Adult social care - Day opportunities
About day opportunities
Day opportunities, also known as day centres, are services that help people to have a fulfilling life.
They provide the opportunity to:
- take part in various interests and activities
- make friends and develop relationships
- gain new skills, and
- enable people to make a positive contribution to the community
Day opportunities also provide support to carers by creating a respite, so they can pursue interests outside their caring role.
There are day opportunities available for older people including:
- those with dementia
- autistic people
- people with learning disabilities
- those with physical disabilities
Birmingham's adult day opportunities offer
Adults supported by adult social care (ASC) attend a wide range of day opportunities across Birmingham and its neighbouring local authorities.
The council provides support at nine individual day centres, four of which also have gardening projects attached. There are also over 40 third sector and private organisations providing day opportunities services.
Day opportunities are funded directly by ASC or by using direct payments. Some people pay for day opportunities themselves.
Direct payments are a way for you to have control over your care and support personal budget. The council will make payments directly to you so that you can buy the care and support you need yourself, rather than the council arranging it for you.
Find out more about direct payments
Find out about day opportunities
If you want to find out more about the different day opportunities, email dayopportunitiesvision@birmingham.gov.uk.
We will send you a booklet with information about the range of services and support available.
Or you can phone 0121 303 1234 and ask for an email to be sent to dayopportunitiesvision@birmingham.gov.uk on your behalf.
Co-production 2023
Think Local Act Personal (2011) Making it real: Marking progress towards personalised, community-based support, London: TLAP:
Co-production is not just a word, it’s not just a concept, it is a meeting of minds coming together to find a shared solution.
In practice, it involves people who use services and their carers being consulted, included and working together from the start to the end of any project that affects them.
In 2022 there was a co-produced review of day opportunities post-pandemic. A team of 13 trained volunteers, the Empowering People team, facilitated 35 engagement events, bringing people together to share their views and experiences
In total, 429 people took part in the events.
Over 250 (63%) were people who either use adult day opportunities services, attended special schools or colleges, or were informal carers and families.
The findings of the review were reported to the council’s cabinet meeting in April 2023 and there are now plans to co-produce:
- a commissioning strategy for the external day opportunities
- a service improvement plan for the council’s day centres
If you want to find out more about the co-production work, or would like a copy of the review report, My Daily Life, My Choice, email dayopportunitiesvision@birmingham.gov.uk
Page last updated: 5 July 2023
