Physical and Sensory Impairment Network
Member Directory

The PSI Network supports third sector organisations that work to improve the lives of disabled people in Leeds. We promote the social model of disability, and the inclusion, independence and equality of disabled people.

The PSI Network works in partnership with Leeds Older People’s Forum, Tenfold and Volition. Since 1st April 2016, the four organisations have been working together to deliver Forum Central, the single health and social care forum service for the third sector in Leeds.

Like the other partners in Forum Central, the PSI Network is a network of third sector, not-for-profit organisations that support, work with or provide services for people in Leeds. In the case of the PSI Network, the target group is disabled people with physical or sensory (hearing or sight) impairments.

Some PSI Network members only provide services and support to disabled people with physical and/or sensory impairments. Others support a wider range of people, including other disabled people, older people, carers. They do this through a range of activities including social groups, information and advice, independent living support, employment services, campaigning, art and sport.

This booklet lists all of the member organisations of the Physical and Sensory Impairments (PSI) Network in alphabetical order.

For each organisation, there is a brief description alongside all relevant contact details and social media links. All of the organisations provide services in Leeds, sometimes as part of a regional or national service.

The PSI Network became an independent CIO (charitable incorporate organisation) in March 2016. The membership of the network has been growing ever since. This booklet represents the membership as it stood in May 2017. To see the full membership of the Forum Central partners, go to

PSI Network CIO:

Tel: 0113 242 1321

Email:

Twitter:@MyForumCentral

Facebook:

Registered charity no. 1165885

Action for Blind People

Action for Blind People has been offering support for people who are blind and partially sighted for over 150 years.They support people to live as independently as possible by providing tailored information and guidance to help them understand what it means to be blind or partially sighted. From Action for Blind People’s community based courses to their local team of advisers, they provide information, advice, support and practical solutions to independent living with sight loss. They can also offer advice to people who have a visually impaired friend or family member.

Tel: 0113 386 2800
Email:
Website:
Facebook: /rnibuk
Twitter: @actionforblind

Advonet

Advonet exists to ensure everyone can have their needs heard and their rights respected. It both delivers services directly and promotes independent advocacy provided by partners in Leeds and the surrounding area. Advocacy is a way of making sure someone’s voice is heard when a decision is made. It involves looking at choices, enabling people to know their rights and helping to defend those rights. It helps people to speak up—on their own OR with help. It makes sure people’s interests are heard directly or are represented.
Advonet’s partner organisation, Cloverleaf Advocacy, provides independent advocacy services for people living in Leeds over the age of 16 who have a physical or sensory impairment, acquired brain injury or stroke survivors.

Tel: 0113 244 0606
Email:
Website:
Twitter: @AdvonetUK

Age UK Leeds

Age UK Leeds provides services to support older people in Leeds. It is one of the partners in the new sensory impairment service in Leeds, along with BID, Association of Blind Asians and Feel Good Factor. Age UK Leeds services include:

  • Connect Well: connecting older people to groups, services and activities in their community to enable improved health and well-being
  • Digital Angels: providing older people with support in getting online, developing digital skills and networks, and feel more connected to their communities
  • Walking with Confidence: accompanying older individuals in the community to build their confidence in getting out and about
  • Aged Veterans: active service later in life
  • Supporting Wellbeing: Supporting older people with both physical and mental ill health.

Tel: 0113 389 3000
Email:
Website:
Facebook: /AgeUKLeeds
Twitter: @AgeUKLeeds

Alliance of Experts by Experience
(contact via Leeds Involving People)

The Alliance of Experts by Experience was established to support service user and carer involvement in planning community care services. They were set up to promote the representation of service users and carers in the planning, delivery and monitoring of services, and to advise statutory and other agencies on the development of policy and good practice on user and carer involvement to improve the conditions of life for the residents of Leeds. The main priority is around building a strong membership base representing a diverse range of adult service users and carers, so it is in a good position to represent and advise on good practice as “experts by experience”.

