Alan at new service base Hillside in Beeston
Council chiefs have approved plans to push ahead with the wholesale transformation of day services for adults with learning disabilities in Leeds.
The modernised service will see people with learning disabilities across the city empowered to get involved in everyday activities in their own local communities, with services personalised to each individual’s own particular requirements. The council’s executive board unanimously backed the move at its meeting last week.
The first stage of the strategy, which was developed in close consultation with customers and their families, has already been successfully introduced for previous customers of the Moor End Day Centre in South Leeds, which is now closed. These adults now receive their services from the voluntary sector with support from adult social care staff at three small community bases in the local area.
Feedback from the 86 customers and their carers has been very positive. They all have individual support packages in place and are accessing a much wider range of activities than they were before including arts and crafts, keep fit, cookery, social and employment skills.
The council will now start to implement this programme across the rest of the city, which will allow resources that are currently tied up in buildings to be redirected into providing a much more personalised service for customers.
The programme will see the Fulfilling Lives centres at Horsforth, West Ardsley and Rothwell East close, to be replaced by smaller bases and services in existing community facilities. The centres at Bramley and Rothwell West will be refurbished to accommodate people with complex support needs. In Wetherby, discussions are taking place with customers and other stakeholders to find a suitable alternative to the current arrangements.
Councillor Lucinda Yeadon, executive board member with responsibility for adult health and social care said:
“This is another landmark in our drive to modernise services for people with learning disabilities. I’m delighted that the executive board backed the proposals, as people with learning disabilities have a right to feel that they are part of their local communities.
“This new strategy has already proved to be a great success with customers from the Moor End Day Centre, who we know have been empowered by the new opportunities that have been organised for them. It is absolutely right that we now make these available to service-users across the rest of the city.
"We will continue to work closely with our customers as we roll the programme out. This will ensure that we are putting in place the right activities and services to enable these vulnerable adults to fulfil their potentials and follow their own interests.
“I would like to thank our partners in the voluntary sector, as well as our own social care staff, for the part they have played in delivering this new service so far, and look forward to working with them in the future.“
Another key part of the transformation programme has been the increase in the number of Changing Places toilets in the city. Leeds now has eight , which are equipped and of an adequate size to enable carers to assist adults who need help with toileting, with another four to open in October 2011. A further six Changing Places are planned to be available in the future at new venues such as the Leeds Arena, Trinity Quarter Shopping Centre and the Holt Park Wellbeing Centre.
Case study
Alan attended Moor End Day Centre for many years, but has now taken full advantage of some of the many new opportunities open to adults with learning disabilities as a result of the modernisation programme.
He now attends the new service base at Hillside in Beeston two days each week, where he has become involved in the community radio station. He attends drama, literacy and Tai Chi classes run by Leeds Health for All’s “As One” project in Holbeck. He is also the co–chair of the stakeholder involvement group and works as a receptionist one day each week for Leeds People First at their “Leep 1” project. Asked how he felt about his very busy new timetable Alan said, “I’m loving it all”, and that he wished as part of his role with People First “, to tell people in other centres about how good the changes have been.”
Ends
Additional info
Currently 835 people with learning disabilities attend the council’s Fulfilling Lives centres between one and five days each week (as of June 2011). The council allocates 636 places each day and the average daily attendance is 520. Attendances at individual centres range from 107 people a day at the Bramley centre (72 per cent of capacity) to 28 people day at Wetherby (25 per cent of capacity).
Locations for the Changing Places toilets in Leeds were decided upon after consulting with parents and carers of children and adults with disabilities. The facilities are at the following venues:
• The Whitehouse Café, Otley Chevin
• Armley leisure centre
• Morley leisure centre
• John Charles Centre for Sport
• Headingley HEART Centre
• Tech North, Harrogate Road
• West Yorkshire Playhouse
• The Reginald Centre, Chapeltown
• Hillside Community Centre/Tiger 11 *
• Lotherton Hall *
• Temple Newsam *
• Terrace Bar, Leeds Central Library/Art Gallery *
* Due to open in October 2011
For media enquiries, please contact;
Claire Macklam, Leeds City Council press office (0113) 395 1578
Email: claire.macklam@leeds.gov.uk
