How did SSWG start?

The provision of wheelchairs and seating for disabled people involves a variety of professionals and it is of great importance that there is effective communication between them. In 1987 a core group of 6 met to consider how improvements might be made in the following areas:-
1. Systems for  provision of services.
2. Research, development and evaluation.
3. Education.
4. Information Systems.
5. Exchange and sharing of information between professional staff.
6. Representation of consensus opinion on such matters as policy, clinical practice and funding.
7. Integration of Scottish activities.

Meetings

It was decided to increase the core group to 9, selected to give a broad spread of professional and geographical representation. The first seminar was held in May 1988 in Glasgow  on ‘State of the Art’ to which all those known to have a professional interest in wheelchairs and seating in Scotland were invited.  114 attended and there was strong support for the formation of what came to be known as The Scottish Seating and Wheelchair Group (SSWG) and since then there have been an extensive range of meetings as listed below.

1.  February 1989 ‘Organisation and Finance of the Scottish Seating and Wheelchair Service, Edinburgh.
2. September, 1989. ‘Seating Review’ and Inaugural AGM, Dundee.
3. February, 1990. ‘Product Liability and Patient Care’ Stirling.
4. September, 1990 ‘Seating and Wheelchairs for Children’ & AGM, Glasgow. 130 delegates.
5. May,1991. ’Sports, Lightweight and Powered Wheelchairs’ ,Glasgow.
6. November, 1991. ‘Seating and Wheelchairs for Elderly People’ and AGM, Perth.
7. May, 1992 ‘Transportation of Wheelchairs and their Users’, Dundee, 113 delegates.
8. November, 1992. ‘Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy and Motor Neurone Disease: Rapidly Changing Seating and Wheelchair Needs.’ and AGM, Glasgow, 120 delegates.
9. May, 1993. ‘Building Design and Adaptation for Wheelchair Access’, Stirling, 88 delegates.
10. November, 1993 ’Pressure Sores and Seating Management’ and AGM, Crieff.
11. April, 1994. ‘Wheelchairs and Seating for Children’ Perth, 148 delegates.
12. November, 1994 ’Spinal Injury’ and AGM, Glasgow, 87 delegates.
13. April, 1995 ‘Biomechanical Principles in Seating and Back Pain’ Dundee, 86 delegates.
14. November, 1995 ‘Lifting and Handling’ and AGM, Livingston, 118 delegates.
15. April, 1996 ’Static Seating’ Perth, 99 delegates.
16. November, 1996 ‘Review of ALAC Services’ and AGM, Dundee, 64 delegates.
17. April, 1997 ‘Stroke-Restoring  Mobility and Function’ (in collaboration with Scottish Society of Rehabilitation) Dundee,    168 delegates.
18. September, 1997. Involvement in ‘Dundee ‘97’ Major International Seating and Wheelchair Conference. AGM held during this.
19. April, 1998 ‘Seating and Wheelchairs for Children’, Stirling, 94 delegates.
20. November, 1998 ‘Powered Wheelchairs’ and AGM, Kirkcaldy, 73 delegates.
21. April, 1999. ‘Are We Really Progressing Towards an Enabling Environment’ (in collaboration with the Scottish Society of Rehabilitation) Dundee, 79 delegates.
22. November, 1999 Tenth Anniversary Conference ‘Seating and Wheelchairs-Past, Present and Future....!’ and AGM. 2 day conference covering a range of topics, Pitlochry, 106 delegates.
23. April, 2000 ‘Accessible Transport’ Perth, 81 delegates.
24. November, 2000 Collaboration with the British Society of Rehabilitation in a 2 day Conference in Glasgow on a range of topics, AGM held during this.
25. May, 2001 ‘Postural Management’, Stirling, 104 delegates.
26. November, 2001 2nd 2 day conference on a range of subjects, including workshops and a research forum, and the AGM, Pitlochry, 92 delegates.

