Our Day Services and Life Skills service provides adults with learning disabilities the opportunity to learn key skills and to broaden their horizons working towards their personal aspirations under expert supervision. We provide a person-centred approach to identify the needs of each individual to ensure they are well being and to help with their continuing development. This approach is underpinned with a Care and Support Plan which is reviewed and updated regularly in conjunction with the individual and their support workers.
Our activities take place in our modern and airy facilities which include spaces dedicated to specific activities such as Drama, Dance, Art, Computers, a Teaching kitchen, a Sensory and Quiet Room, a lift and wonderful gardens.
We also have a registered Changing Places Toilet Facility. We operate a coffee shop once a week set in our beautiful Kent barn which is open the public and manned by those attending that session.
Values and Principles
The following statements reflect the values, principles and general aims of the Day Services.
We provide a safe caring environment for adults with learning disabilities to access daily activities from a broad choice of sessions in our bright modern-day services facilities. We provide care and wellbeing support underpinned by a person-centred support plan. The staff encourage all the service users to be as independent as possible and promote individual choice. We co-operate with other services and professionals to help to maximise each service user’s independence and wellbeing. We welcome feedback from our service users, families and carers
Our team of staff is experienced and dynamic and committed to providing a safe and stimulating environment for the individuals who attend our sessions.
Sessions run from Monday to Friday, apart from bank holidays and the Christmas/New Year period.
Morning sessions start with registration at 9.45am and run from 10am-12.30pm
Afternoon sessions run from 2pm-4pm
Once you have had a chance to look at the courses that we offer please contact Clare Tallent on 01732 378944 for further details, availability and to arrange a Taster Day or to attend an Open Day.
Our Activities
Meet Our Manager
Clare Tallent
Manager, Day Services Skills and Activities
I started working at Scotts in St Peters Row the Residential Care Home in April 1999 and was team leader until 2003. I moved over to the Day Services in 2013 as a senior support worker.
During my time here I have completed my NVQ 3 and Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care and Children and Young People's Services - Adults Management.
Over recent months I have been involved in the redevelopment of the Day Services facilities and sessions, working with a wonderful team to provide a high standard of care and vibrant, interesting sessions for those who spend time here.
I look forward to welcoming you to Scotts.
01732 378944
Address: Scotts Project Trust, Delarue Close, Shipbourne Road, Tonbridge, Kent TN11 9NN
Faith & Friendship
Faith & Friendship
In this session we cover events in the Christian calendar, we also learn about different world faiths and non religious festivals to help us better understand others and their beliefs.
Through looking at Bible stories and stories with morals, crafts and sharing news, the session is designed to help develop communication and listening skills.
This group also plans our annual Harvest celebrations and each November leads our Remembrance service.
Performing Arts & Drama
Performing Arts & Drama
These very popular sessions help boost confidence and develop our students performance skills. The sessions focus on musical theatre, comedy, improvision, tv and theatre scripts, singing, dancing and exploring theatre history and playwrights. Students get the opportunity to enjoy workshops in audition technique and solo performance with very supportive staff and students.
We often put on performances in our own hall or local theatres where student can focus on their performance or help support our production team behind the scenes.
We use many different exercises, such as interactive role plays, memory games, sign language, group and individual singing – all of which help to unlock potential and boost self-esteem.
You will have the opportunity to perform individually and in groups, where inclusiveness is really important. Talent is recognised and encouraged – everyone plays a part according to their desires and abilities and has their own moment of fame!
This session will help you to develop important skills and gain greater independence, including:
- Communication skills
- Understanding emotions, expressing opinions and appreciating how others think
- Working independently on their own roles and also working with others in group activities and shows
- Literacy – reading and writing
- Singing
- Dancing
- Comedy
Catering
Catering
This session is very practical and it supports you to plan a meal, select your ingredients, prepare and cook healthy menus. You will gain skills and the importance of healthy eating and what makes up a balanced diet; we use quizzes and puzzles to add to the variety of skill set.
Some of the fresh vegetables and herbs we use in our kitchen are grown in our own garden at Scotts and you will also go out to buy other ingredients from local shops in Tonbridge and elsewhere.
