Sussex Autistic Community Trust
Respite
The Sussex Autistic Community Trust’s project at Gensing Road in St. Leonards-on-sea in East Sussex hosts a short term and assessment centre. Within that project residential short stay care, assessment and family support are brought together as a unique integrated service, offering flexible, individual support to adults with Asperger’s Syndrome and their families. Research showed that short stay care is more helpful to families when delivered as part of a comprehensive support programme and this is exactly what we do at Gensing Road.
To meet our high quality standards, a short stay care service for people with Asperger’s Syndrome needs to be autism-specific, with particular attention being paid to managing the change from a familiar environment into the short stay care situation.
All the staff at Gensing Road receive a high level of initial and ongoing autism-specific training that complements their existing skills, enabling them to deliver a high quality service that responds to the needs of service users and their families. In common with all our establishments, waking staff are employed for overnight duty.
Why the Need?
Asperger’s Syndrome is a complex condition and its complexities must be addressed if the individual is to develop and progress.
To enable people with Asperger’s Syndrome to remain in their own homes and communities, both the service user and the family need support to assist the individual develop independence, self care, appropriate social participation, self respect and personal enhancement. We recognize that a great deal of support already comes from family members who make huge positive contributions to this process.
Central to the ethos of Gensing Road is a strong commitment to developing working partnerships with parents and carers to ensure continuity of approach in all areas. Within these partnerships, staff can offer support and advice to families enabling them to address difficulties as they arise and enhance skills on an ongoing basis.
The Sussex Autistic Community Trust's Short stay Care and Family Support Service is based not only on the concept of a 'break' but provides an holistic approach to the development, enhancement and support of both client and carer.
What is Offered?
Assessment: Prior to admission, a senior member of staff will carry out a comprehensive home-based assessment from which an individual care plan addressing specific issues will be designed. The support and care given to the individual during their stay will be based on this plan.
Residential Short stay: Planned, purposeful periods of short stay care are offered, along with access to a system of professional support and advocacy outside the family network. Each service user is assigned to a key worker to ensure consistent contact is maintained between home and Gensing Road. This contact creates opportunities for a framework of support and for the development of working relationships between staff and families.
Supplementary Home-Based Support: as part of the agreed plan, families requiring ongoing support to address specific concerns can access the services of a Community Support Services Worker who is attached to the centre. Regular home contact is made in agreement with the family to enhance communication and ensure consistency of care, also to develop practical approaches that contribute to improvements in the quality of home life.
After-care service: visits to the centre will be monitored and assessed. After each visit, a detailed report on the service user's progress will be given to the family and to the funding agency where appropriate. There will be opportunities for families to discuss visits with key workers.
Facilities: Gensing Road offers flexible use of a self-contained flat for 2 as well as day services if feasible. The bedrooms are single occupancy.
Specialist Support Service for Adults with Asperger’s Syndrome
The service works with individuals to develop a clear understanding of their needs and in particular, to assess the factors which would influence the design, structure and operation of a community based service or resource.
In particular, the service would aim to promote:
- community living skills
- independent living and domestic skills
- impact of autism on the individual's functional skills
The package will be individual to each person referred. If we are doing transitional work it will be designed to be delivered as a 12 month placement subject to the person's needs (reviewed 3 monthly) which provides an intensive period of assessment or transitionary support into the individual's new lifestyle.
The service is based on an intensive 1:1 level of support with sleep-over staff at night. Additional support needs can also be accommodated.
An essential part of the service is the development of strategies that will be of great benefit to the individual after they have left the service. This includes support to ease the transition between Gensing Road and the support service and structure that the individual is moving onto.