Brookdale Care homes
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Cranwell Court
Cranwell Court is a converted farm house that provides a specialist home for 6 adults with Asperger syndrome or High Functioning Autism. Each Resident has a single bedroom with en-suite facilities with attached living room. They have access to the communal kitchen, living room and garden.
The home is located in the village of Wyboston in Bedfordshire; within 5 minutes drive of the market town of St Neots.
Individual needs and choices
Residents liaise with their keyworker to discuss their likes, interests, goals and aspirations. These could include starting a college course, having a job, wanting to cook or just having the confidence to go to the shops.
Staff support residents towards achieving their goals. This may require social stories, education on social rules, understanding body language and facial expressions. Support also includes practical skills such as independent living, budgeting, food preparation, shopping and self care. We can also help access college courses and support clients to find a meaningful job.
"The service provides a good standard of care to people by having an effective and skilled staff team. The aim of the home was evident in that people were encouraged to maximise their potential and become more independent in developing their living skills.
The systems in the home showed that people were encouraged to do things for themselves. We observed users accessing community resources, preparing their own meals and they were very clear about what they could and could not do." †
Lifestyle
We support residents to use local community amenities to develop
their social awareness and engagement with the local community.
These include the leisure centre, shops, library and places of worship.
The care plan documentation detailed essential lifestyle plan in “pictures” and “bubbles” which details what is important to me”, “what I like”, “things that makes me worry“.
"The choices available to people using the service gave opportunity for personal development, cultural awareness, appropriate activities, family involvement and enabled users to maintain a balanced diet, and as a result people who use the service had a fulfilling lifestyle." †
Employment and Education
Residents are supported by staff to develop social, vocational, educational and leisure skills in the community and within the home.
Currently some of the residents at Cranwell Court are undertaking computer courses at Huntingdon Regional College (mainstream).
"One user explained that his ambition was to be able to live in his own home and that was the reason he was learning to develop his personal skills. We were informed that people were enabled to cook their meals individually with the support of the staff team and all carried out their personal shopping".
"All users had developed the skill to be able to budget their own finances and it was impressive the way the staff risk assessed the users and enabled them to develop skills and independence." †
Residents are encouraged to develop work skills through links with the National Autistic Society, Prospects and Connexions who run employment workshops (writing CVs, interview techniques, etc).
A number of residents at Cranwell Court are in supported employment and volunteer employment.
Staff identify with residents where they feel they might face difficulties, in the home, community, work or college. Using problem-solving techniques and the development of coping mechanisms, residents are better prepared to reduce their anxieties and to be confident in social situations.
Cranwell Court Details
| Home manager | Kate Houseago |
| Town | Wyboston, Bedfordshire |
| Primary Diagnosis | Asperger syndrome |
| Secondary Diagnosis | Mental Health (not if under section of MHA), Mild Learning Disability |
| Age | Registered 18 – 65 |
| Ability Level | High Functioning, verbal |
| Accommodation | 6 single occupancy bedrooms with en-suite |
| Facilities within the home | Residents have shared access to a kitchen, living room, dining room, garden and laundry room. The residents are supported by staff to be as independent a possible. |
| Facilities in surrounding area | The home is close to local shops, leisure facilities and many residents attend the local mainstream and special needs colleges. |
| Care pathway | Previous residents have progressed onto supported living and independent living, including The Mews. |
| Therapeutic Input | All residents receive therapeutic assessment and treatment from Brookdale’s Multi Disciplinary Team. The MDT includes Consultant Psychiatrists, Consultant Psychologists, Speech & Language Therapists and Occupational Therapists. |
| Contact Number | 01707 646 646 |
| CSCI Inspection report | Download the latest report |
Personal & Healthcare support plans
Residents are supported by Brookdale Care’s Multi Disciplinary Team (MDT). The MDT works with each resident to identify their difficulties, anxieties, impairments and develops the therapeutic strategy to help the resident to work through them. This may include Social Anxieties, Social Communication difficulties, Depression, Mental illness, OCD and more.
Environment
We encourage each resident to decorate their room to make them feel more at home, they also have the option of bringing a TV, DVD and computer, to have in their room. Residents also have input into the decoration and furnishing of the communal areas of the home.
"We toured the environment and found it spacious and provided comfort to people who lived at the home. Some users showed us their bedrooms which consisted of a separate lounge and bathroom for each bedroom." †
Staffing
Residents are supported by a committed staff team who are trained in ASD. The home has a Registered Home Manager, Team Leader, Senior Support Worker and Support Workers. Home Managers are supported by our Training and Development Academy to ensure that all staff are trained and qualified to fulfil their role within the home.
One user explained that his key worker would sit with him on a regular basis to find out how he was getting on and review what went well or what needed to change. He commented that he liked this because it kept him focussed on his goals. He said “I feel safe here and staff show me respect.” †
Map
†Quotes have been taken from the latest CSCI Report