About Us
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KCIL at a glance:
- is a local charity working to empower and support disabled people in the borough of Kingston upon Thames
- was established in 1968
- is a member-led organisation, guided by a Board of Trustees
- is a registered charity (no: 1123063) and a registered company (no: 06240260)
- provides a range of services to over 600 disabled people, resident in or visiting the borough
- works in partnership with Kingston Council, Primary Care Trust, a wide range of local voluntary organisations and the local business and entertainment sectors
- will work with any organisation which works towards equality and empowerment for local disabled people
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Meet the Team
As of May 2008, our staff team consists of 9 people. These are:
| Lisa Nichols |
Chief Executive |
| Robert Reilly |
Office Administrator |
| Veronica Attah |
BME Disability Officer |
| Dan Wilson |
Direct Payments / Support Services Coordinator |
| Anne Frayda |
Direct Payments Information Assistant |
| Sheila McLeod |
Direct Payments Assistant (Monitoring) |
| John Morris |
Direct Payments Assistant |
| Thu Ha |
Direct Payments Assistant |
| John Raitt |
Bookkeeper |
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- KCIL has had a Direct Payments scheme since 1988
- We were one of the first in the country, and are now one of the largest
- Our youngest Direct Payments recipient is five, and our oldest is 100!
- Using cash payments instead of direct services from the council, disabled people can benefit from having control and choice over who they employ as personal assistants, what tasks are carried out, how these tasks are completed and when they take place.
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- KCIL recognises that disabled people from black and minority ethnic communities often face double discrimination
- We are committed to identifying the needs of these communities in the borough and ensuring that these needs are met
- Our BME Disability Officer works across all local voluntary organisations and statutory bodies to pursue this aim
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- Where local issues are of particular concern to our members, KCIL will take on a representational role
- We are often called as expert witnesses in local council meetings
- Where necessary, we will act as a focal point for petitions and lobbies, expressing the concerns of our members
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- To keep up to date with current views, KCIL consults our membership frequently
- We do this through a variety of methods: direct questionnaires, one-to-one interviews, focus groups, research projects, peer support meetings, sub-committee meetings and voting at the Annual General Meeting
- We work with a wide range of organisations and groups in order to represent the KCIL view
- We participate in consultation exercises run by other organisations
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Strategic Plan
Our current Strategic Plan covers 2006-2009. You can download a copy from our Downloads page. This sets out what KCIL's Key Priorities are for 2006/07, as well as the direction KCIL is planning to move in.
This Plan shapes our individual work plans and is reviewed annually.
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Annual Report
The Trustees' Annual Report 2005/06 is available by going to our Downloads page. This gives the Trustees' Report and the audited accounts.
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- Volunteers are a major part of KCIL's work and are very much appreciated
- We strive to match volunteer's skills and interests with the tasks that have to be done
- We offer basic training and out-of-pocket expenses
- Volunteers may be involved in KCIL on the Board of Trustees, on sub-committees, helping at KCIL events, assisting in the office, and representing KCIL with other organisations
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- KCIL administers Holiday Grants on behalf of Kingston Council
- These are available to disabled people resident in the borough
- Any disabled resident can apply for a grant of up to £175, as a contribution towards their holiday
- One grant can be made in any 12 month period
- The application form must include a supporting statement from a relevant professional, and evidence of a booking or deposit
- Please DOWNLOAD and complete the Holiday Grant Scheme form and send it to us, or contact us for more information
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- KCIL sells Radar Keys at £2.50 plus p&p
- RADAR keys are used to unlock accessible toilets around the borough and across the UK
- Whilst we would hope that all toilets are accessible, RADAR toilets contain specialist equipment which risks being vandalised
- Using a RADAR key gives you access to a cleaner and better equipped public convenience
- The office can provide a list of locations of accessible toilets around the borough
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Incorporation
At the Annual General Meeting, on the 6th October 2006, a resolution was passed, instructing us to move ahead with taking on incorporated status. We are now incorporated - company number 06240260. Charity number 1123063.
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Our History
KCIL has gone through a number of different guises over the last 40 years. At heart, we have always been about putting the needs and wishes of local disabled people at the centre of everything we do. We are committed to equality, the concept of independent living and the Social Model of Disability. As a Centre for Independent Living, we provide a range of services which seek to further our aims.
Here is a brief breakdown of where we have come from:
| 1968 |
Kingston Association for the Handicapped - a small, volunteer-led body |
| 1978 |
Kingston Association for the Disabled |
| 1986 |
Kingston Association for Disabled People - 1 paid staff, in small, inaccessible office |
| 1989 |
Kingston Association of Disabled People (KADP) |
| 1997 |
Moved to Siddeley House - 4 paid staff, accessible office |
| 05/07/2001 |
Kingston Centre for Independent Living (KCIL) - 8 staff, fully accessible office, developing outreach and partnership projects |
| 2004 |
Move to 'shop-front', accessible office, in Kingston High Street, 12 paid staff, outreach and user-consultation |
| 2006 |
Taking on incorporated status |
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Social Model of Disability
There are a number of different ways of looking at, and thinking about disability. The traditional or medical model regards someone as a disabled person if there is 'something wrong with them'. This is seen, by many disabled people as very negative: it focuses on what we can't do.
KCIL follows a different approach, called the Social Model of Disability. Under this model, someone is a disabled person because of the barriers placed by society. So, a wheelchair user isn't disabled because they are unable to walk, but because shops often have a step at the front door, or don't have a lift.
This change in emphasis has resulted in new legislation, such as the Disability Discrimination Act, which seeks to remove the barriers placed by society. Of course, some of the most difficult barriers to remove are some peoples' attitudes. This will take a lot of work.
We believe that by following the Social Model, we (and others) will tackle the barriers facing disabled people in a more positive and empowering way.
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Social Model of Disability
There are a number of different ways of looking at, and thinking about disability. The traditional or medical model regards someone as a disabled person if there is 'something wrong with them'. This is seen, by many disabled people as very negative: it focuses on what we can't do.
KCIL follows a different approach, called the Social Model of Disability. Under this model, someone is a disabled person because of the barriers placed by society. So, a wheelchair user isn't disabled because they are unable to walk, but because shops often have a step at the front door, or don't have a lift.
This change in emphasis has resulted in new legislation, such as the Disability Discrimination Act, which seeks to remove the barriers placed by society. Of course, some of the most difficult barriers to remove are some peoples' attitudes. This will take a lot of work.
We believe that by following the Social Model, we (and others) will tackle the barriers facing disabled people in a more positive and empowering way.