FAQ’s

• When does the Assist day start and finish?

  Members can arrive at Assist from 8:30am, but the group sessions begin at 9am. Lunch time is usually from 12pm-1pm but all day groups may have different times. All groups finish at 3pm. Members have a 15 minute break in the morning and afternoon.

• What groups will I do and when does the timetable change?

  We try our best to ensure that members are part of groups that they enjoy and benefit them when they first join Assist. When the timetable changes (which is usually every 16 weeks) we continue to timetable members for the groups, which they would enjoy and support them to make progress in their lives. If members are not enjoying or are unsure about a group they have been timetabled for then we encourage them to speak to one of the managers.

• What is the charge for attending Assist Trust?

  The current daily rate is £60.

• Can you administer medication?

  No. We are able to store it safely in our medicine cabinet or fridge, but we cannot administer it. We can prompt an individual when it is time to take it, and we will keep countersigned records when it has been self administered.

• Can members go out at break times?

  Depending on their level of independence, some of our members will receive travel training to go to the local shops, or to and from work placements if it is safe for them to do so. A careful assessment is made by the travel training team, and individuals can be signed off on certain routes.

• What do members do for lunch at Assist?

  Our members usually bring a packed lunch, unless they are in a cooking group which means that they will prepare their own lunch in one of our kitchens. If a packed lunch is needed, members don’t have access to a microwave to heat up food. We do, however, have vending machines so that hot drinks and soup can be purchased for 50p.

• How is progress recognised at Assist Trust?

  Recognising progress and achievement is a large part of what we do at Assist. We do so by building on the strengths people have and focus strongly on social skills, daily living skills and job skills. Any groups or activities that involve things like reading, writing or money skills always work on ways of applying those skills in the real world. Instead of giving out certificates, we praise people for progress made, whenever it occurs.

  Staff also nominate members for their achievements in groups and every 3 weeks we post a new members achievements video on our Social Media pages and on the Members Achievements page on our website, with photos and descriptions of these achievements.