Interactive technology brings happiness to Day Opportunities service users in St Helens Borough

Article date: 21 October

For the past few months, service users at Stephenson's Resource Centre in Rainhill, one of three venues in the borough that supports 87 adults aged 19 and over with learning disabilities and additional needs, have benefited from the Happiness Programme - a first-of-its-kind interactive light technology that provides meaningful activities for residents and patients in care homes and care settings.

Using an interactive projector, light projects onto a surface and as hands, arms or feet move through the light, games that are projected - from painting pictures and brushing leaves to popping bubbles and playing tennis - begin to change and move.

It comes as St Helens Borough Council prepares to launch its new adult social care strategy for 2024-27 to enable people to live healthier, happier lives.

There are currently 38,500 older adults in St Helens Borough who are supported by the local authority - whether it's to live independently, or with dementia and long-term needs care - with the vast majority of the council's overall budget spent on social care every year.

With input from more than 300 people across the borough, including service users, carers, staff and general members of the public, Enabling People to Live Healthier, Happier Lives (Adult Social Care Strategy 2024 - 2027) outlines big and ambitious key pledges proposed by the council to take the highly in demand service forward, as well as the new practice models to form a strength-based approach.

Councillor Andy Bowden, St Helens Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Integrated Health and Social Care, commented: "Day Opportunities is one of a number of council services making a difference to many lives in adult social care, with a number of fun activities and employment opportunities open to people with learning disabilities and additional needs.

"It's warming to see how service users have enjoyed using the Happiness Programme which has proved to be successful in offering safe, meaningful and engaging activity.

"Day Opportunities is a fine example of what we're doing as a council to achieve a key priority of promote good health, independence, and care across our communities and forms a key part of our ambitious Adult Social Care Strategy - the emphasis being on individuals, their life experiences and what they feel would enable them to live a happy and fulfilled life."

For more information on Day Opportunities, visit: www.sthelens.gov.uk/adults