On Councillor Duty

This evening I attended the New Lubbesthorpe progression meeting in my capacity as 

Parish Councillor for Leicester Forest East. 

The most hotly debated topic was the concerns about the proposed closure of the Forest House Medical Centre which could have a significant negative impact upon the residents across Braunstone Town, Leicester Forest East, New Lubbesthorpe, Kirby Muxloe and Ratby.

I will do whatever I can to ensure the views of parishioners are heard. 

Councillor David J. Di Palma 

Expressing personal views unless I’ve quoted yours. 

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Recruitment Competition

Recruitment Competition.

 

I have recruited within the Care & Support Sector for seven years. I understand that the sector has always been a challenging environment in which to recruit.  As a Service User and Employer/Recruiter I note in recent times that finding the most suitable candidates for available posts is challenging. 

The majority of the applicants do not read the job  advertisement in full and they apply knowing they cannot fulfil the job requirements. I also note that there is an increase in competition mainly due to employers/recruiters re-labelling 

Care Workers as Support Workers within the vacancies in the hope they get more applicants. 

Unfortunately the knock-on-effect of relabelling and oftentimes inappropriate labelling is that employers/recruiters who are genuinely in need of Support Workers rather than Care Workers miss out on the most suitable candidates and the applicants miss out on the most suitable role to fit their needs. 

Thus the recruitment process can be a depressing one, my rates of pay, terms and conditions are competitive, I would like to think that I am an interesting person to work with, my roles are varied and two days are rarely the same. I would just like to see candidates making an effort to  

(1) Complete an online application form as directed 

(2) Impress me with an honest representation of themselves, their skills, experiences and attributes at an interview 

(3) Do exactly what they say they could do at the interview, talk is cheap, actions speak louder than words. 

Click to visit Facebook Page

Click to view our latest vacancies  https://www.totaljobs.com/job/support-worker/di-palma-uk-ltd-job94694693

Expressing the personal views of David Di Palma unless stated otherwise.

Support Worker Employment Opportunity

My business is currently recruiting for a Support Worker. Working 8 to 10 hours per week, plus holiday and sickness cover. Pay above National Living Wage. 

If you are looking for an interesting and varied role working two weekday early evenings per week and one session of five hours per weekend based at one location I would like to hear from you. 

Applicants must be able to drive, be aged over 25 with a full, UK, clean driving licence for motor insurance purposes.

Please visit the job advertisement at Total Jobs Dot Com the link is https://www.totaljobs.com/job/support-worker/di-palma-uk-ltd-job94694693  or by clicking me 

Di Palma (UK) Ltd. 

NB This is NOT a care work vacancy. 

Online Consultation Ends Today

Just a reminder that today is the last day for taking part in the online consultation by the Forest House Medical Group for the proposed closure of the Forest House Medical Centre, with the transferral of services to go to Warren Lane Surgery and the yet-to-be built Health Centre at New Lubbesthorpe. Please click the link below for details*

https://www.foresthousemedicalcentre.co.uk/

*NB I am not responsible for the content of external websites.

Expressing the personal views of David Di Palma unless stated otherwise.

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Latest Vlog- GP. Health Service Provision

Latest Vlog. 24/8/21.

David Di Palma meets with Parishioners to discuss their concerns about health service provision. 

Views expressed are personal views of David Di Palma unless I have quoted yours. 

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David Di Palma - Campaigning on Behalf of Residents (Health Service Pro...

David Di Palma - The Independent Politician & Equality Rights Activist

The Independent Politician & Equality Rights Activist  – 2010 to Present Day  

With the increasing desire to support many more people and to raise awareness of the difficulties people face on a much wider scale, David’s Independent Political Career began in 2010. David was frustrated with mainstream politicians from all political parties, with them not understanding the most vulnerable members of society and their needs. David, not one for sitting about doing nothing about it, set out on a mission to become elected and to ensure underrepresented groups are proportionately represented at every level of government and for reasonable adjustments to be made in accordance with legislation. In 2011 David secured his first victory when he was co-opted onto Glenfield Parish Council by his peers. Four years later at the Local Elections of 2015 David was elected to Glenfield Parish Council and to Braunstone Town Council in addition to nominated and appointed the candidate at Croft Hill (Blaby District Council); coming second to the blue candidate. In the Local Elections of May 2019 David was nominated and appointed the Independent Candidate for Winstanley Ward, Braunstone Town (Blaby District Council) defeating the Braunstone Town Mayor in the election and was elected to Leicester Forest East Parish Council and Braunstone Town Council respectively. In 2021 David was the independent candidate for Braunstone Division for Leicestershire County Council. David placed third overall and defeated two mainstream political parties. To this day David continues to campaign to ensure that all councillors understand and embrace the diversity and equality agenda and to understand the fundamental principles of representing the diverse communities that councillors  have been elected to serve, regardless of political persuasion and political party membership.

Expressing the personal views of David Di Palma unless stated otherwise.

