“She said: ‘You’ve given me my confidence back’ - I think that says it all really.”
That’s what a lady working with Bracknell Forest Council’s (BFC) social care team said after she was supported with the anxiety issues she was tackling.
But the lady wasn’t talking to therapists or social workers - she was talking to Lucy Purchese, BFC’s community dog practitioner.
For more than a year now, Lucy has looked after Bracknell Forest community dog Lexi - a 3-year-old yellow labrador cross golden retriever.
And in May Lucy was joined by Ned, another labrador-cum-retriever who like Lexi, helps vulnerable people across Bracknell Forest who need support with a range of physical and mental health issues.
A partnership between BFC and Dogs for Good was set up last year using Animal Assisted Interventions to help local residents achieve set goals.
This is where the specially trained dogs, Lexi and Ned, go out in the borough to improve residents’ wellbeing and independence.
Those who need support include adults and children with sensory needs, physical disabilities, autism and dementia and more.
Handler Lucy assesses referrals before deciding which dog is best to support them.
Clients work with a dog on a weekly basis in planned sessions which can last up to an hour.
The intervention programme typically runs for eight weeks.
Lucy said the dog acts as a “motivator, a social bridge, a role model and emotional support for the participant.
“A lot of it is about preventative measures - it is a very subtle process and it is always positive.”
The lady who told Lucy she had ‘got her confidence back’ was living with anxiety and was aiming to build up her confidence to go out independently on public transport and into the local community.
But Ned, who supported the woman, “loves trains” and supported her with his physical presence, resting his head on her and helping to relax her.
After the intervention programme, the lady can now get on the train without facing the previous anxiety issues she had, meaning she can now engage in community activities.
Lexi is said to “love toys” and both the dogs help clients to achieve a variety of goals, from teaching road safety to improving communication skills to encouraging social interactions.
On the day Lucy spoke to the News, she had just finished sessions with a five-year-old and an elderly lady.
The dogs go to primary schools, people’s homes and work around the community - at the moment they are working with new children to address anxiety issues they face in building friendships.
Lexi and Ned live at home with Lucy and their day starts with a long walk.
The practitioner makes sure they are groomed and brushed as Lucy has to make sure the dogs’ wellbeing is at the forefront of the scheme.
Two one-hour sessions are the maximum Lexi and Ned can do in one day, with a break in-between work.
In between sessions, Lucy takes them for plenty of off-lead walks around one of Bracknell Forest’s many parks and also schedules in rest time for them during the day.
The practitioner said they have “not had any negatives” from the work and the “preventative measures” help to ‘save costs’ for social care bosses later down the line.
Dogs for Good and BFC came together after a pilot in 2017 saw participants working with man’s best friend able to carry out tasks they were not previously able to do.
This meant the authority was able to change some individuals’ support packages to “reflect their new level of independence”.
Speaking in November when the first-of-its-kind partnership was launched, Cllr Dale Birch, BFC’s adult social care boss, said: “The results from the pilot were impressive, transforming the lives of the participants by enabling them to carry out everyday tasks independently.
“I am looking forward to hearing about the difference the service makes to the lives of more people in the borough.”
Back when Lexi joined the team in August 2018, Hayley Stimpson, an adviser at Dogs for Good, added: “We’re pleased to be working with Bracknell Forest Council in this innovative social care partnership.
“The early results are very promising, demonstrating just what can be achieved when you bring people and dogs together in a planned way to support adults and children in our communities.”
Lexi and Ned have helped dozens of residents so far but the canines have Fridays off to rest.
Christmas is quieter for the duo but Lucy says the festive period can be “quite an anxious time” for some people, so the furry friends send cards to the participants and meet with the people they have been working with over the Christmas break.
Lucy said of the pair: “They both love their work and really enjoy meeting new people.
“There is a lot of play involved and they are absolutely perfect for this type of work.”
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