
THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW
Highlighting best practice
42 | KIDSGROVE CARE SOLUTIONS - ARBOUR STREET
Our training includes work experience
placements, in-house accreditation and
independent living and travel skills,
all of which contribute to promoting
self-sufficiency and a higher quality
of life. Beyond vocational and day-to-
day skills, we also focus on providing
social opportunities. We offer support
in the form of one-to-one personal
assistants, who assist with ensuring
access to a meaningful and enjoyable
social life. This includes a variety of
social and leisure activities, ranging
from trips to the pub to bowling. We
always arrange a suitable assistant for
each member to ensure a high level of
safety and support.
Beyond these more general services,
we have also established three new
facilities. The first of these is the
Brighter Nights Social Club, which
opened in March 2014. Aimed at
adults and young people over the age
of 14, the club offers an opportunity
to socialise and make new friends in
a safe and supported environment.
We run the social club each week at
the Galley Centre in Kidsgrove, and
it has proven to be hugely popular.
The warm and friendly atmosphere,
coupled with the excellent facilities,
has made it a firm favourite of our
members. Since its opening, we have
added a number of activities and
games, including table football, table
tennis and the occasional disco party.
Beyond these activities and social
pursuits, we have also created a
respite bungalow. Placed in a beautiful
rural setting, the bungalow has four
bedrooms and provides the possibility
to escape from the normal routine
in a peaceful setting. Each bedroom
is fully equipped with a TV, a DVD
player and wifi access, and the
entire property has been adapted to
support the needs of our guests. This
includes the installation of handrails
and the widening of doors, alongside
the altering of the bathrooms. The
bungalow also includes a spacious
conservatory and a secure courtyard,
which allows guests to take advantage
of any sunny weather. The respite was
set up with two people on our books,
and this has increased to over 30.
We are looking to develop this service
further and have purchased the
property next door. We are planning
on converting this into a supported
living facility, primarily to support one
of our members whose needs have
significantly altered. We have been
supporting him for three years, and
his needs have become more complex.
Working with his parents, we have
decided to transition his care towards a
more residential setting.
In the last couple of months, we
have also expanded our services into
Cheshire, meaning that we now
provide services in three counties. We
were invited into this area by local
care services, who wanted us to fill the
gap in care provision. We have since
established the Cheshire Learning and
Development Centre.
Promoting independent
living skills
We run the social
club each week
at the Galley
Centre in
Kidsgrove, and it
has proven to be
hugely popular.
The warm and
friendly
atmosphere,
coupled with the
excellent facilities,
has made it a
firm favourite of
our members
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