Craegmoor Looks To People It Supports For Guidance On Autism Provision At First Ever Autism Conference

  • Adults with learning disabilities
 

Staff from Craegmoor – who support over 4,000 people with learning disabilities, complex needs, and mental health illnesses as well as older people – came together on Thursday 3rd December to attend a one-day internal conference on autism in Worcester.

December 2009

The event, which forms part of Craegmoor’s ongoing commitment to put the individual at the centre of the support it provides, attracted 70 employees from all corners of the UK. Here they heard from Pamela, Tom and John, who live with a range of Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD), about their experiences.

The conference came five months after the appointment of Sue Hatton as Craegmoor’s Quality Development Advisor for Autism and sought to enhance understanding of ASD and share best practice. This is an approach Craegmoor has already used to great effect at its Collinson Court service in Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent.

Offering support to 10 people with ASD and learning disabilities, Collinson Court recently received National Autistic Society (NAS) “Autism Accreditation”. Established by the NAS and its affiliated local societies, with backing from the Department of Health, accreditation is synonymous with quality support for people with ASD.

Speaking at the conference on Thursday, Sue Hatton said:

"Craegmoor is committed to imaginatively finding better ways of doing things, by breaking down barriers to make positive outcomes a reality for everyone, regardless of their ability, age or others’ expectations. Today’s conference was about doing just that – despite supporting people with autism for 33 years even I will never truly know what it is like to see the world through the eyes of somebody living with ASD. That is why it is vital that we continue to listen to the people we support – they are the people who are best equipped to advise us on how we can support them more effectively and enable them to have more control over their lives ."

For further information please contact the Craegmoor Press Office on:

01905 459 832

Notes for Editors

Craegmoor supports over 4,000 people with learning disabilities, complex needs and mental health illnesses as well as older people.

The wide range of services offered by Craegmoor include:

  • Supported living services
  • Residential care
  • Specialist further education colleges
  • Transition services
  • Independent hospitals
  • Recovery centres
  • Nursing homes
  • Specialist brain injury services
  • Independent living in secure accommodation

Craegmoor is one of the leading independent providers of specialist support in the UK with a turnover of approximately £170m and employing over 6,000 people

Working alongside Primary Care Trusts and Local Authorities, Craegmoor constantly strives to design and deliver new needs-led services, which focus on the principles of choice and independence, enabling people to live with their local community and have fulfilled lives.

In addition to these partnerships, Craegmoor also believes that it is incredibly important to work closely with the people who use its services, their families and carers. People using Craegmoor services can expect staff to be passionate about working with them to achieve their personal goals