Welcome to our Winter Newsletter, although as the sun has made an appearance today, it really does feel as though spring could be just around the corner! I am always so grateful for the contributions we receive for the newsletter, it’s a great opportunity to celebrate the work that goes on across the Network. Huge thanks to our contributors for taking the time to write the articles and share the work they are doing with us.
The Karten Network is recruiting Trustees
The Karten Network Charity is currently recruiting new Trustees. It is important that Karten Centres are well represented on our Board. If you are passionate about the use of technology and assistive technology in your workplace this could be just perfect for you! If this is an opportunity you are interested please email dawn@karten-network.org.uk for an informal conversation about the role.
Karten Centre spotlight
It is important that Karten Network Trustees have a good understanding of the range of provision across the Network, at the beginning of Board meetings we have an opportunity for Karten Centres to showcase the work that goes on in their Karten Centre. The next Board meeting will be held via Teams on 9 July at 10.00, please email dawn@karten-network.org.uk to discuss the opportunity of putting your Karten Centre in the spotlight!
Funding for additional equipment
If you are an existing Karten Centre, and it has been more than three years since you last received Karten funding, then you could be eligible to apply for additional funding. The deadline for applications for the next funding round is 12 noon on 30 April 2026. Please contact dawn@karten-network.org.uk to arrange an initial Teams call to discuss the application process.
Online Karten conference for Karten Centre beneficiaries
We are in the very early stages of organising an online event for Karten Centre beneficiaries to get together and participate in an event share and celebrate success across the Network. If you think the people you support would be interested in getting involved in a fun and accessible event please email dawn@karten-network.org.uk. It is very important that Karten Centres have a voice in whatever we decide to organise, so please don’t be shy in suggesting the sorts of activities and things you would like to be included in the event(s). Dependent on the responses received we will organise either one national event, or a series of mini-events clustered geographically or around specific interests.
Hello to our newsletter readers, what a lovely edition we have for you this time. It’s full of really useful information and some fabulous articles from our Karten Centres.
The 2025 TechAbility Conference takes place on 19 November in Nottingham, I’m looking forward to seeing lots of you there. There’s a superb, packed programme, and I believe there may still be a few places available if you wanted to sneak in at the last moment, but you need to register swiftly. We have a BIG announcement to make at the Conference, no spoilers right now, but you don’t want to miss it!
In other news, a sub-group of the Karten Network Trustees met in September to consider funding applications. I’m delighted to say that funding was agreed for seven Karten Centres. Trustees will next meet in March to consider applications, if it has been more than three years since you last received Karten funding you may be eligible. In the first instance, please email dawn@karten-network.org.uk to discuss and to request further information.
Motor Neurone Disease Association 75 mile dog walk
I recently took part in the Motor Neurone Disease Association 75 mile dog walk in October fundraiser with my dog Cuthbert. I wanted to raise funds to help people whose lives are affected by Motor Neurone Disease, and walked in memory of a dear friend and colleague who lost her life way too soon to this dreadful disease. Also the Motor Neurone Association Uk is one of our Karten Centres and I am aware of the brilliant work they do.
Cuthbert is a 4 year old retired racing greyhound who joined our family in July. He has a real zest for life and loves his walks so it seemed like a great challenge for us. Cuthbert and I challenged ourselves to walk 150 miles in October, which actually was no challenge for him, but alongside full-time work some of which is away from home, it was a reasonable achievement for me.
The fundraiser closes on 10 November, so there are still a few days to make a contribution if you wish to support this fantastic charity – donations can be made via this link. Collectively, we have raised in excess of £250,000.
Karten Network Charity Trustee Recruitment
The Karten Network Charity is recruiting new Trustees. It is important that Karten Centres are well represented on our Board, if you think this could be an opportunity you are interested please email dawn@karten-network.org.uk for an informal conversation about the role.
Well that’s almost a wrap on the summer term of 2025, and I’m sure we’re all looking forward to a bit of downtime over the next few weeks. Recently, it has been so lovely to see celebratory events in many organisations hosting our Karten Centres. Recognising the progress and achievements of students and service users and the contributions of talented staff is so important, it’s great to take time out and reflect on the impact high quality provision can have on the lives of people we support. May I extend heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you for your hard work and commitment.
Professional Association for Assistive Technologists (PAAT)
I wanted to provide you with an update on the work undertaken to establish the Professional Association for Assistive Technologists (PAAT). Many of you will remember the consultation activities at the TechAbility Conference back in November 2024. Since then, the sub-group comprising of myself, Fil McIntyre (TechAbility), Dave Hursthouse (Leonard Cheshire) and Professor Jane Seale (Open University) has amended the PAAT documents and framework. Excellent progress has been made with the eligibility criteria and guidance to support professionals to submit portfolios for assessment. A small pilot will be undertaken, prior to PAAT’s launch at the 2025 TechAbility conference.
