Near Southampton we have a residential service for six people who have physical disabilities and profound learning disability.
The staff team have been looking at ways that they can empower the people they are supporting to do more things for themselves.
We asked the MacIntyre Great Interactions team to come and work with us and give us some ideas. Gwenne and Anita have been spending time with us and bringing lots of things for people to try out, to really get us started to better involve people and have Great Interactions.
The sensory room has been revamped and everything is now linked to a switch which means people can switch things on and off themselves: a fan, fish bubble tube, disco lights etc etc. Our sound beam has also been connected up again (it’s quite complicated) and people can create music – Haunted House is particularly good.
We have a ‘Silly Box’ which is full of weird hats and wigs – the pictures say it all, and the laughter we have with these is wonderful.
The giant blow up shape means everyone can get involved in a game of ‘push the shape’; again lots of laughs.
The switch enables Jimmy to turn the food processor on and off, so he is in control of making his own smoothies . He gets a great sense of achievement from turning it on and off for himself. I think the smile on his face says it all. He will choose which fruit he likes by pointing to the options available. His favourite is berries and banana ice cream smoothies, which have gone down a treat in the Hampshire sun.
Victoria Nixon
Project Start-Up Manager
* The name of the person in this blog has been changed
