EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
Requested: Please contact

Allan White Director of Services and Development autism. west midlands 18 Highfield Road Edgbaston Birmingham B15 3DU allanw@autismwestmidlands.org.uk TEL: 0121 4507584 MOB: 07736 453672

Outline of a proposed scheme for people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders and who are Hearing Impaired Ref: (AW Draft 1 Nov 06)

Autistic Spectrum Disorder / Hearing Impairment Supported Living Scheme

(For 6 Service Users)

In line with the Domiciliary Care Regulations Regulation 4 (1)

Rationale:
autism. west midlands is an independent provider of services for people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders, their families and professional and voluntary services with interests in ASD . We would like to create a specialist service for adults with ASD and who are also deemed to be hearing impaired. We have previously been in consultation with the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) who have declared an interest in such a venture.
The overall aim of is to provide a safe and supportive environment, enabling each individual to achieve his or her full potential in everyday living. This will be implemented via experienced support staff that have an understanding of the emotional, physical, social and intellectual abilities and essentially communication difficulties of each individual. It will include sharing knowledge and experiences in order that the significant disabling conditions of ASD and Hearing Impairment are addressed.
autism.west midlands is seeking to work in partnership with appropriate authorities to provide a specialist service for people 18 to 30 years in order to establish a resource for a younger age group.
The resource is envisaged as new-build and a design to be established which meets the environmental, communication and sensory needs of the service users.

autism west midlands Mission Statement

autism.west midlands aims to provide the best possible care and support for people of all ages with a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder throughout the West Midlands region. autism. west midlands aims to raise awareness of autistic spectrum disorder among the general public and professionals working in the field of Health, Education, Social Services and Voluntary Services.

Aims and Objectives of the Supported Living Scheme

Each resident will be referred to as a service user in this document. Our aims and objectives for all Service Users can broadly be described as follows, we will:

Key principles will be as follows for each service user, we will:

Choice

Create an environment that promotes individual’s rights in making choices.

Facilitate their understanding of their rights to choice.

Offer informed choices on a daily basis.

Community Presence

Promote involvement at all levels.

Relationships

Support existing friendships and to develop new relationships, including advocates where appropriate.

Competence

Respect individual’s rights to independence including self-determination in terms of daily living experiences developed through individual assessments and comprehensive person-centred care planning.

Respect

Respect individuality, in terms of their age, race, gender, disability, class, religious and sexual orientation via a process of anti-discriminatory practice.

Promote a positive attitude towards people with autistic spectrum disorders.

Risk Taking

Enable and support taking risks to enable and empower people to achieve an independent lifestyle.

Promote this ‘lifestyle’ development in practice with personal risk assessments and multi-disciplinary approaches.

Service User Consultation

Be proactive to ensure involvement in consultation about the quality ofservices provided in ways that are relevant to their needs. Encourage as much control as possible over aspects of daily living and contributing to the functioning of the relevant environments. i.e. service users to be involved with the process of deciding house rules. Provide service users with key workers and person-centred care plans.

Rights to Privacy and Dignity

Be treated with respect and dignity: These are principles that are to be acknowledged not only by staff but also visitors, whereby there is mutual respect and privacy for all service users,visitors and staff. This is important to ensure that we may all live or work within an emotionally warm andpositive environment.

For further information please contact Allan White as noted above.