Oakley House

Oakley House is a large Victorian home that has been converted to meet the needs of 8 adults with Asperger syndrome or High Functioning Autism.  Each resident has their own bedroom with en-suite facilities and has access to the communal kitchen, living room,dining room, computer room and garden.

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.

Lifestyle

Residents are encouraged to engage in social activities within the home and local community. Staff support residents to explore new experiences and develop new skills to enable them to move on to more independent living.

"It was very positive to see the full involvement of residents in making decisions about their lives and that care and support is tailored to suit individual residents assessed needs. Residents are clearly able to contribute to decisions affecting them and the interaction between staff and residents appeared very positive.

The residents are fully involved with the planning and preparation of meals with staff assistance including shopping and cooking where required, and each resident has their own cupboard space in the kitchen and space in fridges and freezers to store their food. Healthy eating is promoted by the staff so that residents’ health and wellbeing is maintained."

Residents take part in a wide variety of activities, both educational and leisure. Activities are recorded within the individual care plans, and include college courses, meals out, visits to a local pub, shopping, cinema and other leisure pursuits.

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 Oakley House are undertaking:
• A basic cooking course at Barnfield College
• Computer course at Learn Direct
• Media course at Bedford College
• Basic computer course at Barnfield College

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 Oakley House 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.

Oakley House Details

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.

Residents are supported to develop personal care and independent living skills. This may include verbal prompting or use of pictorial instruction to help with personal care tasks such as washing, brushing teeth, getting dressed, making a hot drink etc.

Environment

Oakley House is a large Victorian house with large rooms and high ceilings. Residents have communal access to the lounge, kitchen, dining room, computer room and garden. They are encouraged to personalise their own room and provide input into the decoration of the
communal areas.

"The communal areas of the home are decorated and equipped to a high standard. Residents can personalise their bedrooms and evidence of this was seen during the day."*

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 Workers 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.

"The staff are skilled and experienced and many have previously worked in other homes provided by the organisation for residents with autistic spectrum disorders."*

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