Catherine Carter is the Service Quality Director for Thera North. She recently spoke with Community Living magazine about her experiences.
It’s all through who you know. It’s a small world. They [Thera] were already speaking with a friend of mine. My friend spoke to them about me taking on a new role at Thera and they expressed an interest in speaking to me and reached out.
Catherine has an extensive background in advocacy. and believes in using her time to benefit the lives of people with a learning disability. She sees this opportunity to speak publicly as a key part of that mission.
This is important because you can become a role model. People with a learning disability are never role models, or if they are its because they become famous. People unknown aren’t seen as leaders or role models and that’s what I am trying to change. That’s what this Service Quality Director role is about. It’s vital that we are seen and not pushed away for us to be able to do our jobs, but also to live in society.
The concept of showing leadership and being a role model in her community is important to Catherine due to her own past experiences.
Having a learning disability you are always told no. You can’t do this or that. I very much want to show people who are going through what I went through that they can do. There are possibilities available to you you are being told aren’t there. Its making a good thing come from a bad thing.
Catherine’s passion to build fairer communities is nothing new. In 2018 she won Mencap’s inaugural activist of the year award.
Catherine has been at Thera North for just over a year now and has been instrumental in monitoring support and ensuring freedom of choice, and quality of life, for the people that Thera North supports.
Catherine is also representing Thera North to external bodies within the learning disability, and health and social care sectors. Tomorrow, she attends a meeting with the Learning Disability and Autism Partnership Board in Blackburn which looks at promoting the rights of, and educating people around the North West about, people with a learning disability.
My real goal is just continuing to build relationships with the people that we support. That’s how I know I’m making an impact and doing my job well.
Read Catherine’s interview with Community Living by clicking here