How EDGE is working with A A was out of school when we first started supporting him. His family hit crisis point with his increasing challenging behaviours. We initially supported A to give the family some much needed respite. We worked with the family to create a bespoke timetable of community activities which includes, dog walks, orienteering, litter picking, park exercise, equine therapy, and radio presenting to name a few. A is now integrated back into school three days a week with EDGE continuing support 2 days which is a good balance for everyone. A is currently 15 years old. Some comments from A EDGE make learning fun. I love working with Nicky, Becky and Jen. Going out with EDGE makes me feel good. We do fun things like basketball, gym and visit interesting places like Hampton Court. View from the parents We were in a desperate situation with A being at home five days a week. When EDGE came on board they introduced an alternative learning program, taking A out into the local community to build his confidence, self-esteem and reduce anxiety. EDGE have a unique, flexible approach to suit the individuals needs and A has changed for the better through their support. Skills A has gained Social communication skills Patience and perseverance Animal Care Health and Safety in the workplace Personal Health and well-being Budgeting skills View from the placement A has made amazing progress while visiting the Horse and Pony Sanctuary. His confidence has grown, and he is able to work without continuous 1:1 support. We enjoy having him.

Surrey Wildlife Trust promotes a diverse workforce and have both employees and volunteers from all walks of life work with for them. Esther, the community engagement officer was keen for her team to receive our Neurodiversity Awareness Training so they felt better informed and equipped on how to manage certain situations and better support one another as well as the visitors whom have additional support needs. Feedback from participants “How insightful & refreshing to my memory. The scenarios were carefully thought of and were relevant to us which was really helpful” “Great activities to build discussions and show perspectives too!” “Good content, delivered well and good length. Very informal and conversational with good amount of information” “Great! A good balance of information, activities & discussions” “Very useful ideas to help and support everyday situations, thank you” Lessons learnt Attendees learnt new ways of managing challenging behaviours and how to prevent certain situations arising in the first instance. Positive tactics to use at morning briefings and de-brief sessions.

We were asked to support H to access her local community and build on confidence, communication, and social skills. H doesn’t like people looking at her so would tend to walk with her eyes closed, her head down and try to avoid any communication with other people. However with our support and intervention, H is now more confident to walk with her eyes open and no longer bumps into people or walks into objects. H is also more confident when interacting and communicating with cashiers in the shop when buying her own lunch. She loves going to the library to choose different books to read together. H has also made progress at school and has formed new friendships which have extended out of school and has been invited to peer parties which she has thoroughly enjoyed. View from parents I really don’t know how to thank you. We can see how H’s attitude is changing and she is making more progress. Even at school she does well and is more confident. H is excited about going out with you and really enjoys her time. She is more confident, happier, and more independent in her decisions. Thank you so much. How H feels about working with EDGE I like working with EDGE, we do fun things. I love shopping and learning about money. I love Nicky, Becky and Jen, they are nice and they help me.

R was referred to us by his SEND case officer to support him to re-engage with people, interact in a positive manner, and get him to a stage that he feels able to leave the house for short periods of time in the view for him to return to a school and social setting. So far R has overall been responding positively to our support and is engaging well with EDGE. We have introduced a number of new activities to add to his daily routine which he has responded positively to. R is enjoying the interaction and willingly comes to the activity table or outside to join in. Physical activities & exercise As well as car washing, we have encouraged exercise on the trampoline, passing a football, riding his bike, cricket, badminton and have talked about going on walks around the neighbourhood and local park with him. Healthy eating & personal care: We have presented R with some new and healthy options for lunch, encouraging him to assist with cooking and trying new flavours. R is practising to use a battery shaver and we are supporting him to become more proactive and independent with his personal care. Concentration, focus and listening skills We have been encouraging these skills by introducing activities such as reading, making puzzles, and construction games. All of which required R to sit at the activity table and interact with us as we talk about what he is doing and what he is enjoying. Feedback from mum EDGE has made a huge impact on R and our family since they started working with him. They have been very innovative and proactive in their approach, challenging R to come out of his comfort zone while not pushing too far to put him off. Overall, we are extremely pleased that we have had their support. I doubt we’d be able to manage without the vital support of this team of very capable and hands-on experts in disability. Concentration, Focus and Listening Skills

S was referred to EDGE for support with travel training to college, in preparation for the new academic year. We supported S to walk the 10-15 minutes journey from home to the bus station then onto the bus and to college. The travel training was undertaken during the times that she would be travelling to and from college so that she could experience real life situations and real-life challenges. S is shy and lacks confidence in busy environments. By doing these journeys twice a week over a 6 week period S has become more confident in her ability to travel independently. Some comments from client EDGE supported me to learn how to travel to college. I was feeling nervous about this but now I am more confident. When we got to the college bus stop, we got off and walked into college and had a look around the grounds and buildings so I could get use to it. This will help me feel braver when I start college in September. Skills I have gained Personal confidence Independent travel in local community Journey confidence Road awareness and safety Money management Communication confidence View from the parents Thank you for all your support, it’s great to see S building so much confidence S told me you danced in the park, the smile on her face- really lovely moments to connect.

How EDGE is supporting D EDGE are supporting D in a 6-month paid work experience placement in the admin team at the Grange Bookham. The placement was originally arranged for 2 half days a week, however as D settled and her confidence and stamina grew, she went to work one full day where she can now experience a full working day. D was initially completed basic IT tasks with support and guidance from EDGE. She has now developed to the point where she is responsible for creating all in-house training certificates and transferring them onto staff HR files. D has learnt workplace etiquette, working as part of a team, the importance of time management and social interaction with colleagues. D is a well-liked and valued member of the team and with EDGE’s encouragement, guidance and support her confidence has blossomed and she looks forward to going to work each week. D's words on working with EDGE Becky is amazing, she helps me with learning all the new task, she helped me to get to know all my colleagues as I was very shy when I first started. My job is very interesting, I enjoy doing all the different tasks they give me. I use excel, and create training certificates, I keep the staff kitchens and main reception neat and tidy for when visitors arrive. Thoughts from D's employer From my own point of view, I’ve enjoyed having D around. She’s smiley and seems to enjoy her work, and Becky is also very friendly and communicative. Parent's view I am happy with how D has been supported by EDGE in her placement. Becky has been very encouraging and is always available to help and offer guidance and advice. EDGE have always been professional in their approach.

V came to EDGE wanting to develop his employability skills and learn new skills whist giving back to his local community and live an active lifestyle. We secured V a voluntary role at his local charity shop where we support him to sort through donations, use the computer to print off gift aid labels and add tags to donations ready for pricing. V has learnt to complete most tasks independently and enjoys working as part of a team, he particularly enjoys attending the social events the charity organises throughout the year for the volunteers. In addition to his voluntary role, we support V to access his local gym where we do various workouts using different pieces of equipment, go on day trips and local countryside walks all of which encourage good health and wellbeing. View from parents V is always looking forward to going out with EDGE. He talks about the activities they do and enjoys being in their company. We are very grateful for the time that they give to supporting our son. Thank you. View from employer We very much appreciate the time that V gives to volunteering in the shop. He is always happy and smiley and greets us when he arrives. It’s an important job and can sometimes be busy when we have a lot of donations. V and his EDGE support workers always work hard to get through the donations. The staff that support V from EDGE are always friendly, supportive, and show professionalism. Final thoughts from V I like working with EDGE. I liked going to Portsmouth for the day trip. At the charity shop I like to help with the donations and use the computer. I also like EDGE supporting me to go to the gym, on walks, and keeping healthy.

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