Summer of Fun – That Festival Feeling!
Whilst thousands of people have been flocking to festivals this summer, care free and at times with just a back pack and a tent, many others (particularly people living with injuries and disabilities post-trauma) have either missed out or have faced a mammoth task of getting there.
For one of our clients, a summer of fun was possible and here we tell their story of how they got that festival feeling at Accessible Festival in Bury with the support of their care manager and support team.
P is a young child who has Cerebral Palsy and is assisted with nutrition via PEG is wheelchair dependent, non-verbal and lives with epilepsy. They communicate through verbal ques such as laughing, noises, and a huge beaming smile.
They are supported in the home with 2:1 care from support workers who are directly employed by the family for all daily tasks and promoting and achieving daily living goals with support from Bush & Co Care Solutions.
The family had enjoyed festivals in the past but this year was the first time they’d considered venturing to one for a fun day out as a whole family. A once anxious thought turned into feelings of hope and excitement.
Kirsty Palmer - Bush & Co Care Manager
In discussions with Kirsty Palmer, the care manager supporting the family and supervising the support workers, the family began to see that the festival was possible with help on their side. They wanted to spend the summer bonding as a family and creating safe, enriching experiencing and Kirsty showed them there were activities that were accessible to them and their needs.
Kirsty researched Accessible Festival in Bury whose mission is to provide a festival “which considers accessibility as a main feature along with excellent music and activities for all” and found there were a whole host of activities that suited the family’s needs. The run up to the event involved a lot of planning. Whilst it is aimed at families with complex needs in true British summer style, the weather was not on their side. The ground was soft and there were concerns around the suitability of the ground for a motorised wheelchair.
Kirsty said Whilst we’d found the family an accessible event, it was my role to plan and investigate every part of their day and anticipate challenges and risks we needed to be aware of. Aside from the weather it was important I was really knowledgeable of the festival layout, adequate changing places and appropriate equipment. It was great to see the festival had accessible toilet facilities with hoists as well as accessible parking/drop-off areas.
A large part of Kirsty’s role as a care manager is to work alongside the family to ensure life can be as ‘normal’ as possible and as a family unit they are empowered to make decisions in the best interest of their child. In this case, Kirsty ensured she listened to the family and was on hand for any additional support needed and worked closely with the support worker to ensure they felt safe, empowered and supported.
The lovely dynamic in this case is the support worker saw the amazing opportunity ahead of the client and their family too” commented Kirsty. “They weren’t due to be on shift that day but volunteered their time to make sure the family had the best experience and a fun day out.
And fun was certainly had by all! The client enjoyed spending time with their family at the festival and time away from the home. They enjoyed live music, a DJ, sensory lights and the health and wellbeing tent with yoga and meditation as well as the festival’s ‘quiet hour’ to wind down from sensory overload. The day was filled with crafts, face painting, massage therapy, great food and time at a petting zoo.
Kirsty said What fills me with joy are the moments the family were dancing and singing out loud. The support workers were beaming to tell me about the big smile on P’s face the whole time. The day certainly filled the family’s cup up and brought joy and time away from the norm.
For P and their family a summer of fun as made possible by their drive to create memories and moments of joy, dedicated and empowered support workers and Kirsty’s knowledge and commitment to helping families realise and reach their potential.