Your Options Understood

12/10/2026

Last week I was part of the panel at the Social Work Scotland Conference.

One of the questions put to everyone on the panel was 'What is your proudest momenr in your career this year?' Of course being appointed to the National Care Service Advisory Board was up there but my proudest moment without a shadow of doubt was seeing Steven Hart achiev his dream and hold an exhibition and auction of his artwork raising money for MND..Knowing that Y.O.Us Drean Plan Live programme funded by the The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland played a small but significant part in it will always hold a special place with me.

I hope that by sharing this example the delegates who attended the conference left reflecting on their practices, how they can ensure the support they provide is truly person centred and the impact that this can have if implemented correctly

12/10/2026

PLEASE SHARE

Y.O.Us MERCHANDISE MONDAY WITH OUR EXTENDED UNTIL MONDAY 19TH OCTOBER !

Head over to our online shop now to pick up some of our merchandise using the discount code WorldCPDay10

Shop | Y.O.U. https://share.google/3zwccgCZAYbrR2ztn

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZN8BubEBc/

08/10/2026

Today Y.O.U and I are exhibiting at Cerebral Palsy Scotland annual Cerebral Palsy Conference

06/10/2026

Today, the 6th October is World Cerebral Palsy Day and as one of the estimated 17 to 18 million people worldwide living with the condition, thought I'd do something a bit different. At the age of 40 I thought I'd share with you what I'd write in a letter to my younger self...

So here goes....Here"s my letter to Wee Danielle

05/10/2026

**PLEASE SHARE**
MERCHANDISE MONDAY!!!

Before today ends here's another one of Y.O.Us Merchandise Monday Posts...and this one has a 10% discount code on all our products on our online shop to mark World Cerebral Palsy Day tomorrow (6th October)

So to take advantage of your 10% discount head over to our shop on our website at
Shop | Y.O.U. https://share.google/347O562ikKTbnmfTw
and use the code WORLDCPDAY10 for the discount to be applied at checkout. The video below is just, a snapshot of some of the products that you can purchase

The discount is only available for the next week and comes to an end on Monday 12th October 2026 so you don't have long...

We've reduced our shop prices but not the need for the voices of disabled people to be a plied and you can help us do this by making a purchase from our shop, helping us to raise Y.O.Us profile so we can amplify those voices.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZN8kjkHhD/

03/10/2026

Home Sweet Home

Not only is today my dad's 81st birthday but it also marks a decade since i moved into my own house. It was the best birthday present my dad got that year, seeing me leave the care home I'd been living in for 6 months..I wrote the blog Home Sweet Home a few years ago. My house may not be perfect but its my home, I've made it my space. You can read Home Sweet Home at the link below

Home Sweet Home

Yesterday was not only my dads birthday. In 2016 the 3rd of October became a memorable date for me for another reason...It was the day I moved into my own house...so yesterday marked 4 years for me living in my own house. (It was the best birthday present my dad got that year, seeing me start a new....

15/09/2026

creating free merch for the Cerebral Conference in October

22/08/2026

Earlier this week our Managing Director Dr Danielle Farrel met with Alison Thewliss MSP and Minister for Community Care and was part of a round table discussion on how specialist care and support for adults living with Cerebral Palsy is currently lacking.

The discussion centred around how a holistic and person-centred approach needs to be taken to support every adult living with the condition. I look forward to seeing what follows this meeting and thank Stephanie Fraser of CEO of Cerebral Palsy Scotland for inviting us to be part of the discussion

https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/26478643.minister-community-care-visited-cerebral-palsy-scotland/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwdGRzaAT25P1jbGNrBPO7oHBkb2YFZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBEwN2N4dmxEZk1EOWhubmNnWXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR6qpDtS_pZtc2VDP_gLp6GtI3uH1P1dTNN-3lNoXKGVsE33PwI_lb9gBAWrdA_aem_ctSiR3yWSpPxoiclRb3Fzw&sfnsn=scwspmo

Alison Thewliss, Minister for Community Care has backed calls to improve specialist support for people with cerebral palsy.

21/08/2026

ràdio coverage off the access to work cuts on Wednesdays lunchtime live on BBC Scotland

20/08/2026

In the last few months I have joined the Access to Work Collective who set up the campaign to campaign against the devastating cuts to the DWPs scheme, a scheme designed to our disabled people who can an want to be in employment on an an equal par with their non disabled peers, a scheme that is now causing barriers to employment and seeing many disabled people loose their jobs

Recently the Access to Work Collective were looking for disabled people in Scotland to share their experiences of the devastating impact of the cuts and yesterday my experience to date was covered across the BBC news platforms.

Whilst I'm grateful and welcomed the opportunity to be part of the coverage, it also frustrates and angers me that in 2026 us disabled people are still constantly being undervalued, our knowledge, skills and expertise tossed aside yet again. When/where will it stop? The cuts are just one part of a much wider issue that disabled people and their families in Scotland and across the UK right now. When will leaders and decision and policy makers engage with us as the norm, working collaboratively with the us, creating systems that are truly fit for purpose?