INTERPLAY

Joiners is a project for young people 8 - 19 with learning disabilities and other physical challenges who need support in becoming regular participants in a local club or activity group of their choice.

The project was initially funded from a one-off grant administered by Social Services locally that was called Practical Aid and Support but is now funded by a three year grant from the National Lottery Charities Board as part of the Year Round Project. The aim of Interplay in running the Joiners project is to provide support workers to help the young people associated with joining a group and to give them continuing support for the first three months of joining.

The project runs in the Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot areas. Young people, their carers or their social workers make a referral to Interplay suggesting which group, activity or club they wish to join. Interplay employs a worker to visit them, the club and then create a plan which will help them to join. The worker then accompanies the young person to the club over a period which should not exceed 3 months. The principal aim during that 3 months is to withdraw their support and allow the club to become the natural support for the young person.

In addition to the individual referrals and in order to help young people with a limited range of experience to choose activities they would like to continue, we have organised 4 activity days over two weekends for a group of young people at least half of whom will have the label of profound disability. The follow-up to those weekends was an offer to be supported into regular participation in the activities.

Throughout the year 2000 we have recruited and trained new staff and the first of the new Lottery funded Joins have taken place.