Here are a growing range of testimonials from PASTEL stakeholders- starting with the clients and their parent/carers. Others will follow later in 2008.

Spring 2007

Here is some early feedback from clients:

• "It gets you out for the day and you meet new friends."

• " I like making new friends and acting. I'm learning to behave better."

• " It's fun and people come to play with us."

• "It's good fun to do."

• "I like PASTEL".

• "I like truffling*."   (* = "truffling" is a drama technique for creating new ideas as a team activity.)

Summer 2007

Here is some early feedback from parent/carers:

PASTEL

• "(PASTEL is) excellent - it is very much needed in this area.It provides young people with useful training activities they enjoy, a chance to mix socially - things which will help them grow in confidence and help in their future lives."

• "(PASTEL) communication, planning - excellent"

• "I am very pleased with (PASTEL's) progress to date. It definitely fills a gap in terms of training/social activity/respite."

• "PASTEL is a great idea. Kids are kids - special needs or not and we need to teach them life skills so they can cope outside."

• " I think PASTEL is a brilliant group that caters for young adults with learning difficulties. It is also really good to have this in OUR area!"

• "Overall. the objectives are excellent. This kind of resource is sorely needed in this areaof East Suffolk as there is very little for young people who cannot access mainstream activities easily. It needs to be promoted more widely."

THE WORKSOPS

• "I feel that (PASTEL's) variety is the key to success."

• "Small group environment. More help available."

• "(my son) enjoys it once he is there. He often talks about what he has done later."

• "(My son) hated school and finds anything social very hard."

SON/DAUGHTER

• "(my son) has begun to learn that maybe other people have different opinions or likes/dislikes from himself."

• "Unfortunately (my son) does not communicate back what he has learnt, but I see from various actions/conversations that he has picked up quite a few skills. He is more assertive/helpful."

• "(My daughter) loves drama and acting herself."

• "(My son) asks a lot more questions at home and his self-esteem is greater"

• "My son is more confident."

• "(My son) is building his confidence, as I have observed in group work."

• "I am pleased with PASTEL. It has given (my son) the chance to mix with other peers that are not at school with him - giving him more confidence as he is more of an equal with them."

• "(My son) enjoyed the first aid course and ca't wait to put his training into action!"

• "(My son) is enjoying learning skills in a safe environment, outside the home, which is building his confidence and giving him life skills."

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

• "(My daughter) enjoys PASTEL but I don't realy know what she does there exactly. I need more feedback from PASTEL."

• "(My son) can't always rember what he has done. The staff need to communicate more with parents or help them write a diary.If we knew what had been happening we could talk and reinforce it at home."

• "(My son) will not talk unless he really needs to. When asked about what he does at PASTEL all we get is "stuff"."

NB. These issues were addressed by the greater use of video diaries uploaded onto the PASTEL website, allowing parent/carers to view their sons/daughters activities, jointly with their sons/daughters, and discuss their participation. Public events were also introduced to demonstrate clents abilitilities to the community at large, including parent/carers.

November 2008

Feedback from Stakeholder Meeting (8/11/08)

• "My son loves coming to PASTEL." - Parent/Carer

• PASTEL provides a necessary service that is lacking throughout Suffolk. It has clear plans and objectives whilst also clearly focussing on its clients (students) - Governor, Special Needs School

• "Excellent - its objectives, plans and activities are very good. My son throughly enjoys everything without always realising he is learning at the same time." - Parent/Carer

• "Excellent provision for those with additional needs in terms of training support and personal and professional development." - Information, Advice and Guidance ( IAG) Practitioner.

• "PASTEL is something really needed because so many services are being withdrawn. Young people need to develop their confidence to help them enter "the big wide world"." Parent/Carer

• " PASTEL clearly provides a much needed service in an area which is defined as rural but is also flexible to clients needs and listens and responds to them , and involves stakeholders." - Tutor

• "PASTEL has a clear focus and is very professional. I feel that Don and his team can help our son." - Parent/Carer

• "PASTEL is ambitious in its reach but remains realistic, which is often a rare quality in a community organisation!" - Independent Business Advisor

• "PASTEL seems well run, committed and passionate about achievement of aims." - Parent/Carer

• "So great we're going to open a "sister group"!" - Company Secretary, PASTEL Maidstone

• "Excellent.We hope it can continue to develop and improve." - Parent/Carer

Nov 2009

Parent / carer feedback...

•  "Pastel delivers incremental positive change because it is a sustained programme."

•  "An opportunity to make new friends - extends social life"

•  "It's a safe/good environment."

