About Us
Hello and welcome to the Candi site. We hope that you will like the sound of our group and we look forward to welcoming you to our meetings.
Our Committee
Chair: Fiona Hick
Secretary: Suzy Blackburn
Treasurer: Jackie Thompson
Sarah Fieldhouse
Helen Barnes
Parent Participation Officer : Linda Stubbs
CANDI Constitution
Please click here to view the CANDI constitution.
Our new constitution was voted in by members at the CANDI AGM on 22nd March 2011. These changes have been made to bring the CANDI Constitution in line with Charity Commission Guidelines.
Social Model of Disability
The social model of disability is the way of thinking that shows the values, beliefs and therefore ways of working by our organisation. This explanation of disability sees disabled children as unique individuals and it challenges negative labeling. The social model accepts categories of difference, but rejects our children being seen in abnormal terms. Inclusion lies at the heart of the social model of disability and Candi's aim is to educate others to allow our children's full inclusion in society.
Please have a look at the social model of disability.
A word from the Chair -
I am delighted to be the new chair of Candi and aim to further the hard work and commitment which has gone before me. My own personal experience of impairment and disability, and an affiliation to the social model of disability, informs a very real commitment to the rights of disabled children. This means that our children have the right to be respected and accepted for who they are. It means they have a right to positive relationships with peers, good experiences in schools and further education; where their potential is fully realised. It means they should have acceptable experiences of the healthcare system where they are merely considered different to others, and not seen in abnormal terms. Lastly, it means a commitment to ensuring that disabled children live in families that are not weighed down with the unrelenting stresses that relate to disability inequality.
Despite the very real pressures faced on a day-to-day basis, the parents of disabled children undoubtedly play a significant role in changing attitudes and influencing services. Parents have first-hand experience of where services fail to meet their child's needs and where their child's dignity is put at risk of being threatened. Candi values the help of parents who feel able to input into service delivery via their involvement in strategic groups and disability equality training. Here a real difference is made for our children, by raising awareness amongst professionals of how their services can be disabling for our children. York’s statutory and voluntary agencies are keen to hear what parents have to say about the services they offer; making partnership working the best way forward for us
Valuing social networks and peer support that evolve within the Candi group will also continue to be a priority for us. Parents talk about the value of sharing with others and it is important that these relationships are supported and nurtured, with Candi continuing to grow in numbers by welcoming other families into the Candi community. Overall, and by whichever way parents choose to be involved, our aim is to make a real and positive difference for families where there is a disabled child.