We are currently working to set up a CIC and secure seed funding for the initial set-up costs. If you know anyone who may be interested in supporting the PAAT CIC through a one-off donation or sponsorship please let me know.
St Helen’s Buzz Hub
On 6 June I was delighted to go to Cineworld in St Helens to enjoy the screening of St Helen’s Buzz Hub’s film called Life Goes On. Buzz Hub members worked on issues that were important to them as they were venturing out of the Covid lockdowns. The film was fabulous, an amazing mix of emotional, poignant, funny and touching as the cast worked through some tricky and sensitive material. What a very proud day for St Helens Buzz Hub, and hats off to Cineworld for providing such a brilliant big screen experience. Again there is a further report on this occasion later in the newsletter.
Sense College Loughborough
In May, Sense College Loughborough, held its first ever Assistive Technology Week – Limitless by Inclusion. I was lucky enough to attend on the final day. The two live events featured stalls from several different technology companies, including Everway, Aventido, and Thomas Pocklington Trust, plus in-house stalls for MSI Technology and AAC. There were a few speakers who gave short presentations about a range of topics, including TechAbility.
The highlight for me was the final presentation by Sense College student Technology Champions and from the College’s assistive technologist (AT). They spoke about what “Limitless by Inclusion” means. The AT spoke about students use assistive technology in College, and about the challenges that people may face when using assistive technology, including funding AT, lack of awareness, and societal stigma etc. The visitors to the events were from different FE Colleges, exhibitors, external professionals, parents/carers, staff and students. I’m going to finish with the words of the students, as I think you will agree they are very powerful!
People ask, ‘What does “Limitless by Inclusion” mean?
It means my wheelchair isn’t a ‘limitation’—it’s my freedom.
It means my AAC device isn’t ‘special’—it’s essential.
It means our differences aren’t barriers—they’re blueprints for a better world.
So, this week, we challenge YOU – Try a tool you’ve never used. Ask us questions. Make a pledge. Because when you embrace inclusion we all become limitless. Thank you for believing in our vision. Now let’s build that future—one switch, one click, one voice at a time! Sense College Loughborough Technology Champions.
There is a fuller article on this event later in the newsletter.
Hello Everyone and welcome to our Spring Newsletter!
I can hardly believe we are already in May, how the year is hurtling by! Once again, a huge thank you to those who have written the articles in this edition.
The Karten Network was delighted to be involved in the project group working on the Department for Education commissioned report entitled “Developing a competency framework for effective assistive technology training”. The report was authored by Rohan Slaughter and Tom Griffiths, who are based at the University of Dundee, with a research team including staff from Ace Centre, Karten Network and Natspec, the report examines the skills and knowledge needed by staff in special schools and colleges to use digital assistive technology effectively. The report includes a review of current literature, an in-depth study including multidisciplinary expert voices, and a Competency Framework for professionals at all career stages to understand and benchmark their skills and training needs.
As the Karten Network grows and expands its impact, we are seeking a proactive and dedicated Fundraiser to join our team on a freelance basis (download the job description). If you wish to express an interest in this post, please send your CV and a cover letter outlining your suitability for the role to dawn@karten-network.org.uk by 2 June 2025.
Dawn Green Karten Network Development Co-ordinator
Welcome to the Karten Network’s winter newsletter, and what a super edition we have for you, all thanks to our fabulous contributors!
We have Martin’s article about AI, more specifically the evolution of AI-Powered Personal Assistants, we’d love to know about how you are using AI in your Karten Centre, please email martin@karten-network.org.uk either to share AI use scenarios, or to request further support. Remember that Martin is available to provide technical support for your Karten Centre free of charge.
We have an update from TechAbility, information about an Assistive Technology event at Sense College Loughborough from 19th – 23rd May, if you’d like to find out more please email kingsley.saba@sense.org.uk or anna.janickyj@sense.org.uk. Read about the impact of Ian Karten Charitable Trust support over two decades at the Center for Deaf-Blind Persons in Israel. Discover how to stay safe on line by listening to ‘Beyond the Label’, a Homefield College podcast. Through a Sense College Loughborough project “Braille and Technology in the Community” we learn how little Braille, large print and tactile guides are available to those with a visual impairment, leaving many reliant on support from others. Jewish Care Explore introduce their immersive tours project, in which they aim to make the world accessible for their older service users regardless of the barriers they may face. New Bridge Enterprise introduces Destiny’s new brochure and website that clearly outlines their 3 focus products: Videography, Photography and Wall Print Design. Buzz Hub members have been busy with a Christmas T-shirt competition, engraving hearts for a local hospice and one of their members has created a motivational Workout Album titled, “If I Can Do It, You Can Do It”.
I hope you enjoy reading the articles as much as I did. If you have been motivated by what you have read, why not consider preparing a piece for the next Newsletter? You can email your ideas to dawn@karten-network.org.uk.
