Join Us

You and your family are welcome to come and visit, even if you are not sure about supported living as an option, you can still come and see us and learn about what we have to offer in Camphill Community Mourne Grange.

If you want to move on to the next stage and consider a tenancy with us then you need to make contact with your local Health and Social Care Trust, if you are already known to the local Community Learning Disability Team then you need to ask for an assessment for a supported living placement. If not known to the team then you can ask to be allocated a Case Manager or Social Worker and they will support you through the process. If you are not sure about who to contact, get in touch with us and we can point you in the right direction.

You will also need to apply to the Housing Executive for a tenancy.

You and your family will be supported through the process and this will involve conversations and meetings to confirm that Camphill Community Mourne Grange is the right place for you. We will then agree a plan for more introductory visits and learn about what you like to do and what you need support with.

You will receive housing benefit that will cover the cost of your rent. In addition to this the Housing Executive provide what is called a Supporting People payment to cover some of your support needs.

If your Health and Social Care Trust agrees to the placement then Camphill Community Mourne Grange receives a payment from the Trust to cover some of your care and support needs.

As with anyone who moves in to their own tenancy you will use some of your benefits income to pay for your food, transport and utility bills. There are also small charges for community activities and day opportunities.

All of these costs can be easily managed within your budget and most of our residents have a healthy disposable income to help with saving for holidays and other interests.

You will live in a house and you will have your own room. You will live with other people with learning disabilities, no more than 6 people live in each house. There will a family who live in the house with you and provide the support you need with personal care and daily living. There are volunteer co-workers who also stay in the house and we also employ support workers. You will be encouraged to be as independent as possible and to contribute to home life.

You will also have the opportunity to engage in the work, social, cultural and therapies on offer in Camphill Community Mourne Grange. Your activities will be based on your interests and what you like to do.

Your family can visit whenever they want to and you can also go and visit and stay with your family. These plans are agreed with you and your family and arranged to suit what everyone can contribute to the arrangements. If you don’t have any family we also arrange for holidays for you and we will support you.

You can bring anything that you own that you would like to have in your room, for example furniture and pictures. If you don’t have any furniture we can also help you and provide some of this for you. You will be supported to make your room personal to you and a space where you like to spend time.

If you are interested in joining our community please contact us.

Camphill Community Mourne Grange is an integrated therapeutic Community where co-workers live and work alongside adults with special needs.

Voluntary co-workers coming to stay in Camphill Community Mourne Grange and live in house communities with adults with learning disabilities and their long-term co-workers.

The role of a co-worker includes helping with the household tasks as well as supporting the residents with their care needs. All co-workers take part in the cultural and festival activities, which we celebrate together as a Community.

As well as living and working in a house community, every voluntary co-worker supports our work areas, such as the bakery, food processing, wood workshop, weavery, garden and farm.

All voluntary co-workers take part in an Induction Course as required by the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) and the minimum standards set by the Registration and Quality Improvement Association (RQIA) This training provides the information to work with and support adults with learning disabilities.

Additionally, a Foundation Course is run every year, based on anthroposophical Camphill values.

Our aim is that at the end of their stay, all voluntary co-workers have gained a number of invaluable experiences. We hope the skills learned at Camphill Community Mourne Grange will be useful in any future life situation.

We usually ask for a minimum commitment of 6 months, preferably for 1 year.

If you are interested in joining our community please contact us.

Long term Co-workers are responsible for all aspects of running a house community or a workshop and are called house coordinators or workshop coordinators. It is essential to have enthusiasm for life-sharing and contributing to community life. Long term Co-workers need to have a genuine interest in living with and supporting people with learning disabilities. They contribute to the social and cultural life in the community and uphold the aims and values of Camphill. All long term Co-workers are responsible for the well-being of the community and all of its residents.

We ask for a minimum commitment of two years. Experience in working with adults with learning disabilities is recommended as well as good communication and organisational skills. Training is encouraged for example QCF level 2 and 3 in Health and Social Care.

Camphill Community Mourne Grange is governed by a Management Council whose membership is from a varied background within Camphill Community Mourne Grange and the local community. Camphill Community Mourne Grange welcomes interest from anyone who would be interested in joining the Management Council and contributing to the governance and management of the Community.