We are proud to announce that Les Amis has been nominated for an award at the inaugural Channel Islands Equality and Diversity Awards in the Best Not-for-Profit Support Initiative category. The 2016 Channel Islands Equality and Diversity Awards celebrate those Channel Islands organisations that have demonstrated exceptional regard for diversity, equality and inclusivity within their workplace in the last 12 months. This can be in any area recognised as a protected characteristic in Jersey and Guernsey’s discrimination laws: race, gender, sexuality, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, age or ability.
Les Amis have been nominated for this award due to the reopening of Maison Allo in St Saviour, earlier on in the year. Following a £90,000 upgrade which includes a spacious, en-suite high dependency room equipped with tracking hoist and wet room to accommodate all physical disabilities and needs.
The home, which is owned by Jersey Mencap but operated by Les Amis, previously provided respite care for children with learning disabilities aged 5-18 but the new Maison Allo will be a respite home for children and adults aged 14-21 who may also have physical disabilities.
Following this final stage of refurbishment, Maison Allo now has full disabled access on the ground floor, better parking, a new spacious kitchen with specialist equipment, lounge and wheelchair access to a redesigned garden. It completes an overhaul which began in 2014, which cost an initial £100,000 which allows physically disabled youngsters the chance to spend time with their peers and their careers a chance to recharge their batteries.
Les Amis Managing Director Shaun Findlay said: “Being aged 14-21 is a time of great change for anyone, especially if you are learning and physically disabled and making the transition between children’s and adult services.This new service will give families an important safety net when their children become adults as previously they could lose the respite service they had been accustomed to. Maison Allo is an excellent example of the third sector working together for some of Jersey’s most vulnerable young people and their families. We hope that this will be just the first step towards introducing a lifelong respite service for Islanders with disabilities.”
Chris Dunne, Director of Adult Services at Health and Social Services, said:“This is a great opportunity to further enhance the provision of residential short break services for young adults and their families. By providing more targeted support for young people as they move into adulthood, this facility will assist whole families at a time of significant change.”
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Les Amis Limited Registered Charity No. 232 | LA Incorporated No.231 | Association of Jersey Charities Number: AJC 113