January 20, 2025 • 14 mins
The Advocacy fellows are live at Queens University Belfast at the annual Learning Disabilities Conference hosted by Helen Laverty and Positive Choices. Positive Choices is led by Helen Laverty, Professional Lead for learning disability & mental health nursing at the University of Nottingham.
Collectively, Positive Choices is the biggest social network/community of practice for student nurses, registered nurses, people with a learning disability and those who love them across the five nations.
Helen describes herself as passionate about making sure people with a learning disablity get what others would typically take for granted. The Fellows ask her what got her into learning disability nursing and importantly, what pets does she have!
Want to know more about Learning Disability Nursing?
Email Helen at: Helen.laverty@nottingham.ac.uk
--
Discover Voices (c) 2024, a production by registered charity, disAbility Cornwall & Isles of Scilly
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Good morning, everyone, at home.
And we are currently in Ireland.
Welcome back to another podcastwith the Advocacy Fellows.
Today we are interviewingthe wonderful had a handover to today.
So hopefully you can sitback, relax and enjoy the show.
And my name is Angelina.
(00:23):
I'm one of the advocacy fellows
and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
We are The Advocacy Fellows voicing for
and empowering young adults with learning
(00:43):
disabilities.
Helen Would you mind introducing yourself
and telling us a bit more about yourself?
Wow, what a thing.
Hey, so my name is Helen Laverty, andI have a number of hats I wear and tiaras.
(01:05):
So what can I tell you about myself?
So I'm a learning disability nurseand have been a learning
disability nurse for nearly 40 years.
Really? So I'm very old
and I facilitate.
So that means I pull together the PositiveChoices conference every year.
But one of the things that I ammost proud of
(01:28):
and most honouredis that I was asked to be
part of the patron teamfor time to shine and for CAAP
so have a strong associationand everybody calls you Helen Shiners!
So that's me.
Okay,
(01:50):
Our viewers at home like to know.
What do you prefer to be called?
Helen Laverty or Helen shiners?
so Helen Laverty or Helen Shine as well.
John's not here,
and I've only been married to himfor 37 years, so I'll stay with Helen.
Shiners... Is that okay?
Yeah.
Thank you, sweetheart. on with. Hello?
Do you like your job?
(02:11):
Well, some days I love my job.
I don't want you to
think that I wake up every morningand saying, Whoopee, do.
I'm going to work.
Because there aresome days that I want to just lay in bed.
But I would never do anything different.
I love to teach student nurses.
And the reason that I dowhat I do is to make sure that people
(02:34):
with a learning disabilityget what you and I take for granted.
And that can be as simple as a smile
or just people seeing the people to learnsomething.
We've got so much to offerand make the most amazing friends.
So I'll tell you a little storyabout somebody with a learning disability,
(02:54):
sat in this roombeing an amazing friend to me.
When we went to Geneva.
Who went to Geneva with me? yes, Harley.
No, only did Harley.
You might want to edit this.
I don't know,
but Harley found me a corkscrewto open a bottle of wine,
so we had to go to Lidl to buy
because we couldn't affordthe wine in the cafe, in the restaurant.
(03:16):
But I had a fall when we were in Geneva,and Harley looked after me
like I was a princess and saw that
Harley is always goingto be one of my best friends.
Have you got any animals?
I don't have any chickens.
(03:37):
No, but...
in our garden at home, John.
Because you all know John, my husband.
He's a beekeeper.
So we have hives of bees.
And up until last year, our two pussycats.
But they decidedthat they wanted to live outside,
(03:58):
so they still comeand feed by the back door,
but they don't live inside anymore.
Now, Annie, my daughter, who you've met,
she's got a dog called Minnie,
so I'm a bit of a share in Minnie.
Does that count?
What is your favourite animal and why?
(04:20):
Make sure you smash the big thumbs upand hit the red subscribe button below!
What's my favourite animal?
Well,
I don't know really.
I like unicorns,but some people say they don't exist.
I think they do.
Do you know what Jack...
You've got me stumped.
I don't know what my favourite animals I.
(04:42):
I like cats.
I like dogs.
I wouldn't really want to own a dog myselfbecause I'm not very good
with paper bags in my pocketand that sort of thing.
