Enter and View Report: Aspirations Active

Results of Visits 

The nature of the Centre 

• Aspirations Active is a centre which caters for people with very complex learning disabilities and/or autism, often where other settings have failed to deliver the care they require.
• Their ethos is to ensure the happiness of their clients; they aim to achieve this through positive calming interaction, meaningful activity and stimulation.
• The centre currently has 22 clients who are over the age of 18, 9 of whom are from the Brighton and Hove area.
• Some live in residential settings, but most live with their parents at home. Staff work in a non-hierarchical way, and staff turnover is low, in part because people are in control of their work.
• Staff come from a range of backgrounds, not all related to care.

Things to do 

• The centre is spread over a number of units, with different spaces for different atmospheres and activities.
• Sometimes activities will be client led, and sometimes staff will suggest them.
• A sensory room provides calming lights and patterns, and is a place where service users receive messages from staff.
• A small gym had recently been installed, which some members were fond of using.
• Music making equipment was also available in the unit and through renting a local music studio.
• A large air bed and large coloured balls were available for staff and clients to relax on.

Spending time with other people 

• All staff interactions with clients were calming and often used tactile stimulus like stroking and touching.
• As a general rule, staff interact with clients nine times before they ask them specifically to do something.
• Where people start to become excitable or aggressive, staff intervene quickly to prevent escalation.
• Staff were observed to be calm, friendly, and always smiling. There was lots of encouragement to complete tasks, and praise for completing things.

Overall 

• Our Enter and View Representatives were impressed with the attentive staff adn thoughtful envrionment of the centre