Trust’s adult learning disability project brings NHS therapy and sports under one roof
The Trust’s Newark Intellectual Developmental Disabilities (IDD) team is delivering an exciting project in partnership with YMCA Newark, Sport for Confidence, Holly Lodge Day Service (run by the Trust) and Boccia England.
The project supports service users to take part in sporting activities at the new YMCA Activity Village in Newark, whilst also having the opportunity to access the Trust’s physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy services within the group.
Participants are able to play Boccia, which is a Paralympic sport with no Olympic equivalent and is similar to bowls. It is a target ball sport which tests both muscle control and accuracy.
The IDD therapy team work with service users during the sporting activity to adapt the exercises so it is inclusive for all participants, ensuring all methods of communication can be used with accessible resources, look at motivation and provide a range of equipment to help the diversity and abilities of the group.
Sarah Needham, Specialist Senior Physiotherapist said:
“The project started as a result of our multi-disciplinary team therapists at Newark wanting to signpost our service users to accessible sporting groups for adults with learning disabilities in our local community. We quickly realised there were very limited options for our service users to attend.
“After looking at the new facilities at the YMCA we wanted to see if we could set up a group in partnership that provided accessible physical activity for our service users with NHS therapy input delivered at the same time.
“With a lot of research and discussions we collaborated with the YMCA and our other partners to allow our vision to become a reality.
“The project so far has gone amazingly well, and we really feel like it is a vital way that we can refer patients into so that we are not seeing them individually at home. We can get them together and treat them as a group, so it is more meaningful to them and they are more likely to carry it on.”
Liz Fletcher, Occupational Therapist and National Lead at Sport for Confidence, says: “Sport and physical activity has the power to deliver a vast array of physical and mental health outcomes. This project in Nottingham opens the door to participation opportunities that for many have, until now, not been accessible whilst also creating a wider network of support that drives social connection and engagement with the community.
“We are working with the collective delivery team, sharing our experience and knowledge from similar projects we have delivered in Essex. This includes a *2-year test and learn pilot with Essex Country Council’s Adult Health and Social Care that recorded a return of £58.71 in social value for every £1 invested.”
The IDD therapy team will also explore the potential benefits to service users from having therapy input into meaningful activity, if this can maximise their potential and if this could be a place they can refer service users to instead of therapy input at home. This will enable service users to work on their rehabilitation skills in a way that promotes self-management, socialisation and meaningful movement and activity.
Becky Sutton, the Trust’s Chief Operating Officer, said “This is a brilliant partnership project which has brought the expertise of our therapy services and physical activity together to offer a meaningful, accessible activity for patients in our Newark IDD service. It’s fantastic that we are able to offer our patients an alternative to individual rehabilitation in the home which encourages social interaction, movement and therapy under one roof.”
One of the aims of the project is to see if local partners can continue offering activities that service users can access within the community. Through the sharing of knowledge and experience it is hoped this will spread to other centres making the opportunity to engage in exercise, socialise with peers and engage in meaningful activity more accessible.
Watch our video with our therapists, Sarah, Stella and Cathy who explain more about this exciting partnership project.
There are some easy read resources about the project below: