Reshaping our Day Opportunities provision

Proposals to provide greater choice and opportunities for people across their local communities, as part of reshaping our current Day Opportunities, have today (23 July) received backing from councillors.

The plan to introduce a new "hub" and "spoke" Day Opportunities model follows two significant consultations that showed that many people using our services wanted to be more independent, do things with purpose, and have a choice about what they did with their day. They wanted to be more active, build skills and find volunteering and supported employment opportunities.

The Day Opportunities model seeks to:

* Provide bespoke hubs for those with more complex needs, ensuring people do not remain isolated.

* Support the development of partnerships with the voluntary and community sector.

* Expand the use of Direct Payments and Individual Service Funds to give people greater choice.

* Develop and expand our provider and micro-provider offer in Dorset.

* Review or repurpose under-utilised day care buildings.

* Connect with our Family hubs, libraries and community-based developments.

The hubs would be a focus for local communities, offering day opportunities for people with support needs. They would sit at the heart of a community and offer a choice of daily opportunities, activities and support.

The spokes represent a vast range of different organisations, projects and activities that already take place across the county by our providers and micro-providers, including activities such as community gardening and community farms, preparing for employment, walking, swimming, travel training and volunteering. They would be supported by the work of the hubs in connecting people and providing support and advice to strengthen their offer.

In addition, the Day Opportunities future model will include strengthening our specialist support offer for people with the most complex needs. Specialist services provide vital respite for carers.

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

Councillor Steve Robinson, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, said the introduction of a hub and spoke model was in line with the vision of communities for all ages. It would provide residents with greater opportunities across communities, moving beyond existing provision and provide bespoke support services for those with more complex needs. It would aim to reduce the need for excess travel, helping every community to have its own "local" offer, tailored to its particular needs.

"We want to see more organisations, projects and services offering the option to access sessions and activities through direct payments or individual service funds, which will enable people to have more choice, freedom and flexibility to choose their activities and support."

"We will be supporting the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector to design, develop and deliver new services as a key part of our model for the future," he added.

The report will now go forward to Cabinet in September for formal ratification ahead of further detailed consultations.