Include Me 2 - Increased Activities for Adults with disabilities/multiple ASN and Respite Support for their Parents/Carers

Outcome

180 adults with disabilities/ASN and their Carers will have been supported to re-engage in the community, access new opportunities, and develop positive new social/support networks: helping them feel stronger and happier, have better family relationships, and improving their resilience and wellbeing

Results

207 adults with disabilities/ASN engaged in a wide range of services. During the first 6 months, this included 3 weekly clubs offering inclusive activities, 7 free outings, and an expanded “Allotment Angels” gardening scheme. From April 2020, services changed due to the pandemic and we instead provided 11 combined weekly digital activity sessions as safe alternatives to our face-to-face services and, later, 20 Themed Activities. These combined services helped disabled adults build confidence, life skills, increased independence, and new friends via shared experiences.

215 Carers were supported to access regular, much-needed respite breaks, helping them de-stress, focus on themselves, and build their own friends/support networks, incl., with other Carers via a weekly digital support session: helping them feel more positive/confident in continuing their caring role

Engaging in positive independent experiences helped Carers/disabled adults build stronger, more positive relationships.

Case study

Although the majority of disabled adults we support were born with their disabilities/multiple ASN, several became disabled due to accidents after first living life as an able-bodied person. Ross is one of these individuals and now lives with physical disabilities, communication/learning difficulties, and other ASN after suffering a traumatic brain injury in 2013 followed by multiple strokes.

Ross said: “After rehab, I came home to a very different life from the one I had before the accident. I found myself isolated from almost all my friends and my social life was non-existent. We plodded on like this for about 5 year, which was very difficult and demoralizing. However, our lives changed dramatically after I found out about IM2C in November 2018. Thanks to the clubs many activities, I’ve regained my confidence and feel more independent. These changes have also significantly impacted my mum and wee sister as I feel more capable of doing certain things on my own now.

For obvious reasons, my mum found it very hard at first to leave me at clubs and events, but she now knows Paul and the team are looking after my safety and wellbeing and so can now relax more and meet up with her friends while I am out having fun at the clubs and events. I’ve made loads of new friends and am back to enjoying life instead of just existing. Before this silly but essential lockdown, I regularly went to our weekly local club, a few events, and the monthly Club Late. My sister and her friends even sometimes come with me to Club Late, which is supported by George Bowie and Cassi, and they all say it’s a great night out. I’d also started the new social blend employability work, which was brilliant and helped me feel more capable. The zoom activity sessions have been great whilst things are shut/reduced and helped me keep in touch with my friends. Paul’s even said he’ll arrange some new fishing activities when things are back to normal; this was my favourite hobby before my accident but I haven’t done it since so am definitely looking forward to this. To conclude, IM2C is fabulous and helped change my life for the better.”

Vicky, Ross’s mum advised: “The accident was a life-changing event that none of us were prepared for, we didn’t realize how lucky we were not to lose Ross in the first place nor how much of an impact it would have on his life going forward. Ross had strokes just after the accident which left him struggling to be able to do things for himself, where he was once so able and independent, we all had to relearn and adjust to life as it now is. We felt so lost, so alone, and so isolated; looking after his day to day needs changed my own life, ability to work, and even my mental health dramatically. In 2018 we found IM2C, it wasn’t far away from our house and little did we know that attending what we thought was a social club would change all of our lives for the better.

It’s hard to put into words the effect it’s had on Ross and the family. Ross is now involved, part of a community, making new friends, has hope, has motivation, even now had a girlfriend and is taking part in a new part-time employability training programme, none of which we could have even imagined before. Its life changing for me too. Not only have I been able to take breaks, go for a coffee with friends, and have time to myself when Ross is at IM2C, but I’ve been made to feel part of the family and know there is help and support always available , a chance to chat and share the loads when I need it.”