Read all about Radford United LE3 Ltd

About David Di Palma & the Radford United/Di Palma (UK) Brands.

The Survivor & Author - 1968 

Born in 1968 David is a brain injury and abuse survivor (sexual, physical and mental abuse). David’s motto ‘To triumph over adversity is my greatest strength’ is reflective of  his resilience. David has kept diaries all throughout his life, the intricate and invaluable diaries detailing his experiences surviving; epilepsy, abuse in all forms, a brain injury and being an Independent Politician.  Abusers were aware of David’s diaries and frequently searched for them in an attempt to locate and destroy the intricate works and catalogued evidence. David always tried to stay one-step ahead of the abusers by continually changing his hiding places and by producing back-up copies of everything. From a young boy, David was threatened to keep quiet about the abuse, David focussed on trying to protect his mother and sisters from the abusers and focussed on being a better person than his abusers were. David, the Survivor could so easily have taken an alternative path as many others have done, instead he committed his life to focus on supporting others through difficult times.  The physical abuse David endured caused his first brain injury which caused epilepsy. Educated in mainstream schools, David left school at the age of sixteen; determined to improve his circumstances, determined to overcome the power and control the abusers had over him and to continue to support others David returned to higher educational establishments and studied Information Technology and Law. David, In later years, David, further continued upon his vocational educational path by securing a grade of Distinction in Inspecting Housing Services and further progressed to a higher level, by studying for Managing Housing Services, with the Chartered Institute of Housing, becoming a Housing Practitioner.

Award Winning Book - 2006  - 

David’s writing career began in 2006 with the award-winning book - True Warrior.  With the desire to inspire and encourage other survivors to excel in their endeavours, David wanted to share his story and he wrote his maiden title entitled True Warrior. True Warrior, focused on surviving epilepsy, corrective brain surgery, memory loss and abuse. Within the book he significantly understated the extent and severity of the abuse, because, at the time of the publication, some of the abusers were still involved with David’s life, therefore, David, remained at high risk of harm should he speak out. David went on to complete a follow-up book (2010) with further books being works in progress (2020).  Now the main threat of the abusers has diminished, but not completely disappeared, David reveals all about the true extent of the abuse endured and the difficulties, including, the perpetrators. The forthcoming books are due for publication in 2020.

The Independent Politician – 2010  With the increasing desire to support many more people and to raise awareness of the difficulties people face on a much wider scale, David’s Independent Political Career began in 2010. David was frustrated with mainstream politicians from all political parties, with them not understanding the most vulnerable members of society and their needs. David, not one for sitting about doing nothing about it, set out on a mission to become elected and to ensure underrepresented groups are proportionately represented at every level of government and for reasonable adjustments to be made in accordance with legislation. In 2011 David secured his first victory when he was co-opted onto Glenfield Parish Council by his peers. Four years later at the Local Elections of 2015 David was elected to Glenfield Parish Council and to Braunstone Town Council in addition to nominated and appointed the candidate at Croft Hill (Blaby District Council); coming second to the blue candidate. In the Local Elections of May 2019 David was nominated and appointed the Independent Candidate for Winstanley Ward, Braunstone Town (Blaby District Council) defeating the Braunstone Town Mayor in the election and was elected to Leicester Forest East Parish Council and Braunstone Town Council respectively. To this day David continues to campaign to ensure that all councillors, regardless of political party membership, are given equal opportunities to make contributions and to represent their communities. Disappointingly the attitudes of some councillors in respect of equal opportunities is more challenging to overcome compared with other councils due to their lack of willingness to work with people with different viewpoints, different political persuasions, and different backgrounds.

The Community Campaigner & 

Equality Rights Activist – 2014 to Present

 In 2014 David identified the greater need to support the community at local, regional, and national level on important subjects including Housing, Disability Rights, Equal Opportunities, and Diversity. With his own personal funds, David established a Campaign Group, Radford United (Community Action Group).  The Campaign group worked predominantly with senior citizens and hard-to-reach groups from a cross section of the community throughout Braunstone Town, Leicester Forest East, and across the District Of Blaby.   Early successes included; securing positive changes to a housing development, a refund of service charges for residents of a Sheltered Housing Scheme, Improving Services for the Community and working with a number of agencies and Community Stakeholders including Leicestershire Police, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue, Leicestershire Scouts, Age UK and many more on initiatives including crime prevention, health, safety, physical and mental wellbeing, community development, running charitable events, social inclusion and community cohesion.   In addition, Radford United established a Community Newsletter and Community Darts and Ten Pin Bowling Teams with the emphasis on Community Cohesion, Tackling Social Isolation and the promotion of Diversity, Equality and Freedom of Expression. Understanding the need to support the local community in the times of continuing financial cuts to local services and using the vast experiences gained from his varied roles.

