Services for Adults with a Learning Disability
01792 614100
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. This factsheet gives brief details of the different services and what they offer.
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. who will find out what your needs are. A nurse or social worker called a care manager will come and talk to you and your carer or advocate. to find out what your needs are.. 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.
Learning disability services can be divided into
- Day Services
- Community Services
- Residential Services
DAY SERVICES
In Swansea we have several different types of day services to meet the varying individual needs of people with learning disabilities.
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 mamager for details.
Lunch can be provided at the service for which there is also a charge.
The following day services are provided.
Four Special Needs Services (SNS)
- Birchgrove SNS,
31, Lon Gwesyn, Birchgrove, Swansea. SA7 4LD - Trewarren SNS,
985 Llangyfelach Road, Treboeth, Swansea. SA5 7HS - Maesglas SNS,
Maesglas Road, Gendros, Swansea SA5 8BH - Parkway SNS,
49 Parkway, Sketty Park, Swansea SA2 8JQ.
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 rangeGive examples of activities in the day centre which can include sensory sessions, gardening, skill development, music and aromatherapy. There are also Widgit, Soundbeam and 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)
- Abergelli ADS
Fforestfach, Swansea. - The Beeches ADS,
Uplands, Swansea.
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
- West Cross Local Day Service
West Cross, Swansea. SA3 5JE - Glandwr Local Day Service,
Landore, Swansea. - Social Development Service in Fforestfach Day Service,
Fforestfach, Swansea. - Special Skills Service in Fforestfach Day Service,
Fforestfach, Swansea.
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
- The Work Development Service based in Fforestfach.
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, particularly behavioural
- Whitethorns Intensive Day Service,
Morriston, Swansea.
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 their 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 managing 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.
COMMUNITY SERVICES
The Flexible Support Service
The Flexible Support Service, based at 116, Eaton Crescent, Uplands, Swansea. SA1 4QR, provides a range of services that offers opportunities for users of the service to maintain and develop their skills, abilities and knowledge to live more independently in the community.
The service provides the following:
- Support for individuals who live independently or are planning to move to independent living, by providing training and guidance to access local services including health care and education. Staff work with individuals within their local communities.
- Individual on-going support for elements of daily living that will enable the individual to continue to live independently, e.g. budgeting of personal finances.
- Emergency short-term support when there is no appropriate alternative service available.
- Short-term support to an individual starting a day service or respite facilities where additional needs have been identified.
- Social clubs during the day and evening offering individuals a chance to meet people and join in social and community activities based in local communities. These include leisure, fitness, and cultural opportunities e.g. cinema, museum visits. In house activities include arts and crafts, bingo, quizzes.
The service is available 7 days a week.
Staffing
A Day Service Manager is responsible for the Service. The service also has 1 Senior Day Service Officer, 3 Day Service Officers and 198 Day Support Workers hours.
Community Nurses, District Nurses, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapist and Speech and Language Therapists are also available to assess particular health needs and offer guidance and support to individual service users, their carers and staff.
Each user of the service will be allocated a care manager who will either be a social worker or community nurse.
RESIDENTIAL SERVICES
Emergency and temporary accommodation
- Maesglas Community Support Unit,
Gendros, Swansea
The service has 10 places available and is open throughout the year.
The service provides planned temporary accommodation to you if you are unable to stay in your own home. Your skills and abilities will be assessed, to ensure any identified accommodation is appropriate to your needs and abilities.
The service also provides emergency accommodation if you become homeless. The service will undertake a five day assessment to ensure the service can meet your current needs and will then undertake further assessment of skills and abilities to ensure any identified accommodation is appropriate to your needs and abilities.
Most individuals access other services during the day.
Staffing
The service is overseen by a Residential Services Manager and managed by 1 Officer in Charge, with 2 Senior Residential Care Officers and 430 Residential Care Officer hours.
Three Respite Services
- Acacia Road Respite Home,
West Cross, Swansea,
accommodating 6 people a night. - Alexandra Road Respite Home,
Gorseinon, Swansea
accommodating 6 people a night. - Glanyrafon Gardens Respite Home,
Sketty, Swansea,
accommodating 3 people a night.
These services offer planned and emergency short stays for you and a break for your carers. Glanyrafon Gardens provides respite if you also have additional sensory and physical disabilities. Otherwise, depending on where you live, you will use either Acacia Road or Alexandra Road. All services offer a range of social activities during the stay – access to local community based activities , visits to pubs, cafés shopping trips, bowling and snooker . Throughout the summer we also arrange day trips to a chosen venue and outings to the beach. In-house activities include beauty sessions, relaxation use of sensory equipment, videos, music etc.
Staffing
The service is overseen by a Residential Services Manager and each service is managed on a daily basis by a Senior Residential Care Officers with 257 Residential Care Officer hours in Acacia, 298 Residential Care Officer hours in Glanyrafon and 280 Residential Care Officer hours in Alexandra Road. The services are open throughout the year, although there may be occasions when the home is closed for a day e.g. training.
All four residential services are registered under the Care Standards Inspectorate for Wales.
Other information from Social Services which you may find useful
- Community Support Team for people with a Learning Disability
- Getting Help from Social Services: a guide to Assessment and Eligibility
- Carer’s Needs Assessments and Support for Carers of Adults
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: 024v2/September 2007