Choices
The newsletter of Aspects and Milestones Trust
The newsletter for and by service users Issue 4 Summer 2010
Look inside for our handy guide to cat care
Welcome and Hello!
Welcome to the summer edition of Choices, the magazine for users of the Trust’s services. I’m a new face here, having joined Aspects and Milestones in May, and I’ve really enjoyed helping to put this magazine together. There are so many fantastic projects going on throughout the Trust – from new gardens to supported employment – and it’s been a delight to travel round some of the different homes meeting residents. This issue of Choices shares the story of Sarah Barnes, who has just moved into a flat of her own for the first time. It also includes an interview with Mel, the Trust’s Chief Executive, and a handy cut-outand-keep guide for looking after your cat. At Choices we want to write what you want to read, so do send us your comments and ideas for articles. Heather Child Communications and Marketing Manager
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Don’t forget that you can view Choices on line, so you can blow up the pages in your browser or download the text in Word to print out the text, if it helps.
CONTENTS
Welcome & Hello 2 New look for Crantock Drive 3 New Garden at Russell House 4 Henry Perkins & the Owl 5 Sarah’s dream comes true 6 Supported Living 7 Caring for your cat 8-9 DCF Premier Workshops 10 Work INC - it works 11 Mel Akers In the Spotlight 12-13 Expressions 2010 14-15 Competition Time 16 It’s your life, your service. A registered charity, Aspects and Milestones Trust runs a wide range of health and social care services and supports people with learning disabilities, mental health needs and dementia. Aspects and Milestones Trust, Unit 10, Eclipse Office Park, High Street, Staple Hill, Bristol, BS16 5EL Tel 0117 9709 300 Web www.aspectsandmilestones.org.uk Email admin@aspectsandmilestones.org.uk A charitable company limited by guarantee. Registered in England No 2011021. Registered Charity No 294377. Design by Profile Communications www.profilecommunications.co.uk
From wilderness to sun-deck heaven Before the five-day transformation by RBG maintenance, the ladies at Crantock Drive could not use the garden, as the grass was too uneven for them to walk out there independently, and there was no place to sit. The residents have a great relationship with their neighbours, and felt sorry they could not invite them over to the garden. All this changed when the Trust invested some money in having the garden transformed - the smaller picture above shows how it looked before. “Is this our garden?” says Esme Moore, “I didn’t recognise it!” Housemate Jenny Snook adds: “It’s so big I can sit wherever I want. We can even get in and out of the summer house on our own!” All the ladies are now enjoying meals and relaxation time outdoors, and are looking slightly tanned. “We’ll be having lots of parties, with neighbours and friends in for afternoon tea,” commented the House Manager, Paula Ralph, “in fact it feels like we live in the Med’ all year round!” 3
A Garden of Memories at Russell House Sadly on the 24th March 2010, Maxine Wall passed away and has left a big hole in the lives of both service users and staff at Russell House. Maxine loved the outdoors, she loved the rain, the wind and the sunshine, she was naturally a happy person and as she was blind, was very aware of smells, sounds and touch. As a farewell and thank you to her for being part of our lives, Russell House would like to build and develop a sensory garden. We have already planted a blossom tree in our garden (pictured), so the scent and beautiful flowers will remind us of Maxine. To finance our garden, we are going to fund raise and access any money we can tap into, so please try and support us when we invite you to events and fundraisers. Also if any one has ideas or can help us let us know!! Karen Wheeler – Team Leader, Russell House
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Henry Perkins & the Eagle Owl Henry Perkins from Frome Court House met this Eagle Owl at Puxton Park, near Weston-super-Mare in February this year. Henry is a true animal lover and although his favourite animal is a tiger he was very pleased to have had the opportunity to meet and handle this owl. He loves painting too. A painting by Henry created a great deal of interest at Expressions 09 and is now hanging in the Trust’s meeting room.
Paul, who helps produce Choices, recently won a balloon flight over Bristol and realised he was flying over Tramways. Here’s the picture he took. 5
Interview with Sarah Barnes: “A Dream Come True” Supported Living Project in Hanham… Choices met with one of the four tenants, Sarah Barnes a few weeks before she moved into her new flat. Sarah is 40 and has lived in residential homes since her teens, most recently with Freeways at Jonathon House. When we met, Sarah had just got her flat keys.
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What is your new flat like? It’s big and it has a bedroom, a bathroom with a step in shower and a kitchen diner. There’s a small garden where I can relax. I found it when I put a bid in on the housing website. The staff helped me. It’s a dream come true. I can’t stop smiling because I am so happy. Will you be sharing with anyone? No, it’s important to me to live on my own. I will have support from Freeways and Aspects and Milestones. I can’t wait to do my own cooking; I love baking. I am a celiac which means I have to use special flour; I get support with cooking. I’m looking forward to doing my own washing and cleaning and watch my soaps on my own TV. I will also be going to college and “The Hive”.