Dawn Green Karten Network Development Co-ordinator
Welcome to the (late) autumn edition of the Karten Network’s newsletter. We are nearly in December and hurtling towards the end of the calendar year, and if you’re anything like me you could well be questioning how that could possibly have happened. Well, they say time flies when you’re having fun!
I am delighted that we have such super contributions from our Karten Centres in this issue, thank you to everyone who has so kindly made the effort to provide an article. Our winter newsletter will be published in February 2025, hopefully you have been motivated to write something for next time. If you want to discuss any ideas please email me dawn@karten-network.org.uk and we’ll agree a time to have a chat.
Important information about funding for additional equipment
We have currently paused the application process to enable the Karten Network and Ian Karten Charitable Trust to work together on a new model of support for Karten Centres. We will share the detail of the new funding model as soon as we are able to do so. Please note that Karten Centres who have had planning calls with Dawn and are currently working on applications for March 2025 should continue to develop these as discussed.
Welcome to the Karten Network’s newest Trustees
I would like to extend a very warm welcome to three new Trustees who have recently joined the Karten Network Board. We are very fortunate to have secured the expertise and support of Alison, Kayleigh and Miriam, you can read about their backgrounds below. It is appropriate at this point to say a huge thank you to the rest of our board members who do such a fabulous job, generously giving their time and expertise in voluntary board roles.
Alison Keeley
Alison is currently the CEO at The Grange Centre for People with Disabilities in Surrey. Education and Special Educational Needs have been aspects of Alison’s work throughout her working life. She started her career in teaching, ascending to managerial positions in primary education. Early in her teaching career she spent over two years training primary school teachers in Nigeria with Voluntary Services Overseas. She made the move to the charity sector in 2013 and has worked in local and national charities.
Outside of work Alison is a supported lodgings carer and volunteers as a driver for her local community fridge as well as sitting on the Boards of two other charities.
Kayleigh Hunt
Kayleigh has been a dedicated member of National Star since 2009, bringing over fifteen years of experience in Education, Health, and Social Care. She is passionate about Assistive Technologies and Sport, with a strong commitment to improving lives through her work. One of Kayleigh’s most notable achievements was completing her Chartered Teacher Status (ATS), reflecting her dedication to professional development and high standards in teaching.
In her role as Technology Innovation Manager at National Star, Kayleigh is responsible for leading the integration of innovative technology in education. She works closely with IT Services and learning programmes departments to ensure classrooms are equipped with Assistive technologies and tools that create an inclusive learning environment, empowering students with disabilities and personalising their learning experiences.
Previously, Kayleigh led National Star’s participation in the Department for Education’s EdTech Demonstrator Programme, an initiative aimed at enhancing the use of digital technology to support better educational outcomes.
A lifelong learner herself, Kayleigh continues to invest in her own development. She is currently pursuing a BA (Hons) degree as a Chartered Manager through an apprenticeship programme, supported by National Star. This commitment to both her personal growth and the advancement of her field underscores her passion for creating lasting, positive impact.
Kayleigh’s work demonstrates her deep commitment to the integration of technology in education, ensuring that National Star continues to lead in providing exceptional, inclusive educational experiences.
Miriam Hendry
I have 38 years of experience within the Health and Social Care Sector, including over 20 years of management experience. I joined Cantraybridge, as their fundraiser mainly due to my enthusiasm for the organisation, and the success my son achieved, as one of their students with a learning disability.
Cantraybridge supports young adults both within a residential setting, supporting independent living and housing support. We also have a day centre offering skills in horticulture, agriculture, art and crafts, café skills, wood skills, general maintenance and digital skills. Cantraybridge also offers housing support for people in the community. Cantraybridge also hosts a Karten Centre.
In 2019, I became Cantraybridge’s Independent Living Manager and was responsible for the care and support of our residents at Cantray Square. In May 2021, I secured the role of Operations Manager at Cantraybridge. I have introduced a new training programme for all staff, and also a new electronic auditing and data base system. I also manage the HR side of the business, amongst other responsibilities.
I am delighted to be a Karten Network Trustee, I am very conscious of the benefits of the Karten Network for Cantraybridge, and I am excited to play an active part in developing and progressing the Network for the benefit of adults with additional needs across the Network.
In my spare time, I am a keen musician, enjoy playing golf and spending time with my grandchildren. I am also involved in the children’s work in our local Church of Scotland.
Welcome to the summer edition of the Karten Network’s newsletter. We are very grateful to contributors who have shared articles for inclusion in this issue, we hope you enjoy reading the newsletter. As I write, the sun is streaming through my office window, and I am hoping that maybe summer has arrived just in time for the holiday period!
