Care and support

Hornbeams Day Service

Ridgeway
Welwyn Garden City
Herts AL7 2AD
(Click on the link on the right called 'See a map of this area' and zoom in on the map to show the exact location)
Tel: 01707 330428/331206
Fax: 01707 372413
E-mail: hornbeams.dayservice@hertscc.gov.uk

Hertfordshire County Council’s Hornbeams day centre provides services for up to 144 adults daily. People from in and around Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, Potters Bar and Hertford who have a variety of learning difficulties attend the centre. We are open Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm.

We build on people’s abilities and enable them to make more choices and to develop their skills. We do this within a safe, caring and supportive environment and in a way that gives encouragement, builds self-confidence and skills and treats each person with respect. Our aim is to improve the quality of life for everyone that uses our centre and its services.

People have different needs so the service we provide is tailored to the individual. We have many opportunities on offer including work experience, building social skills and leisure activities.

We run a large range of groups and individual activities including arts and crafts, computing, living skills, horse riding, aromatheraphy, and a nature group.

We help people to get involved in activities outside the centre like shopping, visiting sport centres and restaurants and offer information and advice through our Woman’s Health Groups.

Hornbeams staff encourage the use of Maketon (a computer system that combines sound, symbols and words). Seven members of staff are also qualified first aiders, and we have close links with community nurses, our local social work teams and our residential units.

We have set up a cafe in Hatfield for members of the public. This gives people who use Hornbeams a great opportunity to learn important skills like catering, hygiene and finance, and also encourage them to have the skills and confidence to deal directly with the public.

The cafe located in the Jim MacDonald Sports and Conference Centre in The Downs, Hatfield and is open from Monday to Friday 9.30am until 2.30pm.

We have created a sensory garden with scented plants, and through our plant sales at craft fairs (which we grow in our large greenhouses) this is a self-funding project. As a pilot scheme Hornbeams set up the opportunity for people with learning disabilities to participate in the NVQ award scheme, with the horticulture component of the award being assessed at Hornbeams. Consequently seven successful candidates have completed their portfolios and gained NVQ level 1.

We encourage people to take further education courses at Ware College, or Oakland’s College, Welwyn Garden City. The courses range from cookery and gardening to communication.

For those people who find attending college difficult, we offer in-house courses run by local colleges.

One ongoing project staff assist with is for people who attend the centre is to organise a display of art and crafts they have created.

Our 32 staff come from a variety of backgrounds and have extensive training and experience of working with people with differing disabilities and needs.

Every centre user is allocated a linkworker, a member of staff who provides individual support. Everyone also has a care plan, agreed with them, and tailored to their individual needs which is reviewed regularly.

Lunch is served everyday with a choice of a hot meal, a variety of salads or a vegetarian dish, there is also a selection of deserts.

The centre is fully accessible for anyone with mobility problems, including wheelchair users.

We ask people not to smoke at any of our establishments. There are designated areas where smoking is allowed outside the buildings.

Transport is not automatically provided for people attending Adult Care Services. User’s needs will be assessed by the local Adult Care Services Area Teams to see if any support is needed with travel, and a variety of options will be explored. Where it is identified that the person requires specialist transport, the Area Team worker will arrange for it. Where transport is provided by Adult Care Services there is a charge to the person of £2 per return journey if they are assessed as being able to pay.

For more information, or to arrange a visit, please contact us directly on 01707 330428 or 01707 3321206.

If you would like to attend you need to contact your social worker or occupational therapist. Alternatively you can contact our Customer Service Centre, details can be found by clicking on the link on this page entitled 'Contact ACS'.