Praise for Peterborough day service which helps adults with learning disabilities

Day Opportunities, managed by City College Peterborough and funded by Peterborough City Council, provides day and employment support to adults with learning disabilities and autism.

The programme supports more than 250 people across its four main Peterborough locations and in the community. The programme transferred to City College Peterborough from the City Council in 2015.

An independent report carried out by Tim Hall Associates evaluated all aspects of the programme since this transition and found it to be of high quality and significant cost-saving.

The other key findings published in the report included:

For an annual cost of £1.6 million, the Day Opportunities programme delivers cost avoidance of at least £3 million a year to Peterborough City Council and health service and as much as £16 million in welfare benefits

Day Opportunities is a high quality programme and meets the quality of life standards set out in the Care Act (2014)

The cost avoidance to Peterborough City Council through facilitation of independent living and the prevention of supported living arrangement for non commissioned clients is estimated to be £1,195,480 per year

The programme has consistently high satisfaction levels from service-users and parents and carers

In one year, 63,341 hours (the equivalent to nearly 704 football matches) of support was provided.

The micro-enterprises developed in the programme provide real world experience for service-users and support greater independence and fulfilment

Through a vast range of activities Day Opportunities supports people to develop and maintain employability and independent living skills. Micro-enterprises developed in the programme include catering company, Royce Rolls. The programme runs an industrial hub where people upcycle pallets and furniture and create crafted items.

The programme also supports adults with complex needs in stimulating environments and through a range to therapies and activities ensuring their health and wellbeing needs are met.

Julie Bennett, Vice Principal – Day Opportunities and Innovation Pilot, said: “To have the hard work of the Day Opportunities teams across our programme praised so positively is extremely pleasing.

“It is our person-centred approach that makes it the service of choice for supported people and helps them to develop the skills and confidence to allow them to be as independent as possible and carry out day-to-day tasks that many of us take for granted.

“The programme is financially sound giving cost avoidance to the local authority through facilitation of employment and independent living.

“Looking ahead, there is lots of opportunity for organisations and businesses to get involved with the programme by offering work placements or helping with fundraising.”

The Day Opportunities main sites are at the Kingfisher Centre in Bretton; Employability Hub in Lincoln Road; Industrial Hub in Hampton and City Centre Hub at City College Peterborough in Brook Street.

Among the supported people using the programme is Tony Insalata, who regularly visits the city centre and industrial hubs, with his support worker Paul Mansfield praising him for his growing independence, skill and confidence.

The scheme will be marked at the City College’s annual Celebration of Learning event on Wednesday 16th October.

An event for businesses to find out more about Day Opportunities and employment schemes will take place in November.

To register your interest please contact Anastasia Harvey on 01733 761361 ext. 295, or email [email protected]