Farewell to David Finch
Earlier this month we said farewell to one of our longstanding Trustees, David Finch. David has generously volunteered as a Trustee and was influential in developing the strategic direction of the Karten Network and in determining a new model of governance as the Network transitioned into a charitable entity. David had many skills we were able to draw on having worked within specialist education in the UK for over 25 years as a teacher, manager and senior director. He is a passionate driver for enabling technology, specialist teacher education and international development. We know David will continue to be interested in the work of the Karten Network. Thank you for all you have done David, from your friends and colleagues across the Karten Network we wish you all the very best for the future.
Social Media
We are giving some thought to further developing the Karten Network’s use of social media platforms and increasing our social media presence. But we would like to align our activities with the views of our Karten Centre users and staff. Please share ideas you have for how we should be engaging with social media by emailing dawn@karten-network.org.uk.
Trustee Vacancy
We are looking to strengthen and complement the Karten Network Board with the addition of new Trustees with relevant interests and experiences. The Board of Trustees will play a key role in the development of the charity, setting the overall strategic direction and providing scrutiny to processes and decisions as well as ensuring standards of governance are upheld.
If you are interested in this exciting opportunity please contact dawn@karten-network.org.uk to arrange an informal discussion about the role. Following a discussion, expressions of interest will be invited, to be received by 6th September 2024.
Welcome to the Karten Network’s spring newsletter. This really is a bumper edition, we are delighted with the wonderful news stories from across the Network and grateful to everyone who has contributed! It has been a busy time supporting Karten Centres with applications for additional funding and re-distributing technology bundles from the Nuvoic project. The second best part of my job, is telling people their applications have been successful, but the best bit by far is seeing the difference the technology makes for the people you support; many of the articles in this newsletter give you a flavour of the impact!
Well we really are hurtling towards Christmas and a very well deserved Winter Holiday. I love this time of year, the energy and creativity in your organisations is always inspirational with so many festivities and so much for your service users and learners to enjoy.
The turn of the year marks a significant time for the Karten Network as we say farewell to Arwyn Jones who has been the Network Chair since 2016. We are hugely grateful for Arwyn’s commitment, dedication, knowledge and leadership during this time and would like to say an enormous thank you for everything he has done and all the time he has so generously given as a volunteer.
Stepping into Arwyn’s shoes as our new Chair is Joanne Rees-Proud. Some of you will already know Joanne who has been Principal at Hedleys College since 2014 and became Head of Service for Hedleys Horizons, Hedleys’ adult social care Lifelong Learning Service, in 2020. We are excited about the further development of the Karten Network under Joanne’s leadership as Chair.
We have a quantity of technology to be redeployed across existing Karten Centres early in the new year. The equipment includes iPads, iPhones, iPods, Amazon Echo dots, Smart TV, Smart bulbs, Smart speakers, monitors, mounts, microphones etc. The equipment was previously used in the Nuvoic project but now the project has come to an end we would like to see it being put to good use in Karten Centres. There are 8 bundles of equipment to be redistributed, details of which will be shared early in the new year. Whilst all equipment has been checked and reset, we cannot make any guarantees, but we believe all items to be in good working order. Interested Karten Centres will be required to express an interest in one or more of the equipment bundles, saying how they plan to use it and the impact it would have in their service.
Finally, I think I have now spoken to everyone who is planning on submitting a Karten Grant application for additional equipment to be considered at the Trustees’ meeting to be held in March 2024. The deadline for submissions is 19th January 2024.
Wishing you and your families all the very best for the festive season and for a happy and peaceful 2024!
Hello and welcome to readers of our early Autumn newsletter!
By now the summer (or what we had of a summer!) is probably a distant memory as we get back into the swing of things in our workplaces. I hope you enjoyed some quality time doing fun things with your nearest and dearest. Personally, I really love autumn, the changing colours of the trees, the slight chill in the air in the mornings and if I dare mention it the countdown to Christmas! From a work perspective, many of you are entering a new academic year and with that comes new opportunities for the people you support. It is so good to see the work that goes on in our Karten Centres and the differences you and technology make to peoples’ lives. It is often a challenging time though, as we work out the best ways to support people and consider how technology and assistive technology can help. Remember the support available to you all through the Karten Network. If you have any questions or things you need assistance with don’t hesitate to email me – dawn@karten-network.org.uk – if I can’t help you directly, I’ll find someone who can! Also I urge you to check out the support available from TechAbility and to get involved with the fabulous webinar programme and if you’ve yet to do so consider registering for the TechAbility Conference 2023.
I am delighted to welcome four new Karten Network Board Trustees to you later in the newsletter. We are so fortunate to have secured the skills, expertise and commitment of these people and I know that the Network will continue to go from strength to strength with their involvement.