Tel: 0113 237 4508
Email:
Website:

Arthritis Care

Arthritis Care offers information hubs for people with arthritis at hospitals, health centres, community centres etc. They also offer individual support sessions which can explore at more length particular aspects of living better with arthritis e.g. information about the condition itself, diet and exercise, pain management. They also facilitate peer groups sessions where people with arthritis can explore the issues covered in the individual support sessions but can also share insights and experiences together and perhaps identify a "buddy" - another person with arthritis who will commit to making similar behaviour changes.

Tel: 0808 800 4050
Email:
Website:
Facebook: /ArthritisCareUK
Twitter: @arthritis_care

Artlink West Yorkshire

Artlink West Yorkshire is an arts and health specialist organisation providing high quality innovative artistic projects across diverse communities, together with professional artists. Artlink pridesthemselves in providing quality artistic initiatives for vulnerable members of the community.

Recent groups include: people who use mental health services, disabled adults, patients with eating disorders, refugees and asylum seekers, women experiencing domestic abuse, young mothers, older people with dementia and their carers, young people at risk of exclusion, individuals involved with the criminal justice system. All projects focus on enhancing positive mental health and supporting individuals to develop sustained coping mechanisms.

Tel: 0113 243 1005
Email:
Website:
Facebook: /artlinkwy
Twitter: @artlinkwestyork

Association of Blind Asians

The Association of Blind Asians is a neighbourhood network project of Asian people with visual impairment and their families, carers and friends that aims to help visually impaired service users to regain independence in their community. The project is also one of the partners in the new sensory impairment service in Leeds, along with BID, Age UK Leeds and Feel Good Factor.

The ABA provides the following services:

  • Counselling
  • Information on benefits and housing
  • Educational and social opportunities such as basic IT skills, drama and music
  • Group activity sessions.

Tel: 0113 210 3347
Email:
Website:
Facebook: /ABALeeds
Twitter: @ABALeeds

Better Action for Families

Better Action for Families provides services to improve the sociability and wellbeing of people with learning and physical disabilities, with a weekly timetable of a variety of sessions to get involved with at Beeston Village Community Centre, listed below:

  • Monday 18:00-19:00: Social Group for adults with learning & physical disabilities
  • Wednesday 17:00-19:00: Family Fun - for all the family to enjoy an evening together with a variety of activities (£1 entry & referral only)
  • Thursday 11.15-12.15: Chair-based exercise for people with low mobility
  • Thursday 13:45-14:45: Dancercise.

Tel: 07515 851631
Email:
Website:

British Lung Foundation

The value gained from attending Breathe Easy Groups in Leeds East and across the country for people with lung conditions has meant that there is a programme being rolled out over the next two years to fill the gaps in provision for peer support, self-management of a long term condition and exercise opportunities in Leeds.

The BLF Project, running from January 2017 - March 2019, will deliver:

·12 Respiratory Information Events - in targeted communities to promote Breathe Easy activity

·Recruit and Support Volunteers - to strengthen the basis of Breathe Easy groups

·Help to set up 11 New Breathe Easy groups - meeting monthly with a focus on
self-care and wellbeing

·Weekly Exercise Classes - sustained on self-funding basis.

Tel: 0300 003 0555
Email: via /
Website:
Facebook: /britishlungfoundation
Twitter: @lunguk

Care and Repair Leeds

Care & Repair Leeds is the Home Improvement Agency for Leeds and has been assisting older and disabled people to live in a warm, safe and secure environment since 1987. The aim of the agency is to improve people’s living conditions, promote independence through enhancing health and quality of life, and enable people to remain living in their own home or return to their home following discharge from hospital. Some of the services provided are:

  • Minor adaptations and repairs service
  • Warm homes service
  • Housing choice service
  • Support my life—catalogue and online shop of daily living aids.

