Day opportunities for adults with a learning disability

Day opportunities provide a safe, informal, friendly place for you to make friends and enjoy both community activities and activities in the centres. They can also give carers or family a break from their caring roles and take some time for their own interests.

To find out if you are eligible for this service please contact Gateway to care.

Many people feel anxious at the thought of using day opportunities but you can be pleasantly surprised when you find out what we can offer as a service. This could benefit the individual and their family.

Our aims and how we achieve them

Our aims and how we achieve them

We aim to	We do this by
offer fair access to quality day opportunities for people with learning disabilities	creating a safe, friendly and stimulating environment where people can socialise and interact with peers if they wish
support and include carers in our work	ensuring that everyone has their own Link Worker who will work with you and their carer(s) to formulate a support plan which will be unique to you and based on your identified needs and wishes
encourage people who use our services and their carers to be involved in planning and service delivery	providing a range of group, individual, centre and community based activities in which you can choose to participate
improve the quality of life of people with learning disabilities and help them to make use of community based activities and opportunities	offering opportunities for you to maintain and enhance your independence and life skills
provide a high level of personal and emotional support according to individual needs	having twice yearly reviews and regular planning meetings with you to ensure you are happy with the activities you access

Facilities

• Safe, friendly and stimulating environments where people will feel comfortable and at ease
• Areas in the bases where you can have a quieter environment if you prefer
• Areas where you can join in with activities
• Staff are competently trained to carry out gastrostomy feeds and gastrostomy medication
• Profiling beds and both ceiling and standing hoists
• Provide effective pressure care management.

We also have close links with the Community Learning Disabilities Team where we can access advice and involvement where needed from:-

• Speech and Language Therapists
• Dieticians
• Learning Disability Nurses
• Social Workers
• Physiotherapists
• Psychologists
• Occupational Therapists
• Wheelchair Services

Other opportunities include therapies such as rebound therapy and sensory therapy in the sensory room / sensory garden.

Health and support needs

We provide a snack type lunch, and you will be involved in choosing and preparing the food you prefer. We will cater for your dietary or religious needs, and healthy food options are available. You will have access to drinks throughout the day. You may like to go out occasionally for your lunch, and this can be built into your activity planning.

Once in the service we will develop risk assessments and support plans to enable you to access activities of your choice. We have annual reviews which are followed up on a six monthly basis to ensure you are happy with the service and support you are receiving and to plan any changes you would like.

Activities

We offer a wide range of activities, however, we are always open to new ideas and we try to find things that you find interesting.

Some of the activities that people currently access include:-

• accessible cycling
• (Highfields only - Garden Project)
• bowling
• golf
• cinema
• horse carriage riding
• hydrotherapy and rebound therapy
• swimming

We support people to access sports centres where there is swimming, a gymnasium, sit-down aerobics and bowls. We access activities in Community Centres such as cookery and arts and crafts. We visit libraries and museums and have in the past had photography groups and art groups where people's work has been exhibited. We support some people to access voluntary jobs. Whilst you are in the base, we offer different activities, examples being: Wii, computer, arts and crafts, games, cookery, snooker and table cricket.

Transport

We encourage you to provide your own transport, however you can access ours. We will organise pick up and drop off times and inform you and your carer about the details.

Help and support

Everyone who uses the centre has their own Link Worker and their own individual support plan. A Link Worker is a member of staff who takes a special interest in your well-being and will build up a special relationship with you based on trust and knowledge. They will work with you and your family or carer to keep your support plan up to date.

Cost

There is a charge for our day service. Depending on your situation you may be able to receive some help, however your social worker will explain this before you start day opportunities.

There are small charges for transport and meals, and also for some of the activities that you access each week.

No smoking policy

Smoking is not allowed, in any part of our building. However, if you are a smoker, you can smoke in the garden areas.

How to get day care

To get day care funded by the Council you must be meet our eligibility for care and support criteria.

If you meet the criteria we will need to take a close look at your situation, so we can work with you to decide if day care is the best option for you. We do this through a care needs assessment.

Venues

Kirklees Council runs two day centres: Red Laithes Court in Ravensthorpe and Highfields in Huddersfield. Opening Hours:- Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 4.00pm.

Red Laithes Court

Highfields