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ALS support is a small, predominantly domiciliary care company based in Calderdale, ALS was set up by Andy and Linda Stubbs in 2005. ALS support currently have 15 clients, 16 staff members and 3 PA’s.
ALS support provides a quality bespoke, 1-1 support service for people with varying abilities living in Calderdale.
The service is provided in the local community, in the clients homes, and provides a transport service. The company currently has several wheel chair adapted vehicles that can be used on outreach sessions.
ALS support can provide support to male or female client’s and covers all aspect of personal care. Every staff member is training in medication safety, safeguarding and specialised training can be given to support clients with complex needs, and this includes administering Midazolam, Peg feeding, setting up feed pumps and using specialised equipment.
ALS support also offers an outreach service in the community and overnight respite in clients own homes.
The clients care packages that ALS currently support varies from 1 hour calls daily, to 24 hours a day, and a client that is supported 18 hours a day 2-1, all year round.
The staff that provide support have to complete a full induction schedule prior to offering support which includes a full training schedule covering areas such as safeguarding, manual handling, infection control, first aid, fire safety, and any specialised training to meet the needs of specific clients. All staff have shadow sessions prior to starting to support clients and are actively encourage to complete NVQ level 2 and 3 to enhance their personal development and further improve the care of the clientele.
All staff are supported with regular supervision and yearly appraisals and are provided with regular training updates.
ALS support is an inclusive service and encourages clients to actively participate in their own care planning to ensure their needs are met. If the client is unable to do this, ALS will liase and work closely with the people that know the client best to ensure we understand the needs and want of the client to understand how to support them in a way that Is tailored to their unique needs.
When a client begins receiving support, a personal care plan is created to help create a picture of who the client is, their needs, how they identify, their goals, what makes them unique, how they want to be supported, and their likes and dislikes, this is then used when staff begin to support the client to ensure they providing support in a way that meets the needs of the client. The PCP also includes positive risk assessments, manual handling plans, goal planning and future requirements. The PCP is a live document and is created with the intention of being regularly update to reflect the needs of the clients as they change and so support can be adapted. The client will have a regular staff team to encourage continuity of care and the client is matched to the support worker to the best of our ability.
ALS carries out regular reviews to ensure the clients are happy with the service and are encourage to give feedback to ensure the support they are receiving is right.
ALS work in partnership other agencies such as GPS, district nurses, specialised services, other care companies, to ensure there are no overlaps or gaps in the clients care, to ensure a joined up and multi-agency approach and to prevent the client having to repeat the same information to different agencies.
ALS ‘s ethos is based on inclusion and choice and the clients are the lead person in the support package, staff members will actively encourage and support the client to be part of their community and the main voice in their own care.
ALS have recruited local companies for ALS support Human resources, health and safety and IT to ensure the service is run in a safe and professional manner for both the staff and clients.
ALS support has had regular inspections carried out by CQC and local authority and the feedback has always been positive, the service is client centred and levels of support are good.
The feedback from clients and their family has always been positive, an example of this is a client that ALS support has profound learning and physically difficulties, mum is his advocate, she explained that she wanted him to try fun activities and experience new things. The registered manager and support staff found and indoor skydiving centre and arranged the clients outreach session to attempt this, the client absolutely loved the experience and mum was overjoyed that her son had tried a new experience.
A different client with severe Autism, had behavioural outbursts when trying anything new, mum was concerned as she wanted him to have a more structured and fulfilling routine but at the same time didn’t want to cause him any distress, this was discussed at length and a plan was introduced with the staff team to start on one new activity at a time, the client had never been encouraged to go to the super market and make his own meal choices, this was the start, the staff team explained to the client in a way that he understood, in small steps what he would be doing, he understood and accepted it without any outbursts, when in the supermarket he was encouraged to think of meal choices and ingredients he might like. When he had got used to this part of the routine, he was encourage to help put shopping on the conveyer belt, then pack, then introduced him to start doing what he was capable of in the meal prep. The client enjoyed being involved in making his own meals and this was safe as was fully supervised at all times, mum was thrilled that the client was being encouraged to use the skills that he was capable of doing, the approach also empowered the client to make choices for himself and to encourage him to learn new skills and have some control.
