Hey @Shaz51 sorry I've been in and out of forum land today. Hope you're staying cool in this summer heat!   ... View more

I know, change can be scary @Bow but I think the forums will face the least amount of change while SANE works on improving their service offerings in other areas - Hopefully that will all be good change which makes the service easier to access and navigate, but as far as forums go I think the only change will be having more staff trained on here. We're all being trained to be able to work across the different services in addition to the ones we already know which will be interesting, but I know all the of 'forums team' will maintain our soft spot for being on here!   I'm sorry to hear about your boxing day! To go to all of that effort and then for them to not do you the courtesy of communicating their plans with you sooner...That's really disappointing.  Sometimes those smaller Christmas celebrations can be really nice, but to have it sprung on you like that isn't fair   New years sounds really nice though! ... View more

I hope you got some good rest @Captain24  I've got a bunch of training to do today so I'm just stealing a few moments on the forums here and there but I'd love to hear how you're going and hope I'll have time to at least read along and support if I don't get time to respond today ... View more

Great to be back @Shaz51  ... View more

Great idea having your coffee ready to go @avant-garde  The night has flown by and I've got to head off but I hope your travel day goes well tomorrow and you get some good sleep on the train! I'll be excited to hear how the trip goes! ... View more

That's a fair question @Bunniekins  I might not be able to cover all the factors that go into it as I'm racing against the clock to type this before I have to head off for the night, but I think it comes down to 2 key points: Anonymity and safety If the forums were a space where members could exchange details and arrange to meet it would go against our Staying Anonymous guideline, and the anonymity of the forums are what gives many the courage to reach out in the first place.  As for safety, facilitating member's offline connections introduces potential safety risks that we don't have the resources to provide support for. There is also the risk that members who are not on the forums could see contact details, or locations to meet and these unknown parties add even more potential or safety concerns. First and foremost, we want to know that we're doing what we can to keep each member of our community safe.   Sorry that was a bit of a quick answer and I'm happy to chat more about this but I might have to leave it here for tonight and we can pick it back up when I'm on next!  ... View more

Usually my hours are pretty much the same unless I swap a shift @Bow but all of our roles are shifting slightly in the new year and that means a bit of extra training in different areas of SANE's services for me, so my days might start looking a little different which will mean less time on here, but as long as I'm with SANE I'll still be hopping on the forums whenever I can! I had a really nice Christmas and New year! Spent both with family and I even hosted Christmas dinner for the first time (and nearly burnt my first ever roast chicken, thankfully my dad swooped in to help!) which was fun but a lot of work! How about you? How was your Christmas and New year?   New shadow box sounds so cool to commemorate your trip! Oh no poor D having to learn the sad reality of exchange rates    I'm finishing up soon so if I don't get time to respond again tonight I'll make sure to check in soon!   ... View more

That's such a lovely and thoughtful welcome back @AlwaysMyself Thankfully I did have a good time off, I saw my family and was able to get into some hobbies so all in all it was a good time  ... View more

We should have updated that when we received the updated dates, I'm sorry about that @avant-garde    I hope that this new guy becomes a good support for your last 6 months of the program, though its understandable to feel a bit unsure.   Oh early mornings can be hard, what time do you have to be up? ... View more

Sorry we kept you waiting @avant-garde it was a bit hectic here at the end of the year and I think some PSWs were thinking they'd be back by Saturday too but then we all heard today was the official return day Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, losing those key supports is always really hard news to hear. At the very least I'm glad that you've been given some notice and I am hoping that whoever steps in to replace her is another miracle story Doesn't it feel great when the inspection's done and you know you don't need to worry about it again for a while? Are you excited for the travelling - is it a holiday? ... View more

I'm sorry to hear things have been tough @Dreamy but I'm proud of you for putting those feet one in front of the other. Also I'm so proud of this community and the support that you've all given each other (and do always give each other) it's such a joy getting to come back and read it  ... View more

Yes I didn't realise I was the first one back after the new year but I know the others aren't far behind @NightFury give it a few more days and we'll be mostly back, and then there's the few stragglers who are off on longer adventures but they'll be back soon enough too!  ... View more

I'm so glad to be back! @Dreamy @NightFury @avant-garde didn't realise how much I missed the community but it's felt so good to be back today!  How are you all? ... View more

I think we all have those thoughts @Bow, even when we know that things often aren't that easy I think it's natural to still have some hope that things will have changed. Of course we can check in this week. I do just want to let you know that I might be around the forums a little less this week because my work schedule is getting a bit shuffled with the new year,  but when I am able to be on I'm always happy to check in and talk    ... View more

Hi @ModernMermaid and welcome to the forums It can take a lot of courage to reach and share in a new platform like this, so good on you for taking that step. I'm glad you've felt able to share some of your story here and I hope it becomes a safe space for you to continue to do so. It sounds as though there is a lot going on in your household, with lots of different needs, personalities, and beliefs present which makes sound like a very challenging environment, especially when you're requiring care and support. What do you think are the things that have helped you to cope in this environment up to this point? I imagine you are a very resilient person but I wonder if there are any other factors that have made things feel a little bit more manageable, even just temporarily.   ... View more

Thanks @Snowie it's really great to be back. Feeling rested and recharged after the break and happy to see everyone, I hope your holidays were good and you also got some time to rest  ... View more

Hearing you @Bow having to adjust back to daily life after having a break can be really jarring and overwhelming, but it sounds like you've been doing your best despite that. How can we support you here this week?  ... View more

Yes, I want to second that @Chasingsunsets, I love the idea of taking photos every day for your diary @Judi9877! I'm hoping the move goes as smoothly as it can @Judi9877   ... View more

@ENKELI Jynx should be back soon, I think this week but I'm not 100% on when. Tyme is still enjoying their break for a little longer but will be back in a few weeks. As for new mods there will be some fresh faces popping up on here, along with the familiar ones. Hopefully there'll be an opportunity for introductions once they get set up ... View more

Speaking of moderators...  I just wanted to pop in and note that I just many a teeny edit to make that mention to location a bit broader @ENKELI @PeppyPatti just to err on the side of caution ... View more

I know you're going off to work @Captain24, I just wanted to quickly stop by and say hello, I haven't had a chance to really catch up yet but I hope you've been well  @Flutterbug9 @Dreamy it's good to see you! ... View more

I'm a bit late but happy birthday @ENKELI!   ... View more

Hi @Bow! Still catching up on everything after the break but just quickly wanted to pop in and say that the cruise sounded great! Although maybe a little tiring  @Eve7 @Snowie great to see you also   ... View more

I love it @Captain24!! 3D puzzles always look so cool!  ... View more

Hey @Snowie still here for a little bit Glad to here H is home though I hear it was hard until he got there. Are things feeling a bit easier now?   ... View more

Ahh that idea terrifies me @Shaz51 Saltwater crocs are scary! ... View more

Love a quick and easy lunch @Snowie  Sounds nice to have H around over the holidays. My partner only gets the public holidays off which is a bit of a shame but hey, it's better than nothing! Is H home now? If not it mustn't be long now   ... View more

Sounds like you really needed that @Captain24 I know you were already feeling pretty exhausted so it makes sense that that difficult session on top of that has gotten you to this point. Can you take this afternoon to rest? ... View more

What's for lunch today @Snowie?   It sounds like you're reading off my to-do list! So much to do, especially this time of year What time is H home?  ... View more

Hey @Snowie sounds like a busy day. Some days keeping distracted is the best we can do What's on for this afternoon? ... View more