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Transitional

Also known as “New Horizons”, our Transition Programme gives those who are transitioning from children’s to adult services the help and support they need to settle in and make new friends. We offer evening, weekend and holiday activities for individuals aged 18-25 years old, as well as annual respite breaks.

There are separate groups for those who need a higher level of disability support and those who just need a little help to build new friendships.

Our transition services aim to:

  • Build and maintain friendships
  • Support integration into the community
  • Provide a wide choice of activities, opportunities and breaks
  • Create an inclusive environment for all abilities
  • Achieve and celebrate goals together
  • Build confidence and skills to use in everyday life
  • Encourage a healthy, active and fun lifestyle

You can access our transition services through:

  • Your social worker
  • Contacting us directly

Our Transition services are priced by the hour and depend on the level of support that you will need. This ranges from Level 1 (low level needs that require little assistance to enjoy a social life and minimal support with money and safety) to Level 5 support (for someone with very high needs and challenging behaviour where there might be a risk of theft, self-harm, absconding or serious medical attention).

How you can pay:

  • Using a personal budget or direct payments.
  • Your social worker can directly commission hours for you to spend with us.
  • You can use your own money and fund yourself.

Having spent many years in school with little improvements in I’s behaviour and speech, in just a few weeks with you the improvements in both areas are plain to see. Please continue as you are, as life at the moment for us as a family is greatly improved because of your input.

A big thank you to yourself and the About with Friends staff for another great trip! J had a fantastic time, going on the Harry Potter Studio Tour, which he had wanted to do for ages and ages.

After 30 years of trying to get P engaged in activities, he is now, under your care, beginning to grow like a great Oak tree.

AWF offers and amazing, caring, supportive group to both special needs adults/children & their families. Since N joined you he has been to some fantastic places, met some amazing friends and done activities we would never have thought he’d do. You have helped our family life improve by making N a happier, more content, confident boy.

Over the last five years I have had a fortnightly, 2 hour designated gardening slot. I highly value your service and ethos.

I’ve got my life back

We cannot tell you what AWF means to us as a family – a lifeline, a light in the dark. Something that has offered our daughter equality, to have a social life and really support us as a family.

Thank you for taking K to Milton Keynes on holiday, it made her extremely happy. Selfishly, it gave my wife a much sought after period of respite after 16 years of constant care.

About with Friends and you particularly, have done some great work with excellent outcomes for D. I was particularly pleased to hear that you are working on integration with the Youth Group as I felt he would miss out on peer interaction if he didn’t come to college.

Many thanks again for J’s lovely break in Derbyshire with About with Friends. He really enjoyed himself, had loads of fun and told us all about the cable cars, stepping stones, cinema, meals out, etc.! We would be very grateful if you could pass on our sincere thanks to all the staff who organised the holiday and supported our youngsters to enable them to have such a wonderful time. We are also very grateful as we, ourselves, were able to enjoy a short break in Paris, which was wonderful and recharged our batteries!