Our Work
Facilities
Access
Our aim is to offer every assistance to guests to enable the practical use of all aspects of the Alan Shearer Centre. Our facilities are designed to be fully accessible to everyone including wheelchair users, those with limited mobility or with communication difficulties. Information for guests is available in various formats including Makaton, picture symbols and via British Sign Language. We have a lift to the accommodation area and overhead hoists for easy movement around the Centre.
The Short Break service, situated on the first floor, is accessed exclusively from the Activity Centre downstairs by staff and guests who are staying with us.
Adapted Bedrooms
The eight en-suite bedrooms at the Alan Shearer Centre are each equipped with wall mounted flat screen TVs. For optimum comfort all rooms are double glazed with individual temperature controls and, for added security and reassurance, bedrooms have an integral emergency call system.
Guests are encouraged to bring their own items to personalise their stay and on arrival are offered a choice of bedding styles and colours to suit their mood and preference.
Adapted bathing facilities
All guests can bathe in comfort and ease due to the range of bath and shower facilities available. We have shower cubicles, adapted baths with overhead tracking, a shower trolley or chairs for use depending on each individual guest’s requirements.
Lounge
The bright, airy and spacious communal lounge has a large, wall-mounted flat screen television and a range of comfortable seating. Incorporated into the room is an informal dining area which shares the delightful views onto the landscaped gardens, wooded areas and lawns.
Part of the room is neutral and relaxing while the dining area is decorated with guests’ own artwork and stimulating and educational posters and pictures.
Flexible packages
The service is registered with both Ofsted and CQC which allows us to offer our unique, short break service to both children and adults on separate occasions. Due to the scope of our guests’ needs, and the specialist care we are able to provide, individual circumstances are assessed as part of our induction process to ensure that everyone has a safe, enjoyable and relaxing stay. In this way the Alan Shearer Short Break Centre provides flexible packages tailored specifically to each guest’s needs.
The assignment of an individual key worker offers each guest personal support and assurance while providing their families and carers with peace of mind. Residents can also choose to have a holiday at the Centre.
Referrals are accepted from social workers, healthcare professionals and independently by families. We offer mid-week, weekend and holiday breaks which can be arranged and booked privately or via guests’ own Local Authority. Contact our Registered Manager, Carol Harrison, for more details on bookings.
Meals and dining facilities
Meals and all daily domestic needs are fully catered for by our team of highly qualified staff who are on hand 24-hours a day to provide everything from special diets to therapeutic support. A choice of menu is available and guests can eat in the communal dining area or choose to have room service if they prefer.
During the Activity Centre’s open hours meals, snacks and refreshments are also available at Browne’s, our independent, on-site café on the ground floor.
Equipment
We have extensive provision of some of the leading, state of the art equipment to enable our guests to have a total access experience at the Centre. Specialist beds, hoists, bathing facilities, raised walkways in the gardens and personal care items are available to meet our guests’ every need.
We are committed to invest in the continuous development of the Centre and respond to the needs and requests of our users and guests. For example as a result of feedback from visitors a new, specialist bed has recently been purchased for £6,000 which will benefit our guests with very specific needs.
Landscaped gardens and woodland walk
The Alan Shearer Centre is set in beautiful grounds which have been sensitively landscaped to enable as much open access as possible while maintaining a natural garden atmosphere. We have designed a wheelchair accessible “woodland walk” which includes seating areas, bird feeders and a selection of suitable plants. The wood also incorporates a shed/hide to allow visitors to observe the birds and wildlife.
The entrance to the Alan Shearer Centre opens onto a path which has a large, open lawn area used for garden games, fetes and events. It also leads to a boardwalk which allows access around a monkey puzzle tree with views onto a sunken garden, memorial fountain and wooden planters below.
Outings and events
Guests may choose to use the Alan Shearer Centre as a base for excursions to shops, local attractions and events. The Centre is ideally located for easy access to Newcastle and MetroCentre shops and facilities, the coast and historic areas such as Durham, and Hadrian’s Wall.
Staff are available to accompany guests on trips of their choice, with the most popular outings being bowling, the cinema, shops and interactive museums. We also offer creative, educational, stimulating and relaxing experiences on-site at the Centre.
Activity Centre
Unique to guests staying at the Short Break Centre is the opportunity to access the on-site facilities available on the ground floor of the building. The Alan Shearer Activity Centre offers private sensory rooms for relaxing, stimulating or therapeutic interludes; a hydrotherapy suite; Wii™ Room for video gaming and a giant ball pool. Residents can also take part in the organised activities and events which are arranged throughout the year.
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