Excelling with Dyslexia My Experience. Adele Summers -Team Manager Stockport Adult Safeguarding Service

Introduction I like to think I don’t suffer from dyslexia, I live with it! And the everyday challenges it throws my way. Currently Team Manager within Stockport Council Adult social Care Safeguarding Team. Responsibility for the management of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and chairing complex Adult at Risk Safeguarding meetings.

My Story - the School days Fair to say my school days were not the best experience, I never really excelled academically in high school. Mr Smith’s Maths class. Dreading the group reading in English. My parents being told “it’s just Adele’s hand working too fast for her brain” Being told to rethink my career path by the careers advisor.

My Story-the 6th form college days! The diagnosis of Dyslexia. How I felt. Accepting the support and learning new strategies. Learning to excel!

My Story – the Uni Days! Hard work Lots of tears! Learning new strategies First time I really enjoyed education and believed I could actually prove the careers advisor wrong!

My story- in the work place Sink or swim moment as a newly qualified social worker. Telling co -workers and managers the best thing I ever did! I am now very open about having dyslexia, its part of who I am and has made me who I am. It’s up to you to disclose…

My story- In the work place Equality Act 2010 (replaces DDA 1995) places a positive duty on employers to make reasonable adjustments. Work place assessment. Technology Dyslexia Specific Support https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work/overview

Strengths

Strengths Being able to put the forms to one side and engage with the client. Problem solving skills to work with others to help themselves. Organised – learnt skill! Coping mechanism. Using the difficulties to motivate/ determined.

Strengths -Transferable skills into management role- Ability to see the bigger picture and keep it simple! And not lose sight of the details. Strategic in my thinking. Strengths of investigation in safeguarding. Hands on learning - bring people with me. Require structure and give structure Good at creating efficiency avoid duplication.

Negatives / the down side to dyslexia Embarrassment around people who don’t know Lack of self-confidence Poor memory Anxiety Frustration and anger Extra hours of work/long hours Tiredness Slow to process written word Concentration in the office-hot desking! ARRRRR!

Managing the negatives Realise you’re not alone. Recognise this is how your brain works. Let your managers and co-workers know. Work out what your best time of day is to get the tricky stuff sorted. Ensure a work life balance.

Top Tips! Red on yellow- to help remember! Embrace technology-read-back software /Texhelp/ Dragon Dictate See the funny side! That awkward moment when spell check can’t figure out what you meant! Or spell something, but keep looking and convince yourself it’s wrong! Use technology to help you in your weak areas Delegate Make time for planning Keep it simple- in words of Richard Branson…

Closing Comments Everyone has a strength, Dyslexic or not, you just need some time to find out what it is and take it from there! If you are not willing to learn no one can help you, if you are determined to learn no one can stop you.