Not Lost Anymore

Did you know it is World Health Day.

Please check it out.

Today is

Did you know that people with learning disabilities in Scotland are entitled to an annual health check?

These checks help spot health issues early and support people to stay well. You don't need to be unwell to have one!

To make sure you get invited, you can ask to be added to your GP’s learning disability register.

If you’re not on the register, you might miss out on your annual health check.

SCLD has put together a template letter you can use to contact your GP and ask to be added.

Find out more and download the letter here: https://zurl.co/mYGkD

It's wonderful to welcome the fantastic Bruce to the SCLD team. He will be an excellent addition. Please greet him warmly on joining.

Do share this great news!

Welcome to the team, Bruce

The Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities (SCLD) has today announced that the former Children and Young People’s Commissioner of Scotland, Bruce Adamson, has been appointed as its new Chief Executive.

Bruce Adamson is an internationally recognised human rights lawyer with 30 years’ experience working with communities in over 20 countries to advance legal and policy reform. He brings a strong track record of leading system change, strengthening accountability, and embedding the voices of people with lived experience in decision-making.

Welcoming him to his new role with SCLD, Ann Dougan, Chair of SCLD said: “We were thrilled with the depth and quality of applications for the role of Chief Executive at SCLD and we are delighted to have attracted someone of Bruce’s standing and reputation as our new Chief Executive.

“Bruce’s values align strongly with SCLD’s mission and purpose and his resolute commitment to ensuring that the voices of people with learning disabilities are heard and respected, coupled with his acknowledged expertise in human rights and driving system change make him the perfect candidate to lead SCLD into its next 25 years.”

Commenting on his appointment, Bruce Adamson said:

“I am delighted to be joining SCLD at such an important moment.

SCLD plays a vital role as a human rights defender, bringing together the voices and experiences of people with learning disabilities with robust research and evidence to drive change.

There is a real opportunity to build on the pioneering work over the last 25 years to ensure that rights are realised in practice, that systems are co-designed and the leadership of people with learning disabilities is properly valued and recognised.

SCLD will continue to be a powerful, influential voice for change.

I am particularly excited about the opportunity to further strengthen SCLD’s impact, supporting progress that is focused, evidence-led, and aligned with national priorities, while always grounded in the lived experience of people with learning disabilities.

Ultimately, this is about ensuring that people with learning disabilities can live full, equal and dignified lives, not as a matter of charity, but as a matter of human rights.”

Read the full statement 👉 https://scld.org.uk/scld-announces-bruce-adamson-as-new-ceo/

For all press enquiries please contact Kelly Kolatowicz 0141 248 3733.

Confidence Does Not Happen Overnight

*Confidence is not something that suddenly appears; it grows slowly in time through support, encouragement, patience, and being given opportunities in safe spaces to learn, speak and try.*

Many people who have experienced trauma, care, abuse, or long-term exclusion struggle with believing in themselves. This does not mean you lack ability; it means you may never have been given the opportunities to thrive in today’s day and age.
Through my work, I aim to help individuals rebuild confidence, find your voice, and recognise your own strengths and weaknesses, often for the first time.

Here is a question for those who would take part in something interactive. Please leave your answers in the comments.

👉 What helped you build confidence when you were struggling?

Please email me at [email protected] if you have any questions or would like to schedule a meeting with me.

In the meantime, I encourage you to have a look at my website for the services that I will provide. https://www.notlostanymore.co.uk/

Understanding Hidden Barriers

*Not all barriers are physical or visible. Many people face hidden barriers every single day, including communication challenges, anxiety, trauma, sensory overload, and processing difficulties.*

These barriers often go unnoticed in education, workplaces, healthcare, and community sectors. When support is not in place or not included, people can start to feel excluded, overwhelmed, and unsupported.

True inclusion means recognising that not everyone experiences the world in the same way. It means flexibility, patience and being willing to adapt to our environments and expectations.

Here is a question for those who would take part in something interactive. Please leave your answers in the comments.

👉What hidden barriers do you think are most often misunderstood in today’s society?

Please email me at [email protected] if you have any questions or would like to schedule a meeting with me.

In the meantime, I encourage you to take a look at my website to see the services I provide. https://www.notlostanymore.co.uk/

I Promise To Pledge To Make Change

All-important weeks must come to an end, but let’s end on a pledge.

