Brightlands is a spacious community with 13 bedrooms, 11 of which have en-suite bathrooms. The home is fully accessible by people in wheelchairs, with additional equipment fitted such as hoists and overhead rails. These are specified upon each service user’s assessment upon arrival.
Kitchen: Our comprehensively fitted kitchen is always busy! As well as preparing daily meals for all service users, we encourage self-cooking as part of residents’ continuing journey towards independence. Developing cooking skills is an enjoyable activity, with appropriate supervision based upon the individual’s needs.
Living and dining areas: We have a large dining area which we use for parties and get together with friends and families. There are a further two small rooms which are used for meetings/reviews and quiet spaces for the residents. Our lounge area is a focal point for socialising, games, art & crafts activities and relaxation. Individuals can use their own mobile phones and computers – we offer support for safe usage of the internet.
Garden: We have a large garden area at the back of the home where we enjoy summer BBQs. There is seating for people and a large grass area where service users can play out door games. Those who want to do gardening are encouraged to do so and we are developing an area of the garden to grow vegetables for cooking later in the year. There is a grass area at the front of the home with parking for visitors and staff to the rear of the property.
Staff: Brightlands has a Registered Home Manager with 25 years experience working with people with learning disabilities. He is supported by a deputy manager and a team of five senior support workers, full time and part time staff, a housekeeper and a handyman/groundsperson. All staff are trained to meet the needs of the people who use the service.
All staff have or are working towards NVQ 2. All senior staff have or working towards NVQ 3.
Every day, Brightlands is led by an on-duty manager, supported by a team of at least five care staff. A senior member of the team is always on duty.
The team works on a rota basis which is geared to the needs of each day. During the night, there is one member of staff supported by a ‘sleep in’. In addition there are out of hours ‘on-call’ systems.