At Richardson Care, we are realigning our services to ensure we have seamless and flexible care pathways for adults with acquired brain injury or learning disabilities and complex needs. By making some changes and redefining our services to make them clearer for commissioners, we will be able to deliver even better outcomes for service users.

Director Laura Richardson-Cheater explains: “Throughout our 33-year history, we have never been complacent, always thinking about how we can improve our services. As well as being custodians of a business that delivers excellence, we are also true to our promise of providing a home for life for many of our service users.  This means that the business has to evolve.

“With a portfolio of six specialist residential care homes, we have the flexibility to provide seamless rehabilitation and care pathways. This enables the individual to progress within the supportive environment of the Richardson Care family.”

The services are:

1. ABI assessment & complex diagnosis unit, The Coach House
2. ABI rehabilitation & transitional service, The Richardson Mews
3. Long-term community neuro-rehabilitation service for men, 144 Boughton Green Road
4. Transitional & long-term LD & complex needs service, 23 Duston Road
5. Long-term community LD & complex needs service, 2 Kingsthorpe Grove
6. Long-term community LD & complex needs service, 8 Kingsthorpe Grove

Laura continues: “We have always placed the service user at the centre of their care, placing them in the home that is most appropriate for their needs, while taking into account the existing residents. By re-structuring our services, we are formalising that process while retaining flexibility and enabling each team to focus on their specific area of expertise. It will not affect the existing residents.”

Initial Assessment

During our long experience in supporting people with acquired brain injury, we have found that they need an initial period of stability before we can fully assess their needs. For our service users with ABI, The Coach House is the ideal environment for this because it is self-contained. After this period the individual may stay in The Coach House or move to our transitional or long-term community rehabilitation services.

Transitional LD Services

Similarly, individuals with learning disabilities and complex needs may also present with challenging behaviour on admission. Our experience shows that psychological support and input from our multi-disciplinary team reduces incidents of challenging behaviour, enabling the intensity of support to reduce over time. The individual can then remain in their initial home or move on.

Focus on Community

All of our services combine a unique homely environment with a therapeutic regime devised by an experienced multi-disciplinary team of therapists. In addition, a wide range of community activities are on offer daily, as well as supported home visits, day trips and holidays. This supportive environment contributes to engagement in therapies with the ultimate goal of service users being able to live happy and fulfilling lives.