What our service means to young people
Each young person (aged 16 – 30) we support have a unique range of needs and wishes that we are ideally placed to support them with. We empower them to learn new skills, build towards greater independence, make friends and have fun. By focusing on choice, and the individual needs of each young person we work with, we help young people with learning disabilities to gain confidence and self-esteem and experience greater joy in their lives.
Young people at the Chiltern Centre are able to form friendships and do things that might never normally be accessible to them. They are able to feel part of a community, to feel the confidence that comes from doing things that are new, different and exciting. They are able to have independence from their family.
They are able to socialise with people of similar ages and with whom they share interests. Through careful timetabling, we are able to ensure that young people come to the Centre alongside others with whom they share a bond, an interest or a rapport with so that they truly enjoy their time with us. They are able to learn new independence skills that will set them up for the next stage of their lives. They are able to share meals, enjoy a relaxed evening and do crafts together. They are able to get out and about and enjoy all that the local area has to offer.
The Chiltern Centre opens up a whole new world of opportunities to the young people who use it. A world that many of their peers without disabilities may take for granted. But one that is special, and important and deeply valuable for each young person who comes through our doors.
What our service means to their families
At the point when most parents are watching their children gain independence and move away from home, the parents of young people with disabilities are often needed as much as they ever have been. They may still be needed for social and emotional support, to help with feeding and other care giving activities, to help them to get around or simply to help them to navigate adult life. Often the unique needs of their children may have been catered for during the education years but as they get older and move out of formal educational, settings options are more limited and families can begin to feel isolated. The Chiltern Centre offers a lifeline for these families.
The Chiltern Centre provides them with a vital break that from their joint role of loving parent and dedicated carer. The chance for an unbroken night’s sleep. A little time to catch up with day to day life. The opportunity to recharge their batteries.
Best of all, families tell us that they are able to relax in the knowledge that their young people are cared for in a safe, supportive and friendly home from home environment.
