Longfields Association (formerly known as Swansea and District Spastic Association) was founded in 1952 by a small group of parents who were concerned that there was no provision within the education system for their disabled children. Some of the original founder members are still supporting Longfields.
In a very short time the parents had raised sufficient funds to enable them to open a schoolroom which their children attended daily, and, after much lobbying at all levels, they had roused public awareness to the extent that they were provided with a teacher from the Education Department of the local authority. Later, a Special School at Morriston was opened in Swansea.
The children of school age who were assessed as being of a certain intellectual level attended the school at Morriston, leaving those who were already over school age, and those who were deemed to be 'uneducable' still unprovided for.
In 1955 after more fundraising and public relations work, the property at Longfields was purchased and the children remaining and young people were able to attend the Nursery and Adolescent Training Centre, which was then set up.
As the children later left the school at Morriston some of them began using the service at Longfields and a few of them are still attending there today.
Over fifty years on Longfields has developed into a Day Centre, which provides a service to 34 people with a range of disabilities, with a staff of 25.
Now under contract to the City and County of Swansea, Longfields is well respected in its field, having attained and retained the Investor in People Award, and the Environmental Health Gold Award for its catering department.
Over the last two years Longfields has undergone a comprehensive review conducted by external consultants and is now nearing the end of the service improvement programme that has been implemented in response to the review.
The opportunities offered to Longfields Association's service users are varied, and Longfields Association's aim is to promote the independence of our service users. A grant received from the Community Fund enables Longfields to build a hydrotherapy pool in the grounds, which is hoped to be completed by Spring 2005.
MISSION STATEMENT
The Charity is founded on the assertion that disabled people have the right to the same opportunities as able-bodied people, and is established in order to work alongside disabled people to support them to achieve their potential and attain their aspirations.
DRAFT AIMS
The Charity aims to provide support to adults (19 years of age and over) with any form of cerebral palsy and/or other related disabilities, and to their carers, by providing a range of services that are tailored to meet the individual needs of its service-users.
DRAFT OBJECTIVES
To advance the learning of people with cerebral palsy and/or other similar disabilities living in the City and County of Swansea and in Neath Port Talbot County Borough by offering a range of services and support. Applications for support from people with cerebral palsy and/or other related disabilities who live within other local authority areas will be considered on the basis of the Association's capacity and ability to meet their needs satisfactorily.
To advance the learning of people with cerebral palsy and/or other similar disabilities that use Longfields Association's services by:
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Providing a safe, stimulating and comfortable environment that maximises the opportunities for education, learning, and personal development.
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Offering a variety of opportunities for learning and maintaining life and independence skills in appropriate settings.
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Providing a variety of learning and educational opportunities in appropriate settings.
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Providing a variety of opportunities to learn through leisure and recreational activities within appropriate settings.
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Providing work related opportunities, within supportive settings, that are designed to maximise learning about the world of work, and to enhance their employability.
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Providing opportunities for participation in and learning about decision-making, service management, service delivery, and service development.
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To contribute to the relief of sickness of people with cerebral palsy and/or other similar disabilities by providing some therapeutic services.
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To offer people with cerebral palsy and/or other similar disabilities and their carers information and advice that is designed to increase their understanding of the challenges that they face and the help that is available to them.
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To raise public awareness of the positive contribution that people with cerebral palsy and/or other related disabilities can make to the community and to society as a whole.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
DIRECTOR
Overall responsibility of Longfields
DAY SERVICE MANAGER/ ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
- Responsibility of Day Centre.
- Deputise for Director.
DEPUTY DAY SERVICE MANAGER
- Responsible for the day-to-day running of the day centre.
- Assist and as necessary, deputise for the Day Service Manager in the overall organisation and development of the service.
DAY SERVICE OFFICERS (11)
- Develop & negotiate opportunities based on service user identified needs and goals.
- Act as key worker & assist in the overall development of the service.
ADMINISTRATOR
Ensuring the efficient and effective running of the office, giving full administrative support to the Director and other posts as required.
CLERICAL ASSISTANT
- Work as part of a team in a flexible way ensuring the effective and efficient running of the office.
- Give full clerical support to the Administrator and other posts as required.
TRANSPORT & BUILDINGS MANAGER
- Manage all aspects of transport, buildings and grounds of Longfields Association.
- Organise a team of drivers and escorts in the transportation of the service users to and from Longfields.