I didonce think I would have some ducks but
there's a lot of slimypoo involved with ducks.
So if I have a unicornbecause people think they don't exist,
(05:03):
I guess I would say a cat.
Why did you want to become a disabilitynurse?
very good.
So it's a bit of a long story, Ashleigh.
So when I was 14, long
before any of you were born,
(05:23):
I went on a placement at schoolto a a special school
and I used to go there on a Wednesdayand I was in a class.
Well, it's in a classroom with lotsof little people, all sort of under six
and I couldn't understand
why some boys and girlswent home in taxes to mums and dads,
(05:45):
and those boys and girls had really nicesocks.
Socks are important,were very important to my mum.
But then there were boys and girlswho went home with nurses and they didn't
have very nice socks on that socksthat looked like they'd been washed too.
The colour of chewing gum.
And I asked if I could goand see where these boys and girls lived.
(06:09):
So it was arrangedthat I would go and see them.
And the boys and girls had a lovely time
and they were really well looked after,but I decided that was it.
I knew I could make a difference
and I was going to make a differenceand that's what I did.
And I've worked, nursedlots of boys and girls in my time
(06:31):
and nobody, nobody has ever..
has worn socks that look likethey've been washed with chewing gum.
Where is my JD?
It's a bit early.
The bar's not open, but Harleyand I've had quite a few times
when we've been in the pub and way.
Yeah, and Harleyis one of the most generous people
(06:54):
I've met because I remember walking downthe stairs in the hotel in St Ives
when Harley was to be a shine as graduateand his at his graduation.
And he said, I'm not old enough togo to the bar, Helen, but I've got money.
Can I buy you a gin?
And that was perfect.
(07:16):
are your cats called?
So we've got two catsthat live in the garden.
One called me, me and one called Milo,and they were rescued.
Cats. They were.And they were what I call feral cats.
So before they came to live at our house,Matthew, they'd never lived in a house.
And they were okay for a little while.
But then they chose to live outside.
(07:38):
I have a very big gardenand they're very spoilt
because they go through the cat flapand they've got a heated
blanket on the shelf.
No heated blanket to sleep onwhen it's cold.
So two cats, no dogs
What colour are you two cats?
(07:58):
So Mimi is black and white and Milo
is a big ginger Tom.
anyone influence youto become a disability nurse?
And if so, who was it and why?
So it was all the boys and girlsthat I met
at somewhere that was called the Carltonand Digby School.
It was them that influenced mebecause at the time
(08:21):
to be a teacher in special education,
you had to teach in mainstreamschool first and then do another course.
And I didn't want to wait that longto start making a difference for people.
So it was those boys and girlsthat made a difference
but have lots of heroeswho are learning disability nurses.
There's a lady in the other roomcalled Debra Moore...
(08:41):
She's a big hero of mine.
You ready?
You've got to show.
You've got a show Ruaryyour beautiful face.
Put your head up.
To say (08:51):
what do you like to eat?
What do I like to eat?
Well, I've been a bit naughty this morningbecause I had a cake.
Have you been to the teddy bear stall?
Because this cake.
So I'd cake from a breakfast
dinner like cake for your breakfast.
(09:11):
And I didn't have time for me.
Sausage sandwich.
My most
one of my most favouritethings is an egg and cress sandwich
on white bread with a packet of saltand vinegar crisps.
I really like that.
And whilst you're here, you need tomake sure that you buy a packet of crisps
called Tato's cheese and onion flavourbecause they are game changers.
(09:36):
Sorry, that's advertising.
I like fish and chips.
I don't like bananas.
Is that okay?
Why dont you like bananas?
When I was a little girl, I don't rememberus having bananas at home.
We missed it, but I don't remember.
And we went for tea to an aunty’s housewho didn't have any children.
(09:59):
And I saw this banana and my the demiseThat's a good Nottingham.
It complained and complaineduntil I was given this banana.
But she was the sort of personthat if you didn't eat everything
she would be cross.
And I expected this banana to be crunchyand it wasn’t and I didn't like even
now I don't like that sort of craggy tasteif something's not crunchy
(10:24):
and they made me eat it alland then I was sick on her shoes.
