Childrens
Summer Calendar |
Parent Committee |
The Greystoke mandate is to provide quality care and assistance to the persons we serve while encouraging as much independance as possible.
Children’s Program
Due to an increasing interest from both potential customer and consumers, the agency embarked on a Children’s Department in the fall of 2004. The program grew quite rapidly, requiring a full time Director position by January 01, 2005. The program volume has continued to steadily grow with significant usage peaks during summer months.
To effectively manage increasing needs and dynamics, the program currently employs (1) full time Director, one (1) full time facilitators and on (1) full time service delivery coordinator. Team Leaders are hired during the summer months.
The Children’s program is primarily funded through agreements with Southwest Alberta Child & Family Services Authority Family Support for Children with Disabilities program. The program does accommodate referrals from Child Protection Services, alternate districts and private sources.
Eligibility Criteria – Persons served are deemed eligible for services within Greystoke Children’s Department by meeting the following criteria:
• Having an active service agreement with Alberta Children’s Services.
• Obtaining contracted hours that follow under the service levels that Greystoke Homes & Support
Services Inc. Children’s Department provides.
• Agreement to adhere to all of the guidelines outline by agreement with Alberta Children’s
Services
*Please note: if the persons served agreement with Alberta Children’s Services has expired without renewal, and / or if the person served has utilized all of the hours in his/her respective contract, service will have to cease immediately until a resolution is reached.
Informed Consent
Greystoke acknowledges and respects the right of each person served to make choices regarding his/her service delivery. Every person is entitled to receive information about services offered in a way that fully acknowledges their individual ability and right to make an effective, developmentally appropriate decision.
Prior to providing services, Greystoke shall:
• Fully inform persons served, family/guardian of persons served, and/or the Community Care
Care Case Manager of the implications and extent of the service in a manner sensitive to the
developmental capacity, language and/or culture of the person served.
• Obtain without coercion or undue influence, the voluntary written consent of persons served.
• Fully inform persons served or family/guardian of persons served of their right to give,
withhold and revoke such consent.
Levels of Service
Persons served are entitled to receive structured support for positive care, development and growth. Each of the people we serve has a custom-tailored service plan. These plans are designed for flexibility to accommodate personal growth and development to the extent that persons served are able and willing. All service levels are dependent on the aforementioned eligibilty criteria as well as the availability of qualified staff. The level of supervision is dependent on the individual needs and can range from minimal to complete line of sight.
Most plans fall under the following categories:
Extraordinary Child Care
Utilized where persons served require one to one, direct supervision while the parent / guardian is at work. Staff may accompany individual to out of school programming, provide supervision in the individual’s home, or in some cases, the staff’s home.
Community Aide
The person served is provided with the opportunity to access resources within the community with assistance from staff. Resources may include, but not be limited to: appointments, recreation, vocation, transportation and shopping. In addition, service in this area is designed to introduce unique supports with the goal of providing individuals with creative techniques to make positive choices, as well as develop self esteem, communication, social and life skills.
Hourly Respite
Utilized to provide relief for parent/guardian. Respite can occur on a regular schedule, or on an as needed basis. Services may take place within the community, in the persons served home, or in an approved caregiver’s home.
24 Hour Respite
This service is also in place to provide relief for parents/guardians. Generally this is a scheduled service that takes place in an approved caregiver’s home.
Supported Living Arrangements
Exists where persons served no longer reside with a parent/ guardian yet require significant supports. Caregivers are carefully trained to provide both a structured home environment and an outstanding climate for personal achievement. Services are tailored to the needs of the person served. Decision making and implementation of appointments and responsibilities will be dependent on guardianship and may be delegated to the primary caregiver.
Summer Programming
This service generally falls under the catergories of extraordinary child care or hourly respite. While still maintaining unique individually tailored programming, persons served are integrated into social / skill development based group programming with staff support, as well as volunteer and vocational opportunities during the summer months.
Transitional Support
When a child enters mid teenage years, planning begins for the transition into adulthood. Supports encompass the individual needs of the child making the transition, such as financial planning and coordinating, residential planning, vocational assistance, life skills development, and accessing additional resources within the community.
Developmental Aide
This service is designed to assist with the many challenges of parenting a child with special needs. Staff is to work with the parent and child at achieving measurable improvement in the child’s development, sustaining a level of development, and/or preventing regression or increased dependency in the child’s development. Focus may be physical, cognitive or emotional.
Behavioural Aide
When a person served and the guardian of the person served require assistance in the management of the persons served behaviour and / or when it is unsafe for the person served and others; or significantly limits the person served ability to carry out activities of daily living. Interventions must be based on established practices with a goal of measureable improvement in the persons served behaviour; or to sustain a level of behaviour; or to prevent a regression in behaviour. All programming is supervised through a partnership with a clinical team.
Personal Care Services
Provided when persons served require personal care assistance, often following medical procedures. Services may include but not be limited to: baths, lifts, transfers, toileting assistance, feeding and exercise program. Delegated tasks may also be included.
Domestic Child Care
This service is provided to assist families with balancing the diverse needs of caring for a child with a disability while still maintaining household and familial responsibilities. Domestic child care is a broad based support allowing flexibility to tailor services to the family’s unique needs. In addition to supporting parent/guardian with routines and household management, services may include providing child care to the person served, the sibling(s), light housekeeping and cooking duties.
Specialized Services
Provided when a child has a severe disability resulting in significant limitations and service needs. Specialized services are only approved following a multi-disciplinary team assessment that identifies a complex level of needs requiring an array of integrated and coordinated services. Specialized services must be based on established rehabilitative practices, strategies and approaches that are reasonable, lease intrustive and demonstrated to be effective. As well, specialized services are under the direction and collaboration of a clinical team including, but not limited to: behaviour specialists, speech language pathologist, occupation thereapists and psychologists.