A mother and daughter duo have surpassed a decade since they established a respite home in Sheffield to support adults with learning disabilities.
Jodie Broughton, 32, and Kim Broughton, 56, set up Seven Steps Support in 2011 after they had 17 and 30 years of experience in the care industry.
Jodie said: “We have both got a real passion for care.
“We had met lots of families over the years that were struggling to find someone they could trust and a provider that really had the people’s best interests at heart where their loved ones were not just a number on a database.
“Everybody had to have a cup of tea at the same time, everybody had to do the same activity, and it’s really about breaking that mould.”
The home enabled adults to build daily life skills that encouraged independent living.
An adult part of Seven Steps Support
The adults created a sensory garden to grow their own vegetables and a sensory igloo was lit up at night for adults to have some quiet time.
Adults attended day sessions every Thursday where they engaged in different activities such as gardening, baking and volunteering at food banks.
Jodie said: “They are working really well and our clients absolutely love it. It is designed by them, for them, which is what all support should be.”
Sensory stones part of the sensory garden.
Sensory igloo part of the sensory garden
Many adults part of the home had lost their loved ones during the pandemic.
This led to the creation of a sensory memorial garden where adults could plant a tree, lay flowers or share memories of people they have lost due to the virus.
The respite home was struck by the pandemic not long after it launched in 2019 and this restricted access to a safe space for adults to rest and recuperate.
Jodie said: “Covid has been extremely difficult. Clients were hitting crisis points. They were not able to access the community and their routines were thrown completely.
“For someone with autism, routines are a huge focus.”
At the end of last year there were 2,065 people with a learning disability or autism in hospitals in England, according to NHS figures.
Girlie Day at Seven Steps Support
Jodie’s grandfather suffered from dementia and Parkinson’s disease and required carers at one stage.
Jodie said: “We understood how difficult it could be as a family letting people into your home to care for your loved ones.
“That gave us the passion to set up and we know what should be expected.”