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New Horizons is a support agency for Adults who have Learning Disabilities, Physical Disabilities, Autism and Communication Difficulties. Our support agency works with people who live in Thanet, Deal, Sandwich, Canterbury and Herne Bay.

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Our Support agency is split into two categories, the Resource Centre and Our Domiciliary Agency. As Part of the Resource Centre, Service Users attend our service either with a 1:1 or are a 'Resource'  Service User, so don't have a 1:1 but are part of a group instead with a 'Resource' member of staff. Our Domiciliary agency supports people with a Personal Centred Plan on a 1:1 basis in the community, at other day services and for Respite in their own homes or at our caravan based in Seasalter, Whitstable. We provide Domiciliary care for Service Users in their own homes, providing support with feeding, changing, cleaning, shopping and Personal Care.

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We also have a Resource Centre in Margate which we use as a base, but prefer to get our Service Users out in the community as much as possible. We have a variety of different activities for our Service Users to take part in. We use local swimming pools; Ramsgate, Hartsdown, Herons in Herne Bay and Tides in Deal, we have a caravan based in Whitstable, we have passes to local wildlife parks (Wingham, Wildwood, Howletts), we hire cycles from the Step Forward Cycle Club at Minnis Bay, we go for walks at Pegwell, Westcliff, Sandwich, Fowlmead, we access Bugsy's in Cliftonville to go bowling, we access the local cinemas, we support our Service Users to go shopping (usually walking there and back) , we access Aire Trampoline Club in Wincheap to go trampolining, we have an allotment at Dane Valley and we have a beach hut at Minnis Bay.

As well as outdoor activities, we also hold sessions at our Resource Centre. These sessions include, woodwork, arts and crafts, cooking, exercise, relaxation, sensory activities, games, living skills, exercise and many more.

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Our main Ethos is to help and support our Service Users to achieve goals and learn life skills for the future. We keep our Service Users motivated but content, using a Personal Centred care plan which includes their preferences, wishes and needs.

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We like to keep our Service Users as active as possible, each Service User goes out at least once a day, whether it be in the morning, the afternoon or for the whole day.

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Staff

Our Staff have to complete several training courses before they can start. This includes: Induction, Role of a Care Worker, Fire Awareness, Health and Safety, Adult Protection, Principles of Care and Confidentiality, First Aid Awareness, Infection Control, Mental Capacity, Record Keeping, Food Hygiene, Communication, Challenging Behaviour. Then after they have been with us for a while we like to put their knowledge to the test. They will then complete: Wheelchair Etiquette (Staff are partnered up and sent out in a wheelchair. They must take it in turns in the wheelchair, and try to  access the community. We find it is a great eye opener for the staff, as they develop empathy and understanding for those that use a wheelchair. ) , Epilepsy, Autism, Moving and Handling (practical and theory), Buccal Training, Medication Administration, Dementia, Personal Centred Care, Risk Assessment, Diabetes, Food and Nutrition, Develop as a Worker, CoSHH.

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At New Horizons, we try to provide continuity of staff. Each Service user has at least two regular staff with an additional member of staff trained in case the other two are on holiday and/or off sick. Staff members will not work with a Service User without shadowing another experienced Staff member first. We like staff to have at least one shadow, but as most of our Service Users are quite complex we prefer if they have a few, especially if the Service User has additional needs, ie. Challenging Behaviour, Feeding, Changing.

 

We can also provide speciality training to our staff via outside companies for specific needs, ie.  Hoisting, Peg Feed.