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Residential Care Homes
Cartref House | Ulcomb House | Bridge House
Cartref House
Page contents:
> An introduction
> Service Aims
> Facilities
> Staff
An Introduction
Cartref House was the first of our homes to open back in 1997.
It continues to represent the original aims of the company to deliver progressive residential services for young adults with learning disabilities who may also present with challenging behaviours, mental health difficulties and other special needs but who aspire to more independent living.
This 6-bedded home provides high specification accommodation and a town-centre location that promotes service user inclusion in the full range of daily living activities.
With a registration that allows for the admission of service users from age 16, Cartref House focuses on transitional work - moving service users towards greater skill levels and competence in preparation for moves from residential care into more independent living models (see our Supported Living Scheme).
The age range of the service user group is kept deliberately narrow (no admissions beyond mid-30s) to ensure a compatibility of interests and needs. This also facilitates the activity-led approach adopted by our services which emphasizes the importance of acquiring domestic and community living skills as well as seeking out meaningful occupation - whether that be educational or vocational .
Service Aims
To provide a safe, homely environment and person-centred support that responds to service users as unique individuals.
To assist service users in acquiring skills which empower and enable them in the pursuit of more independent and valued life-styles
To create opportunities for community integration by developing links with local education providers, employers and other support services.
To promote service user dignity and self esteem through the provision of programmes of support which encourage service users to make informed choices, to assess risks and to take responsibility for their own lives and behaviour.
To ensure each service user’s needs are assessed and met through access to appropriate professional, specialist and pastoral support services.
To promote equality of opportunity and encourage anti-discriminatory practice by recognising, rights, choices, beliefs and values of service users and their families.
To give all staff the training, support and resources required to fulfil the above aims.
Facilities
Cartref House is a spacious house situated close to all the amenities of a busy town surrounded by the best of rural Kent.
To ensure high levels of staff support a maximum of only 6 service users can be accommodated - each with their own single room. The home has been furnished and equipped to a very high specification and benefits from a large conservatory and secluded garden. Service users can also make use of the vocational and educational resources of our Resource Centre in the adjoining grounds.
Staff
The registered manager of the home, Wendy Shepherd, leads a balanced team of suitably skilled and experienced staff all of whom benefit from our commitment to continuing staff training and development. Over recent years Wendy and the team have developed a growing expertise with service users with diagnoses of autistic spectrum disorder (and Aspergers). They have had notable successes with augmentative communication approaches including symbol boards and task planners.
The staff team are assisted through the positive links that have been developed with local support services including Disability Social Workers, Learning Disability Health Teams and our sub-contracted Clinical Psychology provision.