1. Counselling

Trained nursing staff provide ad-hoc counselling at Elsenham House. 

2. Education and lifelong learning

An underlying assumption is that for many of our clients the traditional education system may have failed to meet their needs, hence individual assessment and the opportunity to make plans are seen as a useful adjunct to their well-being.

At Elsenham House, all clients are able to discuss their educational or training needs either with a staff member, or through the local educational support services. These needs may be primarily remedial i.e. numeric and literacy or developmental, like educational or vocational training. Once identified, these needs will be met, either through internal or external training providers. Many of our residents are currently attending local colleges.

3. Life and social skills workshops

At Elsenham House we are able to provide practical workshops across a broad range of life and social skills. Listed below are examples of which workshops are commonly available, however, it is important to note that this is a dynamic provision that will frequently change in response to specific needs:

• Budgeting

• Basic nutrition and cooking

• Understanding benefits

These workshops are run in small groups (3 – 6) and in a highly interactive manner, where the emphasis is on useful and practical knowledge and skills, all delivered in a relaxed environment. 

4. Work opportunities

At Elsenham House we seek to encourage individuals to consider the role of work as part of their long term mental health recovery. Initially, this may be in the form of voluntary work which may then progress towards the client moving into paid employment. For residents receiving state benefits, paid employment is possible as long as it falls within the scope of the permitted hour’s scheme. 

Once employed, our staff will continue to monitor progress, and where necessary, continue to liaise between the employer and our client.

5. Range of hobbies and interests

All residents are encouraged to participate in our extensive range of hobbies and interests.

Each week this includes visits to the cinema, horse riding, swimming and bowling, as well as outings to museums and other places of local interest. All external outings are fully supervised by our care staff.

Some residents may even be supported individually to allow them to pursue a specific hobby or interest.

5. Transitional help - moving on

Ultimately, our aim is to move each resident on to more permanent and independent living. Naturally the time that this happens in, will vary considerably from person to person, however, when a client is assessed as being ready, we will do all we can to assist them in the period of preparation. This may include help in identifying the appropriate accommodation and making sure that the client has all the necessary life skills to cope in their new environment.

This transitional period can vary from between 3 – 6 months and is made easier by the client having previously progressed through the different types of accommodation available in Elsenham House.