HANDYMAN
Work closely with the Transport & Buildings Manager in maintaining the buildings and grounds of Longfields Association.
DRIVERS/ESCORTS
Act as driver/escort in the safe transportation of our service users to and from Longfields Association.
PUBLIC RELATIONS/ FUND RAISING OFFICER
Manage all aspects of fundraising through effective strategy & planning to raise the profile of Longfields Association within the business and local community.
COOK
Responsible for the day-to-day running of the kitchen.
ASSISTANT COOK
Work alongside the cook in the day-to-day running of the kitchen.
LONGFIELDS ASSOCIATION'S SERVICES
Longfields Association provides services for the benefit of adults with cerebral palsy and similar disabilities, and their carers, in the City and County of Swansea, and, as an unincorporated association, it is also required to provide services to its members.
This section describes the direct services that the Association provides to each of its beneficiary groups.
THE DAY SERVICE
LOCATION
Longfields Association day service is located within a purpose built building within the Association's grounds at Bethany Lane, West Cross, Swansea.
NUMBER OF PLACES
The day service can offer the equivalent of 29 full-time places to adults with cerebral palsy and similar disabilities per day.
The City and County of Swansea currently purchase 29 full-time equivalent places per day from the Association on the basis of a written Service Level Agreement that runs for three year periods but that is subject to annual reviews.
HOURS OF OPERATION
The day service is open to service-users between 9.00 and 4.30 every week day throughout the year, with the exception of bank and public holidays, the Christmas break (the closure days are agreed each year), and days when the service is closed for staff development or training activities.
Staff members work between the hours of 8.00 and 5.45 each day.
TRANSPORT ARRANGEMENTS
Wherever possible, the Association provides transport for its service-users to and from home. In circumstances where this is not possible because of limitations on the availability of transport or because of the fact that service-users live outside the usual transport routes or local authority boundaries, the Association will negotiate transport arrangements with the service-user, her or his carers, and (where relevant) the care manager who has referred the service-user to the Association.
REFRESHMENTS AND LUNCHES
Service-users are provided with tea and coffee every morning and afternoon and are offered a choice of lunches.
MANAGEMENT AND STAFFING ARRANGEMENTS
A voluntary executive committee manages the Association in accordance with its constitution. Service-users are represented on the executive committee.
The day to day running of the Association is delegated to the Director and to the Assistant Director. The Assistant Director has a dual role in that s/he is also the day service manager with overall responsibility for the day to day running of the day service.
A deputy day service manager supports her/him in this role.
The day service is staffed by a complement of 11 full-time equivalent day service officers. The total complement of staff may vary if and when the Association agrees to provide services in addition to those purchased by the City and County of Swansea's Social Services Department on the basis of spot purchase contractual agreements and/or if the executive committee approve changes to the overall staffing mix or complement.
The day service benefits from the services of dedicated kitchen and catering staff, and the Association also employs staff to manage its transport arrangements and to manage and maintain its grounds and buildings. The Association employs drivers and escorts to meet the transport requirements of its service-users. The Association has a part-time post that is dedicated to fund-raising and public relations work.
The day services accesses administrative support from the Association's core administrative team.
ASSESSMENT AND INDIVIDUAL PLANNING ACTIVITIES
Every service-user referred from the local authority should be accompanied by a completed care plan that details the particular goals that the local authority would like to see the Association deliver for and with the service-user.
Each service-user attending the day service is allocated a key worker from among the staff team. New service-users are allocated a key worker within 3 weeks (or 15 attendance days) of starting to attend the day service. The allocated key worker will help a new service-user become accustomed to the service and will complete a service-based assessment of his or her strengths, needs, and aspirations during the first 8 weeks (or 40 attendance days) of his or her attendance at the service. The key worker will also work alongside the service-user to produce a 'personal information portfolio' within 12 weeks (or 60 attendance days) of being allocated.
The outcomes of the assessment process and settling in period will help the service-user and his or her key worker decide on the individual programme of activities that the service user will be offered at the day service New service-users will have a completed individual plan within 12 weeks (or 60 attendance days) of beginning to attend the day service.
Each service-user is subject to an annual reassessment of his or her strengths, needs, and aspirations, and a formal review of his or her individual plan. Each new service-user, however, is entitled to a formal review of his or her service-based plan 6 months after the plan has been initiated and is then subject to the annual review cycle.