2017 – Outstanding Achievement Awards In 2017, with the support of his Social Worker and Support Team David progressed and established Radford United (LE3) Ltd, a Private Limited Company. From his unique perspective David fully understands the impact of financial cuts to vital services such as Social Care, Housing, GP and Health Services, Community Transport and Supporting Vulnerable Adults. At the time of the Radford United Community Action Group Restructure, Radford United Community Action Group had been twice nominated for the Blaby District Council Prestigious Annual Community Awards in the category of Outstanding Achievement for a Community Group. The nominations were a recognition of the contributions to the community of David and his team. 

2019  - I am a Survivor & Proud In 2017 David sought professional help with First Step (Leicester). First Step is a counselling service for male survivors of abuse. David attended the counselling sessions in a bid to overcome the lifetime of abuse and to better understand the impact of the abuse on his life. Unprompted, David travelled alone and revisited scenes of crime in the UK and Italy to try and come to terms with the past. David concluded counselling on 1/7/19 and now primarily focusses on inspiring other people to improve their personal and professional circumstances, and to further develop his potential.

2019 Di Palma (UK) Ltd (Independent Consultancy Services) Established.

2019 to present. Radford United (LE3) Ltd & Di Palma (UK) Ltd, with David and his Personal Support Team at the forefront, work with a diverse range of housing and service providers, community stakeholders, individuals, organisations, community groups and service users. Collectively they work with individuals and organisations in encouraging and supporting survivors and service providers to improve their personal and professional circumstances and the services they offer. They achieve these goals through different channels including and not restricted to –  

Awareness Raising – Raising awareness of hidden disabilities and mental  health problems and how they can be better understood through appropriate support, constructive dialogue and equal opportunities. 

Through Education - Educating; service providers, community stakeholders and service users, improving relations between representatives of different political persuasions, working with hard-to-reach groups, in addition to sharing personal and professional experiences through open dialogue. In 2020 David’s goals as an elected representative and community campaigner are to support and develop the community at local, regional, and national level. To campaign for better opportunities for disabled people  and to actively encourage service providers, community stakeholders , service users and individuals to better understand and improve their professional and personal circumstances, by embracing different techniques including S.W.O.T. Analysis, Reflective Practice and Personal Empowerment Processes.

Our combined professional services include and are not restricted to the following-

•                  Advisory and Advocacy

•                  Complaints Management and Conflict Resolution

•                  SWOT Analysis

•                  Engagement through open dialogue and presentations.

·            Report Writing, Production & Distribution Services. Including and not restricted to; Diversity,   
     Equality, Inclusivity & Disability Awareness.

•                  Campaign Management and Promotions.

•                  Strategic; Reviews, Planning & Implementation

•                  Production and Distribution of Electronic and Paper Based Reading Products (inc. Books, Newsletters and much more)

•                  Promotional Services

For more information visit www.dipalmauk.com for more information visit our website

Expressing the personal views of David Di Palma unless stated otherwise.

About David Di Palma ... Read all about David Di Palma

About David Di Palma & the Radford United/Di Palma (UK) Brands.

The Survivor & Author - 1968 

Born in 1968 David is a brain injury and abuse survivor (sexual, physical and mental abuse). David’s motto ‘To triumph over adversity is my greatest strength’ is reflective of  his resilience. David has kept diaries all throughout his life, the intricate and invaluable diaries detailing his experiences surviving; epilepsy, abuse in all forms, a brain injury and being an Independent Politician.  Abusers were aware of David’s diaries and frequently searched for them in an attempt to locate and destroy the intricate works and catalogued evidence. David always tried to stay one-step ahead of the abusers by continually changing his hiding places and by producing back-up copies of everything. From a young boy, David was threatened to keep quiet about the abuse, David focussed on trying to protect his mother and sisters from the abusers and focussed on being a better person than his abusers were. David, the Survivor could so easily have taken an alternative path as many others have done, instead he committed his life to focus on supporting others through difficult times.  The physical abuse David endured caused his first brain injury which caused epilepsy. Educated in mainstream schools, David left school at the age of sixteen; determined to improve his circumstances, determined to overcome the power and control the abusers had over him and to continue to support others David returned to higher educational establishments and studied Information Technology and Law. David, In later years, David, further continued upon his vocational educational path by securing a grade of Distinction in Inspecting Housing Services and further progressed to a higher level, by studying for Managing Housing Services, with the Chartered Institute of Housing, becoming a Housing Practitioner.

Award Winning Book - 2006  - 

David’s writing career began in 2006 with the award-winning book - True Warrior.  With the desire to inspire and encourage other survivors to excel in their endeavours, David wanted to share his story and he wrote his maiden title entitled True Warrior. True Warrior, focused on surviving epilepsy, corrective brain surgery, memory loss and abuse. Within the book he significantly understated the extent and severity of the abuse, because, at the time of the publication, some of the abusers were still involved with David’s life, therefore, David, remained at high risk of harm should he speak out. David went on to complete a follow-up book (2010) with further books being works in progress (2020).  Now the main threat of the abusers has diminished, but not completely disappeared, David reveals all about the true extent of the abuse endured and the difficulties, including, the perpetrators. The forthcoming books are due for publication in 2020.