Tel: 0113 240 6009
Email:
Website:
Facebook: /crleeds
Twitter: @crleeds

Carers Leeds

Carers Leeds supports all carers aged 16+ of people with physical and sensory impairments. Many of the carers who Carers Leeds support have health problems and impairments themselves, therefore they provide information, advice and support alongside a variety of social opportunities. Monthly support groups are run by staff members who use BSL to provide additional support and improve social involvement with other carers, alongside printing a bi-monthly newsletter with additional information necessary to supporting all carers. The newsletter is also available in large print and audio formats if required.

Tel: 0113 380 4300
Email:
Website:
Facebook: /carersleeds
Twitter: @carersleeds

CASA (Care and Share Associates)

The CASA family of services was established in 2004 with a vision of becoming the UK’s leading employee-owned provider of domiciliary health and social care support services to older and disabled people. Services provided by CASA in this area focus around improving the quality of life for people who use CASA services by providing high quality care that allows them to stay in their own homes. They also aim to:

  • Recruit and invest in the long-term unemployed in low-income communities through the CASA Academy
  • Seek a wider benefit on local communities.

Tel: 0113 277 7871
Email:
Website:
Facebook: /CASA-Ltd-1449253001991115
Twitter: @CasaOneLtd

Connect Housing

Connect Housing is a housing and support provider with a passion for a fairer society, where people’s homes, health and happiness matter.
Connect offers 1,800 homes for all types of household, plus over 700 properties for older peopleandhousing with support for over 400 people,with almost 200 affordable ownership homes. Alongsidethis, they provide a wide range of support services including working with young people and parents, and helping tenants manage their homes and finances across the whole of Leeds area, and in West Yorkshire.

Tel: 0300 500 0600
Email:
Website:
Facebook: /ConnectHousing
Twitter: @ConnectHousing

Deafblind UK

Deafblind UK knows that with the right support, deafblind people can live healthier, enjoyable and dignified lives. Deafblind UK are open, accessible and relevant to all deafblind people offering crucial support including guidance, understanding, emotional support and other opportunities. Deafblind UK provides practical solutions and human support to improve independence and reduce isolation. Within the local area of Leeds, they provide support to those with deafblindness by running services such as:

  • Information and advice line
  • Befriender service
  • Social groups
  • Digital inclusion.

Tel: 0173 335 8100
Email:
Website:
Facebook: /DBUKCharity
Twitter: @DeafblindUK

DIAL (Leeds)

DIAL (LEEDS) was established in 1979 as a Disabled People’s User Led organisation (DPULO). They aim to be representative of the people who use, or are likely to use their services including people with: physical or sensory impairments, learning disabilities/difficulties, mental health issues or long-term conditions. DIAL exists to ensure that disabled people are not discriminated against or disadvantaged through lack of knowledge of their rights or awareness of available opportunities. Everything that DIAL does within the community is geared towards independent living, inclusion and empowerment, therefore maximising choice and control for people over their lives. DIAL (Leeds) offers a range of services from peer support to one-to-one assistance, help with getting ready for and attending meetings, appointments and assessments, food and fuel poverty assistance and health and wellbeing initiatives to social enterprise activities including RADAR key accessible toilet keys, wheelchair hire, walking equipment hire and so on.

Tel: 0113 467 6983
Email:
Website:
Facebook: /DIAL-LEEDS-1616885815248602
Twitter: @DialLeeds

Different Strokes – Leeds Central

Different Strokes aims to empower younger stroke survivors, their families and friends to reclaim their lives and ambitions through active support.
The Leeds Central group welcomes stroke survivors who are younger or young at heart, working or not. Carers and other interested parties are also welcome. The group offers exercise programmes devised by a physio to take account of the person’s capabilities; talks on matters such as speech, exercise and fatigue; social and arts activities; tea and supportive chat at weekly meetings. They also hold socials at weekends or evenings, such as slow walking, meals out, bowling, pub quizzes and whatever members want. They aim to increase support and knowledge of stroke related matters such as NHS stroke pathways and support around Leeds, and to share the stroke related experience of members.

