Recently the Essex Dementia Care ‘Every Day Counts’ dementia activity group at Broomfield, have been visited by students from Thriftwood College. The students have moderate learning disabilities, including multiple and complex needs such as autism, speech, language and social communication difficulties. The College strongly believes in creating a culture of achievement and recognition and they strive to work together to help pupils reach their full potential.
The students are exposed to volunteering as another angle to secure future employment for those less likely to be employed in regular jobs. In spite of their complex needs, they are still very able. Currently there are only 5.1% of adults with learning disabilities that are in work, and Thriftwood aims to give their students every possible advantage to beat the trend.
Sarah Dickens, Class Teacher from Thriftwood College told Essex Dementia Care “It’s been wonderful to see how our students have grown in confidence. From being quite shy in the first week to now fully engaging with the group, helping with lunch duties, clearing up, and even leading games and participating in Movement to Music sessions. They’ve shared that they feel like part of your group and love coming to see you all. Thank you for encouraging them to be active helpers and volunteers, this experience is invaluable for them.”
Kelly Bleasdale, Senior Manager for Essex Dementia Care says “We would like to thank the students for being part of our group and making a difference to us, our lovely clients so enjoy their company. It’s amazing to see how two groups of people who face completely different challenges can come together and enjoy each other’s company and all the different activities we offer in the group. We look forward to many more visits in the future”
