Directly Provided Services
Directly Provided Services offer a range of social care support. This includes seven day-opportunity services, six residential homes and a countywide Shared Lives scheme where people are supported within Shared Lives carers' homes. We provide services to around 600 people a week, employ just over 350 people and work out of 11 buildings across the county.
To find out more about what we do please visit the DPS page on WSCC Connect to Support.
Recruitment
Recruiting staff has continued to be a priority for us and we have been actively promoting our services as widely as possible with regular visits to job fairs, schools, and colleges to encourage uptake of work experience opportunities and apprenticeships and to highlight vacancies.
We have continued to involve people who use our services in staff recruitment, including for newly qualified social workers.
Please visit our DPS recruitment page for more details on working in our services.
Chestnuts, Bognor Regis - The service has developed strong partnerships with schools, colleges, and universities to provide information and examples of careers in social care.
Workshops, career fairs, school assemblies, and invites to visit our services have all provided insight to career pathways and working with people with different support needs. This has led to numerous work experience placements in our services. We ensure that the people we support are involved.
Burnside, Burgess Hill - Many of the people who access the service took part in a ‘people panel’ section of the interview process for new staff. This was an opportunity for everyone to develop communication skills and build confidence.
Supporting people to live the life they want to lead
Our services work to support people to focus on their strengths, regain and maintain their independence, and make best use of what is on offer within their local communities.
As part of our work to deliver the priorities of our Adult social care strategy we have worked with people who use services, staff, families, carers and colleagues to develop some ‘shared goals’.
- Supporting people to live the lives they want to lead – This includes work (paid and non-paid), education, and having the opportunity to try new things.
- Support people to access and be involved in their local community This may include independent travel and local facilities.
- Supporting people to maintain friendships and relationships and meet new people. This may include families, friends, and partners.
- People have access to information to support them to know and understand how to stay safe and healthy. This may include people having a health passport, understanding what support is available, safe places in the community, use of mobile phones.
| Supporting people to live the lives they want to lead |
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We supported one of the people using the service to complete their Level 2 food hygiene so that they could continue their volunteer role at Buddy’s Cafe in Worthing. The Rowans, Worthing. |
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We ensure that people are supported to be fully involved in their reviews. We supported one person to work in the voluntary sector and another to set up a gardening club. Ball Tree Croft, Sompting |
| Support people to access and be involved in their local community |
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We ‘buddy up’ with an older people’s residential service. A group from Strawford visit every Wednesday and chat with residents over tea and coffee and play tabletop games. This has led to some of the more withdrawn older people participating and forming friendships. Feedback from both groups has highlighted the benefits in terms of making friendships and feeling useful and valued. Strawford, Horsham. Maze Garden project - We work closely with the Friends of Horsham Park once a week, clearing leaves and picking up litter and also ensuring that our designated are is kept well maintained. Strawford, Horsham
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We have supported people to volunteer at the Community Fridge Project working at their café and at their base at St James Church, Littlehampton. Being part of a food sustainability project that helps feed the local community, lessens loneliness and has provided people with opportunities for developing work and independent living skills, as well as increased community presence and inclusion. The Laurels, Rustington. |
| Supporting people to maintain friendships and relations and meet new people. |
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In 2023 we supported two people to arrange an independent holiday together. Shared Lives.
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We work closely with the Nordoff and Robbins charity to provide weekly music therapy sessions. These use the creation and celebration of song to enhance communication, promote confidence in meeting people, and to make friends. Burnside, Burgess Hill.
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| People have access to information to support them to know and understand how to stay safe and healthy |
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‘Staff have been supporting me to attend my appointments - these are not my favourite things and can make me feel really anxious, but Stanhope made sure that my favourite staff were with me, and they planned everything so that it went smoothly. I was so proud of myself that I was able to attend my appointments’ – Stanhope Lodge, Worthing.
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Looking ahead and what's happening now
We will be relaunching the satisfaction survey for people who use the services, families, and carers in late 2024. This has been co-produced with people we support, their families and carers and feedback will form part of our business plan for 2025 - 2026.