A week in the life of… an area manager in learning disabilities and complex needs

Tuesday

I manage a team of 47 members of support staff who work with our customers on a three-to-one, two-to-one or one-to-one basis, 24 hours a day. Whatever else I have going on, I’m always supervising and motivating the members of my team, who do an extremely challenging but life-changing job.

Together, we’ll meet the individuals who’ve been referred to us to work out if we can help. When we identify a suitable person and the commissioner agrees to the placement, the transition from a hospital setting to a community-based placement with Look Ahead can take anywhere between three and six months, and involves various site visits, risk audits, and appointments with individuals and their families.

Our service focuses on helping to fulfil the aims of NHS England’s programme, which sets out to get individuals out of secure settings and into placements nearer to their families.

However, it can sometimes be family members who are most concerned about how their loved one’s needs will be met within the community. It’s our job to demonstrate that they will be safely supported and cared for, while also having a better quality of life outside of an institution.

Wednesday

Throughout my week, I’ll travel to inspect potential properties for people to live in. I need to see them for myself to ensure that they are of a high standard, and that the space is suitable for a specific customer’s needs. The property itself forms a huge part of our risk management plan for anyone who is referred to us. Much of my day is also about ensuring our properties are fully compliant in terms of health and safety.

To give an example of how we adapt properties: one of our customers bangs his head on walls. When he came to live in his new home, he had a big wound on his forehead. We found a flat that we could adapt to prevent him from sustaining further injury. While he has stopped harming himself quite so much now, this adaptation has been the bedrock of his placement with us, which is now in its fifth year.

Thursday

Once a customer moves in with us, we have weekly meetings with their family members, clinicians and other professionals to talk about how they are settling into their new home.

My team and I carry out daily observations with each customer. This is vital in order for us to be able to understand how best to support each person and translate that into a person-centred support plan.

We use a tool to map behaviours so we can identify triggers, which can be anything from cats or dogs to traffic lights or specific things on the TV or radio. We use a positive behavioural support model, and by getting to know individuals extremely well, we can reduce the number of incidents and help them to live more fulfilling lives.

Friday

Training is a crucial part of my job, so I’m constantly making sure I’m up to date with my own learning and development. Friday is often the best day for this.

I’m very proud to work for an organisation that values training and upskilling so highly, and I think it’s particularly important when working with customers with such acute needs. My team must understand what Look Ahead is trying to achieve and why, which is why we spend so much time training those who join us and refreshing more experienced individuals’ skills and knowledge.

As a result of being in their new homes, many of our customers are often far closer to their loved ones, so they get much more contact with them. With our support, they are also able to spend more time in their local communities taking part in local activities and groups. Seeing the joy this brings, and watching individuals thrive, makes our work worthwhile.