“The 21-year anniversary is a fantastic landmark for ACT yet it’s also a celebration of how theory, practice and safeguarding across all of social care and education has improved and evolved for people with learning disabilities”.
Protecting the vulnerable
ACT began life, in 1992, as NAPSAC (the National Association for the Protection from Sexual Abuse of Adults and Children with Learning Disabilities) founded by Dr Ann Craft to raise the issue of social equality for children and adults with learning disabilities within social care and schools. Above all NAPSAC was created to help organisations better protect some of the most vulnerable people in society through research, training and developing national legislation.
Deborah Kitson added: “Ann was someone who is remembered by so many because of her passion for her work and her generosity, kindness, humour and compassion to those who came in contact with her.”
In 1998 NAPSAC became the Ann Craft Trust in memory of Ann who had died prematurely the year before. Over the last two decades ACT has been instrumental in shaping safeguarding of disabled children and vulnerable adults including Every Disabled Child Matters, Valuing People Now and person centred planning all of which, today, underpins the work professionals across the care and education fields undertake to ensure that those they support are safe and treated with respect and dignity.
Culture of indifference
ACT’s newest patron, Kate Spicer, is a writer and filmmaker who recently made the critically acclaimed documentary Mission to Lars about her brother Tom who has Fragile X Syndrome and his attempts to meet Lars Ulrich from Metallica with help from Kate and their sibling Will Spicer.
About the 21st Celebrations Kate said: “With cuts threatening services and key watchdogs across the country, and a culture of indifference all too frequently in education, police and the NHS, among others, it is important to get together and share experiences and hatch great schemes about things we are all passionate about. Where better to let the ideas fly than a dinner. Hence, I'm looking forward to the ACT anniversary dinner.”
On June 14 the Ann Craft Trust celebrates 21 years of helping to shape safeguarding across the United Kingdom with a celebration dinner at the East Midlands Conference Centre. If you would like more information about the work ACT currently does or about the remarkable achievements of Dr Ann Craft please contact matthew.parr@nottingham.ac.uk
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