Day Services and work experience opportunities
DAY SERVICES AND WORK EXPERIENCE OPPORTUNITIES
Each of the homes has its own day service provision off site, but within the grounds of the home. There are ‘log cabin’ style buildings, and each have been commissioned by New Directions.
Bishops Croft
This was built in 2008. It is self contained insomuch as it has its own WC and wash hand basin as well as tea making facilities.
Pictures to follow
Bishops Corner
The day service cabin here was built in 2009, prior to this, day services was a large room on the ground floor at Bishops Corner, which has now been converted into the staff training suite.
Pictures to follow
Bishops Lodge
When New Directions purchased Bishops Lodge, the lady who had previously lived there was a keen artist and had a studio in the grounds. We utilised this for a couple of years, and then had it replaced, on the same site, with another log cabin/studio in about 2007. In 2011 a green-house was purchased as all the service users were asking to do a project whereby they grow and bring on plant cuttings and then sell these at boot sales and the like. This has been well received and the project is going well.
Pictures to follow
Bishops Way
At this house, when New Directions took in over in 2008, we had to gut the place and start again. This included building the day service studio. This is the smallest of the cabins, but it does cater for less people on a day to day basis.
Pictures to follow
What we do in on-site day services
Each of the homes have their own particular projects and indeed, service users and staff with differing talents. Below is a selection of some of the work which goes on in day services. These are random and come from each of the services.
Details to follow
Pictures to follow
Friary Gardeners
We have two people from two of the homes who attend this service, both at two days each week. Friary Gardeners is run by The Parchment Trust with whom we have a good working relationship. One of the people who access this service tends to spend a lot of his time out and about undertaking contract garden work with the supervisors from Parchment Trust, and our other person likes to spend his time actually in their gardens working on the various projects. There is a link to Parchment Trust web-site on the home page.
Pictures to follow
Active Arts
This service is run by Hastings & Bexhill Mencap Society, and they provide placements which assist in the learning of drama and music. In fact, each year there is a brilliant show put on at the Phoenix Arts Centre in Hastings. We have 6 service users who go to this facility, all of whom enjoy it immensely. There is a link to Hastings & Bexhill Mencap Society web-site on the home page, where you then need to follow the links to Active Arts.
Pictures to follow
Pottery
Three times a week we have pottery classes, off site and with a qualified instructor, which offer places for 15 of the service users. This is a popular activity, and there have been some lovely items made at this provision.
Pictures to follow
Computer Club (etc)
This club provides places for 10 of our service users each week to get together and learn more about using computers, the internet and emailing. It is a great success, although there have been regular concerns about the funding being cut to this great service. We also have one service user who goes to the club on another day of the week, as part of their staff team, for work experience.
Pictures to follow
Holden & Co
This is a local firm of solicitors, who have branches in Hastings, Ashford and Maidstone. Since January 2006, one of the service users who lives at our home in Robertsbridge has been attending the Hastings office one day each week on a work experience placement. This has been really successful, and during this time, we have worked with this young man to enhance his independence and he now travels to and from Hastings to this placement by train each week. There is a link to Holden & Co web-site on the home page.
Pictures to follow
DVS
This media centre on one of the large industrial estates in St. Leonards have been offering work experience placements to the service users from New Directions since 2009. This is a busy open plan work environment where the service users help with mail outs and so on. It has been another success story, although, unfortunately, due to the economic climate, there is not the volume of work there was last year, and we now only attend two days each week, 2 people on each day. It is hoped that this will increase again to 5 days per week once the recovery is well under way.
Pictures to follow
Drallim
Drallim is a large engineering company in Hastings and has kindly been offering work experience to the people who live at New Directions since 2010. The work is varied, and this is another provision which is enjoyed by all who attend. There is a link to Drallim web-site on the home page
Pictures to follow
Scope Charity Shop
Once each week there is one person who lives with us who goes to the Scope Charity Shop in Hastings Old Town and works as a volunteer. Another enjoyed activity which helps in the learning about work ethics and interaction with the public.
Pictures to follow
Little Common Primary School
For many years now, one young man who used to attend this school as a young child, has been going one day each week for work experience as a class room assistant. More recently, there has been another of our service users attending in the same capacity. All the checks which have to be carried out on anyone working with children have been done, and both are very proud of their achievement in working with children. There is a link to Little Common School web-site on the home page
Swimming
Every service user has the opportunity to go swimming at least once each week as part of the day service activity. We use local facilities, either Summerfields or Gynde Gap pool, both of which are owned by Freedom Leisure. There are no pictures, as this is a sensitive in which to take photos. There is a link to Freedom Leisure web-site on the home page
Gym
Every week we have two sessions for 10 people on each session at a local gym, called Helenswood. This is also owned by Freedom Leisure.
Pictures to follow
Trampolining and Hire of Hall
Every week we use two trampolines at Summerfield Leisure Centre, where there is a qualified instructor specifically for our service users. For those who like to go, it works out that they attend about once every other week. At the same time, we hire half the sports hall for other activities when people are not on the trampoline. Another Freedom Leisure facility.
Pictures to follow