Resource Centre

About the Service

 The Beeches Resource Centre provides meaningful, socially-valued, person-centred day care opportunities to adults with a learning disability.

The Centre opened in 1990 and is now a well-established and respected provider of day care services.

The Centre currently provides a service to 72 individuals. Clients have a wide range of needs. The Centre manages clients from our nursing and residential services as well as people living in statutory accommodation or independently in the community.

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Environment

The Resource Centre is located next to The Beeches Nursing Home in the village of Aghalee, Co. Antrim.

The Resource Centre comprises an eclectic mix of converted old farm buildings. The largest building is the extended and refurbished original farmhouse. This houses the Centre's offices, kitchen, dining room, ICT suite, multi-sensory room and several other general activity rooms for classes and groupwork. The old outbuildings house music, art and crafts and other all-purpose areas. The site also has substantial areas dedicated to horticulture (with outdoor beds, glasshouses and a large polytunnel for propagation).

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Person-Centred Support

The Beeches Resource Centre provides individualised support to assist clients develop and maintain practical life skills, social competencies, and increase their employment opportunities. We work closely with the client and involve them in every aspect of the development and implementation of their individual plan. If the client wishes we will also involve their family or a representative and we work closely with the multi-disciplinary team to ensure that our day care service integrates into the client's overall health and social care support plan.

When developing an individual day care plan the service takes full account of each client’s assessed needs, personal interests and preferences. Every plan is monitored and reviewed regularly to ensure it responds and adapts promptly to changes in needs.

The Centre's programme of activities and events has the following features and benefits:

• Structured
• Varied
• Provides positive outcomes
• Enjoyable
• Purposeful
• Age and culturally appropriate
• Takes account of spiritual needs
• Promotes healthy living
• Flexible
• Responsive
• Facilitates social inclusion

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Practical Skills

The Beeches Resource Centre provides diversional, leisure, educational and therapeutic activities to adults with a learning disability. Work skills training is offered in the areas of Catering and Hospitality, Woodwork, Warehousing and Storage and Information and Computer Technology. As well as vocational training, work placements are offered in local businesses organised through the Mencap Pathways to Employment service.

Our work skills training is designed to support clients in the early stages of their entry into full or part-time employment. Individual coaching and counselling, the provision of basic literacy and numeracy classes as well as practical vocational-based training, ensures that each client is able to take full advantage of any employment opportunity presented to them. The training is provided in partnership with the South Eastern Regional College and courses are tailored to be accessible to clients.

Clients can also participate in diversional and leisure activities that entertain and engage in a variety of ways tailored to their age and abilities. We also provide music and art therapy plus a multi-sensory environment.

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