Have you got much to do to the flat before you move in? It’s all decorated but I need to buy some things. I’ll be choosing a new table and chairs soon. My mum has bought me some essentials too; she is very pleased about the move. What about the area, do you know Hanham at all? I have been to Hanham and found where the shops are so I can get my magazines and I’ve been to Hanham Folk House. Have you got any worries about the move? Not really. It’s a new start. If I am worried I can talk to Freeways or
AMT staff about it. I want to be more independent. In what other ways would you like to be more independent? I would like to self medicate in the future and living in the flat I will have my own Bank Account. One day I would like to get a job. I’d like to work in fashion. You will still be supported by the team at Jonathon House some of the time as well as Aspects and Milestones; have you met your new support team? Yes, we had a cheese & wine evening where I met Lesley, Jo and Sarah Bryan; they seem nice. I met (fellow tenants) Dave and Brian and Chris at the Vassells Centre too. So when was the Big Day? May 19th. I went on holiday the week before, to Tenby with my Mum and Dad. We are staying in a caravan. I’m really looking forward to it. We hope you have nice weather. Can Choices come and visit you once you are settled in to your flat? Yes, you might find me doing my housework, or putting my feet up on my new settee.
Chat with Sarah Bryan, Project Co-ordinator for Supported Living at Bratchel Court Aspects and Milestones supported living service exists to provide better lives for people (like Sarah Barnes on the opposite page) who are moving out of residential care, as identified through Person-Centred Planning. “We aim to provide support which reflects the lifestyles which people choose,” says Sarah. “The support is for everyday living and for dreams and aspirations too.” At Bratchel Court, 270 hours of core support are provided, plus sleep-ins, for the four tenants. “We try to match people with people, so if someone wants to pursue a particular hobby or interest we find staff who can support them to do that.” Sarah adds: “With the use of assistive technology we hope to support people to increase their independence, including those with very high support needs.” Sarah coordinates fifteen Personal Assistants at Bratchel Court. “Some are contracted and some are paid hourly, so we can provide spontaneous and flexible support. David, one of our tenants, trained the staff in his manual handling needs himself!”
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Keeping Your Cat Healthy And Happy We all love our cats and this guide gives some tips on how to keep them happy and healthy. Why not cut it out and keep it? How often should I feed my cat? •A small amount 3-4 times a day is fine. • I f he’s getting bigger, you’re probably feeding him too much! What is a healthy diet for my cat? • Wet food is best, from tins or pouches. Are treats good or bad? • Treats are a bad idea as they just make cats fatter. • I f you give your cat an occasional treat then give them a smaller main meal to balance things out. Do I need to have my cat vaccinated? • An annual check with your vet is a good idea. •Y our vet will help you decide on which vaccinations your cat or kitten needs. Should I treat my cat for fleas? • Only if you find your cat has fleas. •D on’t leave fleas untreated, as they can be difficult to get rid of if you leave it too long. Should I let my cat out at night? •C ats like to hunt at night, so you can let them go out.
A vet was kind enough to help us with this advice and if you’d like to know more about holistic cat care go to www.holisticvet.co.uk 8
“we love our cats” “Polly is my best friend here, I love her to bits, I’m really close to her and she follows me around
Polly
the house... she is really special to me.”
Claire
“I love Jet and I want him to stay for good.”
Jet
Joanna
“Trudy sits on my lap and enjoys being cuddled. I love my cat.”
Trudy
Mary 9
DCF Premier Workshops Clark invited Choices to DCF in Knowle.
