About the Trust
Our History
The Trust was created in April 1990 to help with the introduction of people with learning disabilities back into the community in the wake of the Long Stay Hospital closure programme. At the outset, the Trust managed 5 small residential care homes, had very little organic management capability or infrastructure and made use of staff employed on contract from the Natio
nal Health Service. We have moved on significantly since then; we now operate 13 residential, 2 nursing care services and 2 supported living homes in Swindon and in Wiltshire, providing support to 84 individuals; we directly employ over 260 members of staff and we have the necessary administrative, financial and personnel functions in place to provide effective management of all aspects of the Trust's work. Our Values
We aim to provide support to enable people with learning disabilities to lead more fulfilling and rewarding lives. We are determined that our residents should live in ordinary communities, that they should be offered choices in the daily and major life decisions which they may face, that they be treated with respect and dignity and that their holistic needs are met. We need to be responsive to their changing needs and wishes and, by endorsing the principles enshrined in "Valuing People Now", we have embraced and introduced person centred policies and practices across all of our work. We are totally committed to the delivery of high quality services at an affordable cost to the community at large. Our Organisation
The Trust is both a Charity and a Company Limited by Guarantee. Strategic direction and governance is provided by a Board of Trustees who have been selected for their skill and knowledge in disciplines and professions associated with our work. One Trustee is the parent of one of our residents. Day to day responsibility for the Trust's activities is vested in the Chief Executive who with his small Senior Management Team provides hands-on management and control. All of the Trust's homes are registered with the Care Quality Commission and each service has a qualified and experienced manager responsible not only for the welfare and support of the residents but also for the management and development of the staff team. Two of our services are registered as Nursing Homes and have the necessary professional nursing input and expertise to enable them to function safely and effectively. We view our staff as our most valuable and important resource, and their training and development is a key part of our personnel strategy. In this respect, we have held Investor in People status since 2000. We were also very proud to receive the National Business Awards' Health and Safety Award for the Wales and South West Region in the summer of 2006.