Day Opportunities
The Northern Trust’s Day Opportunities Programme was established to modernise and reform day services to enable adults with a learning disability to access community based services instead of those that are buildings-based.
A buildings-based day service is another term for an Adult or Day Centre. These buildings-based facilities provide a day service to people with a learning disability who have complex health care needs and or challenging behaviour and or specific vulnerabilities which deem them unsuitable for community-based day services.
Community-Based day services are coordinated through the Day Opportunities Programme. The programme covers four areas of community based opportunities:
- Recreational activity – (through the Base ‘Drop-In’)
- Supported employment
- Volunteering
- Further education
A Day Opportunities Co-ordinator works with the individual and their families/carers and provides a “package” of community based opportunities tailored to the needs and aspirations of the individual and wherever possible within the participant’s home area.
The Northern Trust has developed working partnerships with community and voluntary sector providers and with other government departments to provide a range of locally-delivered services and opportunities for the participants.
There is a Trust-wide team of Day Opportunities Co-ordinators to provide access to these community-based opportunities and monitor individual progress.
Over 600 service users are involved with the Northern Trust’s Day Opportunities Service.
