Current Service Provision
There are four main services in East Dunbartonshire Council that are accessed by people with learning disabilities and autism. These are
Allander Resource Centre
Allander Resource Centre is located within the Allander Leisure Centre in Bearsden, close to both the Milngavie and Bearsden town centres and other local amenities. The service is registered to provide support for up to 60 adults with learning disabilities each day. The centre provides specialist facilities for people with severe and complex learning disabilities and provides a community resource for other people with learning disabilities who are supported mainly in community settings.
The Team Leader is Sarah Stoddart – Tel: 0141 777 3017
Outlook Day Service
The Outlook base is situated in Partnership House, Union Street, Kirkintilloch. The service provides community-based support for people with a moderate learning disability who do not require to access the specialist resources that are used by people with more severe learning disabilities.
The Team Leader is Mark Reynard – Tel: 0141 777 3027
Outreach Day Service
This is a service that provides informal group activities on evenings or at weekends for adults who have a range of learning disabilities or autism.
The Team Leader is Ashleigh Grant-Ng – Tel: 07789 876344
Local Area Coordinators
The LAC service is a community-based service providing both 1:1 support and group support for a limited number of adults who have a diagnosis of autism or a learning disability (but who would not normally meet the eligibility criteria for formal Day Services). LACs also support people with mild learning disabilities or autism towards gaining employment, getting involved in volunteering or training opportunities.
The Team Leader is Ashleigh Grant-Ng – Tel: 07789 876344.
The future of Learning Disability Day Services
The vision for Learning Disability Day Services within East Dunbartonshire is to provide an integrated comprehensive joined up Day Service where staff from the Allander, Outlook, Outreach and LAC services work together with shared leadership to best meet the needs of all the service users who access Learning Disability Day Services within EDC. Service users will be provided with the support that best meets their needs and aspirations, whether that be building based support, community-based support, or a mixture of both.
There will be shared leadership, planning and responsibilities with staff from both the Allander and Outlook teams being responsible for carrying out reviews and implementing support plans that have been agreed with the service user or their carer or guardian.
Allander Resource Centre
Allander Resource Centre is a purpose-built centre designed to meet the needs of adults with severe and complex learning disabilities living within East Dunbartonshire. The centre has specialist facilities such as a sensory room, physio room, quiet rooms, a low arousal room, hydrotherapy pool and Rebound facility. There is also a large multi-purpose area that serves as a dining room as well as an art room, dance studio, music room and computer room and other multi-purpose areas.
Service users can access some of the facilities within the Allander Leisure Centre including the swimming pool and Games Hall. There is also a sensory garden outside as well as raised beds which are maintained by service users in the gardening groups.
People with severe or complex learning disabilities who attend the Allander Resource Centre as their main base are supported to access the community when it is safe and beneficial for them to do so. High levels of support will be available at The Allander for service users who have severe and complex learning disabilities including those with profound learning disabilities (PMLD).
Outlook Day Service
Outlook staff will provide community support, this mainly for service users who have mild/moderate learning disabilities. They facilitate groups that are of interest to and appropriate for groups of service users in venues that are accessible for most of the service users who attend. Outlook currently support groups of service users to meet at the café area of Partnership House, the Milan Hall within Partnership House, Hillhead Community Centre, Milngavie Community Centre, Allander Leisure Centre and Allander Resource Centre. There are also walking groups, swimming groups, cooking groups and a Culture group. Outlook staff continue to provide 1:1 support in the community for those service users who cannot attend group activities due to their high levels of anxiety..
Outreach Day Service
Outreach staff will provide social activities and opportunities for people with learning disabilities in the form of evening group activities and clubs as well as some limited 1:1 support. This will help prevent social isolation and support a preventative approach as staff will be able to signpost service users and their families by providing information about organisations that may be of assistance, e.g. CAB or Carers Link.
Local Area Coordination Service
LACs will continue to offer some individual support and some limited group support; however their main remit will be to develop and establish groups and networks within EDC and to direct the people who are referred to them to these groups. The expertise of LACs will be very important in developing strategy and policy in relation to autism, training/learning for service users and in employment initiatives. It is hoped that Outreach sessional staff and/or volunteers will facilitate groups that have been set up by LACs.
Volunteers
Volunteers will be used to provide a breadth of specialist knowledge and skills that will enhance learning and development opportunities in groups. Volunteers will also be used as Befrienders or Buddies, providing support for service users who may be isolated or in need of support.
Consultation
There is regular consultation with service users and families about service provision, about what activities service users want to do which would meet their needs and outcomes. There is also regular correspondence in the form of newsletters including a Day Services newsletter and an Autism newsletter containing information updates from about what is happening in the areas of learning disability, autism and neurodiversity.
It is hoped that an active Service User consultation group and a Parent/Carers group will be established providing the Day Services management team with insight into the views and wishes of service users and their families