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'I am the happiest I have been in years': an evaluation of the Assist Trust in Norwich
- Authors:
- SORENSEN Penny, BAILEY Sue, BELDERSON Pippa
- Publisher:
- University of East Anglia. Centre for Research on Children and Families
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Pagination:
- 77
- Place of publication:
- Norwich
An evaluation of the experiences of staff and members who attend the Assist Trust, a voluntary service for adults with intellectual disabilities. Based across two sites in Norwich, it provides a progression service building on the strengths people have, focusing strongly on social skills, daily living skills and job skills. The evaluation methodology included: photo-elicitation interviews with members; questionnaires for members of staff; observations of activities at both sites; information from assist database; and data analysis. The evaluation found that staff at Assist are led by members and the organisation appears to take a bottom up approach when developing new ideas and services. This is achieved by the sense of ownership generated among staff and members and the constant participation of members in decision-making. Members particularly enjoyed the ability to make friends, the camaraderie and banter with both staff and other members within the Assist community. They valued opportunities to increase their independence, which usually involved travel training, internal or external work placements and a move out of home and into shared supported housing and they portrayed Assist as a gateway to the wider community. (Edited publisher abstract)