Care Provider Links Up With Schools To Fill Gap In Local Autism Care

  • Turketel Road
 

Craegmoor, a leading provider of specialist care and support to people with learning disabilities, autism, complex needs, mental illnesses and older people, has opened a new purpose-built Autism unit at its Turketel Road Care Home in Folkestone in Kent after linking up with local schools to assess the need for more locally-based Autism care and support.

01 June 2009

“Committed to addressing the national shortage of specialist, personalised and local Autism care and support” says Craegmoor

Craegmoor, a leading provider of specialist care and support to people with learning disabilities, autism, complex needs, mental illnesses and older people, has opened a new purpose-built Autism unit at its Turketel Road Care Home in Folkestone in Kent after linking up with local schools to assess the need for more locally-based Autism care and support. The new unit forms part of Craegmoor’s ongoing programme to help address the UK-wide shortfall in specialist care for those with Autism as part of the company’s commitment to the development of a National Autism Strategy.

Before developing the new unit, Craegmoor got in touch with both mainstream and special needs schools in Kent and the South East to survey how many of their pupils with Autism and learning disabilities nearing the end of school did not have specialist care and support places available to them close to where they live. After assessing the local need Craegmoor decided to develop Turketel Road to provide accommodation for six young adults aged 16-25 years with Autism and learning disabilities. The unit is designed to support young adults in developing everyday life skills, including social skills and the ability to live as independently as possible.

The service has been tailored to meet the needs of young people with Autism who want to undertake activities geared to their age group. As such, the service will promote lifelong learning and assist the young people who live there with the transition to adulthood, one of the biggest challenges that young people with Autism face. College attendance across a range of subjects and social activities within the local community will also be part of everyday life for people living at Turketel Road and participation in initiatives such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme will be encouraged.

All staff will be trained in order to ensure that they have a detailed understanding not only of Autism as a condition but also the broad range of treatment options available. As a result, people at Turketel Road will be offered uniquely specialist care on a one to one basis by staff committed to listening, understanding and making things possible for the people concerned.

Ted Smith, Craegmoor’s Chief Executive Officer, said today:

“ Craegmoor is fighting to ensure that all people with Autism receive the support that they need, where they need it. This is precisely why we chose to open a specialist Autism unit at Turketel Road and we hope to emulate the service elsewhere.

We recognise that structure and routine are very important to people with Autism and this will be fostered through continuity in staff provisions and the subsequent establishment of long-term relationships between staff and service users .”

Notes for Editors

For further information please contact the Craegmoor Press Office on: 01905 459 813

  • Craegmoor is one of the leading independent providers of specialist support in the UK with a turnover of approximately £170m and employs over 6,500 people.
  • It has a portfolio comprising specialist and nursing residential support, mental health hospitals, specialist adult colleges and supported living schemes with over 4,700 beds across 234 homes.
  • The wide range of services offered by Craegmoor include: Specialist support for adults with learning disabilities and mental illnesses, Nursing and residential support for older people and Independent Hospitals
  • Craegmoor has 2,229 Specialist beds including 143 beds in three colleges.
  • Craegmoor has currently 2,242 Older People beds and 237 beds in the company’s Independent Hospitals.
  • Working closely with local authorities, Primary Care Trusts and NHS Trusts, Craegmoor is committed to building partnerships focused on constant service improvements which meet the needs of individual people and which are in line with regulatory requirements and best practice.