Address: Room G1, Third Floor, City & County of Swansea, Directorate of Social Services and Housing, Oldway Centre, 36 Orchard Street, Swansea, SA1 5LD Telephone: 01792 636273 Email: Cathy.Murray@Swansea.gov.uk

About this factsheet

The City and County of Swansea’s Social Services Learning Disability Services provides a range of day services to adults with a learning disability to meet the varying individual needs of people with learning disabilities.

This factsheet  gives brief details of the different types of day services available in Swansea and what they offer.

Transport can be arranged to and from your home to the day service following an assessment of your needs. There is a small charge made for transport. Some people may be exempt; please ask your care manager for details.  

Lunch can be provided at the service for which there is also a charge.

How do I access services

To access all the services identified you will need to get in contact with the Community Support Team. You can contact them on 01792 614100. . A nurse or social worker called a care manager will come and talk to you and your carer or advocate. They will spend time getting to know you, and find out about any difficulties you have. This is called an assessment.

Your needs, and how best to support you, will be agreed with you and your carer or advocate.  This is written down and called a care plan.  You and your carer will be given a copy of the care plan to keep. The care plan will tell you which service(s) you can go to. This may also depend on where you live.

A review of your needs and how these are to be met will be undertaken annually.

The following day services are provided.

Four Special Needs Services (SNS)

These services will provide support if you have a profound learning disability and also a physical, sensory or communication disability. Parkway SNS helps people with complex health needs. All services will encourage you to experience meaningful daytime opportunities and promote your physical and emotional well being. This includes physiotherapy and speech and language support as well as a range of community and group activities.

Activities include visits to local cafes, walks, keeping fit using a local gym and its facilities.  There is also a wide range of activities in the day centre which can include sensory sessions, gardening, skill development, music and aromatherapy. There are also Widgit, ASDAN sessions which are provided by Afan College.

Access to Physiotherapy support and Occupational Therapy is also available through a referral process.

Practicalities

Each of the services has 15 places available each day Monday to Friday.

Hours of opening are from 8.30am – 4.00pm except for Parkway SNS which is open from 8.15 am – 3.30pm.

Staffing

A Day Service Manager is responsible for the four services. Each Service has 1 Senior Day Service Officer and 3 Day Service Officers. There are 3 Day Support Workers in Trewarren SNS and Maesglas SNS, 4 Day Support Workers in Birchgrove SNS and Parkway SNS. The services are also supported by drivers and passenger assistants and kitchen assistant and/or cook.

Community Nurses, District Nurses, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapist and Speech and Language Therapists are also available to assess your  particular health needs and offer guidance and support to you, your carers and staff.

Each user of the service will be allocated a key worker.

 

Two services for older people with a learning disability called Alternative Day Services (ADS)

 

In line with the Strategy for Older People in Wales, the services seek to support your needs, usually if you are over 50 years old, providing social and learning opportunities that are age-appropriate and at a pace suited to the more mature adult. Activities include college courses, reminiscence group, rambling, horticulture, arts, crafts and music.

Practicalities

Both Abergelli and The Beeches and Gorseinon have up to 40 places available each day Monday to Friday.

Hours of opening are from 9.15am - 3.45pm at Abergelli and from 9.00am - 3.30pm. at the Beeches.

Staffing

A Day Service Manager is responsible for the 2 services. Each Service has 1 Senior Day Service Officer, 3 Day Service Officers and 2 Day Support Workers. The services are also supported by drivers and passenger assistants and kitchen assistant and/or cook.

Community Nurses, District Nurses, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapist and Speech and Language Therapists are also available to assess your particular health needs and offer guidance and support to you, your carers and staff.

Each user of the service will be allocated a key worker.

Four services to adults offering social and educational opportunities

The services offer you a range of useful life and educational experiences that will assist you in becoming a more independent, valued and active member of your community. Activities include gardening, fitness, art, crafts, domestic skills, social skills, supported by Gorseinon and Swansea Colleges and using local community facilities as well as the service base.

