Having a life not a service

Services provided by Wiltshire Council for people with a learning disability

The Department of Community Services buys, provides and supports a range of services that are available to adults with a learning disability aged 18 and above.
Services may be provided by the Council direct, or arranged through partnerships with other service providers such as health, independent and voluntary sector providers and housing agencies.
The Learning Disabilities Commissioning Team is based in Trowbridge.

The team are:

Phil Powell Head of Commissioning
Avril Mendel Commissioning Manager
Julia Davey Commissioning Officer
Maria Cattelona Commissioning Officer

We can be contacted on 0300 4560100

Or write to us at:
Department of Community Services
County Hall
Bythesea Road
Trowbridge
Wiltshire
BA14 8JN

On the next pages you can find out more about our services.

Day Opportunities

What people do in the day time, evenings and weekends

People with Learning Disabilities want to lead ordinary lives and do the things that most people take for granted. They want to study at college, get a job, have relationships and friendships, and enjoy leisure activities.
Valuing People Now says that family carers and families of people with learning disabilities have the right to the same hopes and choices as other families.
The Department of Community Services has nine day centres and some outreach services. Nearly 400 people use these day services..
Wiltshire is working towards offering new and more exciting day opportunities for people with learning disabilities.

Supported Employment

Our service to support people into employment is called WEST – Wiltshire Employment Support Team.
WEST aim to support people with Learning Disabilities living in Wiltshire find and stay in paid employment with local employers.
We have a team of Job Coaches who provide the support for you to make decisions about employment and to look at what opportunities are available in your local area. We aim is to support you in matching your skills to jobs that are available.

WEST newsletters

To find out more about the work of WEST, please take a look at one of their newsletters.

June 2008 June 2008 177kb

WEST-newsletter-2008-september.pdf September 2008 123kb

WEST-newsletter-2008-december.pdf December 2008 183kb

March 2009 March 2009 148kb

June 2009 June 2009 155kb

September 2009 September 2009 191kb

How to contact West

Main office number 01380 729286 or write to:
WEST
The House
Southfields
Victoria Road
Devizes
Wiltshire SN10 1EY

Community Connecting

The Community Connecting team support people with Learning Disabilities to find things to do near where they live.

This could be helping people to go to a local club or do some voluntary work. They might have a hobby, which they want to do and the team can find someone that they could do this with.

They may also look at whether a direct payment or personal budget could help the person do they things they want to do more independently.

You can contact Community Connecting on 01380 729286

Please have a look at their newsletters for more information about the work the team does.

April 2009 April 2009 149kb

June 2009 June 2009 116kb

October 2009 October 2009 108kb

Short Break Services

We have two new Short Break Homes – Bradbury House in Salisbury and Bradbury Manor in Devizes.

Our services provide short break and emergency care for adults with learning disabilities but do not provide nursing care.

If you let us know in time, you can stay at one of our Short Break Houses so that your carer can take a holiday, if they want one.

Adult Placement Services

The Adult Placement Service mainly offers long-term care or support to people who are unable to live in a home of their own, but who would like to live alongside other people in a family-like setting.
The service also offers short-term placements: this might be to provide a break for carers, or for someone returning to the community after being in hospital.
The Adult Placement Service is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

How to contact the Adult Placement Team

Salisbury Office: 01722 415225

Devizes Office: 01380 730296

'I'm a Person Too' Project

The Valuing People Beacon authorities of Wiltshire Council & Wiltshire People First, the London Borough of Greenwich, Norfolk County Council, and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council are working on the 'I’m a Person Too' project, which was awarded £160,000 of Peer Support Fund grant.
The project aims to make the life chances of people with a learning disability better, particularly those who are misunderstood and socially excluded because organisations often do not communicate well.
The project will offer public sector agencies (Like the Police and Housing departments) the chance to undertake training for more effective communication - and so help them meet the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act.

Homeshare

What is Homeshare?

Homeshare is a simple way of helping people to help each other. A Homeshare involves two people with different sets of needs, both also have something to offer.

Firstly, people who have a home that they are willing to share.
These people are known as Householders and are at a stage in their life where they need some support with carrying out daily tasks like cooking, cleaning or maybe would like some companionship. The support cannot be personal care like dressing or bathing.
Secondly, people who need accommodation and who are willing to give some help, up to 10 hours a week, in exchange for somewhere to stay. These people are known as Homesharers.

By putting these two people together Homeshare manages to find the Householder the help, support and security they need. At the same time Homeshare finds the Homesharer a place to call home, rent free and in an area or property that may have been financially out of their reach.

For further information, please contact

Susan Verity Homeshare Co-ordinator Tel: 07733 091915
or The Social Care Help Desk Tel: 0300 4560111
E-mail: homeshare@wiltshire.gov.uk

Direct Payments

Wiltshire's Direct Payment Support Service is called Compass and this is their website address: www.compassdisability.org.uk

Direct Payments are local council payments for people who have been assessed as needing help from social services, and who would like to arrange to pay for their own care and support services instead of receiving them directly from the local council.

A person must be able to give their consent to receiving direct payments and be able to manage them even if they need help to do this on a day-to-day basis.

Find out more

More information can be found at: www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/FinancialSupport/DG_10016128

Individual Budgets

An individual budget lets you organise your own care. The council pays you an agreed amount of money. You can then hire the support service of your choice. That way they work for you and not the Council.