Welcome to Snap News in February!
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International Wheelchair Day
1st March 2018
March 1st 2018 is International Wheelchair Day.
Amazing Wheelchairs asked actress and disability campaigner Sam Renke how her wheelchair supports her daily life:
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 This Child of Mine (who hates being called boy or kid!)
Dr Sophie Billington penned a poem about her son Tristan, who has Asperger's syndrome:
He is wired differently
To you and me,
This child of mine.
He doesn't like loud noises
Or dark spaces
Or strangers touching his head.
His brain can see in an instant the pattern
The layout,
The solution to a puzzle.
He can tell you every gun invented.
The year,
The range,
The calibre.
But he cannot tie his shoelaces at 11.
He reads the periodic table for pleasure.
Loves fusion
And nanotechnology
And Crispr
But he cannot tell the time from a clock face.
He is different this child of mine.
Has no filters,
Speaks his mind,
Has no pause button
But he hugs me and tells me he loves me every day.
He has triggers this child of mine,
Open-mouthed chewing,
Enclosed spaces,
Broken routines
But he'll rescue drowning insects every time.
He is different this child of mine,
A challenge,
A frustration,
A despair
But his humour makes me laugh every day.
He is different this child of mine,
He is loving,
He is kind,
He is generous
But the world judges,
Sees only the outbursts and over-reactions.
He is wired differently this child of mine,
And my role is to guide him,
Soothe him,
Give him tools
To negotiate this confusing world of emotion he fails to grasp.
He is different this child of mine,His name is Tristan,
Not boy,
Not kid.
I hope that his road through life will be one of kindness and understanding.
>> Click here to read more...
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Congratulations Rockshana, Lucky Winner of Snap's £50.00 monthly Draw!
We are delighted to announce that Rockshana, who was successfully placed by Snap in the month of February, has won our monthly prize draw of a £50.00 gift voucher. Rockshana is supporting a client in North London.
If you are placed by Snap and would like to have the chance of winning a £50.00 gift voucher for either M&S or Amazon, simply send an email when you have started the job with your new employer's name - then your name will go into the hat that month!
The lucky winner will be drawn on the last working day of each month.
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Nannytax Column:
Zero Hours Contract Reforms
This month the government announced their 'Good Work Plan' – the major reforms they are proposing to zero hours contracts, to further protect workers rights in the UK. The government's ‘Good Work Plan’ will enforce holiday and sick pay and make it mandatory for employers to provide employees with full details of their employment rights as soon as they start work. This change could benefit millions of people employed in the UK, including nanny and domestic employers
Key Points to changes
- A zero hours contract is when an employer does not guarantee the employee any hours of work and only offers work as it arises
- Regardless of how many hours are offered, the employer must, by law, pay the National Minimum Wage.
- The government’s new ‘Good Work Plan’ would ensure millions of workers have more employment rights from day-one with mandatory sick and holiday pay made by all employers
- To find out more information on employment statuses and employment rights, take a look at the ACAS Employment Status Guide or visit our Knowing Your Rights page
- Keep updated on changes to zero hours contracts as they happen on the Nannytax blog or by following Nannytax on Facebook and Twitter or our new Instagram Page
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My Amazing Brain: Richard's War
Horizon follows the story of Richard Gray and his remarkable recovery from a life-changing, catastrophic stroke. Recorded by his documentary film-maker wife Fiona over four years, this film provides a rare account of the hard work that goes into post-stroke rehabilitation.
Initially bed bound and unable to do anything, including speak, the initial outlook was bleak, yet occasionally small glimmers of hope emerged. Armed always with her camera, Fiona captures the moment Richard moves his fingers for the first time, and then over months she documents his struggle to relearn how to walk again.
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Snap Out & About: Comedy Night in Aid of The Children's Trust
 At the beginning of February the Snap Team were reunited in London for the first time in over a year. Jade hopped on a train from Manchester, where she is busy opening a new Snap office, and no amount of snow could stop Janet jetting down from Inverness in the Highlands! After hugs, some introductions, quite a few cups of tea and a good old catch up, we headed off into Central London. Piccadilly Circus, to be exact. The Comedy Store, to be excruciatingly exact. Because who doesn’t enjoy a bit of comedy on a Monday night? And the best thing about this particular comedy night – it had been organised in association with The Children’s Trust, a leading charity for children with brain injuries.
