Just Roaming - Reducing Restrictions and Promoting Autonomy in Supported Living
Thank you to all who joined us for our webinar Just Roaming – Reducing Restrictions and Promoting Autonomy in Supported Living. If you missed it or want to watch it again, scroll down the page for the full video.
We would like to extend a big thank you to our presenters:
- Luke Joy-Smith (Dimensions)
- Chris Murray (Manchester City Council)
- Janice Rodgers (Manchester City Council)
- Lynsey Way (Active Prospects)
- Amy Lewis (Just Roaming)
- Dwayne Mathers (Just Roaming)
Key themes
Our webinar reflected on the importance of removing restrictions in work practices and enabling autonomy for the people we support. Utilising technology can inform more detailed risk assessments and open up genuinely remarkable opportunities for individuals, and their staff and families.
Key themes of the day:
- An awareness of the impact staff presence can have and the importance of providing people with space and time to self-regulate
- Personalising technology to the individual and their support needs
- The balance of risk vs restriction and the importance of people’s choices within this
- The negative impact of restriction on behaviour and the vicious cycle it perpetuates
- The importance of co-production when creating TEC support plans and strength-based plans
Just Roaming
Amy Lewis has worked in social care for over 20 years supporting individuals, managing teams with oversight of a range of services for children and adults with learning disabilities and autism. Amy discusses with our council partners how technology can reduce restrictions and promote autonomy in supported living services.
'Just Roaming is a real time personalised monitoring and alert system that we designed to enable adults with learning disabilities and autism to live more independently in their own homes'.
Dimensions
Project Director, Luke Joy-Smith, discussed the charity wide approach to embedding Just Roaming across Dimensions’ sites, with a focus on independence, developing skills and control, and helping individuals to stay safe.
Joining Luke was Just Roaming’s own Dwayne Mathers who shared the story of Ben and how Just Roaming helped better understand his support needs.
'There is the ability for us to introduce it in a way that is tailored to every single person that we support'.
Manchester City Council
Manchester City Council introduced their first Just Roaming service in January 2020 and have recently introduced further services in 2023.
Chris Murray tells the story of Nancy, an individual who has surprised everyone during her transition to her new home.
Janice Rodgers talks about Peter and how technology supported his recovery after a life-changing event.
'Living my best life because of JR, the call assist pendant makes me feel I have more control, I feel more aware and feel safer because of the call assist pendant during ‘Seizure week’ and I feel I have more independence now I don’t have staff with me all the time'.
Active Prospects
Lynsey Way, Clinical Director at Active Prospects has been involved in the development of multiple technology-enabled services over the last 12 months using Just Roaming. Lynsey talks about Karl and how technology is being used to manage the risks associated with self-harm.
‘It has made such a difference to his (Karl’s) life. He is now building on his mental wellness everyday’.
Q&A Session
Are you happy to work on a project basis e.g undertaking systematic programme of reviews of a cluster of services in partnership with the service provider, the commissioning authority, parents, professionals and the people living in the services?
Amy – For anyone who understands Just Checking and Just Roaming they align together. We have situations whereby reviews are taking place or haven’t been done in a while. We support the local authority with that assessment piece, and that presents opportunities to look at Just Roaming and how it can enable people.
Please can you expand on the features of how the pendant works in the community?
Janice – When they press the button we can speak to them and they can speak to us. We can track where they are, i.e if they fall and cant talk we can look on a map and get help to them. It does reassure people who are less confident going out alone.
How is Just Roaming different from other telecare devices?
Amy – it’s more a service. We don’t see this as pieces of TEC that you can purchase. It’s about the service level and having that partner to work with who will support your teams to ensure everything is happening as it should and test it with you. Staff are really busy and don’t have time to get into the detail of configuring devices, so we provide that.
Janice – and also you get all of the added data with it.
What is the difference between Just Checking and Just Roaming?
Amy – As a lot of people know Just Checking has been around 20 years, and it’s a short-term assessment tool. Plug-and-play kit with a standard set of sensors. Anyone can pick it up and use it to understand care and support needs. Initially, it was built around older adults.
Just Roaming was very much built off the back of the same robust technology but built to be as personalised as we could possibly make it in terms of the alerting capabilities. We’re now managing multiple systems in one place and we have to make things easy for staff. Just Roaming has an app, handset, a manager dashboard and all of the reporting side of things as well. It really is a bespoke system where you can bring in other technologies, and it is built around the individuals needs.
How long does it take to set up?
Lynsey – It’s very quick, so long as you are clear about what you need and are willing to have a conversation with the Just Roaming team about what that individual needs and anything around mental capacity and funding. As long as those bits are immediate, getting the kit in took less than a week. It is very quick to do and not complicated.
Are providers building this into their costs, or are funders paying as part of support cost?
Lynsey -in our situation, we have built it into the funding costs for the individual. We would like to have a conversation with housing benefit to see if they can fund it. Currently, it is being funded by Health or Social Services.
Janice – MCC had to prove the implementation saved money. The system has reduced our staffing costs. We reduced a waking night which equated to £70,000 per annum saved. The system does pay for itself.
Amy -We have seen all iterations of funding. In our experience it has been more simple when it is a new build as it is the infrastructure that is there from the start.
Can you advise how we go about a site visit for a quote for technology?
Amy – Get in touch with your local area manager or contact us by clicking the button below.
Just Checking Christmas Business Hours 2023/24
Just Roaming – Reducing Restrictions and Promoting Autonomy in Supported Living
