Ages 16+
Choices is TOPCATS accredited day service provision.
Supporting young people who are 16+ and are either in higher education, college or have left school completely. We have recently signed up to a new scheme with AQA to deliver bespoke structured activities. There are many, many different subjects to choose from, including Independent Living skills, Social Interaction, Leisure, Music therapy and all-important Real Working Environment opportunities (work experience). Choices offers flexible choice and structured activities. Our unique approach is designed around a person centred activity programme for each individual to promote independence.
Here is a little overview of what a week at CHOICES during term time can look like;
Mondays – helping with the weekly food shop (including planning meals, putting together a list, budgeting and money handling), attending work experience at the food bank, batch cooking in the kitchen, working on our AQA Projects, going swimming.
Tuesdays – working on our AQA Projects, learning about our current topic and building our Independent Living Skills.
Wednesdays – work experience at Pakefield Riding School, working on our AQA Projects, attending our dance group at The Seagull Theatre and helping set up activities for our Tiny TOPCATS group!
Thursdays – completing our Tennis Leader course and partaking in the Tennis session and getting outdoors for our Gardening group.
Fridays – working on our Football Leader and football skills, attending work experience at the EACH Charity Shop, helping at our monthly Community Cafes, having fun at our weekly nominations ceremony!
This is our general weekly routine, we are always looking at building links within our local community to offer a wider range of opportunities for our Young People, for either a learning experience or for work experience. Our AQA Projects are extremely varied, from baking units, to learning about Natural Disasters, to Mini Bus Maintenance! Each Project has modules to work through to complete the unit and earn an official AQA certificate – these projects can stretch out for a few weeks at a time between all of the other activities we get up to!
Each Young Person has a daily diary which they fill out at the start of the day alongside their peers so they know what the plan for the day is, this happens whilst having a nice morning cuppa and a catch up! We also provide Communication books which staff complete at the end of each day so that parents/carers can read all about what has gone on throughout the day!
We encourage independence and teamwork throughout all we do here at TOPCATS, so the young people who attend CHOICES are involved in making their own lunches and helping cook the hot lunches, we work together to clear down activities and are each assigned a task at the end of the day to keep the building clean and tidy for the next session.
We also have fundraising themed days! Fancy dress, themed activities and plenty of FUN! To give you an idea we’ve had…Shrek day, Dolly day, Charlie and the Chocolate factory day, dress as a Staff Member day…and we are ALWAYS up for suggestions and new ideas!
