August Snap News Sponsors:
A very big THANK YOU to the lovely Tracey Clarke and Jamie Macleod at Virtual Administration for their generous winning bid!
Want to see your company, product or organisation here next month? Our newsletter goes out to over 20,000 people - all with an interest in disability issues!
(*Companies or products must be appropriate / disability-related)
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Glossaries from Brain Injury Group
'Every profession has its jargon, and unless you’re on the inside, the terminology you’re faced with when dealing with the impact of a complex injury can be overwhelming.
In these pages we’ve pulled together – and simply defined – some of the most commonly used references in brain injury matters from both a clinical and legal perspective.
These glossaries are intended primarily for people who are being introduced to terms and acronyms that they’ve probably not had to think about before'.
>> Link to Glossaries
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Chris Bunting from Hyphen Law:
Wing Walking for Cerebra! - Update!

She did it!
Huge congratulations to Chris Bunting from Hyphen Law who bravely completed her Wing Walking in aid of the great charity Cerebra. Chris has raised an impressive amount, but there's still time to donate! Please click here.
You also still have time to bid for banner advertising in this newsletter for next month (Won by Virtual Administrator this month!) Our newsletter gets sent to some 20,000 people all with an interest in disability issues. Send your bid by 25th September to promote your organisation, product or business while supporting a great cause!
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Virtual-Administration

We specialise in providing Virtual PA support to Independent Therapists and Brain Injury Case Managers. We’re great at formatting and proof reading reports, creating invoices, keeping your case note record management system up to date and so much more.
Virtual Administration gives you the benefits of having your own PA/Secretary – without the overheads. Just a cost-effective hourly rate where you only pay for what you need.
GDPR Data Protection compliancy – are you ready yet?
We are hosting free monthly webinars to discuss the basic requirements for making sure your practice/organisation is compliant with the mandatory processes, systems and policies you are required to have in place.
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Milestones Matter
Individualised Interventions
My name is Giulia and I founded Milestones Matter to help families with children presenting with developmental delay in the early years. I create individualised interventions to support not just the child, but the whole family at a time when effective help is needed to cope with and overcome a difficult situation. I work with each family, developing bespoke Early Interventions to cover all aspects in need of attention, providing an inclusive, successful intervention that can be shaped around the routines of each family, in their natural setting.
I support families by making their transition in the world of developmental delay, diagnosis and special needs as easy as possible to cope with, explaining professional jargon and simplifying the whole procedure as much as possible.
I am trained and have worked extensively with various Early Interventions with families for more than 15 years. I have a BSc in Social Sciences and Psychology, a Postgraduate in Psychotherapy and Counselling, a Postgraduate in Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Wellbeing, a MSc in Psychology and a MSc in Psychology of Education. I am currently studying Psychology and Psychotherapy at a Doctoral level. I fully understand mental health needs, developmental stages, the impact of delays, disabilities and conditions and I have a clear insight to the types of support families need when a child is struggling to reach their milestones.
If your child is between 6 months and 6 years presenting with any type of developmental delay either in communication, behaviour, reasoning, physical development or struggling with any other area of learning, I can develop an intervention and plan of support, to fit with your specific needs. I can also provide supervision and training for your nanny or support worker for them to feel supported to help your child to reach their full potential.
For more information, email Giulia: GP@MilestonesMatter.co.uk
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A Guide To Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy can help clients of all ages achieve their maximum level of functional independence. Whether it be sourcing the most suitable wheelchair for a child or adapting a property to maximise independence for an adult, an OT will work with the client and their carers / family to ensure that they achieve their goals.
Unlike our physio or speech and language therapy colleagues, occupational therapy often struggles with a clear identity leading people to miss the opportunities that working with an OT can create.
In this article we explore more about the profession and describe some common areas of practice, when and how to instruct an OT and what to look for to ensure you are going to receive expert care and advice.
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Get Inspired: How to get into Disability Sport

Why get into sport?
Being active is a great way to improve your health, clear your mind and put you into a better mood.
Who is it for?
Everyone! There are sports clubs around the UK that cater for people with all kinds of impairments or health conditions.
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How One Man Built a $51m Theme Park For His Daughter
A father from Texas realised there were no theme parks where his disabled daughter could play. So he decided to build one...

