By Eileen Keddie, Head of Operational Services – East

When considering anniversaries, 35 years of Sense Scotland seems quite remarkable. What a journey the organisation has had. It led me to reflect on my own journey.

It’s 35 years this year since I left school and began a very long career working within the care sector. I know what you’re thinking: “This can’t be possible, she looks so young!” but yes, I am that old!

I worked in a special school, where all children with a learning disability (regardless of need) went to be educated. Some thought that a curriculum for learning wasn’t needed for this group of children, some thought it was a waste of time to even try.

However, I met the most remarkable young people who convinced me that every life has a value, every person has a dream and every dream can come true. Over the next 18 years of my career I worked in a variety of settings both in the statutory and voluntary sector. Residential care, community work, advocacy services, family support – I did most things.  

In 2002, a man called Paul Hart made contact with the organisation I was working for at the time and asked if we would be interested in getting involved with a joint funding application to develop communication training for staff. I linked directly with Paul to develop the project and experienced the training myself. He helped me realise I’d got caught up in bureaucracy … slowly losing the opportunity to practice in a way that my gut told me I should. 

In early 2003, I read a job advert which described a new and exciting project for four people. All had a sensory impairment and were about to move into their homes in Forfar for the first time. Quite frankly, they also sounded like they were action heroes. I recall the advert saying that they loved to abseil, swim, sail, hill walk…climb mountains! I applied.

Sense Scotland was an organisation that was familiar to me, they had a small number of services in Dundee and a fairly good reputation; but I didn’t know much. What I did know was, if I could work in a way that Paul had described when I had met with him the previous year, it was for me!

I got the job and met the fabulous four – a tenacious bunch of people. The added dimension was I also met their families. Again, superheroes in my book. Most of the parents were part of the founding group of Sense Scotland. They were determined, had high expectations and were informed. They could also sometimes be challenging. But what I can mostly recall is their compassion, their support, the guidance they provided and their much-needed expertise.

Since meeting this group of amazing people my journey has continued to allow me to be part of the lives of some of the most remarkable people I will ever be likely to meet. I would also include some of my colleagues along the way too. Sense Scotland has grown in size and has evolved with time. Sometimes those changes have meant we’ve lost some direction for a while but who doesn’t in a life that spans 35 years?

What I’m confident in is the organisation is slowly maturing and knows more about itself than it’s ever done. A bit like myself. It’s had its knocks but through that it has been able to stand the test of time. A bit like me. And, like me, it’s not going anywhere!