About the Trust
The Trust is run by a Board of volunteer Trustees, a Senior Management Team of professional staff and directly employs approximately 1,200 staff whose main purpose is to respond to residents and service users needs. We also have an active volunteers programme and a Staff Bank (in-house agency).
We work in partnership with individuals, local authorities, Social Services, Primary Care Trusts and other agencies who, like us, seek to improve and develop services that meet the needs and wishes of the people who use our services.
Our reputation is based on the ability to deliver responsive, reliable, high quality person-centred services. We aim to respond to lifestyle requirements of service users, by offering a variety and choice of services. Aspects and Milestones Trust works hard to enable all our service users whether they have a learning disability or an enduring mental health need to lead fulfilling and empowered lives in the community.
Whether it is a person with a severe learning disability using new ways to communicate their wishes, a young man with an enduring mental health need who needs to build the skills and confidence to get back into the workforce, or an older person with dementia learning to manage symptoms while living at home, our specialist staff members strive to meet every person as unique individuals with wishes, preferences and abilities that are uniquely their own.
The Trust owns 42 properties and the remainder are leased from housing associations such as Western Challenge, Knightstone Housing Association or local councils. The range of services offered is widening and over recent years has seen a significant growth in supported living, day care and employment services, either provided in peoples own homes or through supported housing tenancies and day services that offer a range of activities.
We put strong emphasis on staff development and training because staff are the key to providing quality services. We are registered as an NVQ centre and all of our staff have to achieve a qualification.
The History of the Trust
Aspects and Milestones Trust was originally founded in 1986 with a mission to serve people with learning disabilities or people with mental health needs who had lived most of their lives in long stay hospitals. Our job was to buy houses and run small scale residential homes where people could live ordinary lives after years of living in institutions. The Trust was able to fund the developments using health grants, social services funding, welfare benefits and private finance.
In the 1980’s the Government issued new proposals to help health authorities move people from long-stay hospitals into domestic-scale community settings. Two of these programmes were carried out by Frenchay Community Care Trust and Southmead Mental Health Care Trust. In 1996 Frenchay and Southmead Care Trusts joined forces and staff, previously seconded by the NHS, transferred to the employment of the new combined charitable trust, Frenchay and Southmead Care Trust.
In 2003, the Trust decided to change its name. The old name of Frenchay & Southmead Care Trust was confusing for the public with both names associated with local hospitals. When the NHS introduced new health organisations called Primary Care Trusts the confusion intensified. After consultation with staff and service users two names were put forward. Aspects for learning disabilities and Milestones for mental health services thus creating a governing organisation of Aspects and Milestones Trust.
Twenty one years later, all the major institutions have closed and the Trust has reached a turnover of £28 million per annum, with building based assets of £19 million and employs approximately 1,200 staff. Our success is based on four key features that add value to public services:
- We have the flexibility to work across boundaries, in our case health care, social care, housing and employment.
- We can innovate and act quickly to fill service gaps.
- We are focused and close to service users and carers.
- We can access private finance and a mixture of funding streams.
We continue to serve our core user groups and offer an increasing range of services because service users want greater choice and more flexibility. Packages of care can now encompass support at home, short breaks, leisure opportunities and employment coaching.