33 Blanford Road

33 Blanford Road, Reigate is a registered residential home for six male or female adults with severe learning and physical disabilities. It is a large detached bungalow situated in a quiet residential road on the outskirts of Reigate. The accommodation comprises a large sitting/dining room, kitchen, and utility room. There are six single bedrooms which are well furnished and decorated to the individual’s choice and preference. There is an assisted bathroom with tracking hoist and Parker bath and assisted toilet. All of the accommodation is on the ground floor. To the rear of the house there is an attractive garden with patio and accessible ramp to the shaded grassy area of the garden.

Details of Location

33 Blanford Road is located ten minutes walk from bus routes and 30 minutes walk from the mainline rail station. Redhill and Reigate town centres are each 5 minutes drive away.

A ‘Needs Led’ Service

The aim at 33 Blanford Road is to provide a ‘needs led’ service which enables individual’s to participate to their greatest extent in both home and community life. Staff support service users in meeting their physical, social and psychological needs through the system of Person Centred Planning. Service users have regular meetings to review needs and for staff to develop the support required. Emphasis is placed on providing a homely environment and service users have the opportunity to attend and contribute to the monthly house meetings along with the staff team.

Social Activities

At Blanford Road, the service users each have their own individual social schedule and there is a day service worker specifically employed to enable individuals to carry out their activities. Service users try out new activities and with the required support from staff, they choose the activities that they would like to do. There is a wheelchair accessible mini-bus if people want to go out and there are also in-house activities available. The activities currently on offer are:

Art, Cookery, Music, Cinema, Pottery and Sculpture, Sensory/Relaxation, Music (in-house and at a local activity centre), A local social club for the elderly, Shopping, Cinema and Theatre trips, Meals out, Manicures and beauty treatments, Aromatherapy, In-house Games, Shopping and line dancing. Relatives, advocates and friends frequently visit. Service users currently attend religious services in respect of their particular religion.

There is a designated smoking area in the home provided for service users. Service users have the option of alcohol beverages within boundaries of non interruption of the other service users. Non prescribed drugs are not permitted at the home, working within Prospect’s policies and procedures.

Privacy and Dignity

Confidentiality, Privacy and Dignity and choice are respected at all times. Each individual service user has their own room. The rooms are large enough to accommodate visitors and to hold the individual’s meeting if they choose. Each service user is afforded the same rights and responsibilities as any other citizen.

Local Services

All service users of 33 Blanford Road are registered with a local GP. Other locally available services include: district nurse, chiropody, dental and optical services. Psychology and physiotherapy services can be organised through Prospect Housing Association. Staff at 33 Blanford Road, provide service users with support with a variety of physical needs, but nursing tasks are provided as required by the district nurse through the individual’s GP.

Operational Policies

There is a thorough indexed guide Prospect’s operational policies and procedures available within the home; this includes the fire procedure. At Blanford Road, all staff receive annual fire training. This procedure is immediately available by each telephone, and fire drills are held every three months. The relevant safety equipment is in place and checked every three months by contractors.

Numbers and Categories of Staff

The staff team includes: Manager, Deputy Manager, 3 senior support workers, 6 support workers (1 part time) and a day service worker. The staff team has varied experience, such as working in other residential homes, nursing homes, and day services. A number of staff have completed NVQs (National Vocational Qualification) 2 and 3, whilst other staff are in the process of studying for NVQ with Prospect Housing and Support Services. Prospect Housing and Support Services provides both the staffing and the maintenance of the home. A 24 hour on-call system is provided by the Organisation.