So there we go
on a daily.
I don't even like the smell of them.
What is your favourite hobby?
Well, hobby...
I love to read
and if I have a spare 10 minutesI would sit and read.
(10:48):
But I don't mean this to sound offensive.
But do you know what you'remy favourite hobby
because I love to be with the shiners.
I love to take the shinersto places with me and I love to make sure
that people give you the chance to shineand see you shine.
(11:09):
I guess the second part is my favourite
hobby is a my best job inthe world is being a granny.
I love being a granny
and the certain
question is what is your favourite colour?
my favourite colour is pink
(11:31):
to make the boys wink.
But no, I do live even though I'm wearing.
I don't know what you'd call this today,but I do like pink very much.
I know you love a rainbow, don't you?
And in my car.
Not in this country, but in my car.
Back in England.
I've got some more Rainbow fans,which I will say for you.
What advice would you give to
(11:55):
people who want to become a learningdisability nurse?
So what advice would you give to anybodywho wants to be a learning
disability nurse?
Firstly, don't let anybody get in your way
and don't let anybody saythat you're not clever enough
to let anybody say that you're not
(12:16):
well enough because there are all sortsof different routes.
You don't have to go downa university route.
You can go down the apprenticeshiproute, you can look at
doing a care assistant work.
But anybody that's watching the podcast
(12:37):
that wants to be a learning disabilitynurse, get in contact with me.
You can have my email address,ask the shiners.
They'll tell you how to get hold of me
or follow me on Twitter,which is called X now, isn't it?
So my Twitter handle is @Helen_Lavertysay be careful where you put they are
because it's Laverty not laboratory
(13:02):
If you as an author,what books would you write?
know what Jack I.
I like fairy stories I like one of my mostfavourite stories is the far away tree.
So I love all of those sort of things.
I would write stories, no magic like J.K.
Rowling, but that sort of adventure.
(13:25):
Where is the conference next year.
So next year we're going to Winchester.
So that's not so far for you to traveland we will be in Winchester on.
I think it's the 10thand 11th of April, but
it might be the 11th and 12th, butI may show you there on the right days.
Don't worry, I'll make sureI'm there on the right days as well.
(13:46):
So on behalf of Helen Laverty
and all Shinerswe all, like to say a big thank you,
and we will see you next time for anotherpodcast.
So we say good bye.
This video was produced by Discover
(14:08):
Voices, part of Disability,Cornwall and Isles of Scilly.
To check out all of our contentsimply search Discover voices on YouTube.
Good morning, everyone, at home.
And we are currently in Ireland.
Welcome back to another podcastwith the Advocacy Fellows.
Today we are interviewingthe wonderful had a handover to today.
So hopefully you can sitback, relax and enjoy the show.
And my name is Angelina.
(00:23):
I'm one of the advocacy fellows
and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
We are The Advocacy Fellows voicing for
and empowering young adults with learning
(00:43):
disabilities.
Helen Would you mind introducing yourself
and telling us a bit more about yourself?
Wow, what a thing.
Hey, so my name is Helen Laverty, andI have a number of hats I wear and tiaras.
(01:05):
So what can I tell you about myself?
So I'm a learning disability nurseand have been a learning
disability nurse for nearly 40 years.
Really? So I'm very old
and I facilitate.
So that means I pull together the PositiveChoices conference every year.
But one of the things that I ammost proud of
(01:28):
and most honouredis that I was asked to be
part of the patron teamfor time to shine and for CAAP
so have a strong associationand everybody calls you Helen Shiners!
So that's me.
Okay,
(01:50):
Our viewers at home like to know.
What do you prefer to be called?
Helen Laverty or Helen shiners?
so Helen Laverty or Helen Shine as well.
John's not here,
and I've only been married to himfor 37 years, so I'll stay with Helen.
Shiners... Is that okay?
Yeah.
Thank you, sweetheart. on with. Hello?
Do you like your job?
(02:11):
Well, some days I love my job.
I don't want you to
think that I wake up every morningand saying, Whoopee, do.
I'm going to work.
Because there aresome days that I want to just lay in bed.
But I would never do anything different.
I love to teach student nurses.
