Community Links
In order for our service users to achieve their personal best, reintegration into the wider community remains at the heart of the work we undertake with our service users. Equally, our service users also work in partnership with the community, giving something back by taking part in local projects and community groups. We choose the location of our services to provide every opportunity for our service users to learn and live as independently as possible.
Education and skills development
Cygnet St Augustine’s has created links with Stoke-on-Trent College, which provides a range of vocational courses that service users can access. So far we have had service users enrolled in courses ranging from catering courses such as: ‘Saturday Kitchen’ to English GCSEs and NVQs in catering. We also regularly use the local library with service users where we have links with Learndirect for anyone who is not yet ready to attend the Further Education College but wants to study a vocational course.
For more practical vocational skills we provide our own volunteering group using links with the local council who contact us with community employment opportunities. We also have the key to a community garden in Joiners Square and go down once a week to help with maintenance and renovations for local residents. We also run weekly vocational sessions on a one-to-one basis to identify external volunteering or employment opportunities.
Leisure activities and sports
The YMCA provides a range of activities for us to regularly engage in including; rock climbing, cricket, football coaching and badminton. They also have a gym, which can be accessed individually by service users. We have a variety of other resources in the local area to support the service user’s leisure needs including; Forest Park, Water World, Festival Park, West Port Lake, Alton Towers, go-karting, quad biking, fishing and DJ workshops. We also access services set up by the mental health charity Mind, including the observatory and the American Clubhouse, which provide safe environments for service users to begin accessing external activities in a socially inclusive way.
In the community
Cygnet St Augustine’s uses a range of external providers to enable service users to access opportunities in the local community. Our active therapy programme enables them to choose meaningful activities that aim to develop personal and social skills in particular; money management, shopping, using public transport, road safety and awareness. We encourage external vocational agencies to lead sessions at Cygnet St Augustine’s to enable service users to access a professional service within specific fields. Service users are enrolled on a variety of college courses from English to DIY.
