Safety and Support at Home as
the Basis for Growing
Independence
The choice of accommodation is agreed according to individual needs and wishes and it is possible to move from one type of accommodation to another if those needs change. There are 13 residential properties, half owned by Camphill Village Trust and half rented on the open market.
Lily House and Townsend are 2 group houses (5 and 4 residents respectively). There are 7 single or double flats (including one for a co-worker couple) and 4 houses (2 for co-worker couples and 2 for resident couples). At present the maximum number of 22 residents has been reached, including 3 married couples and one engaged couple living together in separate houses or flats.
Th
e number of co-workers is roughly the same as the number of residents. Only three young volunteer co-workers actually live under the same roof as residents, 13 of whom live independently, with support. This places a whole new meaning on the concept of “life-sharing”.
SUPPORT
Members of the co-worker team are always close by, either living in the group houses or in neighbouring houses and flats, and this enables supported people to feel secure.
Each person has his or her comprehensive personal plan to ensure that they receive appropriate support with housekeeping, menu planning, shopping, cooking, budgeting, keeping healthy, managing medication, social and leisure activities and any other needs they may have, with the emphasis on working towards greater independence in all life skills.
In the group houses all those who live there share responsibility for maintaining the household, with support from others. We work closely together with the local Community Learning Disabilities Team and Community Mental Health Team to ensure that people’s needs are fully met.
COMMUNITY LIFE
The community of Camphill St. Albans (CSA) is immediately and fully exposed on all sides to the urban environment, in which it is integrated, with no easily identifiable boundaries. There is no estate, perimeter or signpost to say “here is Camphill”. People have experienced that “the city is our estate” and have spoken of the venture as a “broad street” of different possibilities. It thrives on the effort of constantly renewed vision, initiative and commitment by individual Camphill co-workers and residents, supported by employees and the Local Management Committee
DOMICILIARY CARE
Registered Manager: Brigit Peacock
The aim is to provide a person-centred needs-led domiciliary care service to vulnerable adults with learning disabilities and or mental health issues. The service will initially be offered, as an option, to people in receipt of ‘Supported Living’ from Camphill St Albans. The long term aim is to offer it to the wider population of vulnerable adults living in St Albans.
We will provide agreed support with personal care, 
medication and health related activities in a manner which is respectful and least intrusive to the service user. Prior to giving any support the needs will be thoroughly assessed to ensure appropriateness and a contract agreed. Users of this service, or their advocate, will be in receipt of the Care Contract, including the Complaints Procedure, an agreed Care Plan and a contact sheet to be signed by staff when providing care and support. This will be kept in the person’s home. Records will be removed monthly and stored in line with the Data Protection Act, in the Domiciliary Care Office at 76 Sandridge Road, St Albans, AL1 4AR.
The support will be provided to the individual in their own homes at a time which best matches their needs. All support will be provided by qualified and competent staff trained to a minimum level of NVQ 2 in social care and who have undergone Camphill St Albans’ rigorous recruitment process. All staff receive regular supervision and are encouraged to undertake continuous learning. Staff providing specialist care and support will not undertake this prior to receiving appropriate specialist training.