Newsletter

The 1st issue of the Newsletter was produced in 1993 and it has been published on a regular basis since. It is a very impressive publication and helps to fulfil the Group’s aim of Education. It includes articles describing developments in the world of seating and wheelchairs, reports on conferences (SSWG and others), notes on the activities of SSWG and its subgroups, and advertisements re forthcoming meetings.

Sub-Groups, ScotRET and RETSAG.

In 1993 a special meeting of SSWG was held to look at service issues such as buggies, cushions and indoor and outdoor powered wheelchairs. From this the first Sub-Group of SSWG was developed, the Service Sub-Group which was formed in 1995. It  met regularly to discuss service issues and systems for the provision of service.   In 1997 the SSWG service Sub-Group accepted an invitation to participate in the Scottish Rehabilitation Technology Provider’s Forum (ScotRET).  The Service Sub-Group of SSWG was the model for the ScotRET Sub-Groups and the SSWG Service Sub-Group forms the Wheelchair Sub-Group of ScotRET.

 In 1996 the Education Sub-Group was formed, with the aim of improving and co-ordinating education on the subjects of wheelchairs and seating for therapists throughout Scotland.  This Group met regularly but has so far made little progress due to lack of resources, though funding sources are still being actively sought.

In 1997, largely through pressure from SSWG, the Scottish Office formed the Rehabilitation Technology Services Advisory Group (RETSAG). This Group has a role in forging links between the policy-makers, the service commissioners and the providers.  SSWG  had an important input into this Group since its inception.

In 1998 the Benchmarking Sub-Group of SSWG was formed, made up of representatives of service providers and service commissioners. Its first aim was to collect data on Service Demand and Service Outcome from as many services as possible. The first Report of aggregated data of service activities was produced in 2001 through RETIS.

 In 2001 following the meeting in Stirling on ‘Postural Management’ a Postural Management Sub-Group was established, with representatives from around Scotland, to look at this important aspect of the service in detail.

Professional Development Fund.

In 2000 money from the main SSWG Fund was set aside for use as a Professional Development Fund. Those who have been members of SSWG for at least a year can apply for a contribution towards the cost of setting up a Research Project on a seating or wheelchair topic, attending a major conference on seating or wheelchairs or taking a further qualification relevant to seating or wheelchairs. The application is made in writing and the applicant must have already requested funding for this from the employer. Recipients of these awards must submit a written report summarising the work/conference to the awarding body( the SSWG Committee) and these reports may be published in the newsletter. Recipients may also be requested to present their work at a subsequent SSWG Meeting.

Links with Posture and Mobility Group.

After collaboration with The Posture and Mobility Group at ‘Dundee ‘97’ the link between the two Groups was strengthened in 2001 when the PMG started to send an observer to the SSWG Committee meetings.  A reciprocal arrangement started in 2002.  The two Groups have many areas of common interest although viewed from different perspectives.  Recently, the two groups collaborated on the International conference held at Exeter in 2005.

Formation of the Scottish Posture and Mobility Network.

In 2005, the SSWG committee consulted the membership on the future direction, purpose, and name of the group, via a ‘Listening Event’, entitled ‘Opportunities and Change?’
Options for SSWG of, the status quo, a wider remit, the coup de grace, and a campaigning role for users of services, were discussed (introductory presentation slides click here ).
As a result, a clear view was established that SSWG should widen its remit away from a focus on NHS wheelchair and seating services, and that membership from social work departments, community services, the voluntary sector, care homes, the commercial sector and users of services should be actively sought.    It was also resolved that the group should aim to establish links with other groups sharing similar aims.   It was also decided that the name should be changed.     Changes to the constitution and name were endorsed by a postal ballot of the membership.
The change to ‘Posture and Mobility’ rather than ‘Seating and Wheelchairs’ marks a move towards consideration of the area as a whole, and a focus on people rather than equipment.  The change from ‘Group’ to ‘Network’ marks our aim to be an inclusive organisation with a diverse membership.  The Scottish focus remains, both in the name and in the activities of the organisation.