Gordon Hartman had just got out of the swimming pool on a family holiday, when his 12-year-old daughter Morgan went up to some children playing in the water. She tried to make friends with them but they quickly left the pool. Hartman thinks they shied away from her because they didn't know how to react to someone with a disability - Morgan has a cognitive disability as well as a form of autism. The incident played on his mind.
"Morgan is just a wonderful young lady. When you meet her you will always get a smile and she will always want to offer a hug. But there were so many times we couldn't take her places," he says. Hartman and his wife Maggie asked other parents where they could take their daughter - somewhere she would feel comfortable, and others would feel comfortable interacting with her - and realised such an inclusive place didn't exist.
So in 2007 he decided to build it himself. A former property developer, he sold his home-building businesses in 2005 to set up The Gordon Hartman Family Foundation, a non-profit organisation that seeks to help people with disabilities. Then he set about creating the "world's first ultra-accessible theme park".
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Sensory Spectacle Column:
Overcoming everyday challenges for children with SPD

Whether it’s waking up in the morning, getting dressed, travelling on the bus or walking down the street – these activities are something which most of us just do. But imagine if you were hearing all the sounds in the room you are sitting in right now at the same volume, all the tiny little sounds that you might not normally even notice like the light buzzing, your computer whirring, radiators creaking, people speaking in the next room , how would that impact your concentration while reading this article?
Our senses are the basis to everything we learn and do, so if we have a difficulty processing sensory information it will therefore impact us every day.
I’m going to give a few examples now of how it may impact someone being able to travel in a car and while walking down the street. If you identify with any of these characteristics and would like to learn more about these or our senses then you can book our workshops via our website shop.
When travelling in a car the main difficulty is likely to be related to the motion. Our Vestibular sense receives messages about our movement in relation to gravity. When we are moving forward and backwards in a car this can create a lot of stimulation. If you were feeling dizzy and had to travel in a car you probably wouldn’t find it that enjoyable and are likely to feel sick or even be sick. This is a typical feeling for people who have a hyper sensitive to vestibular input.
>> Read the rest of the article here...
Becky Lyddon
www.sensoryspectacle.co.uk
hello@sensoryspectacle.co.uk |
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Netflix: Atypical 
When a teen on the autism spectrum decides to get a girlfriend, his bid for more independence puts his whole family on a path of self-discovery.
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Ben's Blog:
The Final Countdown: Superhero Tri

All the hours of training, the blood, sweat, and tears, will all be worth it for this fantastic day. Read the build up to to Superhero Tri weekend in Ben's Blog.
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Nannytax | Staff Tax Column:
HR For Home Employers
Many people employing carers or support staff in their home have little knowledge of HR and employment law. We would like to share with you a few key HR processes to make life smoother for both employer and employee.
Letter of Offer
It is a good idea to outline the key duties and terms of the job in a letter when making a job offer and ask the candidate to sign and return it to you if they accept. This way it is clear from the start what the job entails and that the employee is happy with this and believes they are competent to carry out the key duties. If there is no contract, a good Letter of Offer can act as a substitute.
Contract of Employment
It is, however, recommended that a formal contract with all the details should be drawn up and signed by both parties as soon as possible after the employee has accepted the position and within eight weeks after they start.
Probationary Period
We would always recommend having a probationary period. This allows time for both parties to ensure it is right for them before making a long term commitment.
48-Hour Week
The Working Time Regulations 1998 restrict working hours to 48 per week. However if your employee is happy to work more than 48 hours a week (perhaps temporarily) they may get out of it by signing a document indicating that they agree to opt out of the 48-hour working week. You may not coerce or pressurise them to do so.
Annual Leave Records
The holiday allowance due to your employee should be set out in the contract and will usually be at least 5.6 working weeks per year, including bank holidays. For example, if they work 5 days per week they will be due 28 days’ holiday. If they work 2 days per week they will be due 11.2 days. It is a good idea to keep a signed record of dates when holiday is taken and any other absence, such as sick leave or compassionate leave.
Click below to find out more about best practice for home employers.
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Snap out & About:
Superheros Tri
Sally from Snap had a wonderful day at the Superhero Tri sporting event in Dorney on Saturday 19th. There was an amazing mix of people taking part in the Triathlon; swimming, running and cycling, from little children pushing their walkers, to Paralympians gliding passed on their blades.
The totally inclusive and encouraging atmosphere was fabulous; everyone was a superhero for the day, mums and dads included!
An amazing event that showed how powerful and positive sport can be for everyone. 
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