Step into the new Mencap Children’s Centre in Belfast and discover a world of vibrant colour. The charity’s vision for an environment that is stimulating, bright and airy has been beautifully realised by the architects, Consarc Design, and it is a far cry from the former Victorian building which, according to Mencap director for Northern Ireland, Margaret Kelly, was ‘old and very dark’.
‘Incredible’ is the word she uses to describe the home for Mencap’s most ambitious service delivery programme to date. With its custom-built environment and its multi-disciplinary team located on site, it has the capability to provide support for children, young people, adults and families whose lives are affected by a learning disability. It is equipped too to follow the life of the child, taking steps to provide support and interventions into adulthood. This provides a fantastic opportunity to build experience and evaluate new approaches.
Ms Kelly says, ‘Having this facility, which now provides both an incredible environment and professional expertise under one roof, gives us the opportunity to gather the experience and evidence to determine what are the most effective techniques and interventions.’
FLAGSHIP CENTRE
Mencap was formerly based in Segal House, where the old nursery for two- to four-year-olds with learning disabilities was located. The new centre is built on the site of the former Newtownbreda Primary School, whose land was gifted by the Department of Education for Northern Ireland. Mencap was awarded a £2.5m capital grant by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, and reached its final target through its Big Step Forward Appeal, which raised £1.7m from local organisations and individuals.
Since its launch back in March, the centre has become the HQ for Mencap in Northern Ireland, providing a children’s centre and playground, activity rooms, therapeutic treatment rooms and training and conference facilities. It has a large open-plan office for staff, and services and projects such as the Youth Inclusion Hub, Employment and Personal Support Service and Housing and Support Service.
The children’s centre is at the heart of the operation. It currently provides a specialist learning environment for 51 children with a staff team of nine Mencap early years practitioners. There is also a multi-disciplinary therapeutic team from the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust based on site, providing one full-time post in speech and language, physiotherapy and occupational therapy respectively – all of whom work directly with the Mencap early years team, the children and parents.
The team consults with educational psychologists, peripatetic teachers for sensory development, as well as with behavioural specialists and children’s community nurses. The centre also hosts child development clinics for consultant paediatricians, so that most of the health support services are provided on site for children.
Nicola McCormick, deputy nursery manager, says, ‘Every child who has a place at the nursery has some degree of learning disability. Children are referred by therapists and paediatricians from Belfast and the South Eastern Health Trusts. Children have a varied range of needs that require careful planning and a degree of skill on the part of practitioners to integrate routines and activities that groups of children can enjoy together. Having a multi-disciplinary team on site supports and informs our practice in the nursery, and ensures we can be flexible in the delivery of the best possible outcomes for each individual child.’
A STEPPING STONE
Senior early years worker Cecelia Martin says that like a mainstream nursery, the Mencap Centre provides a mix of indoor and outdoor activities, including music, arts-based activities, and physical and cognitive activities, all aimed at increasing children’s social and self-care skills. Staff use a range of communication tools with the children, including Makaton sing and sign sessions and interactive puppet stories. All the children also enjoy the benefits of the hi-tech multi-sensory room and soft-play room.
Ms Martin says, ‘We develop individual plans for each child, working with the team of therapists to incorporate these into the nursery day. We work with children on a one-to-one basis, for between ten and 15 minutes at a time, on specific needs to support their developmental targets.’
Ms Martin believes the environment and facilities are conducive to welcoming, settling and nurturing all children. ‘We have a bespoke sensory room and soft-play area, which all the children love,’ she says. ‘Our outdoor space is perfectly adapted to children’s needs. It features a sunken trampoline and a roundabout, both of which are accessible to children in wheelchairs and walking frames, and a swing with a large bowl-shaped seat, a hobbit hill and slide which the children love, as well as outdoor musical instruments.
‘At the moment we are developing our sensory garden, which has lavender, beautiful flowers and small trees. Next summer we are planning to install wind chimes and other multi sensory aspects to the play area.’
To celebrate Halloween, the nursery invited Summer, the miniature therapy horse (just 75cm/30 inches tall), to pay a visit. ‘Children love the contact with this horse,’ says Ms Martin. ‘They can take their time, looking at it from a distance until they feel confident in making direct contact. We recently had one little boy with autism, who hung back for ages, before coming forward to touch her. He soon became very confident and enjoyed brushing her.’
Working effectively with parents is a key priority for all staff. Every child is assigned to a member of the Mencap early years team who acts as their key worker. The key worker has initial meetings with the parents and then speaks with them every day their child is in the centre, exchanging information about the child’s experience both in the centre and at home. With early years workers, therapeutic staff, medical professionals and parents all involved, Mencap Children’s Centre works to build a team around the needs of each child.
Ms McCormick says, ‘We recognise that many parents have often had a difficult journey, in terms of referral and diagnoses, by the time they get to us, and many tell us that this is the first time they feel supported.’
Combating the sense of isolation that so many parents feel when trying to secure the right support for their child is something the new centre is determined to address. Ms Kelly says, ‘Investing in our work with families in the early years is a big focus for us, and in the future we will be extending new models of working across the UK. In this sense the Belfast centre is very much a stepping stone.’
CASE STUDY: ANGELA AND CHARLIE
According to his mother, Angela, Charlie is a happy, playful and affectionate three-year-old who loves messing about with his brothers and sister. Born with a learning disability and visual impairment, he has just spent a year at the Mencap Children’s Centre. Part of his condition is microcephaly, which means his head is smaller than normal and so his brain will not grow as it should.
Angela says, ‘Charlie started at the Mencap Children’s Centre last year and the change in him has been indescribable. Before Mencap, Charlie would never have left my side and I had to carry him with me most of the day. If I put him down, he would be terrified and cry endlessly. The Mencap Children’s Centre has taught him independence and confidence. He now trusts other people and has shown more happiness than I ever imagined. He cries less and his head is showing signs of small but invaluable growth.
‘Unlike most children, Charlie can’t go to the park or play centres because it’s either not practical for a visually impaired child or just too traumatic for him. The Mencap Centre was one of Charlie’s main outlets for interaction, support and learning. The dedication, time and patience of the Mencap staff has shown him his own ability and taught him so much.
‘The centre has brought out his personality and he now feels his way around and is not scared if I am not there. He laughs and giggles when he is being mischievous. My beautiful little boy has fought so hard to be here, and I can see that he thrives in the environment provided by Mencap. I now know Charlie can continue to improve not only his quality of life but his life expectancy.’
MORE INFORMATION
Mencap Centre, www.mencap.org.uk/northern-ireland/advice-and-support-northern-ireland/mencap-childrens-centre
Consarc Design, www.e-architect.co.uk/architects/consarc
