Free event to discuss the findings of an evaluation of KeyRing’s Newcastle Community Living Co-operative funded by Northern Rock Foundation.
Thursday 25th February, Northern Stage, Newcastle upon Tyne
KeyRing set up a project in the East End of Newcastle to provide a new model of support for people with learning disabilities, which was funded by Newcastle Learning Disabilities Partnership Board and Northern Rock Foundation.
The project aimed to:
- Provide 24 hour support to people with moderate and severe learning disabilities by using live in support workers;
- Integrate people with learning disabilities into the local community and help them to get work;
- Ensure that local people from the East End gained employment from the co-operative;
- Introduce a structure where workers, volunteers and people with learning disabilities were members of the co-operative;
- Use Individual Budgets to fund the running costs of the co-operative.
The co-operative was an experimental, two-year project that aimed to test a new model of supporting people with learning disabilities, which piloted some new and innovative ways of working. However, the co-operative could not make its financial model work and in July 2009 it closed. The evaluation of the project has continued and there are a number of lessons that we have learnt from the project that we would like to share.
We are holding two sessions on the 25th February.
The first session is in the morning and is aimed at professionals. This session will run from 10.30 until 12 noon, with lunch provided after the session.
The findings from the evaluation are likely to be of interest to:
- Commissioners of services for people with learning disabilities and other vulnerable adults;
- Providers of community services for people with learning disabilities and other vulnerable adults;
- Funders and organisations with an interest in community development;
- Voluntary organisations working with local communities.
The second session is aimed at people with learning disabilities and will be facilitated by Skills for People. Lunch will be provided at 12 noon and the session will start at 12.45 and finish at 2.45pm. We have produced an invitation for people with learning disabilities which can be downloaded below.
To request a place at the event please fill in the booking form (download below) and send it to Gemma Appleby at Northern Rock Foundation, by email at gemma.appleby@nr-foundation.org.uk or by post: The Old Chapel, Woodbine Road, Gosforth, NE3 1DD.
Please get in touch with Gemma Appleby on 0191 284 8412 if there is anything that we can do to make your day more comfortable. Feel free to contact us if you have any special dietary or access requirements. Northern Stage is a fully accessible building. More information about the building can be found at: www.northernstage.co.uk