Specialist learning disability and autism care
We have a number of care homes that provide specialist nursing care for people living with a severe or profound and multiple learning disability and/or autism.
A personalised approach to care
A learning disability and/or autism can affect people in different ways – some people with a learning disability may have severe difficulties seeing, hearing, speaking and moving, and/or have complex health and social care needs due to these conditions.
That’s why our approach is personalised to the individuals that we support – we work with them, their loved ones and professionals to design a care plan that’s tailored to their needs, aspirations and goals.
Our community-based care homes provide person-centred care that focuses on maximising independence, building everyday living skills and empowering people to live as fulfilled lives as possible.
We focus on what the person can do, not what they can’t. And support people to take part in as many everyday activities as they wish, as well as providing a range of meaningful leisure and recreational activities that people can choose to become involved in, including training, education and volunteering.
Holistic care from an in-house Nurse-led team
Our learning disability services are led by an experienced Nurse-led management team, and supported by a trained in-house team of Registered Nurses and Health Care Assistants.
Each of our homes has a Life Skills/Activities Team to support with holistic and therapeutic treatments, as well as the support of Exemplar Health Care’s clinical experts including our team of Behaviour Support Specialists. This enables people to access holistic care and a range of services in a community-based home that’s closer to their friends and family.
We also work closely with community teams and other professionals, where required, to ensure that people receive the required support to meet all of their needs.
- Life skills – our Life Skills Teams support people to build their everyday living skills such as cleaning, washing, money management and cooking, and take part in meaningful activities to improve their wellbeing.
- Behaviour support – our dedicated Behaviour Support Team work with individuals and care teams to understand the reasons for people’s behaviour, and implement strategies to reduce the frequency and duration of incidents of behaviours of concern. The team is supported by our Consultant Psychiatrist.
Community engagement
We’re all involved in a range of communities throughout our lives, which give us access to services and social groups that ensure that our individual core needs are met – and this shouldn’t be any different for people living with a learning disability and/or autism.
We’re committed to encouraging and supporting people to maintain these connections, if they wish and wherever possible.
Our high staffing levels of Registered Nurses and trained Health Care Assistants are determined by each person’s individual needs, whether that be 2:1 or 1:1.
This enables us to work at their own pace and build trust, and provide support with all aspects of their life including supporting people to integrate into the wider community such as going to the gym, attending the local college or sourcing volunteering opportunities.
This leads to to improved person-centred and longer-term outcomes for people living with a learning disability and/or autism.
Behaviour support for people living with a learning disability
People with a learning disability and/or autism can also display behaviours of concern. Many of the people we support have been deemed to have behaviours that are considered ‘too complex’ for mainstream nursing and care services.
Our approach to behaviour support focuses on how we can prevent the need for restrictive practices and reduce the frequency and intensity of behaviours of concern.
All of our care and nursing colleagues complete our Exemplar Positive Behaviour Support (EPBS) training that’s been certificated by Bild ACT, and are supported by our central team of Behaviour Support Specialists through person-centred interventions, fortnightly clinics and regular advice forums.