DCF is a Christian-run workshop for people who have minor or major disabilities. The Bristol workshop started in a church hall in Brislington in 1985, initially running two days a week. DCF have been in the former school building in Knowle for three years now. They benefit from a more accessible building and the garden space. They are open five days a week now and make craft products to sell through their craft and charity shops. They also undertake assembly work for companies, which involves collating and packaging small items. Clark has been volunteering three days a week for “a good few years” and says “This job has given me great satisfaction overall”. Clark’s job is to sort nuts and other metal fixings for flat-packed furniture. He enjoys the opportunity to meet people from similar backgrounds, as well as the satisfaction of sorting hundreds and thousands of nuts and bolts. He says he has heard every joke imaginable about screws, nuts and bolts! Clark hardly ever misses a day, though the snow this year stopped him getting to work, as it did for many of us. He says this upset him a great deal. On Tuesdays and Fridays the cook, Rita, and some of the other volunteers cook a meal for everyone, while on other days Clark takes a packed lunch. Clark says workers are well looked-after. He can have coffee and listen to Radio 3 while he’s working. Clark says of DCF: “It’s an ‘on the button’ organisation.” For more information on DCF go to their website on www.dcf.co.uk 10
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Getting to work with WorkINC Robert Dix, pictured below, is a service user who lives at 218, The Kingsway. This picture was taken of him at Acramans Road (one of our supported living homes in Southville). Robert has been employed by Aspects and Milestones Trust as the housekeeper at Acramans Road since January 2010. Robert says being employed by the Trust makes him feel “important”. He works two hours a week (because he is limited by Supported Employment Guidelines) and has the same terms and conditions as any other employee. Robert Dix
Martin Pereira Robert is a long-standing member of WorkINC and finds work and earning beneficial for his mental health. Robert worked towards getting his job for approximately 9 months before being employed. Our second employee is Martin Pereira (above) who lives at Northumberland Road and is a long-standing member of WorkINC. Martin’s goal has long been to get paid work. He has been working at 87 Church Road as part-time housekeeper since January and sees his job as a stepping stone. It is a real work experience to put on his CV. Martin is rightly very proud of earning his own money. He finds that the main challenges are the commute to work and developing a work life balance. Martin also works voluntarily in a charity shop where he is working towards his NVQ level 2 in retail. For further information about employment, contact Ella Hydes, WorkInclusive, Easton Community Centre, Kilburn Street, Bristol 0117 9552255. 11
Say Hello To Mel akers, Chief Executive of Aspects and Milestones Having spent most of his life working in health and social care, Mel has now been with the Trust for 13 years. He has helped it develop from a small charity with 8 office staff to the large organisation it is today. Doreen, Clark and Roy put these questions to Mel. What does your job entail? My job is about leadership. I make sure the Trust offers good quality services and that it has enough money to fund all the work it does. This means I spend a lot of time talking to people who fund our services (adult social services and health) and reading all their policies and government policies. I also have 12 bosses – they are called Trustees – and we (senior managers) meet 12
with them every month and write reports so they can check we are doing our jobs well. What’s the thing you love about your job? Two things – variety, as every day is different and the chance to work with and meet such great people – staff, service users and commissioners (the people who pay for services). What do you least like about your job? My job is addictive: there are so many things to think about it can be difficult to ‘turn off and relax’. I always make sure I have a long holiday each year to recharge my batteries. What is the main challenge of your job? Person-centred services cost money and sometimes commissioners try to get us to reduce our prices. This will get more difficult after the election because whoever is elected will have to cut services and increase taxes because this country has some big
debts to repay. What does the future hold in store for Aspects and Milestones? Because of the big national debt I know we will have to learn to do ‘more for less’ – offer more service at a lower price. The Trust also wants to expand supported living and dementia services. We are currently looking to develop services in Gloucester. What are your hobbies? Travel, music and good food. I also like gardening, walking (with my dog), current affairs and sport (Liverpool FC). What do you like to do in your spare time? All of the above, plus DIY. Describe your perfect day off. Opening the curtains to see a mountain or sea view, slow, leisurely breakfast and then a walk or a swim, good lunch, read a book, meet friends for dinner or go to listen to some live music or watch Liverpool win the European Cup. Where did you grow up? Peckham in London and then college in Liverpool – both great cities. What’s on your ipod? Jazz, soul and some rock Miles Davis, Jill Scott and Elvis Costello are the current CDs in my car. Tell us a secret Not so much a secret as a secret pleasure. I have followed the radio soap opera, The Archers, for almost 40 years. 13
Roll up, roll up for the big show!
E
xpressions is back, and it’s bigger and better than ever! This year the Trust’s art exhibition will showcase the very best of fine art from both service users and the artists of Studio Upstairs. This year takes the exhibition to new heights. As well as art and sculpture, there will be animation, film and photography. Remember last year’s fantastic cardboard house? This year there will be a cardboard cinema! You can come inside and watch films made by people involved with the Trust. There will be a giant wardrobe installation full of fantastical costumes coming to life for the fashion show. And you can try your hand at French knitting, peer into the camera obscura, or join a workshop on poetry or music. The week will be rounded off with our Service User Party, which will have a Caribbean/Hawaiian theme. You will get a garland of flowers when you arrive and can party the night away after enjoying a buffet and our free, non-alcoholic cocktail bar. Please wear the brightest clothes you have! The party will be from 14
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6pm till late on Saturday 9 October – more details nearer the time. If you’d like to get involved with Expressions, we are running a series of taster workshops here at Trust Office from 27 June to 3 July. Service users can come along with their support workers to try a variety of crafty things! See our website for details, or contact Jeff on 0117 970 9304, email jeffp@ aspectsandmilestones.org. uk
Spot The Difference The two pictures on the back cover seem to show the same summer scene but is it what it seems? Look very carefully and you can spot 10 differences between the two pictures. All you have to do is find them and mark the bottom picture to show where they are. A small cross or circle around each one will be fine. Send this page to: Heather Child, Aspects and Milestones Trust, Unit 10, Eclipse Office Park, Name High Street, Staple Hill, Bristol, BS16 5EL on or before Friday, 30th July, 2010.
A winner will be drawn at random from the correct entries and will get a £30 Argos voucher.
Home/phone No 15
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE Prize competition Our two pictures may look the same but there are ten differences between them. Can you find them? Turn back a page to find out how to enter our prize competition.
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