Ampthill Day Centre review
Following extensive mapping and engagement, including pilots and activities with Ampthill Day Centre service customers, we developed a proposal of a new enhanced service.
What happens next?
At its meeting on 4 December the Executive approved the proposal to implement a hub and spoke model as an alternative to Ampthill Day Centre and subsequently close the current centre.
This would mean rather than one large day centre as there is now, the service would run from a main day ‘hub’, identified as the Silsoe Horticultural Centre, which would be open every day between Monday and Friday. While the hub may suit those with higher care needs, or those who prefer the stability of the same place every time they visit, it can also be available for other customers. We will make adaptations to Silsoe Horticultural Centre, which is currently a day centre for adults with disabilities, so it can accommodate a higher number of customers with a range of care and support needs and this will be the main hub. In addition, ‘spokes’ venues will be available across the local area on different days. These will be in Grand Union Housing sheltered housing schemes that provide a homelier setting and will hopefully be more local to the people that use the service.
Our staff are meeting with customers individually to look at alternative venues to ensure they are fully supported and their needs continue to be met.
Once this service is successfully set up and customers have moved to the new venues, we would close Ampthill Day Centre.
Changes being made a Silsoe Horticultural Centre
Silsoe Horticultural Centre has been used as a base for adults with disabilities and it has been identified as a suitable venue for older people who could also benefit from the facilities there. We ran a pilot at Silsoe Horticultural Centre in 2018 for a group of customers from the Ampthill Day Centre who were interested in going to the centre alongside the current customers who attend and feedback showed that both groups of customers benefitted from this.
To make best use of the space at Silsoe Horticultural Centre, adaptations will be required. We hope that the proposed adaptations to the site could benefit both the older people and current and future adults with disabilities using the centre.
The centre will continue to provide services for adults with disabilities but there will be additional members of staff on-hand to support the group of older people with their care and support needs.