Rose - Rose is 56 and was referred to our organisation shortly before the pandemic hit. Although she wasn’t able to immediately access our face-to-face services as these had been temporarily paused because of the on-going health crisis, we immediately arranged for Rose and her Carer to access vouchers and daily meals via our emergency pandemic response services. As Rose was digitally excluded, we also helped her get a new HPP Chromebook laptop and wifi through the government’s Connecting Scotland project which helped her access the digital activities we set-up and have run since early April 2020 as safe alternatives to our face-to-face services. She has been so grateful for this as it’s enabled her to build new friendships/connections with other disabled adults in the local community, increasing her inclusive and overall wellbeing.

Rose advised: “The club has been amazing for me, I feel more connected, supported, and confident. I feel like I belong somewhere and there are digital activities on every day that I can access, which has helped take the feeling of isolation away and given me a real sense of ‘family.’ I’m not sure it has improved my geographical community yet, but my community of interest has vastly improved. I have made so many new friends and taken part in new activities, all online, that I would never have had before. I know I have somewhere to turn for help and advice. IM2C has helped my low mental health, given me a reason to get out of bed each day and something to look forward to! It’s really been a lifesaver during these difficult times.”


Jamie - We had first learned about Jamie(26M) 3 years ago and stepped in to help after he became homeless through not fault of his own but because of his dad own challenges and problems. Although a few of our qualified volunteers first helped him access temporary accommodation and assistance, he quickly started accessing our weekly social clubs where he truly flourished and we could visibly see the positive changes made each week. During the past 15 months, Jamie has actively sought out new learning opportunities and we’ve helped him transition to first become a volunteer at our events and then, in January 2020, enrolled him as one of the first employability trainees in our “Social Blend Coffee Shop and Skills Hub.” Although this was temporarily paused between April 2020 an August 2020 as a result of the extended lockdown/shielding period, Jamie immediately joined back up when the service resumed in August 2020. Jamie has also continued to actively engage in several of the weekly digital activity sessions we are currently running for disabled adults, even dj-ing for some of the ‘digital dance nights’ we’ve run.

Jamie said: “I don’t know where I would be or what I would be doing without IM2C. They’ve helped me so much and literally helped save my life and got me through the worst time of my life. Before I felt so alone and isolated, I had little to no friends or opportunities but IM2C has given me purpose and opportunities to learn. Now I’m here, training, dj-ing, have so many more friends, and was recently in my first relationship. Working towards learning and just feeling part of my community is amazing. I can’t thank them enough.”

Outcome

Parents/Carers will have received regular much-needed respite breaks during which they could focus on their own wellbeing and take up previously-inaccessible hobbies/activities: helping them feel less isolated, more resilient, and more positive/confident in continuing their caring role.

Results

We provided increased activities for adults with disabilities/multiple ASN during which 215 Parents/Carers accessed regular, much-needed respite breaks during the year. These breaks enabled Carers to de-stress, focus on their own health/wellbeing, and engage in new hobbies/activities, with many meeting at a local café near our clubs and via a weekly digital Parent/Carer group we set up to share their experiences/peer support.

This vital support has helped them feel stronger, less stressed/hopeless, and more confident in managing/continuing their caring role as well as build new social/support networks: increasing their long-term resilience and wellbeing. These outcomes, in turn, have positively impacted each family unit: improving their communication, relationships, and overall quality of life.

Case study

Karen - Karen cares for her 26 year-old son, John who has autism, global development delay, and a range of learning disabilities/other ASN. Karen advised that “Being involved with Include Me 2 Club has given John great activities and options and its given me comfort and reassurance that he’s somewhere he enjoys and that he looks forward to each week. It means that I can relax and unwind for a few hours at a time, make plans with friends, and spend some time with my other son……all things that have previously been impossible. It’s helped me at tough times and the team are always so helpful and supportive, even when I come in frazzled and not knowing what day of the week it is! They’re just great!.”


George - George is the parent and primary carer of Alasdair and Chloe, both of whom have Fragile X Syndrome and several health conditions. The family has engaged with IM2C for 6 years during which we’ve helped Alasdair and Chloe transition into adulthood/adult services. George advised he’s seen a huge difference in his two children since they started engaging in IM2C. He had previously found it challenging to cope with the changes experienced whilst his kids transitioned from one life stage to the next so finding a settled place in which they can grow and thrive has been life-changing and has had a dramatic impact on the family. However, as his children began to thrive and build their own networks, he began to feel more isolated and lonely and looked to engage in new opportunities. This led him to start volunteering with IM2C towards the end of 2019.

