GIRVAN OPPORTUNITIES

KEYS TO LIFE- SERVICE PLAN 2015-2016

“WORKING TOWARDS BETTER OUTCOMES FOR THE PEOPLE WE SUPPORT”

Keys to Life: Day Opportunities

The (same as you)encouraged local authorities to review their day careservices. It said that the role of day centres should change to increasingly become resource centres. It proposed that nobody should go to a day centre full-time, and instead should use it as a base to identify and participate in activities in the wider community. It promoted that day centres or support services should become more communityfocused by helping people with learning disabilities to access continuing education and development, real jobs, achieve their desired outcomes and become more involved in their communities.

Keys to life
recommendations / Girvan Opportunities works towards Keys to life
recommendations by
5) That we support individuals to think creatively about how their outcomes can be met /
  • 6 monthly review process
  • Class outcomes
  • Question of the week –Service users are given choice in all aspects of their care and support
  • Open day-full class choices
  • Clearer review paperwork –Easy read / Service user/ Carer Feedback

4) Ensure staff are trained in talking mats /
  • Manager attended talking mats training sessions “Keeping Safe”
  • Staff trained in Boardmaker
  • Boardmaker symbols used in new review paperwork and other correspondence
  • Communication Class- Weekly input from speech and language therapist – Makaton, Board Maker
  • Asdan Communication Class offered
  • Use of talking products throughout the building to enhance communication

40) Increased learning/educational opportunities /
  • Changed service from traditional day centre in line with Self Directed Support to meet individual needs offering a wide range of classes.
  • We offer ASDAN accredited learning and are increasing classes every year
  • We have our own small business enterprise making handmade cards and gifts
  • Service users volunteer at local residential home and community garden
  • Service users from the performance dance class took part in Girvan Academy’s Arts Festival and performed to over 200 people from the local community.

39) Smoother transition pathways (including information on SDS) /
  • Opened our doors to the learning disabled community – service users are able to attend our service without a referral from social work if they require no support
  • Close links with local special needs school- Manager attends all transition meetings of new school leavers
  • School leavers are able to attend all classes to help identify any potential interests prior to leaving school

41) Develop a range of supported employment opportunities /
  • Work closely with Community Garden and Hillcrest Residential Home offering volunteer opportunities to service users
  • New ASDAN Business Enterprise class- Making and selling handmade products to the sell at the local community festival
  • ASDAN Workright –Employability Skills Class starting in September 2015 (Linking with Ayrshire College)
  • Future Goal- Girvan Opportunities Planning Committee to develop and run their own small micro business within the local community

32) Promote the uptake of advocacy services /
  • Continued involvement from CASS advocacy – Invite them in to Staying Happy and Healthy class every year to remind service users of the role of advocacy service and support Service users who may wish an advocate
  • Purchased and shared advocacy books for all service users
  • Support service user/advocacy meetings by providing private environment for meetings

42) Increased volunteer opportunities /
  • Good community links- Service users volunteering in Community Garden, Hillcrest Residential Home and Sacred Heart Primary School

27) Review and further develop day opportunitiesthat are person-centred, assets-based and values driven and that
take account of staffing, education, employment and transport issues. /
  • Team creatively transformed service from traditional Day Centre to a person centred day service in line with SDS
  • Team have a solution focused approach which allows the service to continually develop.
  • Staff team at Girvan Opportunities continually go the extra mile to offer the best service –Monthly social club at weekends that staff have volunteered to initially set up and run at service users request
  • Classes offered are reviewed annually –Staff are fully involved in class planning and classes change at service users request

7) All personal plans should be fully person centred and set out how they will provide high quality services and supports that deliver outcomes for people, including those agreed as part of person centred care planning and self-directed support. /
  • Service Reviews held 6 monthly- Family/Carers and all other agencies are invited to attend
  • Consultation held in 2010 to changed support plans and ensure they are fully person centred
  • Since the consultation we continually update support plans and other paperwork to reflect service users choice
  • In 2014 we consulted with service users and carers on the new review paperwork which included the use of board maker symbols, since then we have updated our review paperwork again in a joint project with Speech and Language to ensure our paperwork is able to clearly evidence views of service users with limited verbal communication.
  • Service users all have personal outcomes and staff evidence their progress in relation to their outcomes
  • Paperwork has been changed to reflect service user outcomes/talking points and any progress achieved in relation to these.
  • Staff have good understanding through development days of talking points/outcomes based approaches