You will learn about food hygiene and safety within the kitchen.
You will be supported to cook hot meals for lunch on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Cakes are made to serve in our Coffee Shop on Wednesday Mornings as well as any events that we are running at Scotts and in our community. You will have the satisfaction of contributing to a healthy lifestyle at Scotts as well as gaining many practical life skills.
This session will help you to develop important skills and give you greater independence and support you how to plan and then carry out a set of practical activities including,
- Fine motor skills
- Gross motor skills
- Communication, listening and consideration of others to work as a team
- Numeracy, weights and measures
- Financial skills through working to a budget, collecting money, selling cakes and other produce
- Being part of the community when shopping and building your social skills
- Healthy living
- Safety and personal hygiene
- Shopping including online shopping
Music
Music
This is a wide ranging session where you will gain an extensive knowledge of music in a practical and relaxed environment. You will learn about different styles of music, cultures, composers, instruments and have the opportunity to try and to play different instruments (keyboard, drums, percussion etc). Music is at the heart of other sessions like dance and drama and our own productions at Scotts and in the community.
We will work in teams to complete quizzes and research activities.
This session will help you to develop important skills and develop your independence, including:
- Express creativity
- Practise rythmn
- Work as part of a team
- Understanding emotions and moods, expressing opinions and listening skills
- Planning and working with others on projects
- Communication skills
Art
Art
This session provides opportunities, in small groups in our art session space to draw and paint, experiment with different colours, materials and techniques. You will explore the lives and works of famous artists and use this knowledge to give you ideas and enhance your own creativity. You will develop your knowledge of observation, perspective and how to explore colour and textures.
Sessions focus on pottery, decorative arts, fine arts, sculpture and mixed media.
Many of the art works are exhibited and some items including our individually designed Christmas Cards, are sold either through exhibitions, seasonal markets or fairs to the public.
This session will help you to develop important skills and give you greater independence, including:
- Expressing your own creativity and making your own artworks or crafts
- Develop fine motor skills and and hand / eye coordination
- Gaining personal satisfaction from seeing some of your work put into exhibitions and sold to the public
- Practical skills such as planning, numeracy, making decisions and attention to detail
- Working independently on your own art work and also working with others on larger projects
Environment and Community
Environment & Community
This session has quite a wide subject, it is designed to help you to better understand the natural world, the environment and our local community.
Subjects that are covered include, the weather, local geography, map reading, animal habitats, natural disasters, and the emergency services.
Dance
Dance
These fun-packed sessions enable you to increase your fitness and improve mobility. Many different dance styles and genres of music are introduced and participants can work in groups or free dance themselves as suits their own needs and aspirations.
Dance boosts self confidence and helps you to get a better understanding of how your body works. You will learn about rhythm, timing and co-ordination. We encourage you to start with warm up exercises, physical and mental, which help to expand imagination and horizons.
Dance is a fundamental part of our drama sessions as well. You will have the opportunity, if you wish, to star in our own shows.
This session will help you to develop important skills and give you greater independence, including:
- Working with others – co-operation, consideration and general social skills
- Personal well-being and health
- Counting and numerical skills
- Creativity and expression
- Signing
- Coordination, rythmn and movement
- Memory skills
- Choreography
Gardening
Gardening
This session enables you to participate in all the activities that go towards producing plants and growing vegetables in our own garden. Vegetables that you grow are often used by our catering group in the cooked meals at Scotts.
We have a greenhouse, a shed, raised beds, and also an indoor session space.
Although it can include physical work, we ensure that those with limitations, such as wheelchair users, can still participate fully.
These sessions will help you to develop important skills such as how to plan, make decisions, and then carry out a set of practical activities, giving you greater independence. You will also benefit from exercise and working outside in the fresh air.
- Numeracy, weights and measures
- Healthy living
- Safe working with tools, carrying loads and protective equipment
- Working independently on your own gardening activities and also working with others on bigger projects
- Creativity
- Fine motor skills
- Listening skills
IT
IT
These sessions give you the opportunity to develop your computer skills, in a small group, in our own IT room. We give training on a wide range of software applications and internet safety. We have specialist equipment for those who have individual needs, such as zoom text, symwriter, rollerballs, joysticks and accessible desk. Our IT room is accessible via a lift.
