Dear Sheila,
I am looking to open up a day centre for adults with mental health issues and learning difficulties. The idea of the day centre is to provide person-centre care to allow service users living under care (parent/carers or residential care homes) to integrate in the community and take part in activities, including therapeutic activities that are helpful for their mental health.
However, I was wondering whether day centres are still up and coming, and is still a need in many areas or if people are now more inclined towards outreach care?
Dear Lucky,
My advice to you would be to do some market research as availability and need vary from area to area. You would need to speak to your local psychiatric team, local GPs and CCGs to try to identify whether or not there is a need for a day centre in your area.
If there is, then who is going to pay for the service that you would provide?
It seems to me that if you can get a positive response to these two questions then you could begin to make plans.
Best wishes.
Sheila