Austism accolade for Jubilee Court care home

A certificate is handed to home manager Marie Fitzpatrick (centre) by Stephanie de Vries, of the National Autistic Society, watched by Alan Tolan, of Sun Healthcare.

Jubilee Court, which is privately run by Sun Healthcare, of Barnsley, was handed the accolade by the National Autistic Society, the UK’s leading charity for people with autism and their families.

And on behalf of the society, Stephanie de Vries was full of praise for the work put in by the Jubilee Road home, which provides specialist care and support for up to 13 patients living with autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, learning disabilities or mental health issues.

“Jubilee Court should be exceptionally proud of its achievement,” said accreditation adviser Stephanie. “I am delighted the home has earned this award after all the hard work it has done.

“The society’s accreditation programme was launched more than 20 years ago and sets extremly high standards.

“Being autistic means you feel, hear and see things in a different, often more intense, way to others and may struggle in certain social situations.

“More than one in 100 people have autism, which will affect each of them differently. Some go on to become successful carers, while others need intensive support to go about their daily lives.

“Austism Accreditation highlights good autism practice, and we are very pleased to celebrate Jubilee Court’s achievement. It is a great thing and will inspire other organisations and services to improve the way they support autistic people.”

Accreditation is a feather in the cap of Jubilee Court’s manager, Marie Fitzpatrick, as well as Sun Healthcare. At a special ceremony at the care home, which was attended by Sun director Alan Tolan, a certificate was presented by Stephanie to Marie.

A Sun spokesman said: “We thank the manager and all the staff at Jubilee Court for their hard work, which has made the home a really good place to be for people with autism.”

To gain accreditation, organisations have to meet a standard of excellence and follow a framework for continuous self-examination and development. More than 500 organisations across the UK, ranging from local councils, NHS trusts, education authorities, local autism societies and private companies, are now accredited.