Colin Poole, Chief Executive, Optua Louise Pennell, Big Splash Co-ordinator

Optua Leisure Service - Enabling and empowering disabled people to take part in the sport and leisure activities of their choice.

*Access Groups * Homecare * * Advice and Advocacy * * Leisure Opportunities * * Community Transport * * Volunteering * Training * * Supported Housing * We are a User Led Organisation, governed by disabled people, for disabled people. This is an important dynamic. Who are Optua? Optua provides a wide range of services for disabled people across Suffolk and beyond, including:

Leisure Service Activity Groups Learning through Leisure Suffolk Disability Sport Academy Teaming Up Big Splash Optua Leisure Service

Leisure Service Activity Groups Learning through Leisure Suffolk Disability Sport Academy Teaming Up Big Splash Optua Leisure Service

Leisure Service –Cinema Club –Day trips (London Theatres, Thursford, Duxford) –Adapted Bikes –Football –Fishing –General Leisure opportunities Optua Leisure Service

Leisure Service Activity Groups Learning through Leisure Suffolk Disability Sport Academy Teaming Up Big Splash Optua Leisure Service

Activity Groups –Fortnightly club –Appeals to people who enjoy gentle activity –Carpet Bowls, yoga, pottery –Includes option of a meal –Never been more popular Optua Leisure Service

Leisure Service Activity Groups Learning through Leisure Suffolk Disability Sport Academy Teaming Up Big Splash Optua Leisure Service

Learning through Leisure –Short breaks service for family carers –Breaks at the time of the choice of the carer, sort of break is the choice of the cared-for person. –Monthly clubs –Weekenders and Midweek breaks Optua Leisure Service

Leisure Service Activity Groups Learning through Leisure Suffolk Disability Sport Academy Teaming Up Big Splash Optua Leisure Service

Suffolk Disability Sport Academy –Raise participation in disability sport by improving access to it –Raise the profile of disability sport. –Support existing disability provision. –Develop new sporting opportunities for people with disabilities. Optua Leisure Service

Leisure Service Activity Groups Learning through Leisure Suffolk Disability Sport Academy Teaming Up Big Splash Optua Leisure Service

Teaming Up –Learning social and independence skills through leisure opportunities –10 week programme –Builds a cohort of friends –Confidence for family carers Optua Leisure Service

Leisure Service Activity Groups Learning through Leisure Suffolk Disability Sport Academy Teaming Up Big Splash Optua Leisure Service

Big Splash –Supported swimming sessions –8 municipal pools across Suffolk –On the timetable –Supported by volunteers in the water Optua Leisure Service

Provide a product people want to spend their Personal Budget on –Active Lifestyle Survey –Demos report Support for carers –Temporary respite moves to regular respite and potentially to no carer duties Attracts external investment –Sport and culture provides attractions to investors who do not see social care as relevant to them. It is a lot cheaper than traditional day care How we contribute to Adult Social Care

Marketing Approach –Who is the customer: who makes the buying decisions? Commissioners Disabled person and their relatives –What do they want to buy? Feedback –How can we provide it to the specification? Understand the customer – what influences their buying decision? –How do we communicate what we do? Invest in PR How do we ensure our services are commissioned?

Access –Physical and attitudinal barriers Solutions –Lobby for improvements Access group for Suffolk Mid Suffolk Access Group East Suffolk Focus Group Representation on planning groups –Commercial pressure Buying power of disabled people Publicity What are the barriers?

Carefully –Is the local authority structure of social care really a good seedbed for developing these services? Great people with the skills and knowledge to do the work but… –Hamstrung by bureaucracy, can’t get decisions made –Changing priorities and staff, particularly now –Risk averse, impact of making mistakes can be intimidating –Restricted view of the marketplace Signal clear intentions to the market Decide whether you want to be a provider or purchaser Independent providers will respond to demand How can we develop services together?

What happens after 2012? –The opportunity to make big differences on the back of London 2012 is time- limited. Sustainability –Optua uses over 200 volunteers to provide services –We use mainstream clubs to provide sporting pathways Paradigm shift –Enabling and empowering people, not social care The future of sport and culture in social care