Over the years, children have fought to get access to the right support to help them to transition through life and to be the person they want to be.

With the development of the correct support and better lessons on how to develop good coping methods from a young age, vital skills that will be useful in adult life.

Here is a question for those who would take part in something interactive. Please leave your answers in the comments.

👉What is your pledge to support children in overcoming the challenges with their mental health?

Please email me at [email protected] if you have any questions or would like to schedule a meeting with me.

In the meantime, I encourage you to have a look at my website for the services that I will provide. https://www.notlostanymore.co.uk/

If you have come across this post during school hours, please speak to your teacher to get in touch.

The Difficult Truth About Our Health System

As we are almost at the end of Children’s Mental Health Week, let's end the week by looking at some very important facts.

Many children and young people struggle to get the right help due to long waits, often while struggling to verbalise their need for help.

Here is a question for those who would take part in something interactive. Please leave your answers in the comments.

👉Question for you to answer if you wish: What do you think needs to change to make services more accessible for children and young people?

Please email me at [email protected] if you have any questions or would like to schedule a meeting with me.

In the meantime, I encourage you to have a look at my website for the services that I will provide. https://www.notlostanymore.co.uk/

If you have come across this post during school hours, please speak to your teacher to get in touch.

Think Before You Act

For children with mental health struggles, a triangle of support is often needed, which involves a trusted teacher, their primary caregiver and a therapist. All too often, children are hit with “It’s just a phase” or “They will grow out of it.” There is often no proper care or attention given to the real cause. For children, we are showing support this week; they want to feel listened to and able to use their voice.

Here is a question for those who would take part in something interactive. Please leave your answers in the comments.

👉 What is available today that was not available in earlier years to support children?

Please email me at [email protected] if you have any questions or would like to schedule a meeting with me.

In the meantime, I encourage you to have a look at my website for the services that I will provide. https://www.notlostanymore.co.uk/

If you have come across this post during school hours, please speak to your teacher to get in touch.

Breaking Through The Assumption

Children experiencing abuse are more likely to experience poorer mental health than their peers. Is the child quieter or are they a little bit more aggressive?

There are things that many children hope that a trusted adult will ask them, but sometimes that does not come, especially when you are overly happy on the outside. Is there perhaps a reason why the child feels happier with other people than at home?

Here is a question for those who would take part in something interactive. Please leave your answers in the comments.

👉What do you wish that your teachers or college tutors knew?

Please email me at [email protected] if you have any questions or would like to schedule a meeting with me.

In the meantime, I encourage you to have a look at my website for the services that I will provide. https://www.notlostanymore.co.uk/

If you have come across this post during school hours, please speak to your teacher to get in touch.

Spotting The Signs Before Assumption

Did you know that there are many different reasons for poorer mental health in children, which are often hidden?

Many children just get on with it, or they lash out or even misbehave in school, where teachers are taught to discipline misbehaviour.

There must be something that educators for children can do to ensure that they feel heard, not just once but throughout their education and their childhood.

Here is a question for those who would take part in something interactive. Please leave your answers in the comments.

👉 What do you wish that your teachers or college tutors knew?

Please email me at [email protected] if you have any questions or would like to schedule a meeting with me.

In the meantime, I encourage you to have a look at my website for the services that I will provide. https://www.notlostanymore.co.uk/

If you have come across this post during school hours, please speak to your teacher to get in touch.

The Power Of Being Heard

*So many people living with learning disabilities, lifelong conditions, lived experience of care, trauma and abuse or growing up feeling as if they were unheard, misunderstood, or dismissed. Being listened to can be life-changing; it builds lasting confidence, self-worth, and trust in other people.*

When you start to realise when we are truly listening, we learn from our experiences and mistakes. We learn what support actually is out there and what it looks like for us who are struggling to receive it. We look for what adjustments really help us, and what makes someone feel safe and valued for who they are. Listening is one of the most valuable and powerful tools we all have, yet it is one of the most overlooked for some people.

At Not Lost Anymore, lived experience is at the heart of everything I do. Because when people are given a voice, change becomes possible!

Here is a question for those who would take part in something interactive. Please leave your answers in the comments.

👉When was the last time you felt truly listened to? What difference did it make?

Please email me at [email protected] if you have any questions or would like to schedule a meeting with me.

In the meantime, I encourage you to have a look at my website for the services that I will provide. https://www.notlostanymore.co.uk/