Opportunities for transformation

Carisbrooke House

Hastings Resource Centre is a day support service based at Carisbrooke House, a community resource centre in St. Leonards-on-Sea, just along the coast from Brighton and Eastbourne, in East Sussex. The building is also used by other services to provide support and activities for local people. Additionally there is a Community Links Service which aims to support people who may find it difficult to get (back) into day to day routines and activities, perhaps work, voluntary work, training or accessing opportunities to be involved in the local community. Both the Centre and the Community Links Service accept self referrals.

Together: Working for Well-being, the organisation that manages Hastings Resource Centre, was able to buy Carisbrooke House in 2004 with funds from the Single Regeneration Budget and some other smaller charitable grants. The building is in a part of the town that has deprived area status, as there is a high incidence of complex health and social needs.

Funding for Hastings Resource Centre is provided by East Sussex County Council.

Founded in 1879, Together is the oldest community mental health charity in the country. Until 2005, Together was called Maca (the Mental After Care Association). We changed our name because we felt that it sounded old fashioned, did not reflect the language we use today, and no longer described the full range of things that we do as an organisation.

Since Carisbrooke House was set up six years ago, and guided by Together’s vision of community well-being, we have been working towards creating a resource that is truly available to the whole community.

What we offer

The day support service aims to provide a healthy living package consisting of:

• Opportunities to improve physical health through exercise, healthy eating, relaxation and other activities
• Opportunities for self-development and learning
• Opportunities to engage in creative pursuits (art, music and writing).

The current range of activities can be seen on the timetable. In addition, those people who use the centre will have access to other groups and activities run by other services in the building or in other local venues. This creates a wide range of opportunities to learn new skills, to look after yourself better and feel healthier and, importantly, to meet others people and become more ‘involved.’ 
A service delivery framework has been devised that allows people to use the resource centre in different ways.

• Some people come in for information and signposting to other resources, facilities and activities in the community.
• Some people (up to 90) will link in with the support project on an informal basis: ie. for social contact, use of the café and to join in some of the structured but informal groups and activities that are a part of the ‘healthy living package’.
  Many of the supportive and recreational activities offered are volunteer or service user led. Opportunities are made available for people to develop their skills and interests and share them with others using the service.
• A smaller proportion of people (up to 60) have a more individualised support plan. This is usually focused and time-limited, and helps people to address specific issues.

The timetable is constantly reviewed and there is always flexibility to support new ideas and projects.

The Community Links Service service provides individually tailored packages of support for people to move back into  community activities. The service is operated by Together and works with people who attend the resource centre and those who choose only to use this service. The team is comprised of Richard Brookes and Marie Micklethwaits. A brochure with further information can be had on request or please phone for further details

Meeting rooms in the building are available for other agencies to provide training, group work, workshops and individual consultation to their own clients and resource centre users.

Jane Lawrence is the Project Coordinator. Her experience has been in Carer Support and working for Saneline as well as managing a Resource Centre in Bristol for nine years.

Tom Gourlay is an area manager at Together: Working for Wellbeing. He has worked in mental health since 1970, having trained as a psychiatric nurse and community psychiatric nurse. He has worked for Together since 1984 and in his current role since 1990.