George advised: “As your kids get older your networks disappear, so I found myself becoming more isolated as time went on even though my children themselves flourished with the support of IM2C. Because of this, I decided to start helping out at different clubs that run at the same time which has truly given my purpose and provided me with a new role outside ‘Carer’ and ‘Dad’ and an increasing network of people with whom I’ve made strong and life-long friendships. Volunteering has given me some time for myself to focus on what I like and want to do and get involved where I’ve been able. The clubs then haven’t just been a ray of hope and light for my kids but have given us all connections and friendships we simply wouldn’t have had before and both myself and the kids would have continued to be isolated.”


AC* - “It’s made a real difference in my life, with it I would be isolated and wouldn’t have had as many new friendships or opportunities. “

Outcome

Parents/Carers will have received regular much-needed respite breaks during which they could focus on their own wellbeing and take up previously-inaccessible hobbies/activities: helping them feel less isolated, more resilient, and more positive/confident in continuing their caring role.

Results

We provided increased activities for adults with disabilities/multiple ASN during which 215 Parents/Carers accessed regular, much-needed respite breaks during the year. These breaks enabled Carers to de-stress, focus on their own health/wellbeing, and engage in new hobbies/activities, with many meeting at a local café near our clubs and via a weekly digital Parent/Carer group we set up to share their experiences/peer support.

This vital support has helped them feel stronger, less stressed/hopeless, and more confident in managing/continuing their caring role as well as build new social/support networks: increasing their long-term resilience and wellbeing. These outcomes, in turn, have positively impacted each family unit: improving their communication, relationships, and overall wellbeing, e.g. reducing stress helped Carers enjoy their time with those they cared-for rather than focusing on day-to-day challenges faced.

Case study

G* cares for three boys, two of which are adult twins that each have autism and global development delay. Throughout their lives, the twins have always found it hard to adjust, take part in activities, and socialise and have, because of both their ASN and their high functioning interests, also struggled to keep focused when engaging in a group. They have however, really enjoyed IM2C as it provides a continually evolving programme of activities and as the club environment enables them to move from group to group and activity to activity as needed, helping them stay actively engaged and greatly increasing both their social skills and overall enjoyment of socialising/being with other people.

G initially started benefitting from accessing free time whilst her sons were taking part in club sessions, however, she quickly found a space to make her own after registering to volunteer every few weeks with one of our Junior Youth Clubs which runs at the same time as the adult club her sons engage in. She particularly enjoyed the social-elements and camaraderie experienced amongst the volunteers and found working with disabled children in arts and crafts activities rather therapeutic as it helped take her mind off her at-home caring responsibilities. As G knew her sons were safe and well-looked after in another space, she was able to explore her own interests and find new ways to meet people and use her time. After a few months, G became a more regular volunteer and started to help run the new ‘Social Blend Coffee Shop & Skills Hub’ we launched at our new facility in January 2020 via which disabled adults can build confidence and hospitality skills via engaging in hands-on volunteering roles and also meet within to socialise with their peers although this new initiative was later paused between April 2020 and August 2020 due to the on-going health crisis. G was vital is resuming this key service from August 2020. Throughout the on-going health crisis itself, G engaged in both the weekly Parent/Carer digital group we set-up as well as a new digital space for volunteers-only, both of which have given her a positive outlet in which she can discuss the her on-going experiences, the new/increased challenges faced as a result of the health crisis, and share peer support with others: helping her continue coping with/carrying out her on-going caring role.

G – “Being around other adult parents gave me a network and a place to share my challenges and my fears but the charity, as a whole, has given me hope and a renewed sense of purpose as I’m now doing positive things for myself that fit around my caring role and give me satisfaction. The new connections made and opportunities experienced have helped my mental health and given me renewed hope for the future for myself as well as my sons. I would honestly be lost without IM2C.”