We awarded Beacon House a grant of £17,208 to deliver its new Restore and Thrive project, which takes a different approach to Occupational Therapy.

This new way of helping the people they support is based on external research and analysis of previous Beacon House programmes.

It is based on formulating a specific individual plan for each person. The results of the project have been very good so far, as you can read below from the Case Studies Beacon House has sent to us:

Case Study- Jack (Pseudonym)

• Jack is a 70 year old male who presented at Beacon House after being placed in emergency accommodation. ​
• Jack was socially isolated, when he was helped by Beacon House. He also did not have friends in Colchester at the time and his only family was a brother- poor relationship. ​
• He was diagnosed with Ischaemic Heart Disease and Anaemia, as well as high levels of anxiety.
• After OT initial assessment, he had noticeable signs of poor memory.
• We planned interventions for Henry, which involved improving the structure and routine of his day/week. This included the following sessions: ​

Restore and Thrive sessions:

– Art  – He expressed a huge desire to reconnect with this area of his life having previously been very creative. He also used this as a way of managing his stress previously.

– Therapeutic groups – Jack had previously been very isolated and this led to feelings of loneliness. Through Restore and Thrive, Jack has been able to attend many groups on various topics to build positive new relationships in a safe environment. ​

– Budgeting and cooking sessions – Jack attended the sessions regularly as part of the programme. This provided OT the opportunity to continue assessing Jack whilst he learnt new skills. ​

– Breathworks sessions –As part of the Restore and Thrive project, Beacon House aimed to improve his breathing by introducing him to new techniques. They also provided time for him to take part in relaxation and mindfulness activities. These sessions provided him with more opportunities to exercise in a gentle manner. They also allowed for Jack to reduce his anxiety as his mental health declined further. ​

– Mental Health peer support group – We introduced Jack to these, so he was able to express the feeling about his current situation within a safe environment. ​

Through attending regular group sessions, the OT noted Jack’s eyesight was poor. He was then given support to make an optician’s appointment. Following this, he was prescribed with glasses. ​

Jack eventually moved into a permanent council property, which demonstrates his ability to become independent in many areas. His care has now been in place for several months. As Jack is housed and no longer needs the regular input from Beacon House BH, they have handed the care over experts, who can help him further.