendship in my circle. so got in content with Fulham FC foundation.spork to the manger witch was Katy Shepherd I was welcome to come to training on Monday night I did know want expect form coach or team I first shy and anxious bit frustrated on pitch play game at first but once know new coach Michael and Theo and player start training as team I am oldest on both team champions and badge team I’ve take part of Sutton Count League one mouth I play for badge team with mean low ability. league and I take part. in Fulham FC cup Tournament at Fulham football ground and Fulham FC photo shoots for magazine s I am take part friendship Tournament at The Hub Arsenal this Sunday look forward this Sunday
Alongside his role as research team member of the Feeling at Home study, Shalim keeps himself busy as a DJ for Heart’n’Soul, a writer for Community Magazine, and a Quality Checker for Choice Support. Shalim has also previously worked as an Expert by Experience, contributing to Care Quality Commission’s inspections of housing and care services. Participants at our webinar last year had lots of questions for Shalim after co-presenting with Katy Brickley on Quality Checking in Social Care, so we thought it would be good to give people a chance to find out more about Shalim’s role. Here he speaks to Katy about his experiences….
Tell us a bit about what you do as an Expert by Experience. Can you describe your average day?
I’ll get a phone call from the admin team at Choice Support to ask if I’m available. Then they’ll give me a call to confirm the booking and send the information over. They also ring to book my tickets and tell me the location is and if it’s residential care homes or supported living, how many people are living there, and how many staff.
Then we’ll go into the questions in detail and then we’ll arrange a date and time to meet up with the PA who is supporting me on my check so we can go together to the home. We’ll have a discussion about who lives there and how long the inspection is going to be. We’ll also look at the last inspection to see if there are any changes. You have to look at that in case there are changes in management, care plans etc. We’re looking out for any indication of behaviour, contact with family members, how their homes are personalised, their rooms, the dining rooms, engaging with the other people who live there, looking at mess because that’s a big issue, repairs, looking at food and dietary requirements, weekly shopping.
We also oversee care aspects so looking at their files, asking the staff about updating files – which is a big thing – also looking at the training that staff are being offered, and also the staff ratio, and if it’s the same staff or if it’s bank staff. Lots of people that I’ve come across, say that their staff has changed. They’ve left or gone on long-term leave. The main issue with people who don’t like staff is how to make a complaint. A lot of people who are non-verbal, that’s people can’t express themselves, find it hard to make a complaint. That’s the challenging part. One of the questions we ask is about complaints. If you don’t like someone, if they’re verbally abusing you or mistreating you or controlling you, then you have the right to say something.
It’s a taboo question but I feel that a lot of people with learning disabilities or people who are non-verbal are still having to test the barriers. You have to make sure you’re not putting words in their mouths. And also, if you observe the manager, the way I look at it, they’ve got to have good communication skills, good listening skills, passionate about the job, motivated and keen to help the people to ensure they’re getting the right support.
How did you get into this work?
I moved to a Choice supported living home in 2016 and was living there for a couple of years. I now live in an independent living place. I didn’t know them as an organisation, but my housing manager introduced me to someone from Choice who told me about an Expert by Experience job. At the beginning I wasn’t planning to have this career, but I stuck with it, as I wanted to give something back and I’ve been doing it for 8 years now. I applied for it, did an interview, and got the job as I have a lot of experience working with people with disabilities and with mental health challenges. I was a CQC Expert by Experience, working alongside the inspectors. I learnt a lot from the inspectors, and I got support to do this. It was really interesting, I learnt how it was done. We had a set of questions that we went through. It was nice to get to know people. Now we don’t work alongside inspectors. I have a PA for every visit – they support us with travel, writing up the report. After the inspection, we go back do a brief summary, write up the report straight away while it’s fresh in our minds. This is important. It will take a couple of days to finish – it’s about 800 words on different topics. We have to reread it to check it and then we anonymise the reports so staff and residents can’t be identified.
What kind of places do you check?
Supported Living and Residential Care Homes. We have different experts checking different places… some experts check hospitals. I cover supported living because I have experience of living there. I’ve also worked checking elderly care homes. It was quite challenging emotionally which made it quite exhausting, especially as we were travelling quite far to the residence. I enjoyed going to see new places outside of London though.
How long does it take to do the quality check?
It takes a whole day! We tell the home managers what day we’ll visit, and they have to make sure staff are there to support residents. Sometimes I’ve been to places where staff are not around to support them. I find that really frustrating.
What is it like working with inspectors?
It’s really interesting. I pick up quite a lot with inspectors, they go through a brief summary before we go in. They talk me through it. And they’ll explain what they’re doing, the admin side of things. Then I look around the house – speaking to staff, clients, checking repairs are done, food etc. Inspectors wear quite formal clothes and I think it creates a barrier. It puts a lot of pressure on the staff. And also, a pressure on the residents… it’s not very relaxed. It’s so formal. They are suited and booted. It’s quite stressful for residents, I think. I don’t think it’s necessary to be so formal.
What do you find challenging about being a quality checker?
Sometimes I don’t feel very welcome when I come to the door. It can be very challenging. I want the staff and residents to engage with me. Staff sometimes think it’s their home and say I’m not allowed in certain areas. Sometimes the staff ignore me. I’m here to do the inspection, to do our jobs, trying to get the right service for these people.
What is the most rewarding thing about your job?
I’ve done some work in group homes and we’ve been really welcomed in some homes, asked to have tea and lunch. It makes me feel that the staff really do care about the people in those houses.
I went ever first dance competition when I went to ever session. I was bit shy at first learning difficulty dance move though Dance company for people learning disability. I clothes friends come support me we support each. dance move we had special Olympic Paralympic. guests star will bailey from BBC strictly come dance. There small competitors by judge to Spanish pop music with dance teacher then come own moves. So come 3 place I enter big competitors in February 2020 so I couple weeks practice a dance peace with my teacher. we decided to do hip hop R and B artists Usher. There over 20 difficulty dance theatre background I was very numerous shy over wellbeing .I come second in competitors I had reach my goal as British Bangladesh to people all background and cultural people learning disability how Express your dance move to young people adult learning disability you just reach goals to inspire yourself people you care about maybe follow in your step aswell. Just want big thank you hannah dance help all dance on competition and big thank you to Rashmi Becker who organises this big event and hosting .
I been playing for Southwark Stars over 7 year with great team and excellent coach call Louis full respectful. movement all us support each we have training on Wednesday the players training hard respectful each other .game win or lots we keep movement ecougerment. football game we play north London learning disability league are coach work hard set up Instagram page please support us Southwark stars FC hope 2020 2021 good year.
I am thinking whole lockdown there was lot navigating. going with the government do know want doing people around world felt wellbeing effecting there job and life. with family. I hope the doctor and scientist found a curious to fight hobby virus I think people need support each all about background young people adult care and we all different time.hope all a good Christmas to spend with some of family member and to university students out London.
I was help a organization called voices abilities and choice support. to find a way to commotion by use new daybook app take pictures, writes, and video we planning how me Ali jenny and Thomas cam man work together with new daybook app you download on laptop, mobile phones, and table so everyone can use it young people adults help them commotion on day to day base.
I was doing a talk with student at south bank with colleagues Thomas talk about quality checkers. going differences types stage to be quality checkers talk my experience living support housing bit myself the differences all type of project been quality checkers self advocates people learning disabilities,been part heart&soul art charity working people learning in music creativets in arts making films events radio been also a trustee for the organization aswell part England Learning disabilities.
my advice be a support worker good communication skills good listening able to work as team . good interaction with the people your support build up self confidence and reach there goals.
Shalim Ali 