2) Provide opportunities to promote quality for people with learning disabilities through actively involving them in local developments that affect them /
  • Have your Say Group meet weekly and have been involved in some important issues relating to the safety of others inside and outside the building and in relation to the development of easy read material in relation to SAC complaints procedure.
  • Service users from the Performance Dance class took part in Girvan Academy’s Arts Festival and performed to over 200 people from the local community.
  • Set up of monthly social club at local venues in the community that staff have volunteered to initially set up and run at service user’s request. Open to all people who attend Girvan Opportunities
  • Service users involved in the charter of involvement and keys to life strategy through the Have your Say group
  • Involvement in community projects –Community Garden and Arts Festival, breaking down barriers
  • New location-Being part of a community based resource has been a great move for our service
  • Staff team involved in locality planning consultation

South Ayrshire Council Priorities, Aims & Objectives / Girvan Opportunities works towards SAC Priorities, Aims & Objectives by
Health & Social Care Partnership Vision “Working together for the best possible health and wellbeing of our communities” /
  • Service have good links with the health team
  • Health Team deliver a wellness and recovery planning group once a week
  • Service accommodates monthly health drop
  • Development of Keep Safe Scheme Pan Ayrshire
  • Working in partnership with community groups to build a stronger community presence

Health & Social Care Partnership Mission “We will work with you to improve health, support social care, tackle health inequality, and improve community wellbeing. We will work in partnership with local communities to offer services that are: Easily understood, Accessible and Timely, Well-Coordinated, Safe and Person Centred, Effective and Efficient” /
  • Good working relationships with the health team to ensure better outcomes for service users
  • Strong community links with local schools, Community Garden, residential home- Service users involved in community projects and volunteer opportunities
  • Service paperwork and support plans have been reviewed and updated to make sure they are person centred and accessible (use of board maker symbols)
  • Development of Pan Ayrshire Keep Safe initiative –Overall aim is for people with disabilities to feel safer in their communities

Health & Social Care Partnership Values “Safety, Caring, Integrity, Individually focused, Engaged, Respectful” /
  • Service users are made aware of Health & Social Care Partnership Values as well as Keys to Life, Charter for involvement and National Outcomes –Through the Have your Say group, service updates, notice boards

Priority: Increase achievement and provide a stimulating and challenging learning environment for all /
  • We offer ASDAN accredited learning and are increasing classes every year
  • Annual Award Ceremony - Celebrating individual achievements from the previous year
  • Service users all have personal outcomes and staff evidence their progress in relation to their outcomes
  • New location-Being part of a community based resource has been a great move for our service
  • Classes offered are reviewed annually –Staff are fully involved in class planning and classes change at service users request

Strategic Vision: South Ayrshire is a place which supports people with learning disabilities to build healthy and fulfilling lives. /
  • Offering a wide range of classes to suit a diverse range of age and ability
  • Offering ASDAN accredited learning
  • Supporting volunteer opportunities and community involvement
  • Having strong links with local special needs school to support smooth transitions-opening our classes to school leavers, allowing them to try classes to help identify any areas of interest
  • Good relationships with health team to ensure service users outcomes/needs are met

Keys to Life in South Ayrshire: In South Ayrshire we can be proud of the support we provide to local people with learning disabilities. We value the contribution that people with learning disabilities make to our communities and we are committed to improving quality of life and increasing opportunities for all /
  • Have your Say group
  • Question of the week
  • Service users all have personal outcomes
  • Service users are involved at the start of the new class year for identifying class outcomes for the year
  • Development of ASDANaccredited learning –Workright/Employability/Social Enterprise
  • Community Involvement/Volunteering –Community Garden, Schools. Residential Home

Directorate Objective 6: People have opportunities to develop skills for lifelong learning, employment and community involvement /
  • Wide variety of classes offered
  • ASDAN Accredited Learning
  • Volunteer opportunities
  • Development of micro business – handmade cards, soaps, ASDAN business enterprise group
  • Central location -Part of a shared building with the Job Centre, Community Learning and Development, Opportunities Advisors etc

