Towards a new model for day opportunities

"Towards a new model for day opportunities" is our plan for transforming day opportunities. It follows a programme of  engagement  activities to help us understand how to develop our day opportunities model.

A significant number of people in our county, for a number of reasons including illness or disability, need some support to plan their days or access activities and interests that matter to them. We call this support to access day opportunities.

Our aim is to offer a range of day opportunities that gives choice and variety for the people who use them. 

Our model aims to increase the range and diversity of opportunities and activities that people can be supported to do, which includes but goes beyond traditional day services.

Day opportunities are activities which help an individual meet their outcomes, develop new skills, maintain, or increase their independence or support their care needs. 

Day opportunities can be:

• a life skills training
• support to find a job
• time at a day centre
• a sporting activity
• clubs and social activities
• less formal activities such as time with friends, nature walks or visits to the local town centre

We want to enable people to have a well-supported and varied day, to try new things and to create an offer that moves beyond the 9 to 5 weekday.

The first  stage of our engagement was carried out in 2021 and people’s views influenced the development of our A Better Life 2023 to 2028 strategies.

The  2021 engagement was carried out during the coronavirus lockdown, and to check that people continued to want the same thing, we carried out further engagement in 2023. 

Towards a new model for day opportunities update October 2024  (previously referred to as Better Days)

Following our second round of engagement in 2023, we developed a report and transformation plan which was approved by Dorset Council Cabinet on 10th  September 2024. 

The main points of the new model for day services include:

• we want to prioritise links with community activity in local towns, villages, and neighbourhoods across the county
• we want to develop a hub and spoke offer
  • a hub will be a focus for local community activity, with day opportunities sitting with other support organisations and voluntary sector providers and community groups. A space for groups, transport support and information advice and guidance on activities and groups that may be of interest in the area
  • a spoke will offer a more bespoke activity with a range of different organisations, projects and activities that take place across the county already or new developments. They will be supported by the hub. This could include village lunches, social events, yoga sessions, art groups and a wider range of opportunities. Hubs and spoke will be able to say more about what is available in each area. 
• specialist services will remain for those who need them
• we want to give people more options on how they can pay for services, through a direct payment or individual service fund 
• we want less focus on buildings and more around the services available in the community
• we want to support more partnership working between organisations to provide the best possible services to best fit people’s needs
• we understand transport is an issue across the county and we will look to improve this

Next steps

We have organised a number of engagement sessions across the county beginning in February 2025, to talk to people about our proposals and shape how this may work in their area and community. We will be inviting those who use the existing services, providers of services and wider organisations, to join these discussions.