Domiciliary and Outreach Services

Our Domiciliary and Outreach Support Teams deliver services for individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) across a wide geographical area. Recognising the unique presentation of ASD amongst individuals, the Teams provide flexible person-centred packages of support following referral (usually from a social work/health care professional).

We work alongside the individual with ASD and in partnership with parents, carers and other professionals.

Following assessment and guidance, a service specification will be developed that provides shared understanding between all stakeholders regarding the support to be provided, and the specific outcomes the team expect to achieve.

Support staff work with service users in areas related to the Triad of Impairments associated with ASD. Support staff will work within community settings to specific targets set from the assessment and person centred planning stage. Typically support focuses on supporting the individual to deal with the impact of their Autism Spectrum Disorder by developing:

• Strategies to support understanding of spoken language and the social rules of conversation
• Understanding when the meaning of words or concepts have not been fully grasped
• Seeking clarification when confused
• Skills to recognise a problem and use relevant skills and strategies to solve it.
• Thinking skills to think ahead, work out what is happening next, then learn to adjust behaviour
• Strategies to manage social situations
• Understanding of how other people may feel and how their feelings may influence their behaviour.

Furthermore, staff will work with people in the following areas:

• Developing and sustaining a healthy lifestyle
• Crisis prevention - support with budgeting, bill payment, liaison with utility companies, landlords and statutory authorities
• Crisis response
• Monitoring and tracking - health, anxiety state, risk of exploitation
• Building social networks.