And the reason that I dowhat I do is to make sure that people
(02:34):
with a learning disabilityget what you and I take for granted.
And that can be as simple as a smile
or just people seeing the people to learnsomething.
We've got so much to offerand make the most amazing friends.
So I'll tell you a little storyabout somebody with a learning disability,
(02:54):
sat in this roombeing an amazing friend to me.
When we went to Geneva.
Who went to Geneva with me? yes, Harley.
No, only did Harley.
You might want to edit this.
I don't know,
but Harley found me a corkscrewto open a bottle of wine,
so we had to go to Lidl to buy
because we couldn't affordthe wine in the cafe, in the restaurant.
(03:16):
But I had a fall when we were in Geneva,and Harley looked after me
like I was a princess and saw that
Harley is always goingto be one of my best friends.
Have you got any animals?
I don't have any chickens.
(03:37):
No, but...
in our garden at home, John.
Because you all know John, my husband.
He's a beekeeper.
So we have hives of bees.
And up until last year, our two pussycats.
But they decidedthat they wanted to live outside,
(03:58):
so they still comeand feed by the back door,
but they don't live inside anymore.
Now, Annie, my daughter, who you've met,
she's got a dog called Minnie,
so I'm a bit of a share in Minnie.
Does that count?
What is your favourite animal and why?
(04:20):
Make sure you smash the big thumbs upand hit the red subscribe button below!
What's my favourite animal?
Well,
I don't know really.
I like unicorns,but some people say they don't exist.
I think they do.
Do you know what Jack...
You've got me stumped.
I don't know what my favourite animals I.
(04:42):
I like cats.
I like dogs.
I wouldn't really want to own a dog myselfbecause I'm not very good
with paper bags in my pocketand that sort of thing.
I didonce think I would have some ducks but
there's a lot of slimypoo involved with ducks.
So if I have a unicornbecause people think they don't exist,
(05:03):
I guess I would say a cat.
Why did you want to become a disabilitynurse?
very good.
So it's a bit of a long story, Ashleigh.
So when I was 14, long
before any of you were born,
(05:23):
I went on a placement at schoolto a a special school
and I used to go there on a Wednesdayand I was in a class.
Well, it's in a classroom with lotsof little people, all sort of under six
and I couldn't understand
why some boys and girlswent home in taxes to mums and dads,
(05:45):
and those boys and girls had really nicesocks.
Socks are important,were very important to my mum.
But then there were boys and girlswho went home with nurses and they didn't
have very nice socks on that socksthat looked like they'd been washed too.
The colour of chewing gum.
And I asked if I could goand see where these boys and girls lived.
(06:09):
So it was arrangedthat I would go and see them.
And the boys and girls had a lovely time
and they were really well looked after,but I decided that was it.
I knew I could make a difference
and I was going to make a differenceand that's what I did.
And I've worked, nursedlots of boys and girls in my time
(06:31):
and nobody, nobody has ever..
has worn socks that look likethey've been washed with chewing gum.
Where is my JD?
It's a bit early.
The bar's not open, but Harleyand I've had quite a few times
when we've been in the pub and way.
Yeah, and Harleyis one of the most generous people
(06:54):
I've met because I remember walking downthe stairs in the hotel in St Ives
when Harley was to be a shine as graduateand his at his graduation.
And he said, I'm not old enough togo to the bar, Helen, but I've got money.
Can I buy you a gin?
And that was perfect.
(07:16):
are your cats called?
So we've got two catsthat live in the garden.
One called me, me and one called Milo,and they were rescued.
Cats. They were.And they were what I call feral cats.
So before they came to live at our house,Matthew, they'd never lived in a house.
And they were okay for a little while.
But then they chose to live outside.
(07:38):
I have a very big gardenand they're very spoilt
because they go through the cat flapand they've got a heated
blanket on the shelf.
No heated blanket to sleep onwhen it's cold.
So two cats, no dogs
What colour are you two cats?
(07:58):
So Mimi is black and white and Milo
is a big ginger Tom.
anyone influence youto become a disability nurse?
And if so, who was it and why?
So it was all the boys and girlsthat I met
at somewhere that was called the Carltonand Digby School.
