What do we do?
We have two contracts with Cambridgeshire County Council to provide day provision services for people who have standard or complex learning disabilities such as autism or a learning disability with other conditions. The wonderful work our team do helps us to provide this for almost 40 people to a very high standard.
New team members undertake extensive training lasting 1 year, and then they constantly refresh that training yearly. Typically, a new member of the team has 15 observations of their practice and completes the Care Certificate before they can work without being “in line of sight” of other members of the team. Additional training includes, epilepsy, manual handling, fire, first aid, infection control, food hygiene, fluids and nutrition, Prevent, Safeguarding, Domestic Abuse, Display Screen Equipment, Mental Capacity Act and other relevant legislation.
We also have an additional contract with Cambridgeshire County Council as a sub-centre to provide specific training for people working in Cambridgeshire with people with learning disabilities.
In addition, we run a charity shop and an Ebay Shop to help us to fundraise as the social care funding we receive for our service is not enough to cover all our costs. We also do extensive work in the community with other community groups and businesses ranging from looking after the village planters, hosting an annual Family Fun Day, helping the Littleport Life Magazine, attending events with our Pop- Up stall and providing extensive volunteering opportunities.
How do we know the impact of our work?
We recently undertook a survey of our service users’ families. 100% said they would recommend Branching Out, their family member enjoyed coming to Branching Out and they found the staff to be friendly. They also told us we are an “Excellent provider for various needs, a supportive safe environment, allows clients to grow their life skills and be productive members of the local community, staff and leadership are exemplary, good communication with staff, good partnership working, open throughout the year, local, friendly, and professional, and please keep going, an amazing service.”
How can you help?
We really need volunteers in our charity shop and our eBay shop.
In our eBay shop we are looking for people to help take photographs of items and with packaging and taking items to the post office.
In our charity shop we are looking for people to help putting donations on coat hangers, steaming items, general maintenance and cleaning of the shop, talking to customers, restocking the shop floor. If you think you can help us with any of this please call 01353 863221
During December we will have our annual Christmas window display in our charity shop windows at 12 High Street. This year’s theme will be based on one window as a traditional inside Christmas and the second window is based on a traditional outside Christmas. The Branching Out team and service users have really enjoyed making it and we hope you all have a lovely Christmas.
Find us on www.facebook.com/TheBranchingOut