For immediate release: 16th February 2004
Media contact: For Yarrow contact Ben Knox
T 020 8241 6500
M 07816 190 992
E ben@upwardcurve.co.uk.

Charity Calls For Stronger Partnerships With Therapists

The learning disabilities charity, Yarrow Housing, has called for stronger partnerships between care organisations and therapists following the first successful year of its project ‘Pathways to Communications’.

Established in 2002, the project aims to help people with learning disabilities and limited verbal skills better communicate by providing long-term support in residential units and improving the skills of staff.

In the charity’s view, the work of speech and language therapists is often undone because care organisations lack the training and resources needed to help improve communication skills once a service user has been discharged from therapy.

Under the service, Yarrow employs a speech and language therapy assistant, as well as a psychology assistant. Although paid for by the charity, the assistants are clinically supervised by, and based in the offices of, the Hammersmith and Fulham Joint Learning Disabilities Team.

Funded by the Three Guineas Trust, the project works by targeting each of Yarrow’s homes in turn. Firstly, the communication needs of service users and training needs of staff are assessed with tailored plans being produced to address the issues.

The assistants then work to change the ‘communication environment’ of the home. Communication aids, such as picture books, are produced that service users can use to indicate different choices. Communication Passports are also produced for service users who needs this tool, the document outlines their likes, dislikes and the communication signals they use.

The assistants then work in the long-term to ensure that the users care plans and staff training plans are implemented.

Commenting on the service, Raj Mungur, Yarrow’s Head of Care and Support, said: “In the past the intensive therapy given to our service users by the NHS could often be undone. The organisation lacked the skills to implement the plans produced by therapists, staff who understood the needs of service users often moved job and NHS therapists just did not have the resources to provide the long term support needed.

“This pilot has really helped change things. Staff skills have increased, making the progress of service users less dependent on the help of outside specialists. Over half of the service users targeted by the project have increased their ability to communicate choices and are therefore more independent. And the unique partnership with the Joint Learning Disabilities Team has helped improve communications between the agencies involved.

“Therapists need more support from care organisations to ensure that their work is successful in the long term. We believe that this type of partnership could be one answer to the problem.”

ENDS

Notes to Editor

Set up in 1989, Yarrow is a specialist charity with Registered Social Landlord status, providing housing, care and support through its 200 staff including supported living, short breaks, family support and registered care homes, all of this supported by a strong central infrastructure. It has a turnover of £5 million and operates in and works in partnership with, the London boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster and Richmond.

Yarrow's mission is to work with individuals with learning disabilities to improve the quality of their lives. The legacy of institutional provision of long stay hospitals, special schools, segregated day centres, lack of local housing (typically 25% of users have been placed in residential care outside London), and public attitudes to disability and difference, combine to make people with learning disabilities one of the most socially excluded groups in society.

As well as working in partnership with local authorities and health agencies, Yarrow also works in partnership with Notting Hill Housing Trust, Shepherds Bush Housing Association, Threshold Tennant Trust, and Kensington Housing Trust, Community Housing Association and Octavia Housing and Care, Catalyst Housing Group and Acton Housing Association.