Providing specialist services in Cheshire West and Chester

We are a leading health and social care charity delivering high quality supported living services to people with learning disabilities and mental health conditions.

We are experienced in delivering a range of other specialist services and are well placed to support Cheshire West and Chester Council to achieve its commissioning objectives by setting up new complex needs provision in the borough.

Our CQC ratings in our supported living services

Alternative Futures Group
Unit 3b
The Outset
Great Sankey Street
Warrington
WA1 1NN

Registered Manager: Pending

Our impact: supporting people with neurodivergent conditions

Neurodivergent conditions

Callum’s story: support with autism, Asperger’s syndrome, a learning disability & diabetes

Callum* is in his 50s and has diagnoses of autism, Asperger’s syndrome, a mild learning disability and type 1 diabetes.

Challenges
• Lack of engagement with staff support
• Mismanagement of health
• Limited understanding
• Communication difficulties

Outcomes
• Discharged from learning disability nurse
• Reduction of daily insulin injections from 3 to 2
• Regularly goes out in the community with friends
• Manages own weekly budget
• Built up trusted relationships

*name changed to protect identity

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Neurodivergent conditions

George’s story: support with autism, a learning disability and behaviours that challenge

George* is 33 years old and has diagnoses of autism and a learning disability. He is also non-verbal and presents with challenging behaviours.

Challenges
• Frequent and intense behaviours that challenge others, with regular serious incidents
• Unable to go out in community due to significant risk to his and others safety
• Underweight

Outcomes
• Significant reduction in frequency of serious incidents
• Increased independence
• Daily access to the community
• Friendships and regular socialising
• Reduction in medication and psychiatrist withdrawn support
• Healthy weight

*name changed to protect identity

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Neurodivergent conditions

John’s story: support with autism, a learning disability and PICA

John* is 65 years old and has diagnoses of autism, a severe learning disability and PICA.

Challenges
• Severe restrictions due to PICA around food storage
• Compatibility concerns with co-tenants
• Limited understanding
• Safeguarding concerns

Outcomes
• Discharged from professional external teams
• Move to a suitable single tenancy property
• Regularly goes out in the community
• Sensory needs able to be met
• Reduction in restrictive practises
• Significant reduction in behaviours that challenge

*name changed to protect identity

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Neurodivergent conditions

Ryan’s story: support with autism and cerebral palsy

Ryan* is 23 years old and has been supported by AFG since he was 18. He has cerebal palsy, autism, is non-verbal, and can display behaviours that challenge others.

Challenges:
– Severely underweight and physically weak
– Frequent display of behaviours that challenge others
– Unable to go out in community

Outcomes
– Discharged from dietician as no longer underweight
– No meal supplements required
– Enjoys a range of activities and an active social life

*name changed to protect identity

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Our impact: supporting people with complex needs

Complex needs

Craig’s story: support with Prader-Willi syndrome & a learning disability in supported living

Craig* is 40 years old and has been supported by AFG since he was 25. He has Prader-Willi syndrome and a mild learning disability.

Prader-Willi syndrome is a rare genetic condition that causes a wide range of physical symptoms, learning difficulties and behavioural challenges.

Typical symptoms include an excessive appetite and overeating, which can easily lead to dangerous weight gain, and emotional outbursts or physical aggression, both of which Craig experiences.

*name changed to protect identity

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Complex needs

Freddie’s story: support with acquired brain injury & institutionalisation in supported living

Freddie* is 54 years old and has been supported by AFG for 14 years. He has an acquired brain injury and a learning disability.

Challenges
– Required extremely strict and limiting routine
– Frequent and intense behaviours that challenge others, with regular serious incidents
– Unable to go out in community due to significant risk to his and others safety

Outcomes
– Reduction in level of support required from 5:1 to 3:1
– Significant reduction in frequency of serious incidents
– Increased independence, daily access to the community

*name changed to protect identity

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Complex needs

Jean’s story: support with treatment resistant paranoid schizophrenia at our independent hospital

Jean* is 76 years old and has been supported by AFG since 2018. She has a long-standing diagnosis of treatment resistant paranoid schizophrenia, meaning she experiences persistent persecutory delusions, auditory hallucinations and has a lack of insight into her condition.

Challenges
• Extremely resistant to medication – 5:1 support and restraint required to administer
• Regular periods of severe mental ill health
• Physically and verbally aggressive towards staff
• Refusal to go outside and engage with community

Outcomes
• Moved to supported living with own tenancy
• Reduction of support from constant staff supervision to staff oversight
• Medication no longer required
• Regularly accesses the community and engages with hobbies

*name changed to protect identity

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Complex needs

Jenny’s story: support with schizophrenia & cognitive decline in our independent hospital

Jenny* is a woman in her 50s who was admitted to one of our independent hospitals, Oak Lodge, with a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and cognitive decline, a condition where someone has minor problems with their mental abilities such as memory or thinking.

Challenges

• Regular relapses with mental health, detained under Mental Health Act
• Repeatedly refused supported living
• Misuse of alcohol and drugs
• Would regularly go AWOL from the unit
• Chronic social problems – verbal aggression, false accusations

Outcomes

• Moved to supported living service
• No longer uses illicit substances
• Improved social and daily life skills

*name changed to protect identity

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Complex needs

Sarah’s story: support with cerebral palsy, learning disabilities and dysphagia

Sarah, 37 years old, is one of the people we support on behalf of St Helens Council. She has a diagnosis of cerebral palsy, learning disabilities and dysphagia.

