From left to right: Jackie Vater (Metro), Stuart Featherstone (Leeds City Council), Paul Appleyard, Tim Cook, George Long, Rajesh Sharma, Hilary Wood, Cllr James Lewis, Keith Ellis, PC Pete Overton, Cllr Lucinda Yeadon, PC Richard Stringer, Gerry Lazerty (Metro).
Learning Disability Week will see the launch of a scheme in Leeds aimed at helping people with a learning disability to deal with any problems they encounter whilst out and about in the community.
The Leeds Safe Places scheme is being led by adult social care services in Leeds in partnership with third sector organisations, West Yorkshire Police and Leeds and York NHS Partnership Foundation Trust. It will provide a network of safe places that people with a learning disability can go to if they are lost or are faced with dealing with any difficulties whilst they are out and about in the city.
Leeds City Bus Station is the first Safe Place in Leeds, and will host the official launch of the scheme on Wednesday, 20 June.
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Media are invited to the official launch of the Leeds Safe Places Scheme at 11am on Wednesday 20 June at Leeds City Bus Station to take photographs and speak to Councillor Lucinda Yeadon, council officers and customers about the scheme.
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The aim of the launch event is to encourage more businesses and organisations to register as a Safe Place. The council are looking for a wide variety of businesses, places of interest and community venues, such as shops, sports centres, libraries and cafes to join the scheme. Following their training they will be issued with the nationally recognisable Safe Places sticker, which they can display in their window.
People with a learning disability join the scheme and receive a distinctive wristband together with an emergency contact card. The card has space for scheme users to write their name together with up to three telephone numbers/emergency contact names. In the event that they require assistance, they will look for a window sticker and tell the staff at the Safe Place that they need help. Staff will telephone one or more of the numbers listed on the card until they are able to speak with someone who knows the person and who can provide support.
Councillor Lucinda Yeadon, executive member with responsibility for adult social care said:
“I am delighted to be launching the Safe Places scheme in Leeds.
“It is hugely important that people with a learning disability are able to enjoy their lives to the full in and around their local communities. The Safe Place scheme is a really good way of giving learning disabled people extra confidence to get out and about, safe in the knowledge that assistance is available if they need it.
“I would encourage local businesses to register to be part of this scheme so that we can make sure that Leeds really is a safe place for vulnerable adults.”
Clare Thompson, a member of the Safe Places scheme said:
"I have got involved with Safe Places because I want to feel safer in Leeds and to help other disabled people."
Councillor James Lewis, chair of Metro said:
“This is a very valuable scheme and builds upon the work Metro has already carried out to support the introduction of Safe Place at its Bradford Interchange bus station, and at other bus stations across West Yorkshire.”
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For media enquiries, please contact;
Claire Macklam, Leeds City Council press office (0113) 395 1578
Email: claire.macklam@leeds.gov.uk
