Bringing People Back Home
Children, young people and adults with learning disabilities, physical and sensory disabilities, autism and mental health issues may be living away from their families and local communities in residential schools, residential care or in hospitals. Some of these individuals may have been away from their families and homes for a long time and unfortunately for many they have lacked recent, regular or close contact with the outside world. Usually individuals in these types of services have been placed there because of the complexity of their needs and the lack of suitable or appropriate local services.
Living Ambitions has a commitment to offer well-supported, flexible care in domestic settings responsive both to the person and their family’s needs and preferences and in doing so are able to bring the people with the most complex of needs back to their families and back to their local communities. The person centred plan approach allows this to happen and provides options for the following:
- Future plans in education
- Careers and supported employment
- Healthcare Community Care services
- Housing, accommodation and supported living
- Leisure opportunities
- Risk taking and risk support
- Enabling plans for Self-Directed Support and Individual Budgets
Getting the planning right and future action agreed and in place gives all people including those with the most complex needs an opportunity for inclusion.
At Living Ambitions we have seen success in the following ways:
- People have left long stay hospital placements and moved to well-supported carefully planned accommodation of excellent quality.
- People have acquired new life and self care skills.
- People were given greater choice about their daily activities and they took more decisions for themselves.
- Extensive use is made of local community facilities and social networks were developed.
- People became involved in the day to day running of their facilities with flexible routines helping to meet their needs.
- People had the opportunity to work (paid or unpaid) or attend a place of learning, such as a college or other further education facility.
- People acquired skills to manage their own financial affairs and to use money.
- People who displayed behaviours that were challenging in hospital significantly reduced or stopped the behaviours when their plans and preferences were being met.
It is noted that the ‘cost’ of person centred or individualised services for a person with complex needs is significantly reduced to the authority who purchases the service rather than paying for a hospital or institutional setting.
If you are a person in hospital, or are a parent with a child or young person who is away from home a member of the team at Living Ambitions would be happy to meet you to discuss possible options for a return home. Please contact 01257 220044 and we will take some basic details and arrange to meet with you, alternatively you can complete the online referral form and one of the team will get back to you within the next few days.
