To be bothered by this - sister's SN day care centre

[Shouldnthavesaid]

OK, it's not as bad as it might be but it bothers me a bit.

My sister attends a day care centre Mon-Fri, 9-3 along with around about 100 other adults. The centre is a complex of bungalows, a gym hall, a huge garden and workshops as well as a central building type thing with a cafe and classrooms.

It's a lovely place - but it's old, built in the mid 60s, not really been modernised since then. There are few parking places if any as well.

It's also around about six miles from any towns/villages save for a tiny hamlet and a few farms. It's down a long road in a forest and cut off from most things, although one bus goes past a few times each week day.

I know it's nice, it's peaceful and it's "safe" - apparently safer than if it were in town. The local special school is in town and often deals with graffiti/vandalism etc..

But it just feels like keeping the users away, like shunning them almost?

It's not something unique to this centre as there's another one in outskirts of nearest city that's again "far" from anything, hidden by trees etc and gated access - you can't get in without a need. Local psychiatric hospital is similar - you have to travel down a separate road to get there, surrounded by woodland and huge walls/iron gates everywhere.

It hit me today just how cut off the place is as when driving there, it's difficult to work out where to go, no real signs and down a lot of back roads, unmarked roads etc. You wonder why they built it there and made it so hard to access - it's something that you wouldn't know was there unless you were told about it..

DM said it's a good thing as the users get peace and less hassle from the uncaring public but it just seems archaic keeping disabled individuals and NT people separate..

I must say I don't disagree at all with day care, special schools etc but I think the centres should be more integrated in to everyday life...

What do you think?

(I'm aware that some (most) users probably wouldn't mind - Dsis is of the opinion that it's much nicer being in the country and away from "nasty big boys" as she puts it, maybe it's their opinions that are most important...)

If it was built in the 60's then attitudes were different back tjen and it was probably built for the reasons you described. However if the people who use it feel safe and secure, surely that is what matters.

It was built a long time ago when attitudes were not so great by the sounds of it.

BUT it sounds great, with lots of space and facilities. Imagine the cost of something similar closer to town.
New day centres just look like small nursing homes to me.

It's placement is indicative of the time in which it was built.

In my area many of the residential units for people with learning disabilities were like this but have been torn down in the last 15 years and people housed within the community in houses with just 2 or 3 service users.

Day care places are within New purpose built community centres, as it should be in my mind. Hopefully in time that will happen with the places you have mentioned too.

I can see where you are coming from but if the people using the centre enjoy it and benefit from it's location I don't think I'd be concerned about the initial motive of it is.
If The people who planned it did so for isolation reasons they are probably long gone along with their views so it's good it serves a positive purpose now.

Yanbu, this model of care is not at all in keeping with current thinking, but was entirely normal in the 60s. Many Local Authorities have moved on to an inclusive model. It may be time to lobby the council and contact local disability advocacy groups.

I do agree with you actually OP.

if it were more central presumably the people who attend it would be able to get out and about more (with necessary help) and would feel more a part of the community too.

i agree that it was built at a time when attitudes were sadly very different. and that can't be helped! it's a shame if it means they don't have as much time to go out and do things or visit places as they would if they were closer to town though

I understand how isolating it is, but when you compare how peaceful and spacious it is to modern inner city facilities, it is probably much nice (just in need of modernisation). Within mental health, when the old county asylums were replaced with modern inner city buildings, the opportunity for service users to have space away from social stresses was reduced.