The Nuvoic project has now ended, the project’s technical reports and deliverables have all been assessed, and the resultant report confirms that the objectives have been fully achieved, and that the project has delivered exceptional results! We are delighted and would like to thank everyone who contributed to this important work. Check out the Nuvoic project to take a look back at what was achieved. I would like to take the final opportunity to give a shout out to the Project team members, Liz Howarth, Geena Vabulas, Sean Connolly and Martin Pistorius, who all provided superb support to organisations and participants throughout the project. We were so lucky to have them in our team!
Finally before you get on to reading the rest of the newsletter, I wanted to draw your attention to the opportunity to participate in the public consultation about the Disability Action Plan. To support you to prepare a response, Policy Connect’s Director of Policy, Robert McLaren has very helpfully produced a briefing available later in the newsletter. The briefing is also available on our website, including an option to download the briefing in a Microsoft Word Document. The deadline is the 6th of October 2023.
There are three ways to submit your response:
By online form. (you can save the form part way through and come back to it before you submit it).
Welcome to our Winter Newsletter. Another issue full of interesting news from across the Network, an update from the Nuvoic project team, advice about creating, editing and sharing Alexa routines from our Technology Adviser, Martin Pistorius, information about events, webinars and much more. Our “In the Spotlight” article features The Hamlet in Wigan, a very special organisation whose trainees work really hard to produce high quality, personalised goods. If your organisation would like to be considered to be in the spotlight in the next newsletter please get in touch with me to discuss dawn@karten-network.org.uk.
Smart Home Forum
The Karten Network’s next smart home forum is being hosted at Portland College near Mansfield in Nottinghamshire on 22nd February 2023.
Portland has a smart home enabled bungalow where they use a range of products interacting with household equipment, this YouTube link provides further information.
Portland also has the first ever Smile Home installed on campus and we will have the CEO of the company with us to show us around and tell us more.
Outline programme:
12.30 Arrival and lunch
13.30 – 15.30 Smart Home Forum incorporating visits to Maples and the Smile Home
15.30 Optional tour of the college for people who would like to look around
This is an in person event and places are limited, if you would like to attend please email dawn@karten-network.org.uk to reserve your place by 13th February 2023.
Karten Centre Beneficiary event – save the date!
We will be holding an event on 3rd May hosted by Jewish Care at their fabulous Golders Green location. London based Karten centres will be invited directly, but if you would like to know more please contact dawn@karten-network.org.uk. The idea is to bring Karten Centre users together to support them to talk about their experiences of using technology. We hope the occasion will encourage social interaction and sharing across centres in a supportive and informal way. And of course we will be laying on a lovely lunch. We could do similar events in other regions, so do let me know if you would like to try an event like this in your area.
Ian Karten Charitable Trust – Lifetime Contribution Awards
In January we held a lunch at The Athenaeum Club London to celebrate the substantive contributions of Mr Tim Simon, previous Chair of the Trust and Professor Tony Kushner, The Parkes Institute, University of Southampton. Both recipients of the Lifetime Contribution Awards were delighted to receive the awards that were designed and made by students at our Karten Centre at New Bridge Enterprises in Oldham.
Pictured are the super awards and Anthony Davis, Chair of the Ian Karten Charitable Trust with award recipients Tim and Tony.
Hello to our readers and a very warm welcome to our Autumn Newsletter.
It’s been a really busy few months across the network with so much going on. Thank you to the Karten Centres who have been really well engaged, it is fabulous to be visiting organisations again to see the excellent work you are doing first hand and to have the opportunity to discuss your projects and ideas for the future.
On 3rd November at 10.00 we will be holding a remote Smart Home Forum for anyone interested in smart home technologies. Technologists from the Nuvoic project will present aspects of their work, before we provide an opportunity for attendees to “show and tell”. Invites will go to colleagues with an interest in this field, but I will also send the joining link via the Karten Jiscmail group. Or if you prefer, please contact me by email dawn@karten-network.org.uk to express an interest in attending.
We are in the very early stages of planning a Karten Centre beneficiary event for Spring 2023. The idea is to bring Karten Centre service users and staff together to share some of the excellence across organisations. The event will be held in London and hosted by a Karten Centre, if it’s successful and there is a demand we will be very happy to repeat in other locations. In addition to being a good opportunity to bring people together, there could be some work-related learning opportunities for service users who could take on organisational roles for the events. I would really value your thoughts on this idea, please contact me to discuss further.
In this newsletter we welcome a new Karten Board Director, David Webster, from St Helen’s Buzz Hub. Buzz Hub is one of our newest centres and I am delighted to include them in a new newsletter feature this time In The Spotlight. If you would like to feature as the In The Spotlight organisation in our next Newsletter, please drop me an email dawn@karten-network.org.uk.