Directorate Objective 8: People are accepted, respected and have the opportunity to be involved in their communities. /
  • Raising awareness of World Down Syndrome Day by doing random acts of kindness in the local community
  • Service users from the Performance Dance class took part in Girvan Academy’s Arts Festival and performed to over 200 people from the local community.
  • Service users volunteer at the community garden, local school and residential home
  • ASDAN business enterprise group have been making handmade gifts to sell at the local community festival
  • Micro business –handmade cards and soaps
  • Central location -Part of a shared building with the Job Centre, Community Learning and Development, Opportunities advisors etc

Directorate Objective 9:People are safe, supported and protected from harm /
  • Safe welcoming environment
  • Development of Pan Ayrshire Keep Safe initiative –Overall aim is for people with disabilities to feel safer in their communities
  • We invite emergency services and other relevant agencies (Police, Fire, Ambulance, CASS advocacy) in to our service to talk to service users about their roles and to help break down any barriers and ensure service users are aware of community safety and who they can contact in the event of an emergency/needing help advice.

Directorate Objective 10:People have access to high quality services which are influenced by their views and meet their needs. /
  • Service is person centred and service users have choice in all aspects of the service from meals, classes to reviews, parties, days out etc
  • Have a well-established Have your Say group as well as a separate Planning Committee
  • Question of the week- any questions regarding the service, service users views and opinions are sought and any action fed back within the service updates
  • Regular 6 monthly reviews of our service
  • Each service user has personal outcomes and staff record how they are working towards them

Council Aim 4:People in South Ayrshire are confident, qualified and equipped to access better job opportunities. /
  • Service is dedicated to improving outcomes for service users by offering a service that they want
  • Classes are changed/adapted to suit service user’s needs/abilities

Council Aim 6:The voices of our community, including those of children and young people are heard and have influence /
  • Have your Say group
  • Planning Committee
  • Suggestion box
  • Transition Meetings
  • Classes open to school leavers to enable them to try classes to see what they enjoy
  • Service users views are regularly sought through 6 monthly reviews
  • Question of the Week used regularly to gain views of service users from things like parties, classes, activities, self-assessment

Council Aim 14:Our public services are efficient, forward-looking and ambitious, reflecting the views of our stakeholders /
  • Service is person centred and service users have choice in all aspects of the service from meals, classes to reviews, parties, days out etc
  • Continually looking to develop service –ASDAN workright/employability/social enterprise, Keep Safe Initiative

Charter for involvement:The Charter for Involvement is a series of 12 new statements that show how people who use support services want to be involved. The Charter has been produced by members of the National Involvement Network (NIN). The Charter is unique in Scotland as it has been written and developed by people who use services for service providers to make involvement better for everyone.

Charter For Involvement / Girvan Opportunities works towards the charter of involvements aims by
We must be at the heart of any plans about our lives. /
  • Service users are involved in all decisions relating to their care and support
  • Person centred support plans, 6 monthly reviews
  • Question of the week/Suggestion Box
  • Changing classes to meet need/wishes/choices
  • Yearly open day

We have a right to live our lives independently. /
  • Class choices
  • Timetables
  • Meal choices
  • Question of the week- choice in all aspects of the service- activities, parties, outings etc
  • Promote independence in our classes ASDAN, business enterprise, staying happy and healthy

We must be involved in our communities /
  • Volunteering at Community Garden, school and residential home
  • Service users from the performance dance class took part in Girvan academy’s arts festival and performed to over 200 people from the local community.
  • Central location -Part of a shared building with the Job Centre, Community Learning and Development, Opportunities advisors etc

We must be able to speak about how our support is working for us and what would be better. /
  • Have your Say group
  • 6 monthly reviews

We want to be involved in choosing the people who support us /
  • Service users involved in recruitment by seeking their views prior to interviewing for positions

We want to give information and training to staff at all levels. /
  • Development of Keep Safe Initiative

We want to be involved in writing policies that affect us and making them easy to understand. /
  • Have your say group- involved in creating an easy read complaints guide

We want to be involved in decisions made by the organisations that plan and run our support. /
  • 6 monthly reviews
  • Question of the week- Service users are involved in all decisions regarding the service from classes, events, activities, care inspection self-assessments, feedback etc

We want to be involved in events run by the organisations that plan and run our support. /
  • Development of a social club out with service hours run by service users and supported by staff (volunteering)
  • Service users are fully involved in planning events (Summer Ball, Christmas parties) and are involved in all aspects of the organising and decorating
  • Service users involved in local performances and share these within the local community