The Independent Politician – 2010  With the increasing desire to support many more people and to raise awareness of the difficulties people face on a much wider scale, David’s Independent Political Career began in 2010. David was frustrated with mainstream politicians from all political parties, with them not understanding the most vulnerable members of society and their needs. David, not one for sitting about doing nothing about it, set out on a mission to become elected and to ensure underrepresented groups are proportionately represented at every level of government and for reasonable adjustments to be made in accordance with legislation. In 2011 David secured his first victory when he was co-opted onto Glenfield Parish Council by his peers. Four years later at the Local Elections of 2015 David was elected to Glenfield Parish Council and to Braunstone Town Council in addition to nominated and appointed the candidate at Croft Hill (Blaby District Council); coming second to the blue candidate. In the Local Elections of May 2019 David was nominated and appointed the Independent Candidate for Winstanley Ward, Braunstone Town (Blaby District Council) defeating the Braunstone Town Mayor in the election and was elected to Leicester Forest East Parish Council and Braunstone Town Council respectively. To this day David continues to campaign to ensure that all councillors, regardless of political party membership, are given equal opportunities to make contributions and to represent their communities. Disappointingly the attitudes of some councillors in respect of equal opportunities is more challenging to overcome compared with other councils due to their lack of willingness to work with people with different viewpoints, different political persuasions, and different backgrounds.

The Community Campaigner & 

Equality Rights Activist – 2014 to Present

 In 2014 David identified the greater need to support the community at local, regional, and national level on important subjects including Housing, Disability Rights, Equal Opportunities, and Diversity. With his own personal funds, David established a Campaign Group, Radford United (Community Action Group).  The Campaign group worked predominantly with senior citizens and hard-to-reach groups from a cross section of the community throughout Braunstone Town, Leicester Forest East, and across the District Of Blaby.   Early successes included; securing positive changes to a housing development, a refund of service charges for residents of a Sheltered Housing Scheme, Improving Services for the Community and working with a number of agencies and Community Stakeholders including Leicestershire Police, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue, Leicestershire Scouts, Age UK and many more on initiatives including crime prevention, health, safety, physical and mental wellbeing, community development, running charitable events, social inclusion and community cohesion.   In addition, Radford United established a Community Newsletter and Community Darts and Ten Pin Bowling Teams with the emphasis on Community Cohesion, Tackling Social Isolation and the promotion of Diversity, Equality and Freedom of Expression. Understanding the need to support the local community in the times of continuing financial cuts to local services and using the vast experiences gained from his varied roles.

2017 – Outstanding Achievement Awards In 2017, with the support of his Social Worker and Support Team David progressed and established Radford United (LE3) Ltd, a Private Limited Company. From his unique perspective David fully understands the impact of financial cuts to vital services such as Social Care, Housing, GP and Health Services, Community Transport and Supporting Vulnerable Adults. At the time of the Radford United Community Action Group Restructure, Radford United Community Action Group had been twice nominated for the Blaby District Council Prestigious Annual Community Awards in the category of Outstanding Achievement for a Community Group. The nominations were a recognition of the contributions to the community of David and his team.

2019  - I am a Survivor & Proud In 2017 David sought professional help with First Step (Leicester). First Step is a counselling service for male survivors of abuse. David attended the counselling sessions in a bid to overcome the lifetime of abuse and to better understand the impact of the abuse on his life. Unprompted, David travelled alone and revisited scenes of crime in the UK and Italy to try and come to terms with the past. David concluded counselling on 1/7/19 and now primarily focusses on inspiring other people to improve their personal and professional circumstances, and to further develop his potential.

2019 Di Palma (UK) Ltd (Independent Consultancy Services) Established.

2019 to present. Radford United (LE3) Ltd & Di Palma (UK) Ltd, with David and his Personal Support Team at the forefront, work with a diverse range of housing and service providers, community stakeholders, individuals, organisations, community groups and service users. Collectively they work with individuals and organisations in encouraging and supporting survivors and service providers to improve their personal and professional circumstances and the services they offer. They achieve these goals through different channels including and not restricted to –  

Awareness Raising – Raising awareness of hidden disabilities and mental  health problems and how they can be better understood through appropriate support, constructive dialogue and equal opportunities.

Through Education - Educating; service providers, community stakeholders and service users, improving relations between representatives of different political persuasions, working with hard-to-reach groups, in addition to sharing personal and professional experiences through open dialogue. In 2020 David’s goals as an elected representative and community campaigner are to support and develop the community at local, regional, and national level. To campaign for better opportunities for disabled people  and to actively encourage service providers, community stakeholders , service users and individuals to better understand and improve their professional and personal circumstances, by embracing different techniques including S.W.O.T. Analysis, Reflective Practice and Personal Empowerment Processes.

