Stepping Out

Stepping Out Blog

Supporting MAPPA Clients

By Kaya Ismail No CommentsPosted in BlogTags: , , ,

Stepping Out are able to provide specialised support and accommodation for MAPPA clients and/or MAPPA involvement. Our 24-hour staffed semi independent living projects are safe and secure, and are an ideal environment for providing supervision & support based around the persons assessed needs.

Our semi-independent living provisions now offer In-house training and education courses via The Learning Station, regulated by City & Guilds. Some clients are unable to access local training providers for various reasons,

We have vast experience in managing high level MAPPA Clients up to and including Level and category 3 and those displaying high levels of sexually harmful or sexualised behaviour. We have delivered a number of positive outcomes via dedicated, personalised support whilst ensuring our risk assesments are thorough and regularly reviewed and updated.

canstockphoto1793601Stepping Out have over 5 years of experience with MAPPA clients, and thus we know exactly how to handle the most difficult of situations. We ensure that our care & support plans are tailored to meet the requirements of each particular person. Our staff have been trained to manage all types of complex & challenging behaviours.

Through well-structured risk assessments that incorporate strict boundaries and produce positive measurable outcomes, Stepping Out are able to offer vulnerable people the opportunity to improve their quality of life and enable them to achieve greater independence. For more information view our Semi-Independent Living Slideshow and PDF document.

To make a referral, or to find out more about our services surrounding MAPPA Clients, contact us.

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Young Offender Accommodation

By admin_ka No CommentsPosted in BlogTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Stepping Out is a specialist training, education and social care provider offering accommodation and support to young people and adults with complex needs.

We offer 6 specialist gender specific provisions to young people whom have a history of offending and gang violence and other complex needs. These young people are accommodated within small homely environments with staffing on-site 24 hours per day.

To find out more take a look at our semi-independent living brochure here.

Contact us to make a referral on 0208 342 7217 alternatively please send email queries to info@stepping-out.org.

Click here to visit our main website.

 

Basic support provided

Basic Independent skill training:

  • Daily Hygiene Routines.
  • Maintaining a clean and safe living environment.
  • Food preparation/Healthy eating.
  • Guidance to budget in an independent manner.
  • Reflective support on conduct & behaviour/reduction of offending behaviour.
  • Socialising and community integration.
  • Benefits information.

Base Package: On agreeing to place a client on our base package support plan, you agree and understand that the client will receive only 7 hours per week 1-1 support over two weeks duration for the following tasks:

  • Support with registering at local GP
  • Support with registering at local Dentist
  • Support with registering at local Optician
  • Support with Social/local Integration
  • Raising awareness of transport links
  • Raising awareness of local universal service providers
  • Raising awareness of banks, libraries and areas of interest.

Additional Support can be purchased to compliment the base package.

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Training and Education for MAPPA Clients

By admin_ka No CommentsPosted in BlogTags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Stepping Out has built a great reputation in managing MAPPA cases (Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements)

A major issue for young people and adults on the MAPPA register is not being able to obtain education or training via mainstream colleges. There are many reasons why a local college may not accept a student on the MAPPA list, most obvious is the potential risks such a client may pose to others.

Stepping Out works directly with many local authorities and offers young people and adults regualed accommodation in the form of our semi-independent living provisions.

Stepping Out now offers these clients in-house training and education, this is particularly beneficial to those on the MAPPA Register and is proving to be popular with placing authorities. take a look at one of the courses on offer below:

Training and Education Programme.

The Stepping Out training and education programme has been set up in order to provide a universal all-encompassing environment where young clients receive homely accommodation, 24 on-site staffing and regular training and educational courses.

Over the years we have noticed that more and more young people are being placed with us whom fall under the NEET category (not in education, employment or training) as a social care provider offering specialist semi-independent living provisions one of our objectives were to help these young people back in to education, employment or training, however we found that this was not always easily done particularly when accommodating a very challenging client or a client with sexualised behaviour, autism and or learning difficulties. We found that:

  • Local colleges would at times not accept a client due to historical backgrounds.
  • Training providers where underfunded and over booked.
  • Training providers required additional support or were not confident working with specific client groups (ex-offenders, sexually harmful etc.)
  • Clients with learning difficulties or other mental health and emotional issues did not engage with third parties or group environments.
  • Clients were not able to access support in order to actively ensure they attend and engaged with third party training organisations.