•  "There are quality tutors."

•  "He likes the routine of every 2 weeks. He wants to come."

•  "It builds his confidence, talking and performing in public"

•  "He loved the food hygiene/preparation and his national exam award."

•  "It's good for developing a sense of team working."

•  "My son says it's the best place to be happy."

Suggested improvements:

•  Introduce trips out, once or twice a year

•  Repeat public performances, where the team is reliant on each other and each client recognises it.

•  Introduce multi-sensory activities

NB. Trips out have yet to be planned for, but more public performances and more multi-sensory activities are on the cards...

April 2010

Client's said they like PASTEL workshops because...

• "make new friends"

• "I can get away from my sisters"

• "I like playing games"

• "I liked making a film"

• "I like doing plays"

• "There are diffrent things to do and make friends"

• "It boosts my confidence"

• "I learn things"

• " I like being in a team"

• "It gives me something to do on a Saturday"

 And some things they say they have learnt...

• "Not everyboby thinks the same"

• "Not everyboby understands what you're saying"

• "Be more quiet"

• "Learnt to dance"

• "To listen more"

• "Hygiene and cooking food"

• "Speaking in front of an audience"

• "Working as a team"

• "Acting"

• "Dancing - it makes me feel better"

• "Making movies and drama makes me feel good"

And some things they do on Saturdays when they are not at PASTEL...

• "Watch DVD's"

• "Tidy the house"

• "Play on PS3 - football game"

• "Go shopping with Mum and Aunt"

• "Watch TV - Dr.Who"

• "Go shopping with Mum and Dad"

• "Play on the computer and internet"

• "Read a book"

• "Listen to music CD's"

• "Play on PS3 - wrestling game"

• "Watch DVD's - Too Fast, Too Furious"

• "Play on XBox 360 - fighter game"

• "Go on computer - download videos onto mobile phone"

• "Visit cousins"

• "Play with Nintendo Wii - racing cars/keep fit"

• "Watch DVD's - Dr.Who"

• "Watch TV and DVD's - Emmerdale"

Clients were asked for their overall score for PASTEL on a 6 point range, where

0 = Don't Care, 1 = Not Bad, 2 = Good, 3 = Very Good, 4 = Excellent, 5 = Brilliant.

The aggregate score was 4.25 (with a range from 2 to 5)

April 2010

Parent / Carer feedback...

• "(My son) now knows that there are times when he has to communicate and work with others, although he still has a long way to go."

• "(My daughter) has learnt how to work as a team and communicate.She has gained in confidence"

•  " PASTEL is beneficial to adults with learning difficulties, especially as there is a lack of places to go/things to do locally.They learn all sorts of things there but it's mostly great because they socialise with each other, communicate, build confidence and in so doing gain nationally recognised qualifications."

• " (My daughter) enjoys going to PASTEL."

• " PASTEL gives (my son) something to look forward to, occupy his time, and to escape from family every day things eg me ( his mother). He is becoming more involved in the outside world, instead of just family activities. He needs to mix and communicate with people to be able to live a normal life and get a job in the future."

• "(PASTEL manager) has listened to my views and suggestions and helped improve the outcomes for (my son)."

• " (My son) enjoyed the fodd hygiene/preparation course and the dancing workshop. He received national certificates for this. He improved his confidencein performing in front of an audience and his self-esteem."

• "We do not receive any respite care or help over the long term of the year - only occasionally from activities initiated in the school holidays." - PASTEL is sustained throughout the year and provides respite for both the client and their family at the weekend.

• "You can't improve PASTEL- it's very good."

• "(My son) enjoys gong to PASTEL. He meets new and old friends and learns different things eg learning first-aid and making a film."

• "(My son) prefers PASTEL to school. School was a stress and PASTEL relieves the stress."

• "(My son) is learning to interact with a group of peers ( including peer volunteers) in an apprpriate way."

• "(My son) has learnt about hygiene and cooking and also quite a bit about acting and performing in front of people."

• "Without PASTEL, it would be hard (on Saturdays), as all the time would have to be planned around (my son) needs leaving little time for his brother or our relationship as a couple."

• "PASTEL is very effective - nicely spaced out respite for us and which gives a lot of benefit and pleasure to (our son)."

• "(My son) is always positive about going.He has become more confident, eager to please and more of a team player."

• "(My son) is learning how to cope in a mixed environment with new challenges every few weeks."

• " PASTEL is a brilliant idea, brilliantly managed."

• "My son) does look forward to PASTEL but also sees it as a routine and so does miss it when there is a break."

