Better Outcomes for People with a Learning Disability

Quality Network Public Statements

Our Services

Fosse Day Centre is a building based day service, providing support for people with learning disabilities to engage in a range of activities both at the centre and within venues in the community. Turning Point are a voluntary sector organisation that are commissioned by Leicester City Council, Social Care and Health Directorate to provide day services to people with learning disabilities who display physical challenging behaviour and often face “exclusion” from most public services.

The Service Review

The review was conducted between April and July 2003. The review team visited 8 people who were supported by Fosse or Turning Point. We talked, listened to and observed the people that we visited. We spent time with them during the day, in the evening, and at the weekend, we went with people when they were out and about, and also visited them at home. We also talked to support staff and family members who knew the person well.

The review team members were:

Sebastian Teran, person with learning disabilities, supported by Mandy Wharton
Subash Dave, person with learning disabilities, supported by Rackee Parmar
Jason Appleton, person with learning disabilities, supported by Jo Brown
Lou Brown, Team Manager, Social Care and Health
Daphne Cushing, Service Development Coordinator, Fosse Day Services
Jatin Dave, Community Opportunity Officer, Fosse Day Services
Craige Goodwin, Support worker, Turning Point
Laura Hughes, Support worker, Turning point
John Northfield, Quality Coach, supported the review team.

Findings – What was going well

• The flexible service provided by Turning Point is helping people who present physical challenging behaviour to access community-based venues and get involved in everyday activities.

• Fosse and Turning Point are starting to offer more choice to more people, person centered planning is starting to help people make more informed decisions about how they can be more independent, and do more of the things they want to do.

• Families and carers feel listened to and are able to contribute to person centered planning and service development.

• People feel safe whilst in the day service environment.

Things we need to work on

• Current day services are mostly provided during the week, people want to access activities and social venues at the weekends and in the evenings, the same as everyone else. Flexible support would meet individual need in a better way.

• Most people have made friends with other people with learning disabilities but wanted to be able to have more friends in the community and spend more time with them in social community settings.

• Nobody we spoke to had been involved in recruiting support staff. People with learning disabilities are experts in receiving support and could make valuable contributions to the recruitment process.

For more information please contact:
Lou Brown
Team Manager, Learning Disabilities Services,
1 Grey Friars
Leicester,
LE1 5PH