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Important update on our Highland services from - 14th June 2024  

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Dear Partners and Stakeholders,

 

I am writing to share some important updates regarding our Highland service. Earlier this year, we were thrilled to recruit two Team Leaders for our new Highland service as part of our focused recruitment campaign. This development in January 2024 filled us with optimism and excitement for the future.

 

One of our Team Leaders, Holly, began in March 2024, completing her induction and shadowing our team in Moray. Holly also began establishing crucial connections with many of our social work partners in the Highlands. Due to Holly’s continued success in her role and the growing need for her skill set and experience, she was promoted to Assistant Manager in June 2024. We are immensely proud of Holly’s achievements and the progress she has made.

 

Despite our planning and efforts, our recruitment campaign for Community Neurodiversity Workers did not yield the results we hoped for. We managed to recruit only two sessional workers, falling short of our goal of six full-time workers.

 

Our second Team Leader started in May 2024, and we planned for direct support to commence in June 2024 for children and families in Dingwall and within a 20-mile radius. Although our capacity was more limited than originally planned, we managed to plan for providing around 20 hours per week of direct support from mid to late June 2024, and we were extremely excited to get started and grow our support throughout the summer.

 

However, I am deeply saddened to inform you that on Wednesday, June 12th, 2024, our second Team Leader, who joined us in May, decided after only a few weeks that the role was not for them and resigned with immediate effect. This has been a significant setback, and we now need to pause our support in Highland until we can undertake a new recruitment campaign. We hope to effectively recruit both a new Team Leader and Community Neurodiversity Workers to resume our much-needed direct support by September 2024.

 

It is disheartening to hear from colleagues in the sector that such challenges have become the norm. Despite this, I firmly believe we are building an organisation at A-ND that strives to break this norm and provides a supportive and positive work environment. However, with our current limited staff and resources, our capabilities are restricted. We are incredibly grateful for the continued support and understanding from families and partners as we navigate this challenging time.

 

My ask to you is to please show our team compassion and understanding as we pause planned support. Our team is equally devastated and saddened by the situation, and they continue to work tirelessly to help us reach our goals. We sincerely appreciate your ongoing support and understanding.

 

Thank you for your patience and commitment to our mission.

 

Best,

 

Billy Alexander

CEO

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What is Highland Outreach?

We will provide autistic and neurodivergent specific support and guidance for autistic children, adults & their families throughout Highland, beginning in Dingwall and surrounding areas within a 20 mile radius from our base at Bridgend Business Park. 

 

Outreach support can be provided to children, young people, adults and their families from age 0 through to 99, usually on a one-to-one ratio, however dependent on individual need.

 

Support can be provided anywhere, such as within the home, local community and places of education or employment, mainly on a one-to-one basis and decided by the personal plan, co-designed and agreed by the individual and our trained team. Where required and wanted, we work with family members and any one else who is important to the individual we are supporting.  

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Diagnosis is not necessary to use or access any of our services and all referrals are considered on an individual basis. 

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Our support staff listen and offer guidance, enabling individuals, and where required their families, to support them overcome the challenges and difficulties unique to them, providing tailored support for individuals to reach their individual goals and lead independent, fulfilling and happy lives.

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What do we do at Highland Outreach?

Our team co-design tailored and person-centred personal plans with individuals to achieve what goals and outcomes they set in some, or all of the following areas, using an outcomes measurement tool called Outcomes Star;

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For Children & Young People 

  • School and learning 

  • Your routine

  • Family

  • Friends 

  • Being healthy

  • How you feel

  • How you behave

  • Attention and organisation

  • Sensory differences & needs 

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For Adults

  • Your Health 

  • How you spend your time

  • Being responsible 

  • Being safe 

  • Money & letters 

  • Living skills 

  • Communicating 

  • Feeling good 

  • People you know 

  • Mental health & other conditions 

  • Sensory differences & needs

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How often is support provided? 

We provide outreach support to individuals from a minimum of 2 hours, up to 24 hours.  This can be daily, once or several times per week or month.  It all depends on individual need. Our Outreach Support Service runs 7 days per week, 365 days per year.  

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Whether managing your home and tenancy, morning routine for children and families, evening routine and bedtime, shopping, budgeting, attending school, college or university, or even as a one off to go somewhere for the first time on holiday, our team will be happy to support.  Every individual need is unique and we pride ourselves on doing what we can to co-design the best support for each individual.  A person-centred approach to support. 

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The Matching Process

A-ND operates a matching process to enable the development of effective and meaningful relationships, which we strongly believe is a pre-requisite for enabling change and a key value of A-ND: We Value Relationships. 

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Careful consideration is given to the placement of our team with each individual prior to support commencing, and support is provided by the smallest, practical number of support workers to enable effective, trusting and supporting relationships. This is usually a team of 3 to 5 support workers, however all people we support are allocated with one individual Key Worker who co-leads on the personal plan with the person we support.  

 

Introduction of a new support worker is a gradual process and usually starts with a shadow session or two along with an existing, familiar worker who is able to give feedback to the new worker.  In addition, the person we support and where appropriate, their family and people important to them are directly consulted about the suitability of any new support worker prior to support beginning.  On no occasion is a person we support asked to accept support from someone they have not already met or agreed to work with. 

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How is Outreach Support Funded? 

The majority of people we support are currently funded through Self Directed Support (SDS), with some funded by family members or self-funded.  If you believe you are entitled to SDS and unsure how to access, please contact one of our team who will be happy to guide you.  

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If we could provide free support, we absolutely would, regardless of age, post code, location or background. However to enable us to pay our valued staff a Real Living Wage, we require each support package to be fully funded. We truly hope this changes one day with better funding made available and are working hard to try and achieve equitable support for all who want and need it.

 

How do I make a referral?

Click on the 'REFER HERE' button below to download our referral form and send your completed form by email to referrals@a-nd.org.uk, or call our Head Quarters on 01224 277 900.

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