Accrington charity DanceSyndrome launch film series with NHS

DanceSyndrome was commissioned by NHS England to create some short, informational videos which demonstrate that people with learning disabilities can live fulfilled lives when given the right support.

The videos also show how fulfilling and rewarding it can be to work as a learning disability nurse.

The film series has been released as part of inclusion week (September 23 – 29), a national campaign to raise awareness about the need for greater inclusion in the workplace. The campaign theme for 2024 is ‘impact matters’ which is about how each one of us holds the potential to make a profound and positive impact in our workplace.

This aligns with DanceSyndrome’s mission to transform lives by creating change and opportunities for people with and Down’s syndrome and other learning disabilities, using inclusive dance as a vehicle to challenge perceptions around disability in a unique, ground-breaking way which doesn't exist anywhere else.

DanceSyndrome dance leader, Jodie Turner, is introduced in one the NHS England films.

Jodie and her parents discuss the vital need for learning disability nurses in Jodie’s life, and they introduce viewers to Alice Waddington, who was a trainee nurse when she first met Jodie.

Alice is now a fully qualified learning disability nurse. The video shows a day in her life and viewers get to see how much she enjoys her role.

The series also introduces a number of other nurses who also speak about their passion for the job, their personal reasons for choosing a career in nursing and why it is such an important part of who they are.

DanceSyndrome managing director Julie Nicholson said:"When NHS England came to us with this project, we were really excited to get involved.

“One of the most important parts of our mission is to change the way that people think about people with learning disabilities and what they can achieve with the right support.

“We know how important it is to get that support right in all aspects of a person’s life, so we truly value the role of learning disability nurses and the significant impact that they can have through their career.

"We hope that the films highlight the importance of supporting people with learning disabilities and why it’s important that we work towards a society that is truly inclusive and accessible.

“We are proud of the films because you can clearly see what good care looks like, how passionate people in the profession are and you can truly understand why we need more people to become learning disability nurses.

"DanceSyndrome has always aspired to extend our inclusive practices and impact beyond the dance world and into society in general and we hope that these films will inspire people to think about a career working with people with learning disabilities.

"What better time to do this than during the national inclusion week campaign?" 

Jodie Turner and Alice Waddington (Image: DanceSyndrome) Ellie Gordon, senior nurse for learning disability and mental health in the national Workforce, Training and Education Directorate, said: "I do hope these films will support people with learning disabilities by inspiring people to think about a career working with people with learning disabilities and highlight why it is so important that we create a truly inclusive society.

“DanceSyndrome takes a unique and totally different approach to co-production where people who don't have a learning disability lead the work and involve those with a learning disability. The videos that have been created speak not only to people with learning disabilities but also to learning disability nurses.”

DanceSyndrome's ethos is that disability should never be a barrier to following your dreams. All DanceSyndrome sessions are co-produced, with people with learning disabilities taking visible dance leader roles to inspire people to see what can be achieved when we all become more inclusive.

Each dancer leader works in partnership with a professional dance artist to co-produce high quality inclusive dance sessions for people with and without disabilities to enjoy together. The dance leaders are all visible members of their communities, who can regularly be seen leading workshops, dance performances and community activities.

The videos can be viewed on YouTube on the ‘DanceSyndrome’ channel. To find out more about DanceSyndrome and their inspirational work, visit www.dancesyndrome.co.uk.