Our combined professional services include and are not restricted to the following-

•                  Advisory and Advocacy

•                  Complaints Management and Conflict Resolution

•                  SWOT Analysis

•                  Engagement through open dialogue and presentations.

·            Report Writing, Production & Distribution Services. Including and not restricted to; Diversity,   
     Equality, Inclusivity & Disability Awareness.

•                  Campaign Management and Promotions.

•                  Strategic; Reviews, Planning & Implementation

•                  Production and Distribution of Electronic and Paper Based Reading Products (inc. Books, Newsletters and much more)

•                  Promotional Services

For more information visit www.dipalmauk.com for more information visit our website

Coronavirus lockdown update

Coronavirus lockdown update

Since the lockdown was put into place by the government on 23^rd of March David has found adjusting to life very difficult just like the rest of the society have.

From the mental health perspective, it has been extremely challenging because he is unable to go to the gym which was a valuable source of mental and physical wellbeing as well as an opportunity to socialise.

Being told you are only allowed to go out once a day was also challenging for David experiencing brain injury consequences and short memory problems.

The positives under lockdown are definitely financial as David has not got as much opportunity to spend his money. He likes to go out to the shops rather than shopping online which leaves him with a few more pounds in his pocket.

Another positive aspect of lockdown is embracing new technologies, trying out new software to organise video conferences. Yesterday for example David tried Microsoft Team for the first time to have an informal meeting with Leicester Forest East Parish Councillors.

The online meeting was successful despite the fact that Luke, the French Bulldog, kept snoring in the background the whole event. Sophie, the Jack Russel Terrier, did not find it fascinating either and fell asleep on David’s lap. As a lady she minded her manners and did not make any sounds.

Monika on behalf of David

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Covid 19 - The Silent Killer - Controversial to Say the Least.

Covid 19 - The Silent Killer 

Controversial to Say the Least.

I’m supporting residents from home with the restricted movements and working from home rules now in force due to the global pandemic.

Whilst I do that in Warrior’s Retreat (my aptly named garden office) I think of the people who have lost their lives through the disease that has strangled the life out of so many. I think of the families and friends’ of the victims’ who have lost people to the disease. I think of the vulnerable people who are most at risk of (1) The disease (2) Changes to their care and support services, changes to services that they may not be able to cope with or wouldn’t be able to manage without. 

I think of the people who are on the front line looking after the sick and the dying, then the key workers and front line service personnel keeping our country running at this time. I think of the councillors, government officials, local, National, and armies of volunteers. The unsung heroes, too many to list, I have admiration for them all.

But then I think of the greedy people and corporations looking to profiteer from people’s misery. The Sports & Leisure retailer billionaire who’s inflated his prices to cash in on the pandemic and the store owner over inflating prices on hand sanitiser because everyone needs it. The actions of the fraudsters who are quick to set up scams to fleece people when they’re at their lowest and most vulnerable. Those actions make me feel angry and upset me. The inconsiderate people who let their children out to play, putting their children and others at risk, the people who just carry on regardless because they think they’re invincible and without observing Social Distancing advice. 

But then I think of the people who, through no fault of their own are now having to claim state welfare payments. It wasn’t that long ago that many of those new claimants, the people having to claim because they are unable to work because of the pandemic, would’ve been verbally attacking existing claimants for whatever reason. I clearly recall some political parties themselves would label claimants as ‘work shy’, ‘lazy’, ‘idle’ the list goes on. Whilst many from society would then call political parties the ‘nasty party’, ‘out of touch’ etc. the list goes on. Isn’t it ironic that the former attackers of claimants are now the claimants themselves in need of support because of a situation outside of their control?

The politicians are no longer attacking the weakest and most vulnerable members of society via  cuts to care and support packages, cuts to welfare payments, but, be rest assured that will come when this pandemic is over, it always does. Because the weak and vulnerable are defenceless and easy to attack. Easy to target. 

One hopes that this pandemic will change people’s opinions for the good for ever. 

One hopes this because at this moment in time everyone is vulnerable to attack from this deadly, silent assassin, Covid 19, Corona Virus. 

Some are more vulnerable than others but we’re all vulnerable.

Covid 19 is nasty, unrelenting and can, as we’re witnessing all over the world, choke the life out of many. Covid 19 doesn’t discriminate. The rich, poor, healthy, unhealthy, Covid 19 doesn’t discriminate, working people, unemployed, self-employed, sick, disabled, fit and well, Covid 19 doesn’t discriminate. Covid 19 the silent assassin that shouldn’t be underestimated.