The Children’s Trust has always had a special place in Snap’s heart as they do such great work with children who have sustained brain injuries. We have always been inspired by the effort and dedication we see constantly from everyone involved in the organisation, from the support workers on the ground right up to Dalton Leong, Chief Executive. So when given the chance to support this fantastic charity, you can imagine that we jumped at it. Although we didn’t need much persuading when we found out that the compere for the night was Adam Hills, he of The Last Leg fame.
Arriving fashionably just-as-the-show-was-about-to-start, we bustled in, found (almost) prime seats and were rewarded straight away with the most fantastic video. Set to the song ‘Wonder’ by Naughty Boy, we saw clips showcasing the wonderful environment and amazing work that takes place at The Children’s Trust, culminating with a shot of one of the children getting up from her wheelchair, taking five incredible steps then turning to embrace her support worker, whose smile couldn’t get any bigger. We’re not ashamed to say that there were tears in our eyes.
And then the comedy started, and we had different sorts of tears in our eyes.
Adam Hills began with a no holds barred look at disability, setting the stage for comedians including Angela Barnes, Alasdair Beckett-King, Suzi Ruffell and Nish Kumar. Topics ranged from Brexit to relationships, from getting older to homosexuality. To say there were many moments where we laughed out loud would be understating it slighting. We basically spent the entire night LOLing, and if there had been room we would have rolled in the aisles.
But that’s not to say that the message of the night was at any time forgotten. The audience didn’t need reminders about the great work that The Children’s Trust does, but it was heart-warming to hear personal snippets from the comics. During his set, Tom Davis talked about his memories of the charity, as his mum used to work for them when he was a child. Adam Hills spent one of his interludes regaling us with the story of how he first became associated with The Children’s Trust, when he went to visit a young boy, Seb, who sustained a severe brain injury and had to have a leg amputation following a road accident. Cue another powerfully inspiring video that demonstrated once again the difference The Children’s Trust can make. Not to mention the determination and positivity of Seb and his family.
Finally our fantastic night drew to a close and, still chuckling, we all headed home reflecting on how we at Snap feel privileged to support charities such as The Children’s Trust and to be able to help, in the small way that we do, children or adults with additional needs. Hearing from our nannies and support workers of the progress their clients are making is one of the best parts of the work we do here at Snap. Closely followed comedy nights hosted by Adam Hills, of course.
Oh, and the best thing about the whole evening? Being part of raising £10,000 for The Children’s Trust.
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National Diversity Awards 
The National Diversity Awards celebrates charities, role models and community heroes showcasing their outstanding devotion to enhancing equality, diversity and inclusion.
We're delighted that Sarah Brisdion has been nominated this year, read her bio:
NOBODY SHOULD HAVE TO LIE ON A TOILET FLOOR!
I want to help put a stop to the undignified and inhumane situation that hundreds of thousands of disabled people face - lying on toilet floors to have their continence needs met because disabled toilets are so ill-equipped.
I have been raising awareness of these issues and the need for Changing Places toilets (with a bench and hoist) for the past 3 years, through social media campaigns such as #LooAdvent (where I took a photo of myself every day on the toilet for the whole of December), press coverage and by speaking to businesses and venues, public and private, encouraging them to upgrade their toilet facilities and become inclusive.
I do all of this on behalf of my amazing 7 year old son, Hadley, who has Cerebral Palsy and needs Changing Places toilets when away from him. I want to make sure he and every other disabled person, can access the world without having to worry about where they can use the loo. I don't want him to be confined to home or just a few places in life, when there is a simple answer to this problem.
My #LooAdvent campaign was featured internationally in the press which blew me away, and has spurred me on to take on another challenge to help raise further awareness and funds for vital Changing Places. This May, I will be taking to the streets of London, sitting on the toilet live in a shop window for an entire day to get this topic the attention it deserves and to put pressure on businesses - particularly London attractions - to install Changing Places.
My campaigning has helped see Changing Places toilets opened in two towns by my local council, 2 large tourist attractions, Portsmouth International Port and a Premier League Football Club - and coming soon, the oldest pub in Britain!
I am absolutely honoured to be nominated for this award.
For more information including a full list of nominees, click here
Read more on Twitter
To vote for Sarah Brisdion, click here!
Below is a short video from last years winner, James Sutcliffe. |
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| James Sutcliffe, 2017 National Diversity Winner (Disability) |
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