We look at
- Internet browsing
- Social Media
- Word processing
- Drawing & graphics
- Photography and video
- Music
- Games and entertainment
We will help you to learn how to safely use the internet and teach you how to access relevant information for your own interests and projects.
Skills practised in this course are very useful and transferable to other courses at Scotts, such as Journalism, Arts & Craft or Music.
This session will help you to develop important skills and give you greater independence, including :
- Literacy and communications
- Letter writing
- Finding out information
- Following instructions and logic
- Money and finance
Coffee Shop
Coffee Shop
Every Wednesday morning between 10am - 12pm we open the Blossom Tree Coffee Shop in the Barn to the public.
This gives you a chance to prepare and serve the delicious home-made cakes, scones and biscuits made within the catering group to those visiting the Coffee Shop.
As well as basic food safety and hygiene, this helps to build your confidence in dealing with the general public, communicating orders, detailing bills for customers, dealing with money and card transactions
Also on a Wednesday this group runs a very successful sandwich/toastie, salad bowl or in the winter months soup service; taking orders, preparing all the lunches and taking the money for internal users of the Day Service.
Wellbeing
Wellbeing
This session enables you gain knowledge about a healthy lifestyle by developing an understanding of how the body works and the importance of good diet, exercise and relaxation.
You will learn about the human body and mind, how it works and what that means for maintaining a healthy body through a balanced diet, exercise and relaxation techniques. You will develop skills for understanding and dealing with emotions, both your own and those around you.
Our session is practical and includes various games, exercises and STEM activities to make the session fun and interactive. You may spend time participating in chair yoga, listening to relaxing or calming music and using sensory equipment either within our quiet room or as part of the group session.
This session will help you to develop important skills and give you greater independence, including:
- Recognition of healthy food and balanced diet
- Mental wellbeing and emotional regulation
- Working with other people and managing relationships
- Listening and communication skills
- Learning about diversity and being part of a community
- We discuss topics such as personal and online safety
Movement & Relaxation
Movement & Relaxation
This is a fun interactive session that looks at using movement in a positive fun way to maintain and promote a healthy body and mind. We look at ways to encourage mindfulness through music, art and interactive sources.
We use yoga, dance, exercise, musical instruments, art media and team building games to maintain healthy bodies and minds, which also encourages us to reflect and build on our personal wellbeing. There is always access to the quiet room with sensory equipment such as calming lights, sensory bubble tube machine and large beanbags.
We use the outdoor space to encourage mindfulness, this may be through planting seeds, playing an outdoor game, or thinking about our senses, what we can see, hear, smell and touch.
The session also uses work/activity sheets, word searches, puzzles and board games and sporting games such as football or table tennis to encourage teamwork.
We end the session with some relaxation exercises along to calming music or interactive relaxation exercises, these can either be as a whole in the main hall or in the quiet room with our sensory equipment.
Life Skills
Life Skills
Personal, social, domestic and community skills are encouraged through discussion, worksheets, on line activities and games. Topics might include making personal choices, managing money, basic maths, health and safety, personal hygiene, healthy lifestyle, nutrition, food hygiene, appropriate behaviour, cooking, creative crafts and the importance of team work. We keep this course flexible so that we can adapt it from time to time to take into consideration any areas of particular interest to the group.
Journalism
Journalism
The journalism sessions produce the Scotts News magazine. You will be involved in the editorial content, selecting photographs, typing up articles and in the layout and design. You will also be involved in the magazines distribution.
The group look at daily newspapers, discuss and debate topical stories and have an opportunity to share news. They also arrange the collection of stamps for charity.
This session will enable you to stay in touch with current affairs and learn about the world today. It will also help you to develop important skills and work towards greater independence, including:
- Working as a team in the production of Scotts News
- Planning and organising skills
- Reading and general literacy skills
- Learning how to express yourself– verbally and in writing
- How to ask questions (interviewing) and listening skills
- Finding out information from a wide range of media sources
- Understanding other people’s points of view and emotions
- IT and other technical skills such as photography
Scotts Project Trust