Barnet Independent Living Service
Barnet Independent Living Service offers a range of support for Barnet residents with a physical or sensory impairment. From April 2009, this service replaced the previous day services based at Flightways Resource Centre.
The new service forms a partnership between Adult Social Services staff (Barnet Independent Living Team) and the user led organisation BDISC (Barnet Disability and Independence Steering Committee). It provides a wide range of services from peer support to preparation for getting paid employment, which aims to improve peoples’ quality of life and enable them to maximise their potential to live independently.
In the next 2 years, the service will be relocated to a new building in Barnet, becoming a Barnet Centre for Independent Living, run for and by disabled people.
How to contact the service:
Barnet Independent Living Service, Grahame Park, Colindale NW9 5UX Map
Tel: 020 8359 3750
Email: independentlivingservice@barnet.gov.uk
What services are available?
Support from the Barnet Independent Living Team
The Barnet Independent Living Team staff provide support under three broad categories:
- Employment and Training -including support to access training or college, vocational skills assessment and support to remain in work, IT skills training, CV preparation and support to apply for jobs- paid or voluntary.
- Rehabilitation and Enablement - including advice and information on specific health conditions, access to Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy assessment treatment programmes, NHS Expert patients programme for condition management, access to Telecare equipment for the home.
- Promoting independence - including support to access sports and leisure services such as swimming and gym, wheelchair servicing and repairs, support with Dial A Ride and Taxicard applications, support to move home, improving daily living skills and applying for Personal Budgets.
The list above is not exhaustive, as the focus for the service is to support people based on their individual assessed needs wherever possible, or refer on to a more appropriate service.
Support from the Barnet Disability and Independence Steering Committee (BDISC)
BDISC is an independent user-led charitable association that arrange a variety of activities for their members both at the Barnet Independent Living Service and in the community.
These include:
- art and Pottery Groups
- flower arranging group
- gym and swimming sessions
- yoga group (run by Age Concern Barnet)
- disability Awareness trainer group
- ‘Our Life’ Newsletter
- French and Spanish language group
- deaf social club
- friendship groups
For further information about BDISC please contact:
Paul Baldwin at Barnet Independent Living Service.
Tel: 020 8359 3750
Email: info@barnetdisc.org.uk
Other support available
The centre also provides a base for other projects whose services are also available:
- Middlesex Association for the Blind provide a resource centre for people with a visual impairments which offers information and advice on a variety of pieces of equipment and adaptations that are available. This service gives people the opportunity to try out the equipment for themselves and the aim is to help people with a visual impairment to live more independent lives.
- Barnet Borough Sight Impaired is a support group for the blind and visually impaired, which is run by people who themselves have a visual impairment.
- ADEPTA provide a catering project for disabled people
How do I access the service?
Referrals to the service can be made by anyone, including:
- the person requiring support or information
- health or Adult Social Services staff
- family members or home support staff
You will need to complete a referral form 
(PDF: 81KB) with as much information about yourself or the person requiring a service, and either post or email the completed form to:
The Resource Centre, Grahame Park, London NW9 5UX
Referrals for support from the Adult Social Services Barnet Independent Living Team will need to have been assessed by a Care manager under the Fair Access to Care Services (FACS) criteria to qualify for the service. If your assessment shows that you are at substantial or critical risk if you do not receive some support, you will be eligible to use the service. This is worked out by social care staff using the Eligibility Criteria Matrix (PDF: 38KB).
However if you simply require advice and information, or wish to access some of the social or self-help activities provided through BDISC then you are able to contact the centre directly:
- Tel: 020 8359 3750
- Email: independentlivingservice@barnet.gov.uk
What happens next?
You will be contacted by someone from the service who will discuss with you which areas of your life you require support with, and which service or services appear to be most appropriate for your needs.
Where you require individualised support, a support plan will be drawn up with you by your allocated key worker which describes:
- the goals you wish to achieve
- the support you will be given to achieve those goals
- when support will be provided and for how long
These support plans will be reviewed every 3 months and amended or extended if required.
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Email this pageLast modified by: Dawn Rowe on 05/01/2010