Practicalities

Each service has the following number of places available each day, Monday to Friday:

West Cross – 25

Glandwr – 30

Social Development – 45

Special Skills – 10

Hours of opening are from 9.00am – 4.00pm for West Cross and Glandwr and 9.15am – 3.45pm for Social Development and Special Skills.

Staffing

A Day Service Manager is responsible for the four services. West Cross and Glandwr have 1 Senior Day Service Officer, 2 Day Service Officers and 2 Day Support Workers. The Social Development Service has 1 Senior Day Service officer, 3 Days Service Officers and 2 Day Support Workers. Special Skills Service has 1 Senior Day Service Officer, 1 Day Service Officer and 1 Day Support Worker. The services are also supported by drivers and passenger assistants and kitchen assistant and/or cook.

Community Nurses, District Nurses, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapist and Speech and Language Therapists are also available to assess your particular health needs and offer guidance and support you, your carers and staff.

Each user of the service will be allocated a key worker.

One service that promotes and develops work opportunities

If you are interested in having a job but need to develop your work skills, the Work Development Service has a number of work projects and activities which will help you learn new skills and find out what type of work you would like to do.  Projects include Victoria Park Kiosk (catering), Ground Force and Grounds Maintenance (gardening) and Conservation work. This service also works with the Welsh Initiative for Supported Employment (WISE) and Gorseinon College. WISE will help you look for a job.

Practicalities

The service has 25 places available each day Monday to Friday. It also offers short work placements.

Hours of opening are from 9.15 am – 3.45pm

Staffing

A Service Manager is responsible for the Service. The service also has 1 Senior Day Service Officer, 2 Day Service Officers and 2 Day Support Workers. The Service also has additional staff funded by the European Social Fund Objective 1 programme until August 2007. This has helped to develop the Service by increasing the projects available and providing 1:1 support on tasks including travel training in partnership with WISE. The service is also supported by drivers and passenger assistants and kitchen assistant and/or cook.

Community Nurses, District Nurses, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapist and Speech and Language Therapists are also available to assess your particular health needs and offer guidance and support you, your carers and staff.

Each user of the service will be allocated a key worker.

One service for adults with a learning disability who have more complex needs

If you have high support needs due to behaviours that challenge, the Service will offer you opportunities for individuals to take part in a range of community activities on a 1:1, 2:1 or group basis with additional support as appropriate. Activities and the environment are assessed to ensure you can access a range of activities both in the service base and in the community, which will assist you to become more independent, involved, valued and active members of your community.

Activities include fitness and leisure, e.g. trampolining, horse riding, rambling, gardening, computers, arts and crafts

Practicalities

The service is open Monday to Friday from 8.30am – 4.00pm

Staffing

A Day Service Manager is responsible for the Service. The service also has 1 Senior Day Service Officer, 3 Day Service Officers and 653 Day Support Workers hours. A number of posts are jointly funded by the Local Health Board. The service is also supported by drivers and a kitchen assistant.

The Community Response Team works closely with the service to support staff in the positive management of behaviours that challenge. Community Nurses, District Nurses, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapist and Speech and Language Therapists are also available to assess your particular health needs and offer guidance and support to you, your carers and staff.

Each user of the service will be allocated a key worker.

Other information from Social Services which you may find useful

For free copies of these factsheets, please ask your care manager or phone 01792 636693.

Swansea Social Services and personal information

When you are in touch with Social Services, we will keep information about you in written records and computer files. We will keep this information confidential, except where we need to share it with people providing you with care, or to protect other people.

You have a right to ask to see records we keep about you.

We can give you more information about how we handle personal information. Phone 01792 636693 for the factsheet Your Personal Information.

Comments and complaints

We welcome any comments about our services – good or bad. We are interested to hear how we could do things better, and we like to know when we are doing well.

If you are unhappy with the services you receive, we encourage you to make a complaint. Full details are given in the factsheet ‘Making a comment, complaint or compliment about Social Services.’ For more advice or information about making a complaint, you can contact our Complaints Officers on 01792 637345.

This information is also available in alternative formats, such as large print, on audiotape, in Braille, or electronically. Please phone 01792 636693 for copies.

Factsheet: 024a/October 2006

Last Updated: 11th March 2008