Who We Are

The Helping Hands Group opened its doors in 2011 and was the brain child of Suzanne Gilby who had worked in the industry for 26 years at that point. Suzanne wanted to create a service that solely focused on barrier free individual progression within the most important areas, education, life skills and work experience to anyone aged 16+ with a learning/physical disability. 

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Back in 1994 Suzanne's mother in law had a sudden Brain Hemorrhage which in turn left her with severe learning and physical disabilities and back then there was no such service available to her, instead she had to spend her time in a nursing home. Suzanne's main ambition was to ensure that no other family had to arrive at such a brick wall moving forward. The Helping Hands Group was therefore founded in the loving memory of Karen Gilby.

 

Our service offers Further Education, Personal Development, Day Opportunities, and Work Experience for adults in Peterborough, Wisbech and the surrounding areas with a wide range of learning/physical disabilities including Autism, Sensory Impairment, Brain Injury, PMLD and Aspergers Syndrome.

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​Our service covers every aspect of  development to assist with all individuals and their families that choose The Helping Hands Group as their way forward.

We offer Education, Training in independence skills, Activities, Work Experience, Massage, Physiotherapy, Aromatherapy, Arts, Crafts, Cooking, Horticulture, IT and even Hydrotherapy all from our centres. 

Our Centres offer a range of attendance options, education 38 weeks, Peterborough (up to) 47 weeks and Wisbech 50 weeks of the year.

 

We aim to create the perfect environment for the users to help maintain and build independence, structure, routine and confidence. We tailor make each programme therefore no two programmes will be the same.

 

We pride ourselves on pushing boundaries and offering limitless learning, our brand new centre (Fenlake) is the first of its kind in the area offering woodwork, up-cycling, catering and Mechanic sessions ALL from in house.

With high standards and an excellent reputation, our passion is being able to give everyone the opportunity to live an improved way of life, we offer a service that is the first of it’s kind in Peterborough and with our in house hydrotherapy facilities, huge onsite sensory garden and the large variety of activities we provide, adds yet another reason why so many people choose The Helping Hands Group as their next step in life.

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TRANSPORT

Please note that our current transport system is full, therefore transport to and from the service is the sole responsibility of the parent/carer. 

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OUR STAFF

All of our staff are highly trained upon recruitment to The Helping Hands Group.

Induction training includes:

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• National Care Certificate

• First Aid 

• Team Teach

• Positive Behavour Support

• Moving and Handling 

• Moving and Handling of People

• MCA and DOLS (Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards)

• Personal Care 

• Fire Safety

• Infection Control

• Food Hygiene

• Eating and Drinking

• Epilepsy  

• Emergency/Buccal Administration

• Medication

 

Regular, compulsory refresher training ​is then undertaken.

 

To further enhance this mandatory training listed above, The Helping Hands Group prides itself in delivering a wide range of study programmes for all levels of staff, for example:

 

• Diabetes

• PTTLS (Preparing to teach in life long learning sector)

• Dementia

• Learning Disabilities 

• Parkinsons

• Multiple Sclerosis 

• Motor Neurone Disease

• Sign Support

• Anxiety 

• Catheter Care

• Communication

• Dechoker

• Depression

• Dysphagia 

• Eating Disorders

• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

• Sepsis

• Self Harm 

 

 

Level 2 qualifications:

 

• Awareness of Autism

• Behaviours that challenge

• Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training (Autism)

• Safeguarding of Children and Adults Level 2