What four hours of 1-2-1 support looks like in a day

When people hear “one-to-one support” in a mental health setting, many picture a member of staff sitting outside a bedroom door. That is observation, and there are times it is needed. It is not what we mean.

At Bancroft Care Centre every person has four hours of 1-2-1 support each day, included in the weekly fee. It is time with a named member of staff, planned with the person, and used for the things that move their life forward.

Three different days

For one person, the morning starts with a walk to the local shop alongside a support worker who knows that crowds are hard and which route is quieter. Back home, they spend an hour in the kitchen making lunch together. In the afternoon there is half an hour going through post and a budgeting plan.

For another, the time is built around a GP appointment they would otherwise miss: help getting ready, company on the bus, someone in the waiting room, and a conversation afterwards about what the doctor said. Later, a session at the gym.

For someone who arrived from hospital last week, the four hours may look quieter. A cup of tea. A board game. A short walk round the garden. A calm, consistent presence at the same times each day while trust is built. That counts too, and in the early weeks it may be the most important work we do.

How the time is planned

• The person decides, with their keyworker, what they want to work towards and how they would like their time used. It is written into their plan.
• Hours can be taken in one block or split across the day and evening. They flex: a good day and a hard day need different things.
• The time is delivered by staff who know the person, not by whoever happens to be free.
• What the time was used for is recorded, and reviewed with the person regularly. If it is not helping, we change it.

What it means for our team

[Insert a real quote from a support worker about what they did with someone this week and why having protected time matters.]

Our staff tell us that guaranteed 1-2-1 time is the reason they can do the job properly. They are not pulled away halfway through a conversation. They can make a plan with someone on Monday and keep it on Thursday. For people whose lives have often been full of broken arrangements, someone who shows up at the time they said they would is a powerful thing.

We are always interested in hearing from people who want to work this way. See [careers link].

To talk about a referral, arrange a visit or ask about our fee, contact Megan.tranter@ashahealthcare.co.uk, or visit www.ashahealthcare.co.uk