We want to be involved with ‘Speaking-up’ groups. /
  • Service has developed a weekly Have your Say group that discuss key issues like complaints procedures, community issues, new policies such as keys to life, care inspectorate self-assessments, keep safe initiative etc
  • Service supports a monthly planning committee

We want to take part in national and local campaigns. /
  • Development of Keep Safe initiative
  • Service took part in the recent World Down Syndrome Day by going out into the community and doing random acts of kindness to raise awareness

We have the right to make formal complaints if we need to. /
  • Service users are aware of complaints procedures and have developed an easy read guide to help people understand the process of complaining. They used boardmaker symbols and sent it to SAC asking them to consider using something similar as the current complaintsprocedure isn’t very accessible to those who can’t read.

National Outcomes / Girvan Opportunities works towards the national outcomes by
1) We live in a Scotland that is the most attractive place for doing business in Europe. /
  • Changed location to a bright modern building that is fully accessible. We are now part of a community based resource and this has been a great move for our service

2) We live our lives safe from crime, disorder and danger. /
  • Development of the keep safe initiative
  • Regular visits from the emergency services and advocacy services

3) We realise our full economic potential with more and better employment opportunities for our people. /
  • Development of our Social Enterprise –making handmade cards, soaps etc
  • Development of our ASDAN accredited learning –Business enterprise and Workright/Employability

4) We live in well-designed, sustainable places where we are able to access the amenities and services we need. /
  • Fully accessible building
  • Future plans – to offer changing place facility in line with recommendations from keys to life

5) We are better educated, more skilled and more successful, renowned for our research and innovation. /
  • Development of our Social Enterprise –making handmade cards, soaps etc
  • Development of our ASDAN accredited learning –Business enterprise and Workright/Employability
  • Service users from the performance dance class took part in Girvan academy’s arts festival and performed to over 200 people from the local community.
  • Service users volunteer at the community garden, local school and residential home

6) We have strong, resilient and supportive communities where people take responsibility for their own actions and how they affect others. /
  • Service users volunteer at the community garden, local school and residential home
  • Breaking down barriers by showing the local community what our service users are capable of- dance performance, volunteering, business enterprise

7) Our young people are successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens /
  • Service users from the performance dance class took part in Girvan academy’s arts festival and performed to over 200 people from the local community.
  • Service users volunteer at the community garden, local school and residential home
  • Development of our Social Enterprise –handmade cards, soaps etc
  • Development of our ASDAN accredited learning –Business enterprise and Work right/Employability

8) We value and enjoy our built and natural environment and protect it and enhance it for future generations. /
  • Service users volunteer at the community garden and have worked over the [past two summers to enhance the outside space at the back of our building

9) Our children have the best start in life and are ready to succeed. /
  • Good links during transition with local special needs school

10) We take pride in a strong, fair and inclusive national identity /
  • Breaking down barriers by showing the local community what our service users are capable of- dance performance, volunteering, business enterprise

11) We live longer, healthier lives. /
  • Regular contact with health team
  • We offer healthy meals and snacks
  • We have a variety of different classes that support health and wellbeing

12) We reduce the local and global environmental impact of our consumption and production. /
  • Our service users use a lot of recyclable materials in their Art Enterprise classes

13) We have tackled the significant inequalities in Scottish society. /
  • Opened our doors to the learning disabled community – service users are able to attend our service without a referral from social work if they require no support

14) Our public services are high quality, continually improving, efficient and responsive to local people’s needs. /
  • Team creatively transformed service from traditional Day Centre to a person centred day service in line with SDS
  • Team have a solution focused approach which allows the service to continually develop.
  • Staff team at Girvan Opportunities continually go the extra mile to offer the best service –Monthly social club at weekends that staff have volunteered to initially set up and run at service users request
  • Classes offered are reviewed annually –Staff are fully involved in class planning and classes change at service users request

15) We have improved the life chances for children, young people and families at risk. /
  • Offering a wide range of classes to suit a diverse range of age and ability
  • Offering ASDAN accredited learning
  • Supporting volunteer opportunities and community involvement
  • Having strong links with local special needs school to support smooth transitions-opening our classes to school leavers, allowing them to try classes to help identify any areas of interest
  • Good relationships with health team to ensure service users outcomes/needs are me

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