Who We Are & What We Do
SEN Space was founded in 2021 by Vikki Benton & Julie Hanna. We are opening our doors in September 2022 so #watchthisspace.
Our Story
SEN Space Care and Respite Services offer support and respite services for children with disabilities and their families. We are a non-profit organisation based in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland. We offer after-school facilities, youth club, sibling support, weekend clubs, holiday support and parent support services. We are looking forward to bringing more services in the near future. These include pre-school provision, overnight respite, adult support services and residential care.
Our Vision
The provision of support and services at SEN Space will create moments of happiness, fulfilment, achievement, understanding and acceptance. We want children and adults with additional needs, and their families, to experience a full and happy life. A life full of opportunity
and learning experiences, in a safe and need-specific environment, so that each child / adult can achieve their full potential.
Mission Statement
1.
Our mission is to provide care and support services not only for the child / adult with the disability, but the whole family. We want to provide life long care and support for the family from pre school sessions to adult residential care. We want to support these children, adults and families in all areas of life, so that they can access the support they need, and experience the quality of life they deserve. We will be doing this in four stages. The first is to provide after school sessions for 4-19 years olds, sibling support club for all age groups, youth club for 10-19 years, weekend and holiday clubs. Alongside this we will provide parent support sessions which will include holistic therapies and training and advice to navigate the current system. Stage two will introduce pre school sessions and in house Occupational Therapy, Play Therapy, and Speech and Language Therapy. We will also start parent education classes. This will cover many areas including training to work with their child, holistic therapies, financial advice, legal advice. Stage three will introduce adult day services, overnight respite and residential care. And finally, stage four, where we will provide adult housing and support.
2.
What we are doing is different from anybody else. We do not want to just provide care, we want to provide a learning rich environment with highly qualified staff. We want these children and adults to learn, to meet their full potential in a way that is meaningful to them and their everyday lives. We will work with them in an environment specific to their individual needs, and train our staff accordly so that they can facilitate the most positive learning outcomes. Our staff will consist of SEN teachers, individuals qualified to degree level in childcare and education, social workers, play therapists, speech and language therapists, and individuals specialising in occupational therapy. We will also be giving opportunities to people who do not have such qualifications, but have the passion, compassion and enthusiasm for what we want to achieve for these children, adults and families, and train them to the highest possible standard.
3.
What we hope to achieve at SEN Space is clear, and very simple. These families, children and adults with disabilities, did not choose this way of life, and have found themselves in circumstances out of their control. We want to join them on this very challenging journey, and help, guide, and support them from the very beginning of their journey, to the end.
