A new support centre has opened in Worksop offering respite services for autistic adults.
The Autism East Midlands development provides people with specialist support, while also providing their families and carers with the chance to take a break from their caring role for a few days or a few weeks.
The centre, known as Whitegates, has undergone a major £1million transformation and has been carefully designed to meet the specific needs of autistic individuals and their families. Autism affects how someone communicates and interacts with the world and for some that may mean they need a bit of extra support in a specialist environment.
Whitegates has six self-contained apartments, where specialist autism-focused and one-to-one support is provided. It is also able to provide specialist short-term accommodation for autistic individuals who need urgent care.
“It’s great to be able to welcome our first service users,” said Kelly Carrington, manager of Whitegates.
“We have everything in place to provide the best support that individuals and their families may need. It will give people a break from their routine and ease the pressure on families. And the setting is just beautiful. The large communal gardens mean that the people who stay with us can just stay locally if they wish. They can simply enjoy their apartments, the gardens and a change of scene. They’re also able to take part in other community-based activities that are planned to meet each individual’s needs and preferences.”
Further details about Autism East Midlands and Whitegates can be found on www.aem.org.uk.
New social group for autistic adults
A social group is to launch this autumn, offering autistic adults across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire the opportunity to take part in social activities in a safe, non-judgmental environment.
Autism East Midlands is introducing its Social Autism Space following a rise in enquiries over the past year. The group is open to autistic adults who are diagnosed, self-diagnosed or waiting for diagnosis of autism.
Members of the group will be able to share their experiences, talk about what issues affect them, and develop ways to deal with areas they are struggling with.
Membership of the group is free. Information will be readily available online and there will be regular meetings organised locally as well as a variety of social activities and online clubs.
Anyone interested in finding out more about the group and how they can get involved is invited to join an introductory online Zoom meeting at 6.00pm to 8.00pm on Wednesday 21st September.
The online meeting will provide a safe space, where people can feel comfortable and feel involved. They can join with the camera on or camera off and there’s no obligation to speak during the meeting. Anyone can join and simply listen in. There is also the opportunity to take part in person.
Anyone interested in taking part in the Zoom meeting or finding out more can email autismhub@aem.org.uk and anyone keen to attend in person can call 01909 506678 and ask for Dan Adams so that arrangements can be made.