CASE STUDY
Bolster Community
Informing Autism support through community engagement
Case Study Key Points
- Bolster Community was commissioned by the Southern Health and Social Care Trust (SHSCT) to organise a consultation.
- They sought to identify unmet needs and opportunities for improvement in terms of service delivery and support.
- The insights have been used to inform their own service provision and development and to
- Inform Bolster Community’s work with, and lobbying of, local health and social care services
Bolster Community
Based in Northern Ireland, Bolster Community is a charity and social enterprise providing practical assistance for individuals, families, and communities to support improved opportunity, health and well-being. They provide services centred around supporting three categories – Family, Ability, and Seniors.
In March 2020 Bolster Community was commissioned by the Southern Health and Social Care Trust (SHSCT) to organise a consultation to gain a deeper understanding of social issues relating to autism and better understand how to support young adults with autism to achieve their potential.
Specifically, they sought to identify unmet needs and opportunities for improvement in terms of service delivery and support. It was also an opportunity to better understand the challenges faced by adults with autism in accessing work, education, and support services.
A series of consultation events was organised culminating in a “Being Awesome” conference in March 2021. The research involved more than 700 individuals including young adults with autism, families, carers, educators, healthcare staff and consultants.
CARD Group Research & Insight was delighted to support Bolster Community with an analysis of the research findings and write-up of the “Being Awesome” report.
This provided valuable insights and conclusions that helped to form the guiding principles for a set of practical recommendations that will have a strongly positive effect on children and young adults with autism, as well as those with whom they interact. Bolster Community has been able to use the report as evidence to:
- Inform their own service provision and development and
- Inform their work with, and lobbying of, local health and social care services.
It has also given a strong voice to young adults with autism empowering them and directly sharing their words and their stories.
“I cannot thank you enough for your support in getting this report over the line, given the scale of data received, we absolutely could not have done so without your knowledge and expertise.”
Jacinta Linden, CEO, Bolster Community
If you would like to find out more about our social research agency services, please contact our Director of Corporate Services, Aoife Hamilton