ECL Colchester Learning Disabilities Day Centre

Based on the outskirts of Colchester we have many community destinations to choose from, including a huge choice of shops, cafes, and restaurants in the city centre. We also have easy access to the coastal and countryside beauty spots of Brightlingsea, Dedham, Mersea, Flatford, Sudbury, and the Wivenhoe trail, giving us many opportunities to get some exercise and immerse ourselves in nature.

We regularly pay a trip to the cinema, bowling alley, and swimming pool. These sorts of leisure activities are not only pleasurable, but allow us to work on our social interaction and money handling skills.

At the Stanway Lakelands Centre we take part in community sports, and activities and at Castle Park we learn about Colchester's heritage while sitting, walking, enjoying music, playing games, or picnicking amongst wonderful flowers and trees.

Whenever we can, we use public transport to get to our destinations allowing us to practise planning a journey, read timetables, and travel safely.

Some of our customers are keen gardeners and volunteer at the 'Seed and Soil' market garden, bringing back vegetables to be included in the meals we prepare at the centre.

Visiting the local garden centres to buy plants and seeds for our allotment is also a favourite activity with our gardening group.

At ECL Colchester you will have lots of learning opportunities to help you gain the skills you need to reach your personal goals.

ACL (Adult Community Learning) come to our centre and deliver courses in creative arts, woodwork, performing arts, and 'find your voice'.

The team at ECL Colchester are trained in ASDAN and offer learning sessions in independent living skills, sensory baking, sensory, horticulture and digital skills. At the centre our independent living skills sessions is 'shop and cook' where customers plan a meal, shop for ingredients and prepare the meal either back at the centre or at home.

We have an active gardening group which enjoys growing vegetables and maintaining a vegetable patch at a local allotment.

For more therapeutic activities we offer sensory story creation, sensory relaxation, chair fit, meditation and mindfulness, and arts and crafts. Our customers are fully involved in planning and running these activities alongside the team.

We can support customers with a diverse range of support needs; including those with learning disabilities, profound and multiple learning disabilities, autism, communication difficulties, and health requirements such as epilepsy. We can provide 1:1 or 2:1 care in line with a person's needs and care plan.

Our site is fully accessible and has facilities to meet the needs of our customers in wheelchairs or with restricted mobility.

We can offer expert care for people on modified diets or need enteral feeding.

Our dedicated staff team have a wealth of knowledge, skills and experience within care to help every individual meet their daily aims and objectives. They receive training appropriate to the customers they are supporting and includes:

• Dysphagia
• Enteral feeding
• Moving and handling
• Autism
• Studio 3 (low arousal behaviour management strategy)
• Active Support
• Diabetes
• Epilepsy with Buccal Training
• Makaton

We will review your progress and needs on a regular basis and are able to refer to our in-house clinicians, consisting of Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, and Positive Behaviour Support specialists.

At ECL we work with you to identify your goals and put together a tailored plan unique to you. One of our team will assess the level of support you need, and prices will be based on the recommendations, along with how many sessions you would like to attend.

Funding may be available from Essex County Council subject to eligibility.