This was reviewed and it was agreed that as it had been so successful with no negative behaviours mum would like him to attend some structured learning to encourage him to socialise, ALS sourced a local company that did class with adults with learning disabilities, the client was supported again, in a way that he understood to attend, and once he had got used to the routine, he began to participate in the classes.
ALS will always support individuals to be part of the community they live in and access activities that they enjoy by removing barriers to allow this to happen.
ALS have found that by supporting clients to be active members of their community it gives the clients a sense of achievement and pride.
Psychologists working with people with disabilities play an important role in supporting the mental health and well-being of this population group. Here are some of the main aspects and tasks of their work:
1. Emotional support
Psychologists help people with disabilities cope with emotional difficulties such as depression, anxiety disorders, stress and self-esteem problems. These difficulties can be directly related to disability, as well as to the environment and social barriers.
2. Development of adaptation skills
Psychologists teach skills that help you adapt to new living conditions and changed opportunities. This may include stress management techniques, developing positive thinking, and improving communication skills.
3. Working with family and loved ones
Psychologists often work not only with people with disabilities themselves, but also with their families and loved ones, helping them to better understand the condition and needs of their relatives, as well as providing strategies to improve family relationships.
4. Social integration
One of the important tasks is to promote the social integration of people with disabilities. Psychologists work to develop social skills, strengthen a sense of belonging to the community and help find ways to actively participate in public life.
5. Rehabilitation and recovery
Psychologists participate in rehabilitation programs aimed at restoring lost functions or compensating for their loss. This may include cognitive training, psychotherapeutic methods and other techniques aimed at improving the quality of life.
6. Education and professional orientation
Psychologists support the educational and professional aspirations of people with disabilities. They help in choosing a career path, planning training and developing professional skills, which helps to increase employment opportunities and social self-realization.
7. Individual and group approach
The work can be carried out both individually and in groups. Individual therapy allows you to work more deeply on personal problems and needs, while group work promotes the exchange of experience and support among participants.
8. Psychoeducation
Psychologists are engaged in disability education, helping society to better understand and accept people with special needs. This helps to reduce stigma and discrimination.
Working methods:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Helps to change negative thoughts and behaviors.
Psychoanalytic therapy: the study of the underlying causes of emotional problems.
Art therapy and other creative methods: allow you to express emotions and experiences.
Occupational therapy: helps to adapt to everyday life and improve functional capabilities.
Psychologists’ work with people with disabilities requires special knowledge, empathy, and an understanding of the specific needs and challenges these people face.
Treatment of depression may include different approaches depending on the severity of the condition and the individual characteristics of the patient. Here are the main treatments for depression:
1. Psychotherapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Helps to change negative thoughts and behavioral patterns that can exacerbate depression.
Interpersonal Therapy (IPT): Focuses on improving relationships and solving interpersonal problems that may contribute to depression.
Psychodynamic Therapy: explores deeper psychological factors influencing depressive symptoms.
Acceptance and Acceptance Therapy (ACT): Helps patients accept and deal with their emotions.
2. Pharmacotherapy
Antidepressants: used to correct biochemical imbalances in the brain. They include classes such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) and others. On Ken Tate’s website, you can buy Sertraline in the UK without a prescription.
3. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
It is used in cases of severe depression, especially when other treatments are ineffective or unavailable.
4. Self-help and lifestyle changes
Regular physical activity.
Regular sleep and a healthy daily routine.
Avoiding alcohol and drug use.
Support from family and loved ones.
Participation in support groups.
5. Integration of approaches
Often, the effectiveness of treatment is achieved by integrating different approaches: a combination of psychotherapy with pharmacotherapy or other methods may be the most effective strategy.
Treatment of depression requires an individual approach and often requires patience and support from both the patient and specialists. It is important to get help from qualified professionals in order to develop an optimal treatment plan that meets your needs and symptoms.