But when this is all over, which it will be. When Covid 19 has been controlled and defeated, which it will be. I hope and pray that from now on we are all kinder to one another. For the future I hope that political Parties/Groups/Independents speak to one another in the National and Local Interest. Political Parties/Groups/Independents should talk to each other wether those groups be in your local Village, Town, District or County. I hope that we (society) never return to attacking, in whatever form, welfare payment claimants ever again. To attack them as society did should be considered a Hate Crime. I hope we are more considerate of other’s needs. The panic buying that occurred at the beginning of the crisis was an embarrassment in itself. There are many in society who have nothing to eat on a daily basis, without Covid 19 being in existence let alone now! It’s indescribably overwhelming that volunteers have offered themselves to support vulnerable members of the community whilst Covid 19 spreads like a silent cloud of carbon monoxide from an invisible source. But, when this is over we (society) shouldn’t just conveniently forget the vulnerable people we’re keen to support now and at Christmas, but, we should continue to support anyway and be kind always. Vulnerable people need you every day of the year not just now. They need you more now but they need you every day. 

My name is David Di Palma. I’m a Brain Injury Survivor. My seizures have increased through stress associated with aspects of this situation but I don’t care about myself, I care about every single one of you. Wether you be my next door neighbour or the woman who told me to eff off yesterday because I waved and said hello, I care about you and I’m here to support you.  I’m an elected Councillor at Braunstone Town and Leicester Forest East and I care about you and I’m here to support you with the support of my support team. If there’s anything we can do to support you please let us know. Thank you. 

Yours sincerely 

Councillor David Di Palma Cert. CIH

Winstanley Ward, Braunstone Town.

Leicester Forest East. 

Visit our website to discover more

Expressing the personal views of David Di Palma unless stated otherwise.

Blink and You’ll Miss It – 13/3/2020

Blink and You’ll Miss It – 13/3/2020

It’s Friday 13^th March 2020.

I’m a Survivor of Physical, Mental and Sexual Abuse. I didn’t sleep very well last night due to vivid flashbacks to the abusive past. I slept with the night light on and the bedroom door open in a bid to help me sleep. I experienced a seizure in the course of the night and daybreak arrived. I love the sound of the birds singing first thing in the morning. The birds singing to welcome in a new start to the day.

I sustained a fall in the bathroom before Support Worker Claire arrived and I had difficulty dressing myself (some of the many daily challenges I experience living with a brain injury disability). Support Worker Claire and I did some admin and did some preparation work for payroll next week. There’s more to do this time of year due to the fast-approaching financial year end.

Claire and I attended the gym although I had a lot of difficulty with my balance and coordination. Claire keeps me in line, telling me off when I do too much and ensures that I remain safe. I’m happy that Claire keeps me in line. Claire is brilliant in respect of motivation and keeping me as safe as possible. The staff at the Braunstone Leisure Centre (Leicester) are aware of my health situation and are supportive. They have had to search the building for me on a previous occasion when I became very unwell and went missing. Thankfully I wear a GPS Tracker around my neck, through which the Police are able to track me and assist me when the need arises.

After Claire left for the day, I had another seizure and I spent time studying the papers for the forthcoming meeting of Full Council at Braunstone Town  Council & Leicester Forest East Parish Council of which I am an elected member (he says with an enormous amount of pride.)

The week has passed by so quickly – blink and you miss it.

for more blogs visit our website

 Expressing the personal views of David Di Palma unless stated otherwise.

Compare and Contrast - An Alternative Perspective

Compare and Contrast - An Alternative Perspective
(Please read the post in full). 

David’s Perspective

Tuesday evening was a frustrating experience when Support Worker Dipak didn’t arrive as expected. Dipak was due on site, at my home, at 1815. At 1845 we were due to leave site to attend two meetings running consecutively at Leicester Forest East Parish Hall in my role as elected Councillor for Leicester Forest East. 
At 1830, not knowing if Support Worker Dipak was going to even come I knew I’d need to allow sufficient time to get to the meeting by walking. I got my shoes and coat on and I left home to head to the Parish Hall when I heard Dipak almost running behind me. I’m taller than Dipak by quite some margin. I really dislike being late and of course one doesn’t always do tasks in the right sequence. 
Thankfully we arrived at the meeting with a few minutes to spare, which is a good thing as that allowed one time to recompose oneself  as one always tries to mask how one is actually feeling. I neither ate an evening meal nor took medication because I forgot to eat and to take medication  at the allotted time because I have memory problems, ensuring these actions are carried out are Dipak’s main objectives each shift. 
I made worthwhile contributions to the meeting, briefly spoke about Wardens’ Walk, the businesses in Leicester Forest East and Wardens’ Walk area of Braunstone Town, Litter Picking, Hi-Viz Vests, and had an enjoyable experience conversing with councillors at the end. I returned home, I again forgot to eat and forgot to take medication. On Tuesday night I experienced seizures.

