Council advises Uzbekistan ministers on disability services (From Enfield Independent)

Council advises Uzbekistan ministers on disability services

2:50pm Wednesday 11th November 2009 in News By Rebecca Lowe

TOP cabinet ministers from Uzbekistan visited Enfield Council last week to learn about their nationally recognised work with disabled adults.

Fourteen ministers with responsibility for social welfare met Enfield deputy mayor Pamela Adams and representatives from the council health and adult social care department at the Civic Centre, in Silver Street, last Wednesday.

Through the British Council, Enfield Council was asked to meet with the Uzbekistan delegation, which included the deputy ministers of labour and social protection, to offer information and guidance on their work in relation to disabled adults.

In March this year, the council gained Beacon status for its work "supporting independent living for disabled adults".

It is now one of 217 authorities across the country to win a Beacon award, which recognises excellence in local service provision.

Councillor Adams said: “It was wonderful to welcome the delegation from Uzbekistan to Enfield last week.

“The deputy minister said they had heard from Government representatives in Britain about our best practice, but last week they came to Enfield to experience it first hand.

“We hope that they have learned a great deal from their visit here with us, and I also extended an invitation to them to return to Enfield as soon as they could.”

The council gave formal presentations on its Supporting Independent Living for Disabled Adults scheme, and offered advice on increasing public awareness on disability.

Following the presentations, the delegation visited Park Avenue Disability Resources Centre, in Park Avenue, Enfield, to meet service users and staff.

Team leader Maxine Gilchrist said the visitors had been "very impressed" with what they saw at the centre, which included an IT centre equipped with advanced computer technology for people with disabilities.

"They saw the change from when we were just a basic centre to the full resource centre that we are now, as we have images on our walls of how the place used to be," she said.

"People used to just come in the morning and sit around all day until they had to leave. Now they pop in and out to do various activities, and we support them to be fully independent."