Ocean Community Services: a person-centred stepdown service

Supporting personal recovery and rehabilitation in small, friendly community settings 1

WHO WE ARE Ocean Community Services is a specialist residential service with homes around South Wales and Bristol.

We provide person-centred step-down rehabilitation within a clinical care pathway, based on individual need which promotes recovery and progress.

Part of the wider Ludlow Street Healthcare Group which specialises in the treatment and care of a wide range of complex mental health conditions, Ocean Community Services (OCS) offers support to both men and women with mental health needs, autistic spectrum conditions, learning disabilities and acquired brain injury, including those with a forensic history.

Our service users come from a variety of backgrounds including their own homes, hospitals, hostels and other residential services.

OUR PURPOSE: To provide support for individuals in a stage of their journey offering them a secure base, supportive relationships, social inclusion, empowerment and the development of coping strategies.

Some individuals will be subject to the Mental Health Act 2007 relating to discharge, aftercare and supervision.

OUR VISION: Recovery should be a journey unique to the individual; it’s about developing responsibility and fulfilling potential beyond mental illness or disability.

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We believe that all our service users are people with the potential to progress and develop and we are committed to their rights for privacy, dignity, choice, fulfilment and independence.

We believe in working with our service users in equal partnership.

We take enormous pride in the comments we receive from families, carers and commissioners for our warm and friendly approach. This motivates us in continuing to offer the very best level of care and support for our service users.

OUR SERVICE APPROACH At Ocean Community Services we passionately believe in a joint approach to planning. We believe it is the best way to fully identify needs and determine the most appropriate means to meet those needs.

This conscious effort to involve not only each individual but also their complete support network ensures we develop comprehensive care and rehabilitation plans which enable each individual to achieve their fullest potential by increasing their confidence, skills and independence.

Involvement and Equality From the moment service users move into a home they are encouraged to become involved in the running of their home and see themselves as an integral and valued member of the home’s team.

This is my longest ever placement. With the support and encouragement of the staff here I feel I’m finally making progress.

Service User

Individuals play an active role in their care provision and the development of the service.

This is achieved by completing regular service user questionnaires and providing regular feedback to identify how satisfied they are with the service they receive. Service users are invited to attend monthly home meetings where they are given the opportunity to voice their suggestions for shaping further improvements in their environment and service delivery.

Helping our service users fulfil their potential beyond their mental health issues, autistic condition or learning disability underpins everything we do.

We are committed to supporting people to meet their aspirations.

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OUR GOAL-BASED SUPPORT FRAMEWORKS Within OCS all our staff teams are trained and supervised to support service users to follow the unique co-produced, goal-based planning frameworks that have been developed within Ludlow Street Healthcare.

These evidence-based tools are aimed at encouraging, through safe and predictable relationships with staff, the development of all the skills needed to enable people to live safely in the community and stay out of hospital.

Building Better Lives is adapted for the needs of our service users with learning disabilities, whilst Rise has been developed to meet the specific needs of service users needing mental health recovery support.

A focus on five different themes - all connected to community integration and personal meaning - helps individuals to structure their own goals, whilst receiving a level of practical and emotional support appropriate to their needs and wishes.

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OUR FIVE THEMES Building relationships Promoting health and well-being Therapeutic engagement Community skills Looking after my home/environment

THE SUPPORT WE OFFER We facilitate active rehabilitation through promoting programmes of education and leisure activities that offer choice and cater for a variety of personal interests and preferences.

Our focus is on supporting people according to their individual needs and promoting activities leading to the development of independent life skills and meeting therapeutic milestones.

Community involvement We believe that integration and social inclusion within the local community is of paramount importance. We give great consideration to the location of each of our homes, ensuring they are situated within or close to communities which will enhance the opportunities and social stimuli our service users will need.

As service users become ready to make the transition to independent living we assist them to find accommodation: teaching them how to apply for accommodation and how to deal with Housing Associations and private landlords.

