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An innovative project has been set up in Dolgellau, Gwynedd, to support individuals with learning disabilities, mental health needs and acquired brain injuries to take charge of their lives.
Called an OWL centre, which stands for ‘Outcomes with Learning’, it is the first of its kind in Wales and based at the Cerrig Camu site in Old Barmouth Road, operated by care provider Regard.It is open to people from Gwynedd, Dyfed, Anglesey and surrounding areas and is focussed on supporting individuals who present complex and challenging needs.
The new service is Regard’s second OWL centre in the UK and follows a pilot project in the village of Sixpenny Handley in Dorset that has proved hugely popular and successful.
Those attending will take part in activities including arts and crafts, animal husbandry, horticulture, sensory experiences, relaxation, music, woodwork, home economics, IT, education, social skill development and lifelong learning accessed at a level appropriate to meet their assessed needs.
Julie Davies, Wales locality manager for Regard, said: “We have an 11-acre site and have put together a weekly schedule of activities that will enable and encourage individuals to meet and realise their potential. It is a holistic service that provides tailor-made packages that will provide the level of support and supervision required. We work closely with the people we support and their families to provide for their needs. Our mission is to make a real and positive difference to the lives of the adults we support by providing person-centred day services that offer outcomes with learning services. Working with animals will be a particular focus of this project as we recognise the therapeutic benefits this provides.”
Regard is an independent provider of care with its activities, monitored by the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales. Day service staff are provided through the company’s mid-Wales registered domiciliary branch. Staff have a wealth of knowledge and experience of working with adults across the whole spectrum of learning disabilities, including mental health, brain injury and complex and/or challenging needs.
Families and external professionals can learn more by calling a referrals hotline on 0800 840 0313.
