Huntley enjoy venturing out into the local community with swimming and much more…
Huntley is our residential service in Worthing, West Sussex supporting people with learning disabilities, which can be profound, and additional health care needs.
When the Covid pandemic hit in March 2020, it had a huge effect on the people living and supported at Huntley. Most of the people who live there found it very difficult adapting to the ‘new normal’ way of living, with restrictions in place and all recreational activities cancelled until the foreseeablefuture. But they very soon got into the routine of pandemic life, staying home and staying safe, taking part in activities at home and when restrictions permitted, socialising in small groups in their local community.
As Covid restrictions began to lift earlier this year, the people we support at Huntley have been slowly getting back into the swing of normal life out in the community. Due to their additional health needs and risks it has taken the service longer to reintroduce some of the activities, therefore it was important that Service Manager Anna and her support team had a plan to make sure the people we support were safe.
Anna says “Due to the vulnerability, associated health needs as well as age of the people living at Huntley and their anxieties around getting back out into the world, it was important myself and my team reintroduced the hobbies and activities the people we support took part in pre-pandemic slowly as well as safely.
“In July we re-introduced some of the people we support back into the local swimming pool, which has been very popular with lots of smiling and splashing. We have also ventured back to the soft play to explore the ball pit and sensory area which everyone enjoys. Since the weather has been glorious, we recently enjoyed a delicious BBQ in the garden cooked by support worker Mo, we finished this off with some fun garden games.”
Jane, who lives at Huntley, has also been enjoying her visits to the local café ordering her favourite drink, a Mocha. Jane is a very sociable person and loves nothing more than going out with her support worker to the local town, mooching about in the shops (M&S is her favourite) and then ending up at Costa Coffee enjoying lunch in the sunshine. She has also been enjoying the BBQs in the garden and joined in with all the games – snakes and ladders is her favourite!
The people who live at Huntley and the support teams have also been busy beavering away in the garden to make the entrance to the service look as tidy and welcoming as possible – however we are under strict instructions to not disclose this masterpiece as it has currently been entered for this year’s Consensus in Bloom competition. You can take our word for it, it looks fabulous!