Challenges
• Behaviours that challenge
• Severely underweight and on meal supplements
• Limited communication

Outcomes
• Use of advanced communication tool
• Discharged from Speech and Language Therapy (SALT)
• Enjoys regular activities, events and hobbies
• Measurable improvement in physical and mental wellbeing

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Complex needs

Terry’s story: support with schizoaffective disorder at our enhanced supported living service

Terry* is 48 years old and has a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder and history of drug misuse.

Challenges
• Addiction to amphetamines, leading to periods of aggression and criminal offences
• Conviction and time spent in prison for stalking offence
• Refusal to take anti-psychotic medication
• Antisocial and aggressive behaviour – destroying damage and harming self
• Lack of daily life skills – self-care, cooking, cleaning
• Mistrust of staff

Outcomes
• Abstinent from illicit substances
• Accepts anti-psychotic medication
• No aggressive outbursts, improved social skills
• Improved daily life skills
• Enjoys activities in the community and hobbies
• Preparing to move in to own accommodation

*name changed to protect identity

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Complex needs

Zahra’s story: support with psychosis at our Independent Hospital

Zahra* is a young woman in her 20s who was admitted to one of our independent hospitals, Oak Lodge, following an episode of psychosis in March 2023.

Challenges
• Unable to cope with auditory hallucinations and delusions
• Lack of independence and daily life skills – cooking, cleaning, personal hygiene
• No experience engaging with the community

Outcomes
• Developed coping strategies and able to manage mental health independently
• Move to supported living within six months of admission, cooking own meals and managing self-care
• Engaging with the local community – events, volunteering and education

*name changed to protect identity

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Take a look inside our enhanced supported living service, Huntley Street

Our enhanced supported living service at Huntley Street provides short-term support for individuals who are eligible under the Care Act and considered hard to house.

The individuals must have a mental health diagnosis, and may have previously been supported by probation services, drug and alcohol services or homelessness services. Within the Warrington community we provide wrap-around, bespoke support and empower individuals to access a range of opportunities, with the aim to move into their own home living independently in the community.

Take a look inside our adult care home, Naylorsfield and Hartsbourne

Naylorsfield and Hartsbourne is a highly specialist and innovative residential care service operated by Alternative Futures Group in partnership with Liverpool City Council.

It consists of two, four bedroom, level-access bungalows with wet rooms, offering eight placements for adult males with learning disabilities and/or autism who have found themselves (or are at risk of finding themselves) in conflict with the criminal justice system.

Meet Sarah

Sarah, 37 years old, is one of the people we support on behalf of St Helens Council.

Sarah has a diagnosis of cerebral palsy, learning disabilities and dysphagia.

Following a breakdown in relationships with previous support providers, Sarah’s team at AFG supported her to pass an assessment for an advanced communication tool, enabling her to build full sentences for the first time. The team support her to participate in a range of activities including hydrotherapy, boxing and discos.

Sarah’s mum Margaret talks about what this has meant for Sarah and their family.


Mark’s story

Mark, 58 years old, is one of the people we support in Prescot.

Mark is on the autistic spectrum, non-verbal, has complex needs and behaviours that challenge others.

When AFG took over Mark’s care he had 5:1 support, was heavily medicated and would seriously assault members of staff. He has now had his support reduced to 2:1, has been discharged from psychiatric care and learning disability community care, and enjoys spending regular trips and spending time outdoors.

Mark’s Team Leader Carol talks about Mark’s journey and how his life looks completely different to when she met him 18 years ago.


Promoting independence with tech-enabled care

AFG formed a collaboration with PAMAN, a world leader in digital care services and remote patient medication management.

One of the people we support previously needed 24/7 access to a support worker to help him take his medication, due to his diagnoses of schizophrenia, autism and a history of stockpiling and overdosing on his medication.

We offered him this innovative technology, which means that his medication is in a lockable box which is timed to open when he is due to take it, and a qualified pharmacist calls to do a welfare check and watches through video link to ensure that he takes his medication correctly. As part of his ongoing development and because of the introduction of the PAMAN system, he is able to safely self-medicate without relying on support staff.


AFG Tech Lending Library

We offer an online library of technological items for the people we support to borrow and try, to see if technology can enhance their life and enable them to achieve their outcomes.

The library contains a range of items which have been reviewed internally to meet criteria ensuring they are safe, suitable and can support people with specific needs. People can borrow items such as robotic hoover, voice assistive technology, smart watches, robotic pets, hydration systems and more, for a period of up to 8 weeks.

Steven, one of the people we support in Liverpool, recently borrowed a robotic dog from the library to support him with anxiety and loneliness.

Steven is supported in one of our community mental health services in Vauxhall and has a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. He experiences anxiety about going in to the community and spending time with others and often struggles with loneliness.

Having borrowed the robotic dog, Steven said it reminded him of his childhood dog and said “it makes me feel safe, less lonely, more secure and gives me someone to talk to.”

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Learn how we can help you

Do you have a question about our Learning Disability or Mental Health Services?

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