Therefore London Care Home ltd (Stepping Out) and our sister company (The Learning Station) – has now successfully registered with City & Guilds; this allows us to offer courses in-house in a flexible manner and means we no longer have to try to find ways around certain engagement barriers.

Aims & Objectives

  • To offer flexible, nationally recognised training and education courses in-house (within Semi-Independent living provisions)
  • Reduce the chances of a client leaving care NEET (Not in education, training or employment)
  • Remove or reduce barriers to engagement, allowing clients with difficulties to receive training and educational support whilst residing at home.
  • Reduce the company’s and the client’s dependence on under-funded third party training providers.
  • Increase a young person’s confidence and positively affect their state of mind so that they feel capable of pursuing a particular career.
  • Ensure the needs are met for clients whom may not be able to pursue education and or training in large group or public mainstream environments.

Client specific in-house training and education programme.


Client Name: Young Person

DOB: 00.00.00

Address: Stepping Out

Course:  Award in Employability and Personal Development (QCF)

Awarding Body: City & Guilds

Who is this course for?

This qualification is aimed at anyone wanting to improve their employment prospects, progress in education or live a more independent life.

Aim of this qualification:

  • Allow learners to learn, develop and practise the skills required for employment.
  • Provide valuable accreditation of skills and/or knowledge for learners, without requiring or proving occupational competence.
  • Form the basis of Foundation Learning programmes.
  • Meet the needs of learners who wish to seek, gain and retain employment or progress to further learning.

What’s involved in studying this course?

The course will cover a variety of topic areas including:

  • Community involvement
  • Enterprise
  • Independent living
  • Learning
  • Lifestyle
  • Preparing for employment
  • Succeeding at work

Click here to view the official City & Guilds handbook for further information.

Assessment prior to beginning course:

Client will be assessed by one of our qualified assessors where they will decide on the correct course entry level. They will then draw up an appropriate education timetable. We feel client should dedicate and be supported with his/her education for a minimum of 4 hours per day with two 1 hour breaks.

Contact us on 0208 342 7217 or use this page to send us an email.

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Why Stepping Out Are Best Suited To Manage MAPPA Cases

By Kaya Ismail No CommentsPosted in BlogTags: , ,

Over the years, Stepping Out have successfully managed various MAPPA cases across North London & Hertfordshire.

Not only have we been successful with minimising criminal and challenging behaviour, but a number of our clients have also been moved on to full independence.

What is MAPPA?

MAPPA stands for Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements. The arrangements refer to the “responsible authorities” tasked with the management of registered sex offenders, violent and other types of sexual offenders, and offenders who pose a serious risk of harm to the public.

Category 1: Registered Sex Offenders (RSOs),

Category 2: All offenders who have received a custodial sentence of 12 months or more in prison for a sexual or violent offence and whilst they remain under Probation supervision.

Category 3: Anyone else who poses a “risk of serious harm to the public” who has received a conviction and whose risk would be better managed in a multi-agency setting.
Level One: represents the normal inter-agency management of the offender in the community by one agency, with some liaison.

Level Two: means that Multi Agency Public Protection meetings will be held where the offender’s management will be discussed between various parties involved in their case.

Level Three: is essentially the same as Level Two, except that senior management representatives will be in attendance and greater resources are expected to be used in the management of the offender.

Clients under MAPPA, particularly Level Three, are considered to be highly challenging and usually dangerous.

Service Users with MAPPA involvement Are Usually Extremely Challenging

Service Users with MAPPA involvement Are Usually Extremely Challenging

Why Stepping Out?

Year after year, Stepping Out have been entrusted with the management of all types of MAPPA cases, by various local authorities. We have vast experience in managing high level MAPPA cases (Level 3) and those displaying high levels of sexually harmful or sexualised behaviour.

