CP1098-14 Buildings Based Day Services – Entry Point 12

Buildings based day services could offer a whole or half day of service or could offer discrete activities or sessions that people might chose to attend. Buildings based day services will be of value as a meeting point, for providing a flexible 'drop-in' for people at times of their choosing, for providing access to facilities suitable for people with disabilities (i.e. toilets and kitchen areas, meeting rooms), for providing a access point for information advice and signposting, for providing spaces for one to one support and small group activities. But as much as possible the building should take the form of an ordinary facility, preferably one that can be used by anyone in the community, regardless of whether or not they have health or disability related difficulties and located within and with easy access to, community services and facilities. Furthermore buildings based services will increasingly provide a space, facilities and support to people who are attending activities run by external voluntary and community groups and other organisations. Incidental to the provision of meaningful activity for people attending buildings based day services, services can also provide respite for carers. The ability to offer person centred activities for a whole day or half day with integrated support and if necessary care, can allow carers to take a significant break from caring responsibilities. Increasingly people who receive social care funding wish to take up mainstream social and cultural opportunities, and to build broader social networks. They want to receive support and partake in activities that are personalised around their needs and theirs and their carers wishes. Traditional services have been less effective in enabling these sorts of opportunities. Building-based services have a role to play in supporting people to maintain and extend social networks and access to mainstream roles and activities. This specification describes the Councils approach to modernised buildings based day services. This Specification is not related to a community enabling or community facilitation offer, whereby a number of hours of support which enables or facilitates access and use of services and activities open to all (universal services). Community enabling or facilitation is commissioned as appropriate via the Personal Care and Support Framework.