The South Eastern Trust welcomed Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt MLA to Lisburn Adult Resource Centre (LARC) to meet with Sensability, a local carers’ group supporting families of adults with learning disabilities. During the visit, the Minister toured the centre, guided by Manager Raphael Kearns, to gain an insight into the various activities and support services available to adults with learning disabilities.
LARC is a vital hub in the Lisburn area, providing day services to adults with learning disabilities, including those with complex clinical needs and social support. The centre offers a range of tailored activities that enhances the quality of life for its Service Users.
Parents and carers from Sensability welcomed the opportunity to engage directly with the Minister, sharing their experiences and the challenges they face as carers. The group highlighted the importance of ongoing support and resources to improve the lives of those they care for and their families.
During the tour, Service Users, Robbie and William presented the Minister with handmade cards they had created especially for his visit. The thoughtful gesture highlighted the creativity and community spirit at LARC.
Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to meet with Sensability and tour the centre. He said, “It is always important to come and see a social care setting. Lisburn Adult Resource Centre is so bright and spacious, it is really energising. But of course, buildings are one thing, what makes it are the staff. The staff are so caring, engaged and energised it is wonderful to see. While touring the centre, I was delighted to be presented with two wonderful handmade cards crafted by Service Users Robbie and William, such a thoughtful gesture.”
The Health Minister continued. “I will take away certain things from this visit. First of all, people with learning disabilities belong in the community, they belong in facilities like this. Secondly, their parents and carers always worry about what happens after they have gone and thirdly, we have to work harder about this cliff edge between being a child with learning difficulties and moving into the adult world, we need to be focused on that. It is a big challenge and it is one that I will work on in the remainder of my time as Health Minister.”
South Eastern Trust, Assistant Director of Disability Services, Clare McStay stated, “It is a great opportunity for us to have the Minister visit LARC and to show him what services we have available for our people with a learning disability. LARC is a great facility where our service users can come to learn, be supported and to socialise. However, there are a lot of key priorities and our colleagues today within Sensibility have highlighted some of that around transition processes and around older carers and the availability of respite. These are priorities that we really need to consider, to reflect on and to see how best we can support people in those particular areas.”
Sensibility Chairperson, Vivienne Scott commented, “We welcomed the opportunity as a group to meet with the Minister to share experiences of how difficult it can be at times to look after an adult with learning disabilities. Respite for me is so important, it is like giving me a million pounds, giving me a complete night’s sleep! It is just a break where you do not have to think about your loved one, it is nice just to have a little bit of time when you are not a mummy.”
Sensibility member, Karen Ryan added, “The work that Sensibility does in our community is crucial. We have highlighted that there are families within our local community who go unseen. We have held events within LARC and opened up the doors of this beautiful building to our local community. People that had not come into this building before could see the Service Users first-hand and what they are capable of and how enjoyable they are to be around. It is also an opportunity to see what families go through on a daily basis.”
