Cascade (Hurst House)

My twin autistic sons have resided at Hurst House since its first opening. I was attracted to Hurst House because it replicates the style & set-up of a conventional family home.

Both boys presented with problematic behaviour emerging from the chaos of the Pandemic lockdowns but Hurst strove hard to address those issues. They quickly realised they would benefit from having adjacent rooms.

The boys have settled in very well at Hurst & unless they are ill always seem very happy. One likes to go out regularly while likes to stay home, which is catered for. They also have regular holidays organised by the staff.

I have always found staff very welcoming & friendly. They encourage family visits. It is easy to communicate with managers & they keep parents in the loop with information. On the rare occasions a concern arises, they respond promptly & proactively.

I like that Cascade is able to retain staff and facilitate their career progression. It provides familiar continuity.

The care staff are always friendly and warm towards my daughter. My daughter seems happy and comfortable in the home, e.g. she is always happy to return after a home visit and she is using more shared spaces in the home. There is plenty of space in the home which allows her to have her own private space when it is needed, which is important to her. Care staff are knowledgeable of different strategies to use to support her in everyday activities. Communication is generally good between the home and us (as parents). We have on occasion had to advocate on her behalf about certain things relating to her personal care or what she needs - as she cannot ask for things herself. It is important to always put yourself in her shoes about what she needs and how she might be feeling.

Everyone seems so happy there.

I was collecting my son for a home visit and I was impressed with the way the staff cared for him, nothing is too much trouble and he obviously realised that he loves his home and is very settled. The home organised his day with plenty of variety, he is engaged with all the staff and residents and he seems very happy, this is very comforting for his family.

You walk into Hurst House and are greeted by big smiles from staff and residents alike. My son in turn continues to smile thanks to them.