Review of Day Services for Adults in North East Lincolnshire
In North East Lincolnshire, local health and care organisations have been reviewing how adult day activities (Day Services) are offered locally.
Day Services are offered to adults with disabilities or complex needs, including people with sensory and learning disabilities and this service currently operates from two main centres: one in Grimsby, at Cromwell Road Resource Centre; and one in Cleethorpes, at the Curzon Centre.
The review aimed to find out:
- what people like about the current service
- how it could be improved
- whether it is meeting the needs of carers
- how service users were able to get along during the Covid pandemic when centres were, at times, closed or operating with a reduced capacity
- if there is an interest in taking part in more activities in the community (rather than always attending a Centre).
Over 200 people had their say including staff, service users, unpaid carers, and people with an interest. They were able to share their views by completing a survey or by talking to Council, ICB and Healthwatch North East Lincolnshire staff about their experiences.
The survey and visits to the centres provided a wealth of insightful information which highlighted how valuable service users and carers find the Day Service, and a report has now been published to share the findings from the first stage of the Review. This can be viewed here.
Some of the key findings of the Review are:
- Service users value the activities which are available at Day Centres in North East Lincolnshire
- People would like to see a service which is more flexible and responsive to their needs, including weekend and evening opening.
- The support provided by staff is greatly valued by service users and their carers
We have also produced a short ‘You Said, We Did’ document showing the key issues identified in the survey responses, and what we’re doing in response, which can be viewed here.
Bev Compton, Director of Adult Services said: “Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to our surveys – your experience and views will be invaluable as we move onto the next stage of the Review. It’s clear from the feedback we have received and the findings of the engagement report, that the current service, the staff who work in it, and the activities provided, are highly valued by service users and their carers; however, there are areas of the service which could be developed in the future to better meet the changing needs of our local population”.
“As the Review progresses, we’re looking forward to working with our local partners to explore how we can work together to provide a more flexible service which can meet the needs of our current and future needs of our local population, with a range of activities and support in our Day centres, and in the community”, said Bev.
Next Steps
At the start of July, Sector Support North East Lincolnshire, a service which provides support to the local voluntary (VCSE) sector, hosted a workshop for representatives of VCSE organisations to find out more about Day Services, and share information about the activities offered by their organisation.
We have also held workshops at Cromwell Road Resource Centre, Grimsby, and the Curzon Centre, Cleethorpes, to discuss with staff in detail how they think Centre based services could be enhanced in the future.
As the Review progresses, we’re planning to hold workshops to involve service users and their carers in these conversations, to help them shape the future of Day Services in North East Lincolnshire.
We’re looking forward to continuing these conversations over the coming months, and we will provide regular updates on the LiveWell and Accord websites.