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Statement of purpose

 

Reach Opportunity Centre opening the door to a brighter future for adults with learning Disabilities.

 

Reach is an innovative, purpose built day centre for adults with learning disabilities.  Set up in 2014, The Reach Centre is dedicated to bringing the highest levels of expertise to support and improve life chances for people with a learning disability.  Through its unique approach its aim is to enable people with learning disabilities to reach their potential and to lead a fulfilling and as independent a life as possible. 

 

The Reach Opportunity Centre offers a range of services which include:

  ​

  • Digital Art and design.

  • Computer skills.

  • Large fully fitted kitchen to teach Cooking skills.

  • Life skills.

  • fully operational Mobile shop.

  • Wood work.

  • Animal care.

  • Woodland forestry.

  • Horticulture

  • Garden Maintenance.

  • Cinema workshop.

  • Work experience Opportunities

  • Community projects.

  • Creative thinking, news group

 

Mission Statement

  • To promote independence and choice

  • To encourage positive risk taking

  • To provide quality care and support

  • To value each person as an individual

  • To promote consideration and respect for each other

  • To provide emotional support

 

 

Aims and Objectives

To facilitate the student with a community setting, and enhance learning with daily living skills and enterprise management, whilst skilfully encouraging them to progress and succeed in their own aims and objectives.

  • To work in a Person Centred Way

  • To provide good quality care and support

  • To provide a safe and positive environment

  • To provide students with meaningful activities that allows the students to achieve their full potential and encouragement towards a greater degree of independence

  • To provide tailor made packages of day care by having student centred planning processes and offering comprehensive risk assessments.

  • To ensure a fair and non-discriminatory service is provided by adhering to agreed allocation process.

  • To promote the principles of Equality and Diversity, Privacy, Dignity, Respect, Fulfilment, Confidence, Independence, Decision making, Individuality and Choice in all our practices.

  • To ensure that all staff have relevant skills and experience and apply these in their work and give them opportunities for identified training and development to provide or improve the skills and knowledge to maintain the Centre’s standards and principles.

  • To ensure policies and procedures at Reach Opportunity Centre are adhered to and that they are reviewed and revised regularly.

  • To provide a safe and nurturing environment to enable young adults to make the transition from school to adult placement successfully and with informed choices having been made

  • participate in a living experience which is nurturing, challenging, stimulating, meaningful and motivational

  • Develop a positive self image

  • Express emotions appropriately

  • Experience fulfilment and achievement

  • Experience a breadth of cultural activities which include those of their own race, religion and culturebecome self-determining and make informed choices

 

Values

We value the individuality of our students and treat them with respect and dignity

We believe that our unique approach offers the most successful pathway to achieving the highest level of independence and a fulfilling life for our students

We have high expectations of our students and all who work with them

 We value, encourage and celebrate their achievements

We have a people-centred approach where we are able to learn from each other and where every person matters

We believe in the importance of the partnership with parents and families as the strongest basis for success for all involved

We seek opportunities to encourage understanding and greater integration for our students in the wider community

 

Ethos and approach

 The person centred approach of the Reach Centre is the philosophy which underpins not only the activities, provision, educational sessions and nurturing environment but also the values of its founders, Peter and Jill Swingler who were motivated to set up the Reach Centre when their son became an adult. Their passion and determination have created a wonderful environment in which staff deliver a high standard of care and support with an understanding of the needs of each individual. It aims to provide a toolkit of skills which will support them throughout their life in gaining independence and meeting their physical, intellectual and emotional needs. 

 

The Reach Opportunity Centre caters for young adults with a mild to moderate learning difficulty and autism.  A young adult with autism can be typically defined as having:

  • Difficulties in communication – for the young adults this will mean that they have difficulties in understanding and initiating communication.Some young adults may be pre verbal and require additional strategies such as objects, symbols and signs to support their understanding and ability to communicate.

  • Difficulties in social interaction – the young adults will have difficulties in understanding social rules and situations and will require additional support to learn to understand and manage everyday social interactions.

  • Difficulties in imagination and flexibility of thought – for the young adults this will mean they will experience difficulties in a range of situations including predicting what will happen next, understanding the concept of danger and engaging in imaginative activities.Young adults will require additional support to understand the world around them.