Many of our Karten Centres now have TechAbility Champions appointed in the organisation and this initiative is impacting positively on Assistive Technology experience and practice, it’s a great source of additional support and networking. You don’t need to have a high level of technology know-how, TechAbility can help you to develop this. New members are welcomed with a passion to make a difference in learners’/service users’ lives. The aim is to empower you as professionals to provide better support and make use of this exciting opportunity. To find out more, contact techability@natspec.org.uk and they will arrange a conversation to see how they can best support you. There is more information later in the newsletter from TechAbility. Remember to register for the TechAbility Conference if you have not already done so, it’s a little over a month away now and we can guarantee it’s the best value CPD for Assistive Technology in the UK.
As the Nuvoic project enters the final months there are some really exciting developments, particularly the progress towards real time speech recognition and live transcription achieved by Voiceitt integration with platforms such as Zoom. The Nuvoic article in this newsletter includes further information, a live transcription demo clip and details of how you can get involved. We still need more participants to donate recordings to help develop this technology more quickly and test the results. We want to include as many non-standard voices as possible so please get in touch if you or people you support would like to get involved. We can offer equipment on loan, technical support, gift cards of up to £100 for participants and funding for organisations and individuals supporting someone to take part. If you or your organisation would like to be involved in this exciting development work, please see our web pages or contact our project co-ordinator: liz@karten-network.org.uk for more information.
As I write there are just 72 days until Christmas, the year will be over before we know it! You can expect something fun from us before we break for the holidays, but our next typical newsletter will be in January 2023. I warmly invite contributions for that newsletter, including for the In The Spotlight feature.
Take care, keep up the good work and I look forward to catching up with you very soon!
Hello everyone and welcome to our Summer newsletter. Hopefully there is something in it for everyone and you find the articles provide a good mix of information about technology, an update from the Nuvoic project, news from Centres and some ideas about relevant products and services. We have also included an article from TechAbility which covers a range of free support, resources and initiatives you can access as Karten Centres. Remember to book your place for the TechAbility Conference on 16 November, it’s the event to be at for anyone who has an interest in assistive technologies.
Our newsletter is for you and the people you support, so if there’s anything you would like to include next time please do not hesitate to make suggestions by email to dawn@karten-network.org.uk.
Hello to our readers and welcome to our late spring newsletter. Goodness it is such a busy time at the moment, and there is so much fabulous work going on in our Karten Centres and across the Network. Thanks as ever to our contributors for generously sharing their news, as you can see there is so much to be proud of and to celebrate!
In addition to providing support for Karten Centres, we are involved in lots of other activities: research and development; lobbying at a national level; participation in special interest groups. The outputs from the Nuvoic project are very exciting, there is an article about the project in this newsletter so you can see the progress being made. It is still possible to participate in this project on a fully funded and supported basis, email liz@karten-network.org.uk to find out how get involved.
Check out the TechAbility article for updates about all sorts of support and opportunities. There is also a call for presentations from Karten Centres for the 2022 TechAbility Conference. Don’t be shy, this is a super opportunity for you to showcase your use of technology at a national conference.
Finally, I would like to thank those of you who have invited me to visit and see the excellent work you are doing in person. This is a welcome and sure sign that we are beginning to transition to something closer to normal.
Keep safe and I look forward to catching up with you soon.
Hello and welcome to our Winter Newsletter which I hope will be of interest to you. We have lots to celebrate across the Network and I hope some of the fabulous articles from our Centres will give you a flavour of some of the work going on.
Natspec’s TechAbility Service has been supported for a further 12 months by the Ian Karten Charitable Trust, the service continues to be the go-to-place for high quality advice, guidance, CPD and consultancy in the field of Assistive Technology. A reminder that most services are free for Karten Centres and Natspec colleges. TechAbility now has 22 champions signed up to the exciting Champions Programme, this is aimed at increasing capacity for assistive technology within organisations and providing nominated champions with invaluable support. If you would like to get involved let us know.
I was honoured to be nominated for a Jisc Community Champion Award and am delighted that I will be going to Digifest 2022 in early March to accept the award and to network with other Community Champions. Champions are selected as “these extraordinary people go above and beyond to support colleagues across the sector by facilitating communities, sharing learning and being advocates for good practice”. This was made possible by the incredible people I engage with on a daily basis as I go about my work, so thanks to you all! Digifest 2022 offers a fabulous programme structured around 3 themes: Changing for Good; Working Together; Shaping a Sustainable Future. Event registration is still open.
We are now learning to live with the pandemic and for many that means that business is returning to something closer to normal! We feel this is a good time to promote collaborative opportunities across the network, to encourage peer support and the sharing of best practice. We already have a Special Interest Group (SIG) for Smart Home Technologies and would be interested to know if there are other themes that you would be interested in developing SIGs for. Please email dawn@karten-network.org.uk with suggestions and ideas for any other ways that we can provide support to Centres.
Hello Everyone and welcome to our Autumn newsletter!
