Shaftesbury Anvil House’s new sensory room opened this summer – and was an instant hit. ‘The sensory room has had a really positive impact on the people we support,’ says Carolyn Maltby, service delivery lead. ‘We are so grateful to have our very own sensory space, offering a calm environment right next to our sensory garden. Each person has their favourite section; Richard* loves the bubble wall feature and Alex particularly likes the tactile wall feature.’
Students are benefiting from the new sensory integration room at Shaftesbury Victoria School. Kelly Westerby, senior occupational therapy technician, says the room gets students ready to learn, following calming or alerting activities. Equipment installed includes swings, gym balls and sensory toys, all catering for different needs. Mainly used by primary-age students, particularly early years, the children ‘then have these tools established as they move on to secondary level’, says Kelly, ‘but we are also beginning to work with some older students as we learn more about how we can use the room’. For autistic students, ‘activities like the swings or weighted blankets can help to keep them regulated, and again, we share what has worked with the class teacher and supply them with tools to support throughout the day and promote their learning.’
Why are sensory rooms important at Shaftesbury services?
For people with sensory processing difficulties, a sensory room offers much-needed respite. Our brains are designed to control how we react to constant sensory stimuli, through what we hear, see, smell, taste or touch. This is called ‘sensory integration’ and is usually something we’re unaware of. But for some, this processing causes distress, either because the brain overreacts or underreacts to sensory input. This bright, colourful space has many elements and will benefit the people we support in Billericay for years to come.
Garden delights
Thanks to local supporters, Shaftesbury Martello Road have transformed their garden. The people we support at this vibrant service love their new garden furniture and have enjoyed barbeques together this summer. Support worker Gemma Walker says: ‘Our aim is to create a safe and welcoming space for the people we support to socialise, relax and have a moment of peacefulness and calm. We have involved the people we support in the process from start to finish, enabling them to gain a sense of achievement and ownership of their garden area. The log cabin has been installed, for prayer, sensory engagement and private meetings when needed.’ We have raised funds to install furniture and a TV, which will be hooked up to bird-feeder cameras in the garden. The people we support are delighted with this amazing garden. The final step is to install pathways for wheelchair accessibility. Service delivery lead Darren Neale joined the hard work put in by local companies to install the log cabin, alongside Bob who lives at Martello Road.
What’s next?
Looking ahead, Shaftesbury Thrive is our latest service, offering respite care in the North-East for children with disabilities. Eleven-year-old Jake*, our first client, is autistic, non-verbal and has a learning disability; he can become distressed and dysregulated when he has been unable to communicate his needs. To best support him, Shaftesbury staff spent time with Jake at school, learning about his communication and what kind of activities he enjoys. Staff then developed a care plan for Jake that mirrored the support he has at school. As a result, Shaftesbury staff have been able to increase the types of activities Jake does at home by helping Jake’s mother too, they’ve worked on focusing on communication support together. With the help of our supporters, we plan to expand this service and are building relationships with providers across the North-East.
Senior staff member Nichola Blair explains the need for Thrive: ‘We want to support as many children as we possibly can because without Shaftesbury, there‘s very little support outside the family unit for children like Jake. Our next goal is a much-needed residential home for children. We look forward to working with our supporters throughout this exciting next chapter.’
For more information about Shaftesbury Thrive, please visit our blog:
Here to help families flourish – Shaftesbury (shaftesburygroup.org)
*names changed