We are able to provide specialised support and accommodation for people with MAPPA involvement. Our 24-hour staffed semi independent living projects are safe and secure, and are an ideal environment for providing supervision & support based around the persons assessed needs.

We have delivered a number of positive outcomes via dedicated, bespoke support whilst ensuring our risk assessments are professional, thorough & regularly updated.

We ensure that our care & support plans are personalised to meet the requirements of each particular person. Our staff have been trained to manage all types of complex & challenging behaviours. Regular updates to their training are also incorporated.

Stepping Out offer professional counselling, community support, goal setting meetings and activities to help produce the best possible outcomes for the client.

To make a referral, to or to find out more about Stepping Out & MAPPA cases, contact us, or call us directly on 0208 342 7217.

 

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How to Prevent Placement Breakdowns

By admin_ka No CommentsPosted in BlogTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


Stepping Out has recently been inundated with referrals. Mainly, our referrals consist of young people and adults displaying severe challenging behaviour. It seems these referrals are being made after various placement breakdowns have taken place. Stepping Out continues to support the ideology that prevention is the key to ensuring a placement is successful.

Here are some Important factors to consider when choosing a provider for clients displaying severe challenging behaviour, or who have a history of repeated placement breakdown:

  • Is the house staffed 24 hours per day?
  • How many service users does the property accommodate? (less is more)
  • Does the provider have a good track record with supporting certain client types?
  • Does the placement provide professionals with regular reports and updates?
  • Is the placement cost effective?
  • Is the client receiving realistic levels of support?
  • Are the staff well trained and experienced?
  • Is the provider regulated by a specific regulatory body? (Care Quality Commission)
  • Does the provider have the right resources to meet the client’s needs?
  • Does the provider have good knowledge of reporting disclosures and safeguarding issues?
  • Does the provider have a dedicated out of hours emergency team? Is the team able to travel to a project out of hours if necessary?
  • Are you seeing positive outcomes for the service user?
  • Do you know why an incident occurred? What the triggers were? Do you know what the client’s thoughts were before and after?

Stepping Out work with various local authorities on a national scale and offer small, homely, semi-independent living projects staffed 24 hours per day and accommodate no more than 5 service users per project. Our risk assessments ensure that many incidents are prevented and our polices are continually updated in order to reduce incidents occurring.

Example Incident:
Service user alleges that his Laptop was stolen by another service user, an incident occurs causing a placement breakdown; the laptop may not have existed.

Stepping Out’s Solution:
All service users must sign a valuable belongings policy, stating their possessions, a staff member must confirm that these possessions exist. This policy is updated regularly in order for us to keep record of any new valuable items. False allegations pertaining to the loss of valuable items are greatly reduced.

Working to reduce placement breakdowns:
Usually a placement breaks down because a client is involved in an incident and or the client displays behaviour that could not be managed, reduced.

Stepping Out ensures their staff members pay regular attention to potential triggers and any patterns that may form prior to an incident. We cannot guarantee an incident will not occur, however Stepping Out will work to find out why the incident occurred, take note of the triggers and engage the client directly, we are open minded and use a relaxed approach. Our clients will be challenging and we are aware of that, therefore we must engage with them so that we are able to ascertain why the client became challenging.

Our experienced approach usually means that a client will inform us that they caused this incident because of x, y or z, they may even tell us what the exact triggers were and in most cases will highlight how regularly occurring incidents can be reduced. Making a placement with Stepping Out will ensure you know as much as possible about the client and their needs.

Types of clients we support:
Stepping Out specialises in offering small, homely, semi-independent projects to young people and adults mainly with severe challenging behaviour which usually encompasses many differing traits to include those diagnosed under the autistic spectrum disorder, generalised learning difficulties, sexualised and sexually harmful behaviour and those whom have suicidal tendencies, self-harm, gang violence, substance misuse etc.

Stepping out offers service user specific projects, the projects are also gender specific and have differing set ups, for example some of our projects will only accommodate 1 client whereas other projects can accommodate up to 5. Importantly, our main priority is to set realistic boundaries and proactively aid our clients move on to a more independent setting.

Feel free to contact us if you have a client whom you feel would benefit from our services.

0208 342 7217.

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