Frequently asked questions
If you have any queries please feel free to email betterdays@ealing.gov.uk
Is the council planning to stop providing day services like the one at the Cowgate Day Centre or Michael Flanders Resource Centre?
No, the project is not looking to remove or take day services away.
What are you trying to achieve? Why are you doing the Better Days Project?
The Better Days Project is trying to improve the design of our day opportunities to better meet the needs of people who currently use the services and for people that will use it in the future. We want to design options together with people that use services, families and staff service and to give people more choice in the types of activities that meet their needs.
Are you looking to merge the Cowgate Day Centre with the Michael Flanders Resource Centre?
No. We understand that both services and very important to people that use them and their families and are different in many ways. We are not looking to merge the two services.
In terms of future options can we consider redevelopment of the current centres?
Yes, the project will look at a range of options available including the costs of and suitability of redeveloping the current buildings housing the Michael Flanders Resource Centre and Cowgate Services, as well as the viability of alternative sites and hubs.
The current activities at the centre are good, but I would like to see activities in the community such as visits to the park, using libraries, meeting people in coffee shops and things in the community that residents do. Will you look at this?
A major aspect of the project is to look at the activities that are in the community and closer to home. This can be both outdoors and indoors and does not always need to be in the building where the service is based.
We recognise that some people want to spend less time on transport to attend activities that are more local to them so they feel better connected to their community. We do, however also recognise that many people will have needs that can be met with activities in a dedicated building or hub.
The current time that support is provided in each service is limited. Will this be looked at?
Families and staff have already fed back the need to provide flexible times and we will look at how we can provide services during the weekend and evenings.
What about improved support for families who can struggle to meet the demands of being a carer?
We will be looking at opportunities to improve support for carers as part of the design process.
As a carer or family member, I would like regular feedback about the activities that take place, such as a regular timetable of activities/meal planner and photos or updates of what the person I care for does at the centre. Can you help with this?
The managers at Cowgate Day Centre and Michael Flanders Resource Centre are looking at this and we will provide an update for both centres.
If the services move to different building’s will you consider a gradual move? This will help because change can be difficult for people that use the services, due to their needs/conditions.
Yes, if a decision is made to use different buildings. It is recognised that people that use the current services will need support and time to become used to a new space. We would work with people that use services, their families and staff on the details for a good phasing period. For example, by agreeing a phased approach between buildings, visits to a new building before a service commences, visual and interactive sessions for people that use the services at their current service to look at what a new building and outdoor space would look like.
Will people who currently use the services be able to keep their existing friendship groups?
Yes. The project is not looking to merge the two different services together and we recognise the importance of developing and keeping friendship groups.
Can future communications about the Better Days project be sent via the managers at the centre?
Yes. We recognise that this is a preferred method of communication and we will send future information via managers.
Can you help with some of the other issues we face that are not related to this project, for example with invoicing/billing, bus route times
We can feed these points back to the relevant team, please feel free to send any issues to betterdays@ealing.gov.uk and have done so already with points raised during the information sessions.
What do I do if I want to talk about something related to the Better Days project?
If you want to talk to someone at Ealing Council please email betterdays@ealing.gov.uk
If you want to speak to someone at NDTi about the engagement phase please email equallivesteam@ndti.org.uk or you can talk to the centre manager.
The staff at the service are well valued and well regarded. Will you remove the current staff teams?
We understand that people that use services are used to working with the current staff teams and there are good relationships. The project recognises the importance of these relationships and continuity of support and this feedback will help us design options that work for people who use services now, and also consider future needs.
Is the Ealing Better Days Project about saving money and are you looking to close services and sell or knock down buildings?
The project is focussed on ensuring that the council's in-house services can best meet the needs and aspirations of people that use the services right now, and in the future, as well as supporting families.
We are not looking to close down services; we want to refine our in house offer to ensure we are facilitating the outcomes that people need. This includes looking at the most suitable locations, the types of activities offered, and the right environments for both buildings and community based provision, that you have told us is important during the engagement stage.