Tel: 0345 130 7172
Email:
Website:
Facebook: /DifferentStrokesLeedsUK
Twitter: @diffstrokes

Disability Sport Yorkshire

Disability Sport Yorkshire aims to address the inequality in access to sport for disabled people. They aim to make Yorkshire the best place in England for disabled people to improve their wellbeing through physical activity and playing sport on a regular basis. They do this by:

  • Providing specialist knowledge and expertise
  • Providing leadership and co-ordinationof all opportunities for disability sport, maximising all available resources and developing pathways to participation
  • Developingcoaching, volunteering and community leadershipwith and for disabled people, raising awareness, creating new opportunities and strengthening support for disability sport.

Tel: 0192 437 2382
Email: via contact page on website
Website:
Facebook: /DisSportYorks
Twitter: @DisSportYorks

DREAM CIO

DREAM (Registered charity number: 1169165) was formed to improve the health and wellbeing of disabled people living in North West Leeds. They do this by creating opportunities for disabled people aged 18-65 to remain independent and remain socially involved in their community. DREAM is a user-led project designed to relieve social isolation, promote health and wellbeing, re-establish a feeling of self-worth and promote independence and improve mental health. The main aims are to:

  • Combat social isolation
  • Support disabled people’s recreational needs
  • Share information and sources of assistant to aid independence
  • Build a local information base around disability issues
  • Be involved in the planning and development of local services for disabled people.

Tel: 07708 245425
Email:
Website:
Facebook: /DreamNWLeeds
Twitter: @dreamnwleeds

Equine Pathways UK

Equine Pathways UK is a Leeds based equine therapy organisation, offering free of charge sessions to children and adults with a range of support needs. Centre users range from children struggling with bullying, autism and learning difficulties to adults experiencing depression and other health conditions. Horses are very sensitive and emotionally connected animals, they have the ability to sense emotions and respond in a very comforting and supportive way.This mutual history of hardship helps to form strong connections between centre users and therapy horses, helping to build a relationship of confidence, self-esteem and comfort.
Tel: 0113 289 7316
Email:
Website:
Facebook: /Equine-Pathways-UK-1515004648814625
Twitter: @Equinepuk

FDM – For Disability Mobility

Fully accessible minibus for groups of older and disabled adults and children based in South Leeds. They organise a range of trips and social outings.

Tel: 0113 288 9000
Email:
Website:
Facebook: /fdmbus.fdmbus
Twitter: @FDMbus

Feel Good Factor

Health and wellbeing activities, based in Chapeltown but working citywide, with communities and individuals, aiming to address health inequalities and target resources at some of the most disadvantaged communities in Leeds. Feel Good Factor are one of the partners in the new sensory impairment service in Leeds, along with BID, Association of Blind Asians and Age UK Leeds.

Tel: 0113 350 4200
Email:
Website:
Facebook: /fgfleeds
Twitter: @fgfleeds

Get Cooking

Get Cooking is a new social enterprise in Leeds that provides accessible cooking courses that focus on the needs of disabled people.

Tel: 07595 510039
Email:
Website:

Guide Dogs

Guide Dogs UK provides mobility and freedom to blind and partially sighted people, whilst also campaigning for the rights of people with visual impairment. They have been expertly breeding and training guide dogs for more than 75 years, providing many thousands to blind and partially-sighted people of all ages and from all walks of life. Guide Dogs also delivers confidence-building rehabilitation services to adults, young people and children – including long cane mobility training and communication and daily living skills.

Tel: 0118 983 5555
Email:
Website:
Facebook: /guidedogsUK
Twitter: @guidedogs

Leeds Bereavement Forum

Leeds Bereavement Forum is a small charity which works to develop and improve bereavement services in the city. They provide training, information, events and conferences to people who work in bereavement to support their professional development. They work to improve the provision of bereavement services and campaign to help people talk more openly about dying and bereavement.