The Karten team has had a wonderful few weeks at the beginning of the new academic year. It really feels as though life is starting to get closer to normal. Recently we have enjoyed visits to a number of Karten Centres for different reasons: to see equipment that was funded by the Ian Karten Charitable Trust either just before or during the pandemic; to visit new Karten Centres for the very first time; the Nuvoic team have been supporting participants to use Voiceitt within their own environments (either living or education). The input of our team has been well received and we are here to help, so if you would welcome support please get in touch. All our contact details are at the end of the newsletter.
Remote working and support has been invaluable during the pandemic, and has many benefits, but in some circumstances you just can’t beat being in the same room as the people you are working with. There are certainly efficiencies and flexibility associated with remote practices and the significant acquisition of digital skills by staff over the last 18 months must be good news. As we move out of the pandemic it is important that these developments and improvements in digital capability are consolidated and sustained. We are keen to know your plans for the people you support, your workforce and your digital infrastructure. How have things changed for your organisation moving forwards? What aspects of remote practice will you retain? What will you be pleased to see go? What implications does this have for your organisation longer term? Are there unanticipated benefits and business opportunities that can now be harnessed? I would value the opportunity to discuss these and other things with Karten Centre leads. Importantly, emerging themes will help me to prioritise and appropriately focus Karten support so that we are maximising impact across the sectors we support. If you have the capacity for a 15 minute conversation please drop me an email.
Enjoy reading the newsletter and if you are about to have a half-term Autumn break I hope you have a truly fabulous time.
We hope you manage to read this before you break up for your summer holiday, although I can hardly believe that we have reached this point in the year, somehow all the seasons seem to have rolled into one due to the you-know-what! Big effort not to mention the P-work from me in this edition. I suppose our holiday plans will be very different this year, but they say home is where the heart is and I’m sure you and the people you support will have a lovely time. I hope you enjoy the articles we have included from our Karten Centres. Thank you to all our wonderful contributors!
A quick reminder about the position regarding accessing further financial support from the Ian Karten Charitable Trust. Unfortunately, there will be no further opportunities for Centres to apply for funding for additional equipment for the remainder of 2021. As soon as I can I will provide an update. In the meantime, you are very welcome to make contact with me to discuss your needs and ideas.
The TechAbility website is a great place to look for Assistive Technology support and guidance. The webinar programme is excellent and the webinar recordings are really useful for staff training sessions. TechAbility also provide a range of training courses which are well worth a look. You can access a list of events here. You can find information here about the TechAbility standards, a great tool for self-evaluation of your AT provision and approach. This year’s TechAbility Conference will be held remotely on 10th November 2021, it promises to be an action packed programme. Karten Centres are entitled to free, bespoke consultancy from TechAbility and TechAbility are also rolling out a Champions programme aimed at developing Assistive Technology skills and capacity across the sectors we support. Please contact dawn@karten-network.org.uk for further information.
This edition feels really special as it is full of examples of what Karten Centres have done as they have journeyed through the pandemic. Through the articles we see examples of organisational determination, resilience, flexibility and motivation to make the very best of the exceptionally challenging circumstances in which we found ourselves. Thank you to all our wonderful contributors!
I have had a number of enquiries recently about accessing further financial support from the Ian Karten Charitable Trust. Unfortunately, there will be no opportunities for Centres to apply for funding for additional equipment for the remainder of 2021.
As we move out of lockdown and restrictions begin to ease, many organisations will reflect on their digital practice and plan services and delivery models for the future. In partnership with Natspec’s TechAbility service we would like to support you with this process. Karten Centres are entitled to free, bespoke consultancy from TechAbility and we are also rolling out a Champions programme aimed at developing Assistive Technology skills and capacity across the sectors we support. Please contact dawn@karten-network.org.uk for further information.
We would like to celebrate and share positive technology stories and plan to develop a set of short video clips and associated how-to guides. If the people you support are using technology in their daily lives and you would be willing to work with us on this project please contact dawn@karten-network.org.uk.
Finally from me, may I take the opportunity to wish you a Happy Passover, Happy Easter or Happy Spring break! It definitely feels as though the winter weather is behind us, and unlike last year, this spring brings with it a sense of hope and optimism that little by little our lives may return to normal.
Stay safe and take care! With every best wish, Dawn
Hello Everyone! Welcome to our first newsletter of 2021. As we are in Lockdown 3 and many of you are supporting your service users remotely, or have blended models in place, I am going to focus on sources of support for our Karten Centres and members of our wider Karten Network. This is a reminder of things that have been shared previously, but many of the resources have been updated in recent weeks.
Support and resources
There are many ways that the Karten Network and others can help you so please don’t be shy, reach out to us and we’ll be delighted to help. The Karten team contact details can be found at the end of the newsletter.
For Karten Centres that are not educational providers, don’t be put off by the use of the term “learning”, many of the resources transfer perfectly into independent living, day care and residential care contexts, there really is something for everyone.
