SIA Training Courses

SIA has expanded its range of training courses for SCI people, family members and Health Care professionals.  All courses are delivered by spinal cord injured trainers, are FREE to attend (as of 1st April 2012 there will be a charge of £25 + VAT for all corporate delegates) and are held within the various SCI Centres in England & Wales and at SIA House in Milton Keynes.  Below are brief details of each of the courses, but for full details of course content please click here to download the SIA Academy Training Programme for 2011/12. You can view the full schedule of course dates for this year by clicking here.

Continuing Professional Development

We are delighted to report that our Master Classes on Making a Claim Under the Equality Act 2010, Becoming a Parent After Spinal Cord Injury and Funding and Managing Your Care Needs have been awarded Continuing Professional Development designation, which allows professionals attending the courses to claim CPD points to add to their professional development.

Our other Master Classes are also about to undergo assessment and our hope is that all will be awarded CPD Certification, as this demonstrates that their content and delivery has been externally examined and approved.

We suggest that five points be awarded for each SIA Master Class training day undertaken.  Upon completion of the training day a CPD certificate will be sent out to verify attendance.

'Your Voice' Self-Advocacy (2 days)

A self-advocacy course for any spinal cord injured person who has ever been frustrated by bureaucracy, has come up against a brick wall when dealing with local service providers, or who has been left feeling frustrated and angry by unhelpful or uncooperative people.  As well as learning new skills, participants will also be able to discuss their own issues and benefit from the exchange of ideas and experiences with peers who may be able to help resolve them. 

The Your Voice self-advocacy course programme is funded by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. 

NEW for 2012! Employment (1 day)

Returning to work or education after spinal cord injury is a major issue for newly injured people. For many, continuing in the same job may not be an option and exploring new opportunities can be daunting. This new Master Class will further develop SIA's support for people considering returning to work, education, or volunteering, and help them to consider “What’s next?”  The course uses SCI people as case studies to look at all available options: including full and part time employment, self employment, retraining and education, Permitted Supported Work whilst still in receipt of benefits and volunteering. The day will also include information on what support is available and how people can access that support.  Participants can learn from other SCI people’s experiences, through some short films produced by SIA, that show what  can be achieved and will also be equipped to consider obstacles and challenges and how to overcome them

SIA is pleased to announce the support of Fittleworth, specialists in home delivery of continence and wound care products, on the 'Employment' Master Class.

Funding & Managing Your Care Needs (2 days)

Day one of the 'Funding & Managing Your Care Needs' Master Class explores the context of social care funding, looking at issues around personalisation of care, direct payments and the ILF. The course also aims to equip participants with the information to prepare well for a care assessment (structuring your care and daily care plans). The day finishes with an overview of the various options for care for SCI people non-specialist agencies, specialist agencies and becoming an employer, and looks at the advantages and disadvantages of all of these options.  Day two focuses on Continuing Health Care funding and looks at the legal framework behind this funding, the various care domains and how these impact on SCI people, the Decision Support Tool used for assessing CHC funding, the process of being assessed and case studies of SIA members.

SIA is delighted to be working in partnership with ORIGIN, a specialist care agency for spinal cord injured people, on the 'Funding & Managing Your Care Needs' Master Class programme.

Housing (1 day)

The 'Housing' Master Class is delivered in partnership with Aspire, and aims to explain the process by which social housing is allocated and how Disabled Facilities Grants are awarded. The course will help participants understand their own access needs and what they can expect community professionals to understand about their situation.  Social housing is explored in terms of statutory obligations, interim options for housing, and the problems created by moving to an inaccessible property.  The course also looks at Disabled Facilities Grants and explores the situation around VAT exemption.  By thinking about their specific needs, and understanding the processes involved in accessing housing and funding adaptations, participants will be empowered with knowledge that will hopefully lead to them going home sooner and minimising the amount of time spent in interim accommodation.

SIA gratefully acknowledges the support of NewLaw Solicitors LLP, a personal injury specialist law firm, on the 'Housing' Master Class. Attend a 'Housing' Master Class and you can be entered into a prize draw to win an Amazon Kindle portable e-book reader, which has kindly been provided by NewLaw. The draw will take place after every 3 Master Classes.

Making a Claim Under the Equality Act 2010 (1 day)

The ‘Making a Claim under the Equality Act 2010’ Master Class shares with participants the social and medical models of disability and how the development of these has influenced the Equality Act legislation. It looks at why the Equality Act was introduced, how it differs from the Disability Discrimination Act, what’s new and what has changed and the impact the Equality Act has on the day to day lives of people living with a disability. The Master Class also looks at the practical process of using the provisions of the Equality Act in making a complaint about access to goods and services, looking at the role of the Equality and Human Rights Commission and how it assists to take a complaint to mediation and ultimately to the County Court.

SIA is delighted to be working in partnership with Fentons Solicitors LLP, a specialist serious injury law firm, on the 'Equality Act' Master Class programme..

Becoming a Parent After Spinal Cord Injury (1 day) 

The 'Parenting' Master Class is designed to provide information and insight to anyone with a spinal cord injury who is contemplating parenthood. The course covers topics such as fertility, pre-pregnancy planning, pregnancy, childbirth and coping with a new baby, as well as looking at the support available through individuals and organisations. It also looks at funding, benefits and legislation in relation to this area, thus enabling participants to identify resources and overcome potential barriers.

Course Cancellation

In the event that there are an insufficient number of participants registered for any course, SIA reserves the right to cancel the course one week prior to its due date.  Anyone registered for the course being cancelled will be notified and offered an alternative course date should this be available.