We have launched an appeal to raise
£250,000 to create a bespoke on-site
Health and Wellbeing Hub.
Accessing healthcare - such as an
appointment at the hospital, doctors
or dentist - can be a stressful
experience for young people with
autism.
Even with significant planning
and preparation attending medical
appointments still poses a significant
challenge.
As a result, according to a 2016
survey by The Westminster
Commission on Autism, 74% of
autistic, parent-advocate and
professional respondents felt that
autistic people receive 'worse' or
'much worse' healthcare than nonautistic people, therefore, producing
significant risks to their health.
The hub will be designed to replicate
external healthcare settings,
therefore supporting our young
people to become more comfortable
with dentist chairs, examination beds
and waiting areas.
Young people will then be better
prepared for essential visits to
external healthcare settings,
therefore reducing anxiety and
increasing the success rate of such
visits.
In doing this, Prior's Court can help
to lead the way in helping young
people with autism access health
facilities, and share best practice to
benefit the wider autism community.
Additionally, the hub will provide an
on-site pharmacy to improve staff
accessibility to medications and
stock control, as well as a shared
workspace for our nursing, Positive
Behaviour Support, Speech and
Language Therapy, and Occupational
Therapy teams, to allow for more
efficient collaborative working and
therefore better outcomes for our
young people.
Karen White, our Head of
Fundraising, said: "By donating
towards the cost of this bespoke
facility, you will help transform how
we support the health and wellbeing
of young people with severe autism.
This means we can better meet their
health needs today - and provide
them with the tools to access
appropriate healthcare in their lives
after their time at Prior's Court."
For further information
or to support this
project, please contact
our fundraising team on
01635 247202 or email
fundraising@priorscourt.
org.uk.
Healthcare hub appeal
Prior's Court Foundation has
launched its own research
programme to continue to build
on developing the best practice
for supporting our young people
- and look to influence the wider
autism sector.
The Prior's Court Research Board and
Programme has been set up to help
steer more formally the small number
of research projects the Foundation is
involved in, both currently and in the
future.
The board will set the research strategy,
approve research proposals, track progress
of projects and communicate findings to
all stakeholders.
These research opportunities are open
to both Prior's Court staff and external
applicants, with the opportunity open to
those studying at a post-graduate level
and above.
Michelle Collard, Project and Research
Lead, said: "Research partners will be able
to work with Prior's Court staff who have
a wealth of experience and knowledge in
the sector and our ground-breaking Prior
Insight digital operations system which
allows us to collect hundreds of thousands
of pieces of data annually.
"We believe it is hugely important for our
young people, their parents and guardians,
and our staff members who work with our
young people day in, day out, to have the
opportunity to impart their experiences on
academic research projects to shape the
future of best practice when it comes to
supporting those with severe autism."
Prior's Court Foundation has been involved
in research previously - including studies
of the effect of light colour and source on
moods in young people with autism, and
the impact of a 'Talking Wall' to facilitate
a young person's 'voice' to express their
feelings - with the new board and
programme formalising future projects.
Parents and guardians, staff and our young
people all have the option to opt out of
being part of any research project.
For more information about becoming
a research partner, contact Michelle
on mcollard@priorscourt.org.uk or call
01635 247202 Ext. 353.
Research programme
launches
up
up
up
up
ramp up
up
rwp
gully
rwp
rwp
railings
medical store
H & WB
Therapy
room
Meeting
room
Therapy
engagment
room
Treatment and
consultation room
150
office
waiting
area
inclusive
toilet
lobby
worktop
examination bed
worktop
worktop
worktop
storage
storage
storage
storage
storage
table
table
table
worktop
worktop
bespoke meds storage cupboards
fit insulated dry linings
to the existing external
walls.
fit insulated dry linings
to the existing external
walls.
bespoke meds storage cupboards
proposed extension
existing walls to
be removed
metal railings repositioned
access area to be laid
with block paving
hedge cut back
NOTE - no new insulated
linings to walls in the
meds stores
existing openings infilled with
blockwork and Cedral Click
boarding externally laid
horizontally on timber battens.
doors removed and new
window inserted, with opening
infilled below in blockwork and
Cedral Click boarding externally
laid horizontally on timber
battens
existing opening infilled with
blockwork and Cedral Click
boarding externally laid
horizontally on timber batte
shelves shelves
existing boarding
changed to Cedral Click
boarding.
the existing
conservatory and
slab are to be
completely
demolished, and
all disturbed
areas made good.
worktop
CCTV monitoring
services
cup'd &
cleaners
store
this section openable
on occasion when
needed
low brick walls and metal railings
new ramp up
glazed screen
0
10m
5m
Scale bar - 1 : 50
0m 5m
1m 2m 3m 4m
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
Scale 1:50
N O R T H
A new fundraising project has begun to help overcome
the challenges young people with autism face when
accessing healthcare.
Part of the proposed design for the
Health and Wellbeing Hub.