Founded in 1988, PLUS works across the Forth Valley to improve the lives of children and young adults with disabilities, and their families. Along with our trustees, staff and volunteers, we aspire to work alongside the young people we support and their families, joining them in their journey’s from diagnosis, throughout education and into early adult life
Our founding families believed that children with disabilities had as much right as anyone else to an ordinary social life – we still strongly believe this. As our tag line states, disabilities are no barrier to fun!
With support from PLUS, over 240 children, young people and adults with additional support needs have the opportunity to develop some independence from their parents and carers, whilst spending quality time with their peers.
Having access to a wide variety of opportunities and being able to influence the events taking place ensures that the young people can access a personalised service which will meet their emotional, physical, medical, health and personal care needs.
The short breaks offered by PLUS offers parents and carers regular short breaks, which strengthens their family unit, whilst providing a fun and exciting activity for their child to attend. We think this is a win win situation! These short breaks both increase the capacity and resilience of families to continue in their caring roles.
Our services are accessed by children, teenagers and younger adults (up to age 35) and their families from across the Forth Valley (Stirling, Clackmannanshire and Falkirk).
To find out more about the opportunities available to you and your family, please click on projects.
To view PLUS Protection of Vulnerable People Policy please follow the link Protection of Vulnerable People V6 April 24b.pdf
“PLUS provides respite for our whole family. B requires almost constant support and input and he needs extra regulation at home as he struggles with his younger sister. My daughter also benefits from the respite and is able to receive uninterrupted time with her parents and be as loud as she wants to be without fear of triggering B or being asked to be quieter. Our daughter enjoys particular activities and locations that are too anxiety provoking or not interesting to B so it gives us the chance to do these too. My mental health is hugely benefited from the break that PLUS provides it literally has been life changing as we don’t have any family members who can watch B so it is typically the only break I get outside of his schooling hours.”
Feedback from a parent
“My time at PLUS has been a great, I used to be very quiet and didn’t really speak but coming to the group, I’ve made friends who I keep in touch with out of PLUS.”
Feedback from a teenager who accesses our support
“F feels included in the group and is more visibly relaxed when he comes out. F spends all day holding it together at school and at PLUS he doesn’t need to do that.”
Feedback from a parent on the difference they see in their child