Students arrive at Ruskin Mill College or Glasshouse College with
a wide variety of skills as well as needs. In the residential area
it is the aim of staff at the RMET to enable the students to maximise
their capacities for living independently by the time they complete
their course. Roughly speaking independent living training takes
place in four parts:
- the activities that take place within the Ruskin Mill/Glasshouse
College households,
- accredited training through the NPTC VFC in Independent Living Skills,
- the Independent Living Experience Week
- medium term supported independent living experience.
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RMET Households
The model of residential care at Ruskin Mill College and Glasshouse
College is that of a family group with teenage children who are
likely to leave home within the 2-4 years. It is important for the
students to experience the structures and routines of an orderly
family home. Meals are held at regular times. Students are encouraged
to interact socially and to discuss with carers and fellow students
their leisure time activities, hobbies and pursuits. The times for
getting up and going to bed are negotiated with the carers with
the following day's activities being borne in mind.
Within this structured framework, skills required for independent living are built up over a period of time:
- Students are supported in opening a bank account and receive any allowances and remuneration for paid work as cheques.
- Students assist staff in producing regular, balanced meals. Students are occasionally asked to follow through an entire process of planning, purchasing, preparing and serving a meal for the household.
- Students are asked, on a regular basis, to take part in the chores involved in a well-organised household. For instance, they will take part in washing up, cleaning their own rooms and shared spaces of the household.
- Students are assisted in learning to be responsible for their own laundry, learning to use the washing machine, and ironing where appropriate.
- Students are given assistance in being fully responsible for their own personal hygiene.
- Students are encouraged to be aware of the needs of others within a shared household.
- Students are encouraged to be conscious of and to plan their use of time with the aid of the "home timetable".
- Students are guided in the use of their leisure time.
- Students are encouraged to develop good work habits and to take part in paid work at the weekends.
Opportunities for gaining these skills are made available through informal conversation and through the role model provided by the carers.
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Accredited Training Through NPTC Vocational Foundation Certificate In Independent Living Skills:
In addition to the informal presentation of independent living skills
training, students are asked to work with the NPTC Vocational Foundation
Certificate in Independent Living Skills. This programme comprises
53 individual units demonstrating competence in specific areas of
independent living skills. During each year at the RMET, students
are asked to negotiate with their house carer, 10 or more units
that they would like to concentrate on acquiring during the course
of the year. The house carer will instruct and assess the student's
competence in the areas of his or her choice and, during the Summer
Term, the successfully completed units are presented to the NPTC
and the students' certificates are acquired. A list of the units
is available.
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The Independent Living Experience Week
Bank Cottage is a one-bedroom cottage close to Horsley Mill that was originally used as accommodation for workers at the Fisheries. During 1995 it was fully refurbished by a group of staff and students in order to provide independent living training.
It comprises a bedroom and bathroom on the ground floor with a sitting room and kitchenette on the first floor. It is fully equipped and furnished for residential occupation, and has a telephone which take incoming calls. When it is felt that students have demonstrated sufficient grasp of independent living skills they are given the opportunity to spend a week either alone, or with one other student, in Bank Cottage. At the beginning of the week they are given a budget to cover the cost of their food and the electricity meter. They are helped to make a full inventory of equipment and the condition of the cottage and fully initiated into the process of caring for themselves during the coming week.
During the week, students are expected to host staff members or other students for an evening meal. A senior staff member living close by makes regular visits to the cottage during the week to ensure that the week's experience is on track, and that the students are safe and well. At the end of the week a thorough overview of the experience takes place. The student is asked to account, in detail, for the condition of the cottage as well as their:
- use of the budget
- use of time
- menus for mealtime planning.
A full report of the student's ability to use independent living skills is then written up.
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Supported Independent Living Experience
RMET currently has 14 places in independent living training facilities.
Most of these places are in two bedroom units which are attached
to one or other of the Ruskin Mill/Glasshouse households. Students
who have successfully completed the Independent Living Experience
Week, or have completed similar training and assessment are offered
the opportunity to experience a longer period of supported independent
living within one or other of these units.
Background staff support is consistently available from the house carer in the adjoining household and housing support workers and the Independent Living Training Co-ordinator make weekly visits. These visits include a thorough review of the student's use of this facility, concentrating in particular on time keeping and budgeting and the way in which the students are eating.
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