Day Centres for adults with learning disabilities and autism

The ambition of our Day Centre and Community Support Service is to help individuals with learning disabilities and/or autism to achieve the greatest quality of life, which stems from:

• Being as independent as possible - making or being involved in the decisions about how you lead your life, doing as much as you can by yourself, and feeling confident to try new things while knowing there is a backup if things don’t go to plan.

• Stimulation and progression – engaging in meaningful activities that interest and motivate you, helping you develop new skills, build confidence, and reach your personal goals.
• Social interaction - socialising with people with similar interests and being an active and included community member will help you form friendships and support networks that make your life safer and better.
• Health and wellbeing – having easy access to information and guidance will make you aware of the lifestyle choices that can impact your health and wellbeing. Getting support and encouragement to eat a balanced diet, exercise, and keep up with routine medical appointments will help you maintain good physical health and mental wellbeing, allowing you to enjoy life fully.

When you join ECL, we will work with you, your family, and anyone significant in your life to learn more about you, what you enjoy doing, and what you want to achieve. The time you spend with us will be tailored to your interests. The activities will help you to build independence, confidence, and self-esteem, extending social and support networks, and having fun!

Your support can take place within our day centres, or we can help you explore the opportunities and ways to get involved within your local community.

You will be given the opportunity to enjoy real-life, community-based activities, helping to develop your independence skills and build a social network within your local neighbourhood. The options are endless and start with your interests and goals, they could include joining a club, participating in a sport, engaging in a hobby, or learning a new skill such as how to cook, manage your money, or use public transport. Our ‘Community Connectors’ are people that build links and relationships with community services and groups to ensure they can accommodate your needs and make you feel welcome.

While in Day Services you may wish to follow an accredited and vocational training programme such as ASDAN, which provides flexible, engaging programmes and nationally recognised qualifications, enabling you to develop life skills or even prepare you for work. We can even help you to gain work experience either within ECL, or with our partner organisations.

Our clinical team are always on hand, with expertise in communication, mobility, behaviour, and sensory needs to help you overcome any barriers to achieving your goals.

ECL’s Speech and Language Therapist Jennifer Whitaker worked with Day Services customer, Sam who had difficulty pronouncing certain sounds and lacked confidence in speaking, which was causing difficulty in job interviews. As a result of their combined efforts, Sam was able to confidently participate in an interview and secured his ideal job with Bupa!

Technology plays an important role at ECL Day Services, we use digital devices to enable you to engage in sessions remotely, access learning, help you to communicate, make choices and record your achievements.

If you decide during your time in Day Services that you are ready for voluntary or paid work, the Inclusive Employment team will help you prepare for employment. They will ensure you have the right skills, a winning CV and support you to find, secure and sustain your dream job.