• "(My son) does seem to be learning at PASTEL. Although he can apply some of it away from PASTEL, he still has different " rules" for himself at different places ie college and home."

• "(My son) learns lots of new ideas from other PASTEL clients - about jobs they want to do and what they do in their leisure time or with their family etc. He has also learnt about teamwork and being sociable within a group."

• "(My son) has learnt to ask questions and accept that other people's ideas and ways of doing things may be different to his own."

• " I think PASTEL is very good - its objectives, and activities usedto achieve them, always seem very good and appear to be enjoyed by all the clients - who really seem to enjoy their final performance in front of an audience. They are learning new skills, without realising it, and hopefully they will carry these over into everyday life."

• (My son) has learned to work as a team and to play a part."

• " an extremely useful support for young people who have gone beyond school age.Consultation is good."

• "The latest film-making project proved excellent for (my son). he enjoyed it, became part of a team, held down a part, gained in confidence and enjoyed viewing the finished product with the family."

• "We all think PASTEL is fantsatic and are lucky to have it. We believe that it is well worth travelling the 40-mile round trip as (my son) enjoys it so much. He really does benefit from the group as he does not socialise with any other teenagers at weekends. Our sincere thanks to the PASTEL team. long may it continue!"

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

• "Probably would benefit from being more regular, perhaps once a week rather than fortnightly."

• "Get all the youngsters involved in an allotment project, I think would benefit all. It would help build team work and give lots of pleasure, when seeing the end result.Maybe selling produce to provide funds for PASTEL."

• "Perhaps introducimg the Widget programme to help with clearer understanding."

•  " Introduce a points system for improving behaviour."

• " Use social stories directed at behaviour and how to overcome it."

• " We need more communication as it isn't always easy to ask (my son)."

• "More volunteers trained on behavioural issues."

• "build on the skills learnt in the food hygiene/prepartion workshops."

• " Could include basic manners, deportment, polite phraseolgy and body language training."

• "Increase the number of days."

• " Personal Development Plans to help with gaining employment and becoming active within the community."

• " Gardening?"

• "Make it more interactive with quizzes/competitions."

• "Online participation?"

• "Gardening would be good!"

NB. All the ideas were one-offs, bar increasing the number of days gardening and building on cooking skills.

• We will explore increasing the number of workshops, possibly mid-wek for those who have left school/college (on a trading basis) and suject to grant funding.

• We are not geared up for gardening, outside, but may try an indoor gardening project.

• Cookery is defintely on the agenda for 2011, subject to funding.

• We have purchased a Widgot "Communicate in Print 2" software package and will look to employ it for induction and course support.

• We have introduced an individual and competitive team points system for both behaviour and achievement.

• We have used social stories in the past eg as part of a Hip hop Theatre production, but will look to repeat.

• The website has been improved, based on previous communication suggestions, and we will now encourage/remind Parent / Carers to use it regularly. It is updated weekly.

• More formalised Volunteer training will be researched.

• Basic behaviour and social skills will continue to be incorporated in our workshops eg interviewing bahaviour and skills.

• We will look to introduce Personal Development Plans in 2011 as a natural development in our transitional training programme.

• The PASTEL workshops have always been highly interactive but we have recently introduced team quizzes and more competive team activities eg the 2 teams working on seperate "radio play" productions.

• As with gardening, online partication is problematic, but we do upload videos onto the website for clients to see themselves (feedback) and share with their family and friends (celebration).

We appreciate that our clients represent a broad range of interests and abilities

and when discussing with each of them their preferences for future activies

and taking group voting,

they have expressed strong collective interest in:

• Project Planning for a day out

• Cookery

• Music/Dance

• Drama/Film-making

• Making Plans for Life after School/College

• Art/Pottery/Phography

• Team-Building Games

• Gardening was not too popular...

NB. PASTEL's personal development training is always embedded in activities that our clients enjoy and have expressed interest in. They drive the programme and help to continuosly evaluate our delivery.

Our activities are essentially indoors but, when possible and appropriate, we have ventured out to play football and rounders - both of which are generally popular with both sexes. We always provide opportunities for breaks and social interaction.

We are currently working on producing 2 short radio plays to be converted into podcasts by September, and plan to include Digital Photograhy in the period Oct - Dec, 2010.

"This is great and so positive."  Jane Basham, Chief Executive, Ipswich and Suffolk Council for Racial Equality

"Many congratulations to all at Pastel." Bud Simpkin, Chief Executive, Young Suffolk

And, to find ut what PASTEL volunteers have to say, please click here.