Brandon Trust embraces the use of technology to enhance the lives of the people we support and the services that we provide.

Assistive Technology refers to gadgets, gizmos or devices that can help people to be more independent in all aspects of their lives. This could include any equipment from touchscreen tablets to telecare, medication reminders to remote controls or computers to communication aids.

Brandon Trust is committed to supporting people to define the lives they want to live and providing the tools and strategies to achieve this. Technology is increasingly an integral part of our creative and empowering support solutions.

Rachel – Access All Areas

Having a place of your own can really help you to discover your skills, strengths, confidence and potential.

Rachel was living in a large residential care home and eager to have her own space and place when the opportunity came up to move into her own flat in a purpose built supported living scheme.

The scheme, developed by Brandon Trust in partnership with the Housing Association and Local Authority, had telecare and a door entry system integrated into the scheme from the outset. The scheme gives people the opportunity to develop independent living skills with a ‘safety net’ of staff support and Assistive Technology.

Rachel has been thriving since she moved to the scheme using a range of technology to overcome the challenges of her mobility issues and hearing impairment.

Rachel has automated doors, windows and a height adjusted kitchen to enable her to get around the flat and cook meals by herself. She also uses the door entry system to answer and open the front door to her visitors remotely.

Rachel also has gadgets that she uses at home and out to cut out background noise – this helps her to hear conversations when she is chatting with friends or talking on the phone. She also has flashing and vibrating alerts that let her know when the fire alarm has gone off, if someone comes to her door and when it is time to wake up in the morning.

For her safety and reassurance, Rachel has a button that she can press to call staff. She can use this to ask staff for help and advice or if she needs physical support in her home.

Rachel has fully embraced the use of technology to gain independence in all aspects of her life and has gained the skills and confidence to take the next step towards independent living. She is currently house hunting and is keen to move on secure in the knowledge that she can manage by herself.

Barbara – Simple Life Changing Solutions

Barbara had lived in a learning disability hospital for years when she was supported to move into a flat of her own.

Independent living had always been an aspiration for Barbara; this motivation combined with staff creativity has enabled Barbara to take significant steps on her journey towards independence.

Finally living in a home of her own, organising her life using visual calendars and day planners, recruiting her own staff team, managing her own finances and independently accessing her community, Barbara wanted to find a way to be independent with her medication. Staff devised a simple system with a timed light which enables Barbara to distinguish between night and day. She now knows when the light is on that it is morning time and time to take her medication.

Filled with this new found confidence, Barbara quickly learnt the skills so that she could be fully independent of staff support in the morning. This simple solution has lead to a significant reduction in Barbara’s support hours and a huge increase in her independence and self determination.

Roger – Expanding Your Horizons

Getting ‘out and about’ is essential to expanding your horizons and building a life for yourself in your community.

Roger has always loved travelling around and visiting new places and has been supported by Brandon to independently use transport links in Bristol. He regularly goes into town, to college and to watch Bristol City at Ashton Gate.

Having gained the confidence to travel around by himself, Roger was keen to journey further afield. Staff supported Roger to purchase a touch screen phone and set it up so that it is easy to use. He can now press a picture on the screen to call staff if he needs advice or reassurance.

If Roger contacts staff to say he is lost they can ‘find’ him on a map as the phone has a satellite navigation app. Staff can use online maps and ‘street views’ to help Roger navigate back to a familiar place and ‘stay with’ him until they are certain he has found his way.

With the backup of a touch screen phone, Roger now regularly visits Bath, Wells and Weston Super Mare by himself and is relishing the new found freedom that technology has given him.