Independent, safe travel is a cornerstone community skill and Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s pioneering public transport scheme for people with learning disabilities is giving many residents a new lease of life.
The Council’s Mobility Strategy is in place to help provide safe travel training for those who want to independently travel from their home to a variety of locations on a daily basis, such as college, work placements or day centres.
Such activity not only gives them a sense of freedom, but also helps to build up confidence of both the services user and their parents or carers. Together they provide the user with the opportunity to learn to travel independently by equipping them with the skills they need to travel safely which helps them make decisions about their own life.
With so many barriers to overcome, such as anxiety, health issues, vulnerability and road safety, each of the service users are carefully assessed to ensure their needs are met and a comprehensive risk assessment is put in place. Everyone has their own limitations and for some people, due to various issues or circumstances, it may prove unsafe to pursue.
Once referred to the Council’s Mobility Team, a dry run of the routes from door to door take place, so that they are aware of any possible obstacles that may have to be overcome. A travel plan is designed, listing bus stops, routes and timetables and with someone on hand, they practice that route until gradually they can do it unaided.
Just to double check, some of the users are carefully observed unnoticed to make sure they’re following the route correctly and safely.
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Cllr Mike Forey said, “The Mobility Strategy enables individuals to broaden their involvement within the community in numerous ways. The flexibility of independent travel helps a person seek more productive employment and take advantage of independent living situations. It also allows for greater ease with which to engage in social activities.
“Travelling independently allows a person to make use of recreational and educational resources available in the community and frequently results in a significant improvement in self-esteem that can become an important steppingstone to integrating new skills and trying new activities.
“Our mobility team is the first step in introducing these skills to our service users, and we are very proud to say that they have exceeded all expectations with the results achieved so far.”
For further details on the Mobility Strategy, contact: Stuart Saunders at Learning Curve on 01443 841235 or via email [email protected]
