In October 2012 Project Art Works and FACT worked together to deliver a model of awareness raising and connection between FACT and the social care sector in Liverpool. FACT took on the project with a strong lead in place and a very engaged approach to their collaborative involvement.
The key project links were Mike Stubbs, Director and Katherine Dempsey, Head of Collaboration.
Social care in Liverpool and Merseyside has areas of well-evolved personalized services but also a high proportion of resource centre based provisions that cater for large numbers of profoundly disabled people. This reflects the strain on public services and social care provision in Liverpool and Merseyside but despite this the response, interest and willingness to be involved in project from all providers was immensely impressive. It created an opportunity to deliver a truly unique and unprecedented experience for Project Art Works, 30 FACT staff and 57 severely disabled individuals and over 46 support staff.
The project structure reflected the very particular needs and context of FACT, the social care providers and support workers and individuals we met. It involved risk through the delivery of a new approach to staff awareness raising by running workshops with staff in day centre, the Thingwall Resource Centre run by the Christian Brothers Charity, for people all of whom had severe intellectual disabilities and high support needs.