On Wednesday Support Worker , Claire and I took a trip to the Aquatic Centre. With the support of my team I keep Tropical and Cold Water Fish. I’ve kept cold water fish on and off from childhood but have never kept Tropical Fish before. Claire has them at home so is ideally placed to support me. Fish keeping is very good for my mental wellbeing.  Watching fish and listening to the water is therapeutic and recommended by the medical professionals and counsellors alike. 
Whilst we were at the aquatic centre Claire and I spotted a very large aquarium. So big that Claire, Julian or Dipak  could lay down in it and have room to spare. Unfortunately I don’t have the room big enough for it, which is probably a good thing as it would be expensive to run.  I purchased three Tropical Fish and some aquaria accessories.  We didn’t go to the gym which is an activity vital for my weight management, and beneficial to my physical and mental health wellbeing although exercising causes more seizures. 

David Di Palma
Brain Injury Survivor and Councillor 

Support Worker Dipak’s Perspective (as per previous post) 

Yesterday evening was a stressful time for David, as we were due to attend a Council Meeting and I thought the meeting was at 7.30 not at 7.00pm!!   So, by the time I arrived, David had been waiting for me to turn up feeling anxious not knowing if I was going to turn up as I am never late!!  David did not think to call me and started to walk to the meeting without me, luckily I saw him and had to run after him, as he can really walk fast when he’s on a mission!!

Anyway, once I caught up with him, we went to the meeting and got there well before the start time.  Well, David took that within his stride and managed focus during the meeting without any more excitements. 

Today, David went to Nottingham to get himself a few fish for his Aquarium. We're hoping having the aquarium will be good for David's mental health.  While there, he spotted this tank and thought… Hmmm I wonder if this is large enough for the Support Worker, Claire to fit in it!!

Dipak Rao .. Support Worker 

Summary and Conclusion.

Both of the above accounts are the respective perspectives of the authors, but, perception is one thing, reality is something different. This post isn’t to critique either author but one does find it interesting to say the least that one perceived the Tuesday incident as David taking something in his stride whilst David went without food, medication, was anxious and left home unsupervised and as Dipak suggests David appeared to make the meeting look easy “Well, David took that within his stride and managed focus during the meeting without any more excitements”. 

The moral of the blog... never assume that all is well and something was easy because it looks or is made to look easy. I have a hidden disability. I am an abuse survivor, brain injury survivor and a councillor. For the vast majority of my life I’ve had to mask the abusive past and to mask the realities of living with a brain injury disability. I’ve had to mask it because my survival depended upon keeping things to myself. But I don’t have to keep quiet about anything anymore. I’m not being forced to remain silent by abusers and I’ve attended years of abuse counselling. I want to help people to overcome their difficulties through my experiences. If I can help at least one person to overcome their difficulties my life will have been worthwhile. If not then my life will be remembered as a waste of time and oxygen.

My name is David Di Palma, I’m a Survivor and Proud. Visit our website to discover more

Neighbourhood Walkabouts LFE 25/02/2020

Following the success of the Winstanley Ward Walkabouts (Braunstone Town) yesterday I repeated the exercise in Leicester Forest East today. I met with lots of people. It's a pleasure to serve the parishioners and businesses of Leicester Forest East and Braunstone Town. If I can be of any assistance please don't hesitate to contact me or a member of my support team...Best wishes. Councillor David Di Palma

Expressing the personal views of David Di Palma unless stated otherwise.

Not a great start to the day but we won't let that stop us!!! (18/02/20)

David J. Di Palma - Brain Injury Survivor 

For the past 2 days, David has not received his regular welfare check through his sheltered housing life line intercom service, which he is supposed to have every single day to ensure that he is well and safe.

Thankfully, when Claire (Support Worker) arrived for her shift in the morning she found David to be well.  Claire has now raised an incident with the service provider.  Hopefully, fingers crossed, he will receive his call tomorrow as normal.  We will be informed on where the the system failed, once the incident has been investigated and reported back to us.  This is very important not just for David but for other service users as well, therefore, David will pursue this concern in his capacity as Elected Councillor.

Once this was dealt with they headed to the gym where Claire achieved a new personal best on the cross-trainer of 41 minutes (see photo)

David & Claire set new personal best of gym session of 100 minutes and subsequently aching like mad, afterwards.  Although, David was very unsteady on his feet, both were feeling accomplished.

Remainder of the time with Claire was spent doing Admin work, until I arrived at 4.30 to carry on where Claire left off.

Dipak (Support Worker) on behalf of David Di Palma 

For further information please visit our website

Expressing the personal views of David Di Palma unless stated otherwise.

There's Plenty of Time for Rest When I'm Dead

17^th February 2020

There's Plenty of Time for Rest When I'm Dead

I didn’t sleep very well last night, flashbacks to the historical abuse plus nightmares of being set on fire and being stabbed were the order of the day. Nothing unusual about that but I sustained a fall whilst going to the toilet which meant I had a ‘watery’ mess to clean up. 

By the time Support Worker (Claire) arrived on site at 0930 I was already feeling tired and disorientated. Claire supported me with my care and social needs. With Claire’s support we attended the gym before processing the mail and other administrative tasks, we scheduled appointments, Claire resolved some problems and completed other tasks. 