Funding and applications
Many of you have been asking me about applying for Karten funding. Unfortunately, the pandemic has had an impact on the amount of funding that can be allocated to Centres. I will keep you informed about future funding opportunities. In the meantime, I urge you to remain closely involved with the Network as there are many more benefits of engagement in addition to direct financial support.
Ian Karten’s Charitable Trust website
In December 2020, the Trust launched a website to celebrate Ian’s life and legacy. You can also follow the Trust on Twitter @IanKarten.
Centenary Video
The students and staff at New Bridge Group produced a Centenary Video to mark Ian’s 100thyear.
Thank you so much to the students and staff at New Bridge Group for filming the activities in Karten Centres and for producing the video.
Thanks to the following organisations for participating in this project:
Hello Everyone I hope all is as well as it can be with you and yours during these very strange and challenging times. I have remained in close contact with many Karten Centres as the lockdown has progressed, either providing direct support or during our weekly Karten Cuppas. In the face of adversity, your passion, enthusiasm, determination and commitment to do the very best for the people you support have shone above everything else. I have never been prouder to be involved with the Karten Network and the organisations that make it.
Working in partnership with a number of organisations we have been able to provide resources, materials and access to webinars during the lockdown. Thanks particularly to TechAbility (https://www.techability.org.uk/) , Natspec ( https://natspec.org.uk/) and Jisc (https://www.jisc.ac.uk/) for providing timely and authoritative advice and guidance in response to Covid-19 related matters.
We are delighted to introduce Liz Howarth to the Karten Network team, she introduces herself later in the newsletter and introduces the exciting project she is managing.
Over the next few weeks we will be sending out a questionnaire to help us to focus our support for Karten Centres as effectively as possible as we start to get back to something closer to normal. Karten Centres are entitled to free support from myself and Martin Pistorius, please don’t hesitate to contact us at any time. Karten Centres can also access consultancy support from TechAbility.
Huge strides have been made by many organisations in the use of different technology and tech platforms during lockdown. This has been achieved more on a “needs must” than planned basis, but it has enabled many people see what is possible if we seek creative and innovative solutions. Many of those staff members who allegedly could barely turn the computer on to send an email are now Zooming, or using MS Teams like old hands – they have embraced technology and we now need to build on these advances in order to be optimally flexible and agile moving forwards. If you are looking to consolidate on the previous learning and development, I would encourage you to review and update your digital strategy. Reference to the TechAbility standards could inform your planning – https://www.techability.org.uk/techability-standards/
Unfortunately, due to the economic climate we are not currently able to accept applications from Karten Centres to procure additional equipment. I will keep you informed and make sure you are advised of the next funding window. I realise this will be disappointing to some of our Karten Centres who are now in scope for additional funding. Trustees are working diligently to maintain the sustainability of Ian Karten’s incredible legacy and to ensure that they can continue to provide financial support to Karten Centres well into the future. 2020 is Ian Karten’s Centenary year – we had wonderful ideas for Centenary Celebrations later this year but Covid-19 had other plans! We will celebrate 101 in 2021 and look forward to sharing our plans with you.
May I extend my best wishes to you for a safe and healthy summer.
Dawn Green Karten Network and Development Co-ordinator
Hello
Everyone! When I put out my call for contributions for this newsletter
none of us could have imagined that our lives would have changed so much
so quickly.We are of course pleased to be sharing the articles provided
by our Karten Centres and I hope that you enjoy reading them. Perhaps
they will remind us of more normal times!
I
know that you are facing unprecedented challenges within your
organisations and wanted to provide assurance that we are here to help
however we can.
Home Learning Support
Lots
of the people you support will have returned home, or their needs will
now be met within smaller residential groups.We have pulled together a
collection of guidance, tutorials, webinars, specialist software, online
learning and Covid-19 specific easy reads.The materials can be found
here – https://karten-network.org.uk/home-learning-support/ We hope you find this useful and are keen to add other things that you would find useful.
Support for staff
We
are having a weekly Zoom on Thursdays at 11.00 so why not join us for a
#KartenCuppa. Save the slot in your diary and look out for the joining
instructions via email. We’ve only had a couple so far but they have
been really good for problem solving, sharing ideas and just helping if
feeling isolated when working from home.
WorldSkills UK
WorldSkills UK have extended the registration period for National Competitions until 5 May. They believe this is in the best interests of all those involved in WSUK competition and it allows them to relax the time pressure across the UK by giving as many people as possible the chance to be involved in their competitions. This is a one off extension until 5 May 2020.
Please register the people you support on this link for the competitions.
Contact us
We
are more than happy to be contacted by individuals about specific
issues. Don’t hesitate to ask, if we can’t help there is every chance
that we can signpost you to someone who can. Our contact details are at
the end of the newsletter.
Please do all you can to stay safe and well.
Dawn Green Karten Network and Development Co-ordinator
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