What We Do

Residential Care

Living together

At Garvald West Linton, we have developed a successful model of group living. Our 36 adults with learning disabilities live together with members of staff in one of five houses: Hill Cottage, Linden, Rowan and Sycamore and Willow. Between six and nine residents live in each house supported by staff, including a House Manager. The live-in House Manager is responsible for the smooth running of their household.

Our model of group living provides opportunities for friendships to develop and a caring and supportive environment where social skills can be nurtured. Residents can take advantage of a varied programme of social outings, including trips to the cinema and pub, as well as swimming and riding at local stables. Every effort is made to support people in the leisure activities of their choice and participate in the life of surrounding communities.

In order to develop their independence, residents are encouraged and supported to carry out domestic tasks, such as cooking, cleaning and laundry.

Day Services

Workshop activities

At the heart of Garvald lies the ideal of valuing the contribution of each individual. Residents and day service users are encouraged and supported to participate in productive and creative activity. This is achieved through the provision of a variety of workshops, which run from Monday to Friday and can be attended either daily or on specific days of the week.

Our bakery produces bread and a selection of other products both for consumption within Garvald and for sale at a weekly Steiner School market and at the Red Barn.

The craft workshop engages people in a variety of media such as clay, candle-making, willow work, papier mache, felting and puppetry.

With 76 acres, Garvald has a large amount of land that provides opportunities for outdoor work. Estate work on our woodlands and grounds is a key feature of our programme of activities. Residents can get involved in path-making, woodland management, firewood production and lawn maintenance.

Training and experience in a variety of horticultural tasks are provided through our Paradise Garden, which concentrates on growing flowers and herbs. Gardening is carried out using the Biodynamic method, further details of which can be found on our website. The Paradise Garden has a purpose-built workshop where various indoor, plant-based craft activities can take place, when weather conditions prevent gardening. These include making products such as herb teas, soap and bath milks.

Our Weavery has helped residents and day service users to develop technical skills in weaving and artistic expression through form and colour. A number of useful products are created, such as cushion covers, scarves and bags. Felting is also a technique used in this workshop to produce decorative items.

In Woodwork, residents and day service users are involved, according to ability, in making clocks, hand-finished spoons and decorative boxes. This involves learning a variety of woodworking techniques, including decorative pyrography.

Each workshop is led by a workshop leader, skilled in their specialist area and finished products are often sold to the public.

Skills accreditation

Through our partnership with Borders College, it is possible for people to have their level of skill acknowledged and certificated. Candidates present a portfolio of their work, giving evidence of the level of skill achieved. Where some residents are unable to participate in workshops due to the nature of their complex needs, an individual programme of activities can be agreed that may involve the use of one-to-one support workers.

Therapies

The following complementary therapies also are practiced at Garvald.

Eurythmy is an art of movement. The gestures of movement make visible the sounds and rhythms of language, the tonal experience of music and soul experiences. This breathing movement brings harmony and balance and stimulates the imagination.

Creative Speech is an art form that allows speaking to be inspired by rhythms, images and poetry. It is a powerful tool for self development and personal growth. There are specific exercises to work with breath articulation, speech gestures and mood.

Gentle Massage (Einreibung) is a massage technique that can aid relaxation and is used therapeutically with various aromatic oils.

Therapeutic activities are offered under the guidance of our Medical Consultant.

Artistic activities of painting, music, gym and clay modelling are offered to residents and day service users in regular blocks of eight to ten weeks.