Categories

Advice and information, Arts including music, drama, craft and art, Education, training and learning, Equipment, Food and drink, Health and wellbeing including therapies, Help in the home or garden, Hobbies and interests, Planning and representation including advocacy and Support Planning, Socialising, companionship and friendship, Substance misuse, Support to manage money, Transport, User led, Work or volunteering,

Reaching (North Staffs) is a non-profit Community Interest Company that offers adults a variety of services across North Staffordshire. As part of their programme of services, Reaching also offers paid-for services which have been designed to meet the needs of adults who are struggling or feeling overwhelmed by day-to-day tasks, as a result of disability or enduring illness. Reaching has a combined 85 years’ experience of supporting people and is skilled in creating and maintaining relationships. Reaching offers two types of paid for services:

Reaching Extra:

Reaching Extra has been designed as a flexible approach to meeting the day-to-day support needs of adults. Rather than providing specific services, Reaching Extra offers a bespoke package of support at a competitive hourly rate so that adults can carve out their own package of support that best meets their needs. This could include (but is not restricted to) support to:

• Open and organise mail
• Contact utility companies or manage/negotiate contracts
• Apply for benefits or form fill
• Engage other services, like contractors, cleaning services, handyperson services, removal services
• Attend essential medical appointments or advocate during appointments
• Link to other services, activities, groups and support to integrate into those
• Set up shopping services or apply for other online services

Reaching Extra is customer-led and can be designed to meet whatever support need you have.

Recovering Homes  

Reaching has become very skilled in working with adults who are struggling with Hoarding and may have even been diagnosed with Hoarding Disorder. Over the last 18 months, Reaching has invested time in training in best practices and are committed to providing a compassionate and evidence-based approach to working with adults struggling with a hoard. We are mentored by Clouds End, a hoarding support service contracted to Birmingham City Council. We have also attended their training.

We work with people in their initial stages of hoarding – often perceived as clutter – but could include purchased items, along with used packaging or food wrappers. Or people who have been hoarding for many years and have an established hoard. Both situations will have a common thread of anxiety linked to disposal of their hoard and so managing the hoard carefully, sensitively and always in collaboration, is key to prevent further trauma. Virtually all adults with hoarding disorder will need a support service which sits alongside a clear and cleaning service to manage their anxiety through the process of clearing their hoard. An adult with hoarding disorder will need to be part of the process of clearing their hoard, in any capacity they are able to be. This is to try to change behaviour and prevent hoarding re-occurring. Reaching also offer a maintenance hoarding service as a preventative measure.

Recovering Homes will:

• Build a relationship with you to assess your home and hoard
• Build an understanding of how you would like to manage your hoard – or what we call your “treasure”
• Work in ways that keep you at the centre of any plans to engage clearing/cleaning services
• Engage services that will treat you and your treasures with respect
• Ensure that your overall health and wellbeing is at the centre of the plan and work with other professionals to make sure you are safe during the clear and clean
• Keep you involved in the process of clearing and cleaning your home
• Support you to plan how you will maintain your home – this may include purchasing ongoing cleaning or storage services

Recovering Homes is a support service but will only work with reputable clearing and cleaning services who will always maintain your dignity and privacy.

Reaching offers a number of free services and is dedicated to combating isolation across North Staffordshire. As a customer of Reaching Extra or Recovering Homes, you will also be open to free support, including Group Support where you can make connections and build a purpose.

Reaching provides services under a clear value structure of:

Acceptance, Relationship, Compassion, Growth, Authenticity

What the people we have supported say about us:

Your support has been life-changing. It’s having someone you can trust, just being there, having someone on my side has honestly kept me going.

I had given up until I spoke with you. You fought for me and invested in me. You were patient when other’s weren’t interested. You were amazing.

I cannot thank you enough, you went over and above your remit. Without your support I do not think we would have had such a positive outcome. Thank you so much.

Areas: Stoke on Trent, Newcastle, Staffordshire Moorlands

Languages: English

Last Updated: 20th September, 2023