Making choices, building confidence
From finding new ways to support people through difficult times to helping them try things they never thought possible, the teams at Chetwynd Road and OnTrack are helping people build confidence, make their own choices and enjoy more opportunities.
- Winner: Chetwynd Road, Hampshire supported living
- Highly commended: OnTrack, Hampshire day service
The team at Chetwynd Road was recognised for helping people make their own choices and work towards things that matter to them, sometimes in very challenging circumstances.
One nomination told the story of a someone who was experiencing significant mental health difficulties and was frequently hurting themselves. To support them, the team knew they needed to rethink their approach.
They worked closely with specialist psychologists, the Intensive Support Team and her psychiatrist to better understand what was causing their distress and how best to support them. It meant learning new skills and sometimes trying different approaches when something wasn’t working.
The person has gone several weeks without hurting themselves, and has become more comfortable spending time with their housemates and others. Their support needs continue to change, so the team has kept adapting their support.
Another person wanted to improve their health after learning they were at risk of developing diabetes. Staff helped them explore healthier food choices and find ways to be more active, including walking, swimming and football. They have now lost three stone, an achievement they’ve worked hard for.
OnTrack in Hampshire was highly commended for helping people build confidence and get involved in things they enjoy.
People have performed in a drama production to a packed audience, worked with local community radio station Shine Radio to make podcasts and developed plans for a new shop. Some have also put themselves forward to become Quality Checkers at FitzRoy.
Emma’s story was one of the highlights of the nominations. When she first joined OnTrack, she rarely spoke. Over time, with encouragement from the team and opportunities to try things at her own pace, she’s grown much more confident.
She’s now learning how to interview people through the Shine Radio podcast project, practising her questions in recordings shared on the intranet with all staff. Emma is also a big Michael Jackson fan and is preparing to sing solo in a drama production. Something that would have been hard to imagine when she first arrived.
Chelsea has also made great progress. The team recognised that she needed more individual support and worked to secure funding for this.
Since having dedicated one to one support, she’s learned to swim, enjoyed swimming in the sea and started helping to groom a local horse. She’s spending more time out about and about, and making new connections.