It was them that influenced mebecause at the time
(08:21):
to be a teacher in special education,
you had to teach in mainstreamschool first and then do another course.
And I didn't want to wait that longto start making a difference for people.
So it was those boys and girlsthat made a difference
but have lots of heroeswho are learning disability nurses.
There's a lady in the other roomcalled Debra Moore...
(08:41):
She's a big hero of mine.
You ready?
You've got to show.
You've got a show Ruaryyour beautiful face.
Put your head up.
To say (08:51):
what do you like to eat?
What do I like to eat?
Well, I've been a bit naughty this morningbecause I had a cake.
Have you been to the teddy bear stall?
Because this cake.
So I'd cake from a breakfast
dinner like cake for your breakfast.
(09:11):
And I didn't have time for me.
Sausage sandwich.
My most
one of my most favouritethings is an egg and cress sandwich
on white bread with a packet of saltand vinegar crisps.
I really like that.
And whilst you're here, you need tomake sure that you buy a packet of crisps
called Tato's cheese and onion flavourbecause they are game changers.
(09:36):
Sorry, that's advertising.
I like fish and chips.
I don't like bananas.
Is that okay?
Why dont you like bananas?
When I was a little girl, I don't rememberus having bananas at home.
We missed it, but I don't remember.
And we went for tea to an aunty’s housewho didn't have any children.
(09:59):
And I saw this banana and my the demiseThat's a good Nottingham.
It complained and complaineduntil I was given this banana.
But she was the sort of personthat if you didn't eat everything
she would be cross.
And I expected this banana to be crunchyand it wasn’t and I didn't like even
now I don't like that sort of craggy tasteif something's not crunchy
(10:24):
and they made me eat it alland then I was sick on her shoes.
So there we go
on a daily.
I don't even like the smell of them.
What is your favourite hobby?
Well, hobby...
I love to read
and if I have a spare 10 minutesI would sit and read.
(10:48):
But I don't mean this to sound offensive.
But do you know what you'remy favourite hobby
because I love to be with the shiners.
I love to take the shinersto places with me and I love to make sure
that people give you the chance to shineand see you shine.
(11:09):
I guess the second part is my favourite
hobby is a my best job inthe world is being a granny.
I love being a granny
and the certain
question is what is your favourite colour?
my favourite colour is pink
(11:31):
to make the boys wink.
But no, I do live even though I'm wearing.
I don't know what you'd call this today,but I do like pink very much.
I know you love a rainbow, don't you?
And in my car.
Not in this country, but in my car.
Back in England.
I've got some more Rainbow fans,which I will say for you.
What advice would you give to
(11:55):
people who want to become a learningdisability nurse?
So what advice would you give to anybodywho wants to be a learning
disability nurse?
Firstly, don't let anybody get in your way
and don't let anybody saythat you're not clever enough
to let anybody say that you're not
(12:16):
well enough because there are all sortsof different routes.
You don't have to go downa university route.
You can go down the apprenticeshiproute, you can look at
doing a care assistant work.
But anybody that's watching the podcast
(12:37):
that wants to be a learning disabilitynurse, get in contact with me.
You can have my email address,ask the shiners.
They'll tell you how to get hold of me
or follow me on Twitter,which is called X now, isn't it?
So my Twitter handle is @Helen_Lavertysay be careful where you put they are
because it's Laverty not laboratory
(13:02):
If you as an author,what books would you write?
know what Jack I.
I like fairy stories I like one of my mostfavourite stories is the far away tree.
So I love all of those sort of things.
I would write stories, no magic like J.K.
Rowling, but that sort of adventure.
(13:25):
Where is the conference next year.
So next year we're going to Winchester.
So that's not so far for you to traveland we will be in Winchester on.
I think it's the 10thand 11th of April, but
it might be the 11th and 12th, butI may show you there on the right days.
Don't worry, I'll make sureI'm there on the right days as well.
(13:46):
So on behalf of Helen Laverty
and all Shinerswe all, like to say a big thank you,
and we will see you next time for anotherpodcast.
So we say good bye.
This video was produced by Discover
(14:08):
Voices, part of Disability,Cornwall and Isles of Scilly.
To check out all of our contentsimply search Discover voices on YouTube.
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