OUR ACTIVITIES
OUR SUPPORT
aebal sessions provide supportive, fun and sociable environments where clients can build meaningful relationships with one another.
We understand many social situations can
feel overwhelming and unpredictable so we always take our time getting to know each of our clients. By learning about each person's interests and outlook on life, we can then provide activities and environments which bring people together.
All our staff understand how important these social dynamics are in helping people feel more positive about themselves and in providing a sense of community and belonging.
Ensuring our clients feel accepted and understood is a fundamental part of our support.
SOCIAL OUTCOMES
FRIENDSHIPS
ADAPTABLE
Our aim is to improve self-confidence, independence levels and overall well-being. Our staff are extremely proactive in their support approach and their focus is on sourcing mainstream opportunities and providing real life experiences for all our clients.
We provide tailored support approaches for each client, working with them to establish attainable social and independence related outcomes. We have the experience to understand when a client needs us to fully immerse ourselves in a session and provide sustained guidance and support, but we also recognise when there is more benefit to be had by stepping back, overseeing and applying a more discrete and subtle approach.
By implementing an intuitive and adaptable support approach we are able to help people of all needs and capabilities to meet their full potential whilst remaining safe and supported in the community.
REAL LIFE
EXPERIENCES
aebal is a service driven to help people move forward with their life. We have a proven track record of more than 10 years of experience finding creative ways to engage Nottingham citizens who have struggled in more conventional support settings and become isolated from their community.
We work as a team and explore different activities, group sizes and client and staff ratios until we create a session everyone enjoys. We also ensure, when needed, our sessions are adaptable and interchangeable so clients who may be struggling with a certain activity or social setting always have a more manageable alternative available. This might be a drive and some 121 support or a quiet nature walk with another client.
This versatility and adaptability combined with a relaxed and non-intrusive approach allow our clients to remain fully engaged in their support, they begin to forget about their social anxieties and learn to simply enjoy the shared experience of an activity.
All our staff are drivers and transport to and from activity venues is included in our hourly support rate.
The environment of a car can sometimes provide a much needed sanctuary for our clients and enables them to confide in staff, form friendships with other clients or just have a bit of quiet time listening to their favourite music.
We always encourage clients to travel independently to activity venues when possible. For clients who are socially isolated however, being able to drive to their homes, talk to them in person and persuade them to hop in the car for a drive somewhere is something that can make a big difference.
We knock on doors, we persist and we provide people with the opportunity to change their day and lift their mood.
TRANSPORT
INCLUDED
CREATIVE
OUR SESSIONS
When and how long are aebal sessions?
We run our sessions every week day and they are typically between 3hrs - 4hrs in duration. Most days there are morning sessions and afternoon sessions but we also provide evening activities on certain days. aebal days begin at around 9am and depending on the evening activity, it is not uncommon for our support to finish at 9pm - 10pm. On Saturday's we organise a Road Trip each week to a destination outside of the Nottinghamshire boundaries. These Road Trips are typically full days and between 5hrs - 8hrs in duration.
Where are the sessions?
We utilise mainstream venues all over Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. We have a number of tried and tested aebal friendly venues which we frequent regularly but our proactive staff are always researching and sourcing new opportunities for our clients, so we find ourselves here, there and everywhere! We access country parks and green spaces, leisure centres and sports venues, pubs and restaurants, cinemas and music venues.
How many sessions can I join?
activity timetable
There are approximately 25 regular sessions available for our clients each week but we are always introducing new activities and coming up with new session ideas. Our clients are typically funded through local authority and allocated a certain number of hours of weekly support. With these hours they can choose which of our sessions they would like to attend regularly. Some clients attend just one aebal session a week whilst others may attend four sessions per week. We also encourage using support hours flexibly and saving some for Saturday Road trips. Some of our clients for example will be allocated 8hrs a week but use approximately 6hrs per week on two regular sessions whilst saving the remaining 2hrs per week for a monthly Saturday Road Trip.
What activities do you offer?
We provide regular weekly sessions like our Monday afternoon snooker and pool social and our Thursday morning badminton group however many of the other sessions we run have different activities each week. We always try to introduce our clients to new activities and opportunities to broaden their life experience and get the most out of their support. Take a look at our activities page to see photos of all the things we get up to.
How big are the groups?
aebal specialises in social outcomes and small group support. Some of our sessions have 2 clients being supported by 2 staff members to provide sustained support and guidance and a 1-2-1 element, where others may involve a group of 6 clients. Typically our sessions include around 4 clients and 2 staff and our focus is on social dynamics. The exception being our Saturday Road Trips which are more activity focussed and can involve groups of up to 9 clients and 3 staff.