Kaleidoscope Opens in Leicester

• 21 Jun 2021
• |
• Great Britain

New Accessible Leicester Day Service for Adults Opens

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A new service for adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) opened in Leicester, in May, following empassioned pleas from local parents and families for the much-needed facility. The Kaleidoscope centre on Knighton Lane will operate initially three days a week, expanding to five as more participants are registered, and accommodate up to 10 service users per day. Fifteen care workers and team leaders will be employed at the centre.

The centre was created as a result of an innovative partnership between parents and Praxis to address a gap in the provision of suitable services for adults with PMLD in the Leicestershire area. Two parents from the group, Steve Dibnah and Jay Dempster, say the Kaleidoscope project will be a major boost for service provision in the region.

“When our daughter Francesca was coming to the end of her time at Birkett House School, we were shocked when we realised there were no locally accessible services available that could meet the level of complexity she needs and provide the type of well structured, stimulating and meaningful activities she experienced at school.

Steve Dibnah and Jay Dempster

“We knew it would have to be up to us and other parents to find a solution…Having had direct experience of the care provided by Praxis Care for our daughter through its young people’s residential short breaks service at the Glenfield Project, we know Kaleidoscope will benefit from Praxis’ experience and reputation for delivering high quality and valuable support to the people who will use the service and their families.”

Steve Dibnah and Jay Dempster

Teresa and Martyn Newey, parents of Ellie, initiated the call for parents to come together in 2015: “We all recognised and were concerned about the lack of appropriate day care facilities available for our children with PMLD, once they had left full time education. We have worked with Praxis to develop what we think will be an excellent service, that will benefit many families, now and in the future.”

Director of Care and Development for GB and Isle of Man Richard Broughton says

“The people we will be working alongside all have a severe learning disability, compounded by highly complex physical health care needs, which require additional levels of support from appropriately skilled, compassionate, caring and dedicated staff.”

Mr Broughton

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Email kaleidoscopeenquiries@praxiscare.org.uk to express your interest or with any questions.