Woodside is the only private residential facility in the Western Cape that offers care to the profoundly intellectual disabled child from as young as birth which is complimented with service levels that includes in house therapeutic activities such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy as well as professional 24 hour nursing care.
Opportunities With increased funding we would be able to:
Continue being the leaders in the field of caring for the profoundly intellectual childe and young adult
Expand to accommodate more children residential care
Increase the staff to ensure a more simulative, homely environment
Problems
To financially run a facility as large as ours cost between 4.5 & 5 Million rand per year. This is running at a ration of 1 care giver per 6 children which is the minimal legal requirement. Ideally we would like to have 1 care giver to every 4 children so that we can spend more one on one time with our children and redesigning our programmes for smaller groups
Woodside as a centre receives no government assistance with operational costs, only the children receives grants for being in residential care which is by far not enough to meet the needs of each resident or disability grants is they are older than 18. The older ones receive disability grants. Total income for this is ± 1.3 million rand.
We rely on ± 1 million rand to be paid to us via parent fees. Currently we are receiving nowhere near the amount due to poverty and financial constraints of the majority of our parents. We only receive 2/3 of our invoiced amounts.
Competition
There are only 22 NGO’s registered with the Cape Mental Health in the Western Cape. Check with mental health
Out of 22 there are only 3 facilities specializing in the profoundly intellectual disabled child. Golden Girls in Langa, Sivenathi in Blackheath and Durbanville Children’s Home. However all 3 are mainly governmentally assisted as they are specifically for wards of the court. Woodside is the only residential facility for private residents that offers stimulation therapy as well as Physio Therapy as part of it’s service levels
Woodside is the Largest residential facility in the Western Cape
Strengths
Woodside admits from as young as birth up to the age of 18.
Committed staff that is familiar with the children’s behaviour patterns and needs.
Qualified Occupational Therapists, Physio Therapists and Professional nurses are employed at Woodside.
Good volunteer support structure from neighboring schools and communities
Strong Management Board
Achievements
Our stimulation programmes have grown in the last 4 years from being non existent to every day. Each child has their own specially developed daily programme.
We receive many students in the field of Care workers, physio and Occupational Therapy Students this enables them to carry out practical training assessments of our children
Building of a garage ( check with Cathy)
Upgrading kitchen & laundry areas (check with Cathy)
Purchasing the land next to our building (check dates with Cathy)
Purchasing a new Bus (check dates with Cathy)
Threats
Institutionalization - Woodside strives to stay up to date with programmes in order to maintain its homely environment.
Lack of funding will mean the inability to upgrade, educate, and develop the facility and the staff.