We prepare them for running their own home teaching them the basics of house maintenance skills, such as how to change a plug, unblock a sink or how to decorate.

Education

Work opportunities

We aim to promote access to education for individuals to increase and enhance their future life choices. Education offers a great way for people to achieve and fulfil personal ambitions, increasing their confidence and self-esteem.

We promote the importance of work for service users. We support them in their search for jobs; showing them how to fill in application forms and coaching them in the interview skills they will need to obtain employment.

Some of our service users attend local colleges and study subjects as diverse as Equine Management, Art & Design, Catering, Literacy, Horticulture and Computing.

With our support, many of our service users have been able to make a valuable contribution within the workplace and community – securing paid, unpaid and voluntary employment.

Growing Independence Any service which promotes recovery must promote daily living and personal management.

Our service users are encouraged to develop their daily living skills such as cooking, cleaning and tidying, and washing their own clothes: taking general responsibility for their daily self-care in a homely, supportive and safe environment.

Linked to this is the development of financial and budgeting skills: how to access benefits, fill in forms, open bank accounts, save or paying bills.

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OUR HOMES Based in a variety of local community settings our friendly homes can accommodate diverse service user needs. All our homes are small units designed to meet the specific requirements of each individual and staff are extensively trained to meet the medical and clinical needs of all the service users.

Each home is managed by a Home Manager who is supported by a team of Support Workers who are on site 24/7. Additionally, they are supported

by Ludlow Street Healthcare’s multidisciplinary team, such as Occupational Therapy and SALT, for more specialist assistance as required.

Each home has a carefully planned mix of service users and staff to ensure everyone’s needs are met.

Up-to-date details of all our homes and the service users we can accommodate can be found on our website, www.oceancommunityservices. co.uk/homes. Alternatively you can contact our referral teams by emailing referrals@ oceancommunityservices.co.uk and they will send you details of individual homes which may meet your needs.

I just wanted to feedback from my recent visit. I witnessed staff being caring and responsive to service users, this care was appropriate and proportionate to the care needs. Staff engaged in good therapeutic interactions, with staff being creative with this. There was clear strong therapeutic rapport between staff and fellow service users.

Clinical lead complex recovery team 6

We are so grateful to you all and appreciate that my brother is not an easy client, but the way he responded to the news yesterday goes to show the management plans, and really friendship from all your staff has made my brother a totally changed person.

When I have been able to visit I get a real sense of enjoyment from it, not the feeling of dread i used to get. Thank you so much and please thank your team without you all we would have lost our brother a long time ago.

I had a lovely visit yesterday with my son, he was very happy and relaxed.

I was so happy to see the bond that he has with the staff. We are so happy he has settled in well.

Family member

Family member

I would like to say thank you and praise all my team that have been involved in my care and I appreciate all that has been for me and have helped me to become the women I am today.

Service user

The staff team are enabling for the individual I work with, providing empathy, support and understanding as well as guidance and support. It is due to the staff team that the individual I work with has maintained his community placement for so long.

I have been very impressed with how open and supportive all the staff I have met are. Nothing has been too much trouble, the reception was welcoming, and I was really supported to find any information. When I last saw J he seemed genuinely happy and engaged with me - which is quite different to before.

Commissioner

Commissioner

The feedback I received from service users was positive and supportive of their recovery. I strongly believe that the work that the team do is inspiring and recovery-focused. I’m very much grateful for the care and treatment provided.

Commissioner 7

Thank you to everyone at the home for supporting my sister during her difficult years. All the family are really appreciative of what OCS has done for her and we are so happy to see her where she is now in her life.

Family member

Ocean Community Services Unit 1, Castleton Court, Fortran Road, St Mellons, Cardiff CF3 0LT Office/swyddfa: 029 2039 4410 Email/Ebost: referrals@oceancommunityservices.co.uk 8 www.oceancommunityservices.co.uk