By the time Claire left at 14.30 I was exhausted with brain fatigue and was in need of a rest. 

Medical professionals frequently tell me that I should rest more but I’m not very good at resting and there’s plenty of time for rest when I’m dead.  

Support Worker Dipak arrived on site at 16.30.
Dipak looked after me until the end of her shift.

My name is David Di Palma, I’m a Brain Injury Survivor and Proud

For more information visit our website visit our website to discover more 

‘To triumph over adversity is my greatest strength’.

This blog is representative of the personal views of David Di Palma.

Why I Blog and the Benefits to Reading my Blogs.

Why I Blog and the Benefits to Reading my Blogs.

Writing diaries is something I’ve done from childhood, they’ve been vital for my daily survival and development. The methods used to keep diaries may’ve changed over the decades as technology has progressed but the fundamental reasons behind writing have largely remained the same. I suppose the question you maybe asking yourself is; Why am I sharing my experiences and diary entries with you? What benefit to reading my diaries and blogs is there for you? 

I’ll try and answer that now.

I’ll start by telling you what I’m NOT trying to achieve and DON’T WANT.

• I neither seek nor need your attention.
• I don’t need anything from you.
• I don’t need you to feel sorry for me.
• I don’t need you to motivate me, i’m a self-motivator.
• There is no need to be critical of me or my circumstances, there is no need to be critical because I critique myself daily, no one could be more critical of me than me.
• If you don’t like my posts for whatever reason scroll on by, there is no need to comment & no need to be; unpleasant or abusive.

Now I’ll tell you what I’m TRYING to achieve and DO WANT. 

With the support of my team- 

• I do want to raise awareness of the physical and mental challenges faced on a daily basis living with a brain injury disability & other neurological conditions 

With the support of my team- 

• I do want to promote the work I am doing on behalf of the parishioners, businesses and stakeholders of; Braunstone town, Leicester Forest East & the wider demographic area in my role as a democratically elected Independent Councillor. 

With the support of my team- 

•  I Do want to raise awareness of all forms of; abuse, hostility and prejudices; to encourage survivors to speak and to seek the support that they may need.

With the support of my team- 

I do want to promote my

Not-for-profit award-winning literary works which have been written to support and encourage; other survivors, businesses, service providers and service users to improve their personal and professional circumstances & the services they offer through my experiences.

Finally I’ll advise you of what the benefits are of reading my blogs and visiting my websites.

BENEFITS

The human brain is a complex organ. The way in which we (as humans) process, function and survive differs greatly from one being to another. There are similarities between us but the fundamental principles are the same. It matters not a jot who you are or how much wealth one has acquired, everyone has their own pleasures they live, difficulties to overcome & their own life’s journey to undertake. Through my literary works I want to share my journey with you so that you can understand how I’ve used reflective practices, experiences and techniques to overcome adversity (with the support of my team). By reading my posts, by communicating with me and allowing me to share my world with you, it is hoped that you will enhance your understanding of the complex world around us. In so doing you will improve your professional and personal circumstances which will have a positive impact upon the wider community. If I can inspire at least one person to overcome their problems and one organisation to improve the products and services they offer then the bad experiences I’ve overcome will have been worthwhile. 

My motto is ‘To triumph over adversity is my greatest strength’. 

My name is David Di Palma 

I’m a Survivor and Proud 

For more information visit our website www.radfordunited.com

This blog is representative of the personal views of David Di Palma.

There's No 'I' in Team

Hello and welcome to my blog. My name is David Di Palma and if I were to describe myself in one word, I would describe myself as ‘Survivor’.

Abuse & Brain Injury Survivor

I’m a complex being. A SURVIVOR of abuse (physical, psychological and sexual), a brain injury SURVIVOR, and an epilepsy SURVIVOR. I’m not a victim but a SURVIVOR.

Surviving takes up the vast majority of my time. My challenges just to function are significant. I’m supported by Claire, Julian and Dipak on a daily basis. Claire, Julian and Dipak are my
Care and Support Workers who support me with every aspect of my personal and professional SURVIVAL STRATEGY. A strategy which is constantly evolving as my circumstances continually change.

Independent Councillor  In my spare time I serve on the respective councils of 

Braunstone Town & Leicester Forest East in the county of Leicestershire.
I’m an Independent Councillor having served different parishes, including Glenfield, 
Braunstone Town and Leicester Forest East since 2011.

Business Owner      I’m a business owner of two Micro Businesses and an Award-Winning Author. 

The purpose of my blog is to inspire others to improve their personal and professional circumstances through my experiences.

Welcome Aboard    To that end I offer you my warm welcome and look forward to sharing my experiences with you.    My name is David Di Palma, I’m a Survivor, If I can do it, you can do it.

Best Wishes

David Di Palma
Radford United On Facebook   Councillor David Di Palma on Facebook  on You Tube

Expressing the personal views of David Di Palma unless stated otherwise.