Location announced for new day support service for Rotherham residents with learning disabilities

The £2.1m plan will see a new state-of-the-art facilities that would offer a range of unique opportunities and services for people with learning disabilities, autism or high support needs and their families. The existing complex needs day services offer for people with a learning disability and autism is currently provided from the Elliott Centre in Rotherham Town Centre and Maple Avenue in Maltby. However, the council’s lease at the Elliott Centre is ‘high risk’, as the site is currently being redeveloped, which risks the centre ‘becoming a building site’.

Some buildings are also ‘derelict and subject to vandalism’. Proposals for the service, at Warden Street in Canklow, will be presented to cabinet on October 17. In total 29 potential sites were identified throughout the borough.

A report to cabinet states: ” Design will focus on providing a modern, state of the art facility whilst providing a welcoming, calming and exciting purpose-built environment. The build will comprise of carbon reduction technologies and meet all building regulation standards aimed at reducing carbon and running costs. The service will provide employment opportunities, events and activities.

“The new service will be multi-functional within the heart of the community and welcome support and involvement from local businesses, community groups and voluntary sector organisations. The offer will focus on community connectivity. The service model will support people with complex support needs, and others who would be supported with a pathway to achieve longer term outcomes and goals, eventually not being reliant on the service other than for drop-in support from the hub as and when required. The model will also support young adults in transition to achieve a life of their own”

People using the current services at Maple Avenue in Maltby and The Elliott Centre in Herringthorpe will continue to receive support and will be offered a new assessment of their care and support needs, to ensure the new service model meets their requirements when those buildings close.

Councillor David Roche, cabinet member for adult social care and health said: “Empowering people to lead independent and fulfilling lives is at the heart of our learning disability transformation programme. These plans are a key pillar of that strategy, alongside providing support for people with disabilities to access employment and housing.

“We are looking forward to working with the people who currently use our services to design and develop the facilities at Castle View, and the programme of activities that we will run there.

“The site offers so much potential for development including space to create allotment areas and sensory gardens, and because of its size, it will allow for more flexibility on how the space is used, which enables us to be creative and innovative with the services we offer.”

Plans for the new service come following a period of consultation with existing service users, their carers and families, which highlighted the importance of the right support, in the right environment with the opportunity to ‘live my best life’ through creating new experiences that maximises potential.