Divine Days Community and An Inclusive Future Community Interest Company (AIF CIC) provide an information, advice, guidance and befriending service for individuals and families across the West Lancashire area with a child/children with an additional need or disability who has been affected during and post the COVID – 19 pandemic.  The project also ensures people with disabilities can access pastoral and professional services and support in an accessible, person-centred, and meaningful manner during and post the COVID – 19 pandemic.

Gateway support Covid 19 advice, guidance and befriending service
What we do: Is covid 19 affecting your family, your children and their transistions? Are you struggling with what to do next? Are you looking for help and guidance? Do you feel overwhelmed and cant see the wood for the trees? Gateway is a new professional advice, guidance and befriending service, working to ensure children and adults with disabilities and their families can access support in an accessible, person-centered and meaningful manner during and post the COVID-19 pandemic How can we help: We offer advice and guidance on how to access support We work with you and your family to help find ways to reduce stress and anxiety We offer a listening ear service where you can have someone to talk to and help ease the sense of isolation you maybe feeling We can help signpost you and your family to appropriate services Where do i go from here? For more information or make a referal or arrange to talk to someone: gateway@divinedays.co.uk 07727158510

For more information or to make a referral email gateway@divinedays.co.uk or telephone 07727159510

Case Study:

 

As our client’s first child has SEND and was getting all the support they needed, she and her other child felt as though they needed additional help for themselves in the form of advice and support from appropriate organisations/groups, respite and, in our client’s case, something to “build her confidence and focus on herself”. The needs of our client’s other child also needed to be taken into account and that they should have something to look forward to and a way to express themselves. We were able to have a meeting with her in order to discuss her fears, frustrations and personal and professional priorities.   As a result we were able to refer and signpost her to a number of support groups and agencies based in West Lancashire including West Lancashire Autism Parent & Carer Support Group, Trinity Snap Special Needs Advice Partnership, ADHD Northwest and Autism Adventures.  Each organisation are able to provide tailored support and help to both our client and the rest of the family.

Woman looking towards the camera smiling, Nickolas Nikolic
Coffee mug on the table in focus with the word "begin" written on it

Gateway support has also referred the mother onto a confidence building and aspiration raising personal development programme called “Wonder Women”.  The course is delivered by An Inclusive Future CIC (one of the partner organisations running the Gateway Support Project) and allows us to provide further “in house” support directly to those participants who need it most. Her other child has also been introduced to dance classes at Divine Days Community which they expressed an interest in.  They are enjoying the classes and are making excellent progress.

Both our client and her child are positive about the future, feel as though they are no longer alone and that there are people and organisations who understand the challenges they have gone through and can help them.  Our client is due to begin the Wonder Women course in January and will attend a welcome/induction afternoon before Christmas.

Project Update/Outcome:

The project is still running and continues to provide information, advice, guidance and befriending service to the beneficiary group.  Due to the ongoing and rapidly changing landscape of COVID – 19 we are helping and supporting more individuals than ever.  To date over 60 people have been supported and we are continuing to receive referrals from both families and individuals needing help with navigating the  support system available and from the West Lancashire Social Prescribing team.