Although every effort will be made to match the service's planning and review processes with the dates of the local authority's care management reviews, there may be some circumstances where these events are happening separately. This is not problematic as long as the relationship between the two processes is managed effectively.
A BALANCED PROGRAMME FOR SERVICE-USERS
Longfields Association aims to maintain a balance between offering service-users:
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Individual sessions with key workers or other staff members where the focus is on helping the service-user to make progress towards achieving the goals within his or her individual service-based plan.
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Group-work activities where the focus is also on helping the service-user to make progress towards achieving the goals within his or her individual plan.
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Constructive occupational activities that will enable service-users to learn about different ways of using their free time and teach them socialisation, occupational, and independence skills in a general way and that will also offer service-users access to new experiences and opportunities.
THE ACTIVITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES ON OFFER
Each service-user will be offered a number of activities from the following menu of options:
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Helping service-user to develop and maintain language and communication skills.
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Helping service-users to develop and maintain mobility and motor skills particularly through the services of health professionals from outside the day service's staff team.
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Helping service-users learn to use the specialist equipment that they need in order to minimise the impact of their disability.
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Helping service-users to manage their own behaviour, particularly where they exhibit behaviour that challenges. The service's capacity to do this will be dependent on its success in drawing in support from professionals from outside the service.
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Enabling service-users to develop and maintain their social skills within and outside of the day service setting.
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Helping service-users to increase and maintain their life and independence skills in areas such as self-care, food preparation and cooking, money management, budgeting and domestic tasks.
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Helping service-users to learn about using the local community.
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Enabling service-user to access formal learning and educational opportunities in ordinary community based settings (wherever possible).
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Enabling service-users to benefit from the opportunities offered by information technology.
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Helping service-users to learn about the world of work, both through experiencing sheltered work style activities and through work preparation courses and activities.
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Enabling service-users to access sport, leisure, and recreational activities within ordinary community settings, wherever possible.
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Helping service-users to try out various leisure activities and interests that they can pursue independently outside of the day service.
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Enabling service-users to access opportunities for self-expression through the medium of arts related activities such as drama, poetry, creative writing, and the visual arts.
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Enabling service-users to access opportunities for self-expression through involvement with service-user self-advocacy groups.
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Offering service-users opportunities for exploring and debating issues that are important to them through the medium of group discussions.
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Providing an appropriate level of emotional support to service-users who are experiencing change or disruption in their lives, such as those who are experiencing loss or bereavement or changes in lifestyle (such as a move from the family home into supported accommodation).
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Providing opportunities for service-users to become involved in decision- making, service delivery, service development, and service management through access to formal mechanisms for user involvement in shaping and improving the service.
Where a service-user's care plan and individual service-based plan identify a need for an activity or opportunity to be provided that is not listed above, the Association will make every effort to accommodate this, within the limitations of its resources and the expertise that is available to it.
Longfields Association is a membership based voluntary organisation. Every service-user will be offered the opportunity to become a member of the Association (though this is discretionary rather than compulsory). Members of the Association have voting rights at annual general meetings and special general meetings.
LONGFIELDS SERVICE USERS' BILL OF RIGHTS
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We want to come to Longfields and to be happy here and to be able to have time with friends here.
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Seeing the staff happy makes us happy. If the staff are sad we can tell there is something wrong, so can staff tell us if there are things about Longfields that they can share and include us.
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We would like staff to ask us what we want.
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We do not want to have an 'atmosphere' here.
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We want choices in what we are able to do.
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If we start something we need the time to finish it.
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We would like to be asked if we enjoyed something.
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We would like meetings to be at our level so we can understand.
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We would like to see the timetable before it is written up.
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If we don't like something can we change it?
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We want opportunities to tell people that we don't like it.
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We would like to be asked what we like and dislike.
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Some of us cannot read, so timetables should be done so everyone can understand them.
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Understandable information to all
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Big print for reading.
To be 'valued' means:
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Not to be ignored.
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To have our say and speak up.
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To be included in all decisions.
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If staff are going to discuss things - come and see us first.
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Not to be spoken to over our heads.
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Not to be spoken down to.
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To have everything explained to us so we can understand it.
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Not to be rushed and to have the time to say what we want to say. We get frustrated when people speak to us without listening to us or understanding us, so people need to take time to listen to us and understand us.