Buckinghamshire
Mar 29, 2015
Evidence Base
• 80% of adults with LD engage in levels of physical activity below the minimum recommended by the Dept of Health.
»Messent et al 1998 (BJLD)
• Participation rate for disabled adults is significantly lower than for non-disabled adults
»Sport England 2002
Aims of Get Active
Aims:• Create and deliver a programme of activity that
will support and encourage people with learning disability to use community based sports and leisure facilities
• Overcome some of the problems faced by PWLD when accessing sport
• Bridge the gap between the community facilities available and the support needed,
• Providing a range of supportive environments encourage people to take more physical activity and lead a healthier lifestyle.
Steering Group
Steering Group• Meets every 2 months• Representation from:
– Bucks Sport (CSP)– Nexus (Local Leisure Provider)– Bucks County Council Day Opportunities – Bucks County Council Prevention Team
Disability Sports CoordinatorDisability Sports Development Officer
First Steps
• Consultation days April – May 08• Summer activities and festival – July –
August• September – began weekly sessions• December – began training of coaches,
volunteers etc
1 Year on
• Well over 100 People with Learning Disabilities have taken part in Get Active sessions in the last year– Football to Boccia to Martial Arts
• Sports Leaders UK – Day Certificate in Sports Leadership course to be run for people with LD
• Local steering group of adults with learning disabilities
• Coaches have received LD training• Bank of Volunteers to help sustainable activity• Get Active Birthday Party!
Feedback, Evaluation and Monitoring
• Evaluation forms for participants
• Evaluations from carers and parents
• Attempted to get feedback on increase in activity levels and/or activity
• Try semi-structured interviews and simple format
Carer feedback
• ‘Benefitted socially as regards mixing with other service users who like football’
• ‘They talk about their friends at football’
• ‘He has lost weight this year, not necessarily from Get Active but coming here helps’
• ‘He joins in and tries to converse with others’
• ‘He is always smiling during the session, he enjoys the company of other young adults’
Participant feedback
• Key themes– Competition– Enjoyment– Achievemen
t– Activity itself
• ‘All of it I love it’
• ‘Good teamwork’
• ‘Really active, heart pumping’
• ‘Because I won’
• ‘Learning and improving’
• ‘Keep me fit’
• ‘Lose weight’
Steps towards inclusion and equality of access• Sessions held in local leisure centres
– To aid familiarity for the service user and leisure centre staff
• Training of Leisure centre staff and involvement in session– Including front desk staff
• Work with local mainstream clubs– To enable and encourage people with
learning disabilities to access mainstream clubs
A few barriers
• Cost
• Support staff attitudes to sport
• Right sport, right level, right venue
• Timing
• Venue availability
• Variation in ability levels
• Participant experience of different sports
Now what and other ideas?
• Increase activity range– Swimming, Health walks
• Increase venues• Increase volunteers• Increase leisure centre and sports club
involvement– Learning disability training
• Publicity material• Learning disability staff training
Contact Details
• Polly Owens– Disability Sports Coordinator
• 01296 585884 01296 585215• 07738 314070• [email protected]
• Patricia Moynihan– Disability Sports Development
Officer• 01296 585489 • 01296 585215• [email protected]