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The Ashes

by Options for Life

About our activities / service

Accessibility details Fully accessible
Opening hours 9 am to 5 pm

Opening days

Morning Afternoon Evening
Monday -
Tuesday -
Wednesday -
Thursday -
Friday -
Saturday - - -
Sunday - - -

The Ashes is a hub located in Rowley Regis, The Ashes offers outreach, building base and specialised support to increase independence through a variety of channels. We have "The FLAT - Based at the Ashes. Striving for independence can often create barriers for adults with learning difficulties, but so many want to live or feel as though they have the same opportunities as anyone else to live as independently as possible. This may involve learning new life skills such as budgeting, shopping, meal planning and cooking. Taking more responsibility for their own personal hygiene, including showering, oral care, and washing their own clothes and/ or just having the space to hang out with their friends, organise a pizza party or a pamper day at home. In 2019 – Options was awarded a grant to convert a space at our Ashes Hub into a real life homely FLAT. The FLAT consists of a living area with modern technology, including a games console. This enabling participants to feel at home and ‘chill’ out with their friends. The kitchen area has a modern hob, microwave, toaster, kettle, and workspace to enable our partcipants to practice preparing meals that can then be eaten around the dining table in the open plan kitchen. The FLAT even has its own en suite bathroom, complete with its own toilet, sink and shower facilities, perfect for anyone that wants to practice getting ready to host their own dinner party. Other facilities/ resources include, washing machine, tumble dryer, fridge, vacuum, mop and bucket, iron and ironing board, bed and bedding ……. Everything you would find in your own home. The front door even has a bell and a door chain so that participants can practice important ‘stay safe’ skills. The FLAT is not just a great space to practice whatever level of life skills that you would like support with, it is also a space where participants can meet up, forget that they are attending a ‘day service’ and instead feel like they are hanging out in their own home’"

Staff qualifications Staff are qualified to deliver the services of Options for Life.
Genders All
Age focus 18 year olds, 19-25 year olds, 26-65 year olds, 65+ year olds

About the organisation

We are a Sandwell based charity, which supports adults with learning disabilities and/or autism, by providing a range of services which include outreach provision, community hub based activities, drop-in sessions and accessing community activities. We support our participants to increase their self-confidence, develop communication and social skills and ultimately increase their independence. • Options for Life was established in 1988 and is a day opportunity service based in Sandwell, West Midlands, we provide professional person-centred care that is tailored to meet the individual needs of adults with learning disabilities and/or autism. We provide the support through our day opportunities outreach service, Building based and PMLD services. • We aim to provide support in ways which have positive outcomes for participants and promote their active participation. Our staff are qualified and experienced as well as receiving continuous training. • We ensure that each participant’s needs and preferences are thoroughly assessed. We aim to ensure that the support and care that we provide meet the assessed needs of each participant and needs are re-assessed as frequently as necessary and that our care and support have the flexibility to respond to changing needs or requirements. • We aim to provide a flexible, efficient, value-for-money quality care and support service. • We aim to safeguard the privacy and confidentiality of participants and to enable them to maintain their personal independence, have informed choices and have an opportunity to enjoy and contribute to society. • Options for Life is non-discriminatory and serves all participants regardless of race, nationality, language, religion or beliefs, age, sex or sexual orientation, or social standing nor is there any discrimination made between participants who pay directly for the service and those who do not. In the event of special needs and preferences of ethnic, cultural, and religious groups advice would be sought to enable Options for Life staff to meet those needs.

Sandwell Family Life website relies on providers of local support and services to add information about their activities and keep this information up to date. If you know or suspect information to be inaccurate, unclear or out of date please let us know and we will contact the group or organisation concerned and ask them to make the changes needed. In some circumstances, we might remove the information listed.

Please email us at earlyhelp@scvo.info, including what your concern is and what service or activity this relates to.