Connecting Communities has made or helped commission twenty-four videos and DVDs in the last three years. Five more are already planned for the latter part of 2007. We are presently working on upgrading our equipment to produce video and DVD of a higher quality. We are running a training programme for people with a learning disability to teach them camera crew skills. In our collaborations, we have worked with film and TV production companies in the Highlands and the rest of Scotland.
Not all of what we have produced is available to buy or borrow, since some pieces have been made with a resticted audience or pupose in mind (identified by R below). It is part of our approach to ask for contributors' consent on a limited basis where this will enable them to give frank testimony and retain control over a contribution which is often sensitive or difficult to express. Also, the intended audience may only be private groups such as committees, working parties or professional bodies. In all of these the medium of video is a powerful tool but the end result must be treated as a short-term resource for which control remains with the contributors.
Our list of titles includes:
Getting Aboard:
video about disabled access to trains. Made by Susan Wardlaw, a People First member, about how she negotiated with Scotrail to improve access to her local train service.
7 minutes
Relax: video demonstrating the basics of relaxation. Aimed at carers, this video is part of a resource pack for carers. It is available with other supporting material including audio tapes.
30 minutes
Speaking Out 1:
personal testimony by a forum
member about being both a carer and receiving care
15 minutes
Speaking Out 2-4:
personal testimony from Highland
Users Group members on their
experience of Acute Care, Support Workers, Medication
10-25 minutes
Speaking Out 5:
personal testimony and comments
from Highland Users Group members on the new Mental Health Act
launched in 2004
15 minutes
Speaking Out 6:
personal testimony from Highland Use Group members on employment issues. Currently under review and a follow-up, extended video is planned in the New Year.
15 minutes
Care in the Country:
video describing the work of North & West Sutherland Care Alliance – used as supporting material for funding proposals.
15minutes
Take IT Easy:
a short video summary of the work of HCCF
5 minutes
The Business Plan:
a short video describing the development of the HCCF Business Plan 2005-2008
11 minutes
Carers Testimony:
personal testimony from two people who are carers for people with a mental illness.
11 minutes
Listen to Us!
a video for people with a learning disability for use in developing presentation skill.
12 minutes
Say No To Bullying!
a video made in Thurso by People First Caithness and sixth year students in Thurso High School. It is to be used in training sessions with 2nd and 3rd year pupils.
12 minutes
Same As You Leadership Conference 2005
a video record of the conference which will be used to promote the Leadership Programme as it pursues mainstream funding for future years
15 minutes
RESTRICTED AVAILABILITY
The following pieces of work are not generally released but may be made available for certain purposes on request.
Nice
Work …If You Can Get It: a programme about employment
and mental health. Based on the testimony of Highland Users
Group members, it explores the benefits of a healthy work environment
and the value of having a job in achieving and sustain ing recovery.
Available in the summer of 2007 as part of Scottish Healthy
Working Lives' mental health training programme. R
60 Minutes
Untapped: a
short piece featuring the testimony of young people about what
it means to them to be young carers. It was filmed after the fashion
of a Big Brother Diary Room on a day of music and preformance
workshops held from young carers from across the Highlands. It
features the whole group performing Queen's 'We Are the Champions'
with Nikki from the X-Factor as recorded on the day. R`
22 minutes
Communication Role Play: a role play demonstration of an interview between a Homecarer and a service user. This short video was commissioned by Highland Council Social Work Department for use in training Home Care staff. R
7 minutes
Principles of Good Homecare: personal testimony from an HCCF Network member and his carer on their experience of care services in the home. This video was commissioned by Highland Council Social Work Department for use in training Home Care staff. R
14 minutes
Hearing About Homecare: personal testimony from HCCF Network members on their experience of care services in the home. This video was originally commissioned by Highland Council Social Work Department. R
60 minutes
Assessment for Care: personal testimony from HCCF Network members on their experience of being assessed for community care services. R
15minutes
The following pieces of work are not available for viewing for reasons of confidentiality or anonymity. They are listed here for reference only. We are happy to provide more information about these or similar pieces of work.
Saving Gardener’s Cottage:
about the proposed closure of Gardener’s Cottage, a drop-in centre, for people with mental illness. R
16 minutes
Another Busy Day
a training DVD for use with medical students at Raigmore Hospital. It explores the daily lives of children with profound disabilities to show how rich and complex their lives are when seen outside a narrow clinical perspective. R
45 minutes
A Silent Cry
a DVD exploring self-harm, based on the personal testimony of two HUG members with an introduction by a health professional. This will be part of the 2005 series of Self-harm seminars to be run in Highland from 6th September 2005 for people involved in health, social work, and community care. R
20 minutes
Young Carers Strategy Launch
a DVD of young carers' testimonies about what being a youg carer means to them. It is a series of short sound-bites to camera from several young people and was used to launch the Young Carers Strategy.in Spring 2005 R
5 minutes
