Adult Day Services

Our Day Services offer a busy, vibrant and varied environment, where choice, independence and high standards are central to the opportunities available. By choosing the activities that suit peoples’ aspirations, needs and preferences, we can offer a very individual programme with support from a well trained, dedicated staff team.

Our services are currently based within our day centre in Forest Hall, as well as within a community enterprise base on the Orion Business Park in North Shields. What makes us special are the resources that we have – the specialist staff, the staffing ratio, the standard of equipment, the grounds where adult services are based and the beautiful buildings. But what really sets us apart is our attitude of “just think what’s possible.”

Look at what’s on offer……

Printing
Able2Print, based in on the Orion Business Park in North Shields, is our new facility which provides service users with an opportunity to develop skills and train within a business environment. Service users can gain experience in office skills, customer care, printing skills, packaging, as well as catering / domestic work.

Able2Cook
Also situated on the Orion Business Park, Able2Cook is a purpose built catering unit which provides our service users with training, development and work experience in catering. The kitchen caters for our service users and staff that attend the Orion activity units. They also organise theme based social evenings that are very popular with our service users and guests.

Soundscapes
The main objective of music is participation. The department is equipped with current music technology in the form of keyboard synthesisers, drum machines, sound samplers, sequencing software linked to computers and Sound Beams, which help make music accessible to everyone. The music studio is worth a visit in itself, to hear the passion for his subject that our staff, Charlie and David have and how that communicates to the service users.

Multi Media
Multi Media is one of our new projects, currently being developed at the Orion Business Park, alongside Soundscapes. The studio space, control room and stop frame animation area have been created and the studio will have adjustable benches for wheelchair access.

Multi media aims to develop projects initiated by our service users, as well as being used by community groups and businesses to enhance the effectiveness of their communication. Our Multi Media Coordinator Kevin Taylor plans to introduce projects, such as Able2 magazine, training and induction video, development of e-sales and photography of produce, entry into video arts competitions and we aim to continue working in partnership with the VODA Millennium volunteers and Able2 'I don't believe it' drama group.

Training and production practice in video, high-end digital photography, digital and stop - frame animation and web design with streaming video will be available. There will be lots of different roles for people to try out and get involved in, both in front of and behind the camera, including writing, storyboarding, scripting, directing, production services, camera operation, lighting, sound recording, vision mixing, linear and non linear editing, grip operation, set design and building, make up and special effects.

Horticulture
Based at the day centre in Forest Hall, our Horticulture Department invites participants to try gardening as a leisure pursuit, a therapeutic activity or as learning skills to enable them to progress to a vocational qualification. Woodwork is also incorporated into activities within this department to provide variety and encourage people to try new activities.

Ceramics
Within the Pottery Department, we take full advantage of the flexible nature of clay and aim to make quality ceramics. Items vary from traditional functional work to sculptural pieces. We have a large kiln and a fully equipped room, but more importantly we have enthusiastic and creative staff to ensure that everyone gets involved.

The Resource Room
The resource room is a comfortable relaxed setting where we provide a quiet dining area for people who do not like the busy dining room. The room is equipped with two computers and our service users have the opportunity to write their life story with the guidance of Susan Thompson, who has had specialist life story training.

The resource room is a base for service user representation, training and occasional drama workshops and Alan Wilson, resident of Chipchase House helps run the resource room with Susan on a voluntary basis. The room has a large plasma screen television with video and DVD, that can be used for training or recreation purposes.

The resource room is a base for our Credit Union savings club and we also run a tuck shop during breaks.

Art and Craft
The aim of the Art and Craft Room is to enable people to gain personal satisfaction and enjoyment from producing quality art and craft objects. Activities include paper craft, drawing, group projects, furniture restoration, sensory art, art appreciation and history, working with textiles and much more. This department is always busy and “buzzing” with activity.

Sport and Leisure
The Sport and Leisure programme incorporates a wide variety of both indoor and outdoor pursuits. These include fishing, swimming, canoeing, horse riding, carriage riding, Boccia, wheelchair football, attending the local gym among many other options. The Department also plays an active role in encouraging participation in major regional and national events, including North East and National Boccia Championships and the Jack Charlton Fishing Competition.

ICT
The Karten CTEC Centre was opened in 2000, and has 16 multimedia PC’s which are networked and connected to the Internet, with 2 further stand alone work stations. The centre has a variety of assistive devices and software to enable users to use the computers, including voice recognition, touch screens, enlarged keyboards, tracker balls and so on. Sessions have different themes to enable users to pick out what they are interested in. For example, sessions include digital photography, word processing, an entry level accredited course, games, Internet searches etc.

Living Skills
The aim of the Living Skills Training Room is to promote good food hygiene and safety and to develop and enhance an individual’s understanding of cooking methods, in order to promote independence and enjoyment of preparing and cooking food (and clearing up afterwards!)

Hedley, Magpies and Dove Groups
Some of our service users with profound and multiple disabilities require one to one support, and we therefore have 2 teams who support these service users to access the full range of day centre activities, with the additional activity of sensory stimulation in our sensory rooms.

Linskill
Able2 at linskill will provide rebound therapy, sensory, gym, recreational room, spa-sensory and changing facilities, boccia and drama groups.

Service users will have the opportunity to gain work experience in our reception area, answering the telephone and general responsibilities of a receptionists role.

Able2 at linskill will also provide a community base for all to meet up and have a chat, also for service users to access courses in the linskill centre itself.

Additional activities
For added variety, we have also introduced make-up/pamper sessions, relaxation and social activities into our programme, as well as Drama (an accredited course) a discussion group and work with a Voluntary Group (VODA) on group projects.

Physiotherapy
In order to get the most from all of the activities on offer, an individual must be healthy, comfortable, as pain free as possible and have any adaptations that are appropriate. Our Physiotherapy Team, led by a Superintendent Physiotherapist therefore assess and treat service users with an individual programme, which might include use of the tilt table, Hydrotherapy, Rebound Therapy (on the trampoline), passive movements, walking sessions, aromatherapy and so on. The physiotherapist can also support individuals with wheelchair adaptations, repairs, moving and handling advice, drop-in sessions etc. This really is a vital service, and one that is highly valued by service users and their families.

To truly get a feel for our services however, we always encourage people to come and visit, talk to our staff and service users and make up your own mind! To arrange a visit, please telephone reception on 0191 2381300.