 Additionally young adults may have:

  • Sensory differences – the young adults may experience some form of sensory sensitivity. This can occur in one or more of the five senses - sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. A person's senses are either intensified (hypersensitive) or under-sensitive (hypo-sensitive) affecting the way they perceive and manage the world around them.

  • Challenging behaviours – due to the difficulties the young adults have understanding the world around them they may demonstrate challenging behaviour requiring support to develop coping and self management strategies and to maintain their safety in crisis

  • Additional associated needs including ADHD, mental health issues, epilepsy and other medical needs.

The Reach Opportunity Centre has been created to meet the continuing needs of these very vulnerable young adults. 

 

Living and learning environment

The Reach Centre recognises the needs of this group of young adults and offers a person-centred approach to learning and development. The Reach Centre approach provides a unique blend of personal experience and best practice which can be moulded to suit each individual with a learning disability supporting his or her learning, understanding and choice making, thereby enabling them to lead a fulfilling and happy life.  Key elements of the approach include: 

  • Utilising a total communication approach with the aim of creating strategies, resources and stimulating environments which will develop individuals’ non-verbal and verbal communication abilities, facilitate social interaction, attention and understanding and support emotional development such as self- esteem and self- assertiveness.

Through the approach at the Reach Centre each young adult develops a person-centred individual learning sessions that provide them with the opportunities to develop the necessary skills to maximise their potential and ensure they are able to lead full and varied lives within the community. Individuals are supported to engage in a rich and varied range of activities and opportunities tailored to meet their individual needs across their day. Each young adult follows an individualised person-centred plan focusing on outcomes and these plans are reviewed regularly by looking at the needs of each individual while building on their skills, strengths and interests.   

The key areas of focus within the young adult provision are: 

  • Independent living skills - there is a focus on developing self- care and life skills for all individuals. This includes developing personal safety and good hygiene, learning to plan, shop for and cook their own meals, learning to complete day to day domestic jobs including the communal areas, learning to manage money and developing their skills to travel on a variety of transport within the community.

  • Vocational skills - focusing on developing vocational skills in line with individual needs and aspirations outlined in the support plan. On-site the Reach Centre offers a range of vocational activities including ICT, art and design, woodwork, office skills, work skills and mini enterprise activities (including the Startucks round offering hot and cold snacks). Horticulture is offered within the garden areas on site and animal care. The development of vocational skills on-site is enhanced and developed through opportunities to participate in courses, work experience and work placements within the wider community.

  • Choice-making, advocacy and personal development - our aim is to provide experiences for our young adults which will enable them to achieve a sense of personal identity, self-esteem and self-respect. Through a focus on personal development and citizenship throughout the day we strive to create a happy and stimulating environment for the development of sexuality, physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual and social skills, which takes into account the special needs of our young adults.

  • Leisure and relaxation - Leisure and relaxation are important areas of life for all young adults. Individuals with learning disabilities and autism often struggle to engage independently in leisure and relaxation activities, particularly when the focus is on self-occupation. Each young adult is supported to develop leisure activities and hobbies which build upon their interests and aspirations and which will contribute to their spiritual and emotional well-being.

  • Community links and generalisation of skills - the development of skills for each individual to successfully participate within the local community is a key focus.To support the individual’s development, the community is accessed regularly in a range of ways including the use of local facilities such as shops, banks and cafes; the use of leisure facilities; and vocational opportunities such as courses at local colleges, work experience and work placements.

 

 

The Reach Centre is located in the beautiful village of Weare, Somerset. We are on a small industrial estate, which is what makes our Startucks round so successful, and are surrounded by hills and fields. We offer a home cooked meal daily including the choice of pudding or fruit.

 

The address is:

 The Reach Opportunity Centre

Unit 14 Badgworth Barns

Notting Hill Way

Somerset

BS26 2JU

Tel: 01934 707340

Email: admin@reachcentre.org.uk

Managers – Jill Swingler, Peter Swingler & Cate Robertson.

Monitoring arrangements

The Managers are responsible for the day to day management of The Reach Centre.

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