For many years in Derbyshire, day services for disabled people have been solely provided through traditional day centres, and whilst this type of service has proved valuable for many people, there is also the need to explore alternatives. Many disabled people who do not currently receive a service of any kind have expressed that they would prefer to involve themselves in activities in the community, either with other disability groups or in mainstream activities. Our new-look day services will provide people with these opportunities.
Working in partnership with many organisations, we are developing a range of community based service opportunities for adults with physical disabilities in Amber Valley and Erewash. We provide services which reflect individual need both for people who currently use our day centre service and for people who currently receive no service. Details of the services and activities can be found further down the page.
The area of South East Derbyshire consists of the boroughs of Amber Valley and Erewash. The new community services operate throughout the area. The structure of Leonard Cheshire's South East Derbyshire Day Services is set out below.
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ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
Service Manager – Steve Smith
Community Services -
Erewash
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Granville Resource Centre
(Long Eaton)
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Community Services -
Amber Valley
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Senior Community Support Worker
– Samantha Fountain
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Team Leader – Shona Johns, plus
five Day Service Workers,
three Senior Day Service Workers
and support staff.
Click for Granville's website
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Senior Community Support Worker –
Susan Staniforth
plus one Community Support Worker.
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DO YOU WANT TO USE OUR SERVICES?
Bored with being stuck at home? Take a look at the services we offer, below. If you have physical or sensory impairment and are aged between 18 and 65, you may qualify to use our services, for instance our outreach services, which take place in the community. You can learn new skills, pursue interests old and new, and socialise. Please ask your social worker to contact us. Then, if necessary, one of our service workers can meet you for a one-to-one to discuss your needs and interests.
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CALLING ALL SOCIAL WORKERS!
If you are a Derbyshire County Council social worker dealing with casework, we can offer your clients help. If any of your clients are physically disabled and aged between 18 and 65, we can offer services in south-east Derbyshire. Please take a look at the services we offer, many of which are described below. Either you or your client can call us to arrange for the client to come along and use a service. If you or the client are not sure as to the applicability of a service, we can arrange a one-to-one between the client and one of our day service workers to discuss what's most appropriate.
BE A VOLUNTEER!
Our services depend in part on volunteers. It might be that you're between jobs, are a carer or parent, are retired, or have health problems which may prevent you working full-time. Whatever, volunteers get great satisfaction from helping with our outreach groups in the community, or in our day centres, perhaps one day per week. You'll socialise, learn new skills (sometimes training is available) and may even get your lunch paid for! We might use your specialist knowledge at an outreach group, do some one-to-one IT teaching, aid those that need help with literacy or numeracy, or just be a general helper or companion. If you think you can help, please give us a call.
OUTREACH GROUPS
Details of groups in the Erewash community, offering a service to people of working age i.e. between 18 and 65, with physical and sensory impairment, typically referred by social services.
Carriage Driving Group
This group, run by Lynne, offers an opportunity for service users to access an outdoor pursuit in a healthy safe environment which enables them to experience an activity and hobby which gives benefits in the form of exercise.
In its present form, service users from the centre enjoy this group, but the knock on effect is other outreach groups and community based services are expressing an interest in this group. At present information is passed on and service users are organising to visit and attend services independently.
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Landscapability
The project has been underway since Spring 2004. Two overgrown allotments on the Welbeck Road site are in the process of being transformed into an accessible community garden.
On site there is a large polytunnel for year round gardening, raised beds to enable people who use wheelchairs to enjoy gardening. A sensory garden will be developed to allow people with sensory impairment to enjoy the project.
The project has received funding from BTCV, Nottingham East Midlands Airport, and several local businesses. Volunteers from the Princes' Trust, Barclays Bank and the Coop have been assisting with the transformation. This will create an outreach facility where disabled people can interact with the environment and make connections within their local community.
Gentle Exercise in the Water
This group, run by Lynne, runs on Thursdays between 11 am and 1 pm, at West Park Leisure Centre, Wilsthorpe Road, Long Eaton. Meet at 11.00 am in reception, with swimming from 11.30 until 12.00. At 12.15 onwards we meet in the cafe area to socialise.
Gentle Exercise in the Water has been a community based outreach group for some time, operating in different formats, being restructured to accommodate the current trends.
Though referrals were initially slow, fundraising activities raised awareness, and we recruited members by word of mouth.
The group self-runs, and has worked with the leisure centre regarding access issues, e.g. becoming involved in joint fund raising for adaptations, i.e. the pool-side hoist.
The group continues to grow offering both therapeutic value of exercise in the water and an opportunity to make new friends, build new-found confidence and open doors for other opportunities to access Leonard Cheshire Day Services outreach groups in Derbyshire.
Therapeutic Tuesdays
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The sessions are held all day on Tuesdays at Trinity Methodist Church, Waverley Street, Long Eaton. The morning session is Arts and Crafts and the afternoon session is Aromatherapy.
In Arts and Crafts, run by Sheila, we do watercolour painting, drawing, printing and paper crafts, etc.
Aromatherapy, run by Dawn, covers gentle exercise to relaxing therapeutic music, meditation and massage.
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Personal Development and Life Skills Group
This course runs on Wednesdays for ten weeks at a time. There are diffferent themes each week, concentrating on therapy, allowing service users to examine their thoughts and aspirations.
Surf and Socialise - Shopmobility
Surf and Socialise, run by Julie and Jackie, introduces disabled people to the Internet and computer skills using the latest ICT (information and communications technology), allowing them to experience the same level of communication and information sharing as the wider community, in a supportive, congenial environment.
We meet at Long Eaton's Shopmobility on Thursdays between 10 am and 2 pm.
Clients have learnt, amongst other things, about using the internet and digital cameras. Once learnt by clients, these skills are exploited in the home and elsewhere.
The group has increased Shopmobility's and Leonard Cheshire’s profiles. It means that the Local Shopmobility Centre is not just seen as a place for older disabled people.
There are plans to possibly also provide a service at Ilkeston's Shopmobility, in response to a request from Derbyshire County Council's Community Development Services. It is hoped that south-east Derbyshire will eventually be provided with a mobile ICT skills group.
CONTACTS
Contact Us
Address: Steve Smith, c/o Granville Resource Centre, Granville Avenue, Long Eaton, Derbyshire, NG10 4HD.
Telephone: 0115 973 2788. Email:
s.smith@east.leonard-cheshire.org.uk
More Links and Contacts
Leonard Cheshire national website.
http://www.leonard-cheshire.org/
Leonard Cheshire Regional Office. Eastern Region, Fleet Estate Office, Spalding, Lincs., PE12 8LR.
Tel: 01406 421060. Fax: 01406 421061.
Email:
info@east.leonard-cheshire.org.uk
Derbyshire County Council - Social Services.
http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/social/socindex.htm
Erewash Volunteer Bureau and CVS.
Erewash Council for Voluntary Services
E-mail:
enquiries@erewashcvs.org.uk
Tel.: 0115 849 0500.
Address: Parklands Connection, Leopold Street, Long Eaton, Derbyshire, NG10 4QE.
