Innovation through nature has been offering diverse activities, aimed at skills training, personal development and social integration for people who use the Trust’s forensic services. The funding has enabled supported placements to help with new programmes within ABLE. Participants have gained both soft and hard skills that will help to build confidence whilst providing a sense of self-worth.
Staff members collectively possess a wide variety of skills and they utilise these in accordance with the needs of the individual concerned. ABLE has been able to offer groups of up to six people half day placements within the project, with each group attending for 10 weeks.
People who have attended have taken part in activities such as:
- Making bird boxes made from wood or recycled materials
- Constructing bug hotels made from an eco board (a material made from recycled tyres).
- Planters made from wood or recycled materials
- Making benches
- Developing a wetland area
- Bird watching
The group have also got involved with activities in the fish farm:
- These include feeding the fish, taking temperatures of the water to ensure the fish are living in the correct conditions, and maintaining their tanks.
- The fish farm contains many varieties of fish, including Sturgeon, Koi Carp and Tilapia.
Placements have been offered to:
- Learning disability assessment and treatment – The Horizon Centre
- Low secure forensic services – The Bretton Centre
- Low secure learning disability service – Newhaven
- Medium secure forensic services – Newton Lodge
The approach to learning in a practical outdoor environment gives individuals the opportunity to work as a team, gain new skills, participate in new positive activities, to enjoy learning and improve individual health benefits.