Locations > Day Centres > Saddlers Farm
A Day Centre for
- Adults (18+) with learning disabilities, autism, ADHD, Cerebral palsy, epilepsy, behaviours that challenge, communication difficulties, and co-morbidities
Typical stay
Day visits between 9am-3.30pm, Monday-Friday, with flexible attendance available based on funding and individual needs.
Suitable for
Families looking for a safe, fun and social environment for their loved one to spend time to enjoy life, have fun and learn life skills in a social, supportive and inclusive person-centred environment.
Placements can be Local Authority funded or self-funded, providing a flexible approach to ensure the right level of support is available to those who need it.
Exclusions
- People with mobility issues/wheelchair use (due to the nature of the farm environment – pending environmental improvements)
- Behaviours that may harm others (will consider all and risk asses – the right environment can improve how people act and behave)
- People with animal phobias
Centre Manager: Vicki Farrah
Features
Property
- Single story buildings
- Multiple multi-use activity rooms
- Hobby farm set in 7.5 acres
- Extensive gardens and fields
- Stable block and farm buildings
Shared activity spaces
- Kitchen with cooking facilities
- Large garden and extensive grounds
- Livestock & animal welfare
- Multi-purpose activity rooms
- Stable block, animal fields, potting sheds, allotment and poly tunnels
Saddlers Farm
Park Lane, Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, MK44 1LX
Saddlers Farm is set in 7.5 acres of farmland and is an active and hands-on social day centre for adults with learning disabilities and autism where everyone can be themselves in a relaxed and open environment. Multiple activity rooms and a variety of facilities, including a large garden, large fields and farm animals make days spent here a fun and unique experience.
It’s a safe and inclusive environment with specialist carers supporting the various needs of its service users, ensuring everyone has a positive experience. A space where experienced and long-standing staff guide and support for everyone to get the most out of each day, which can also include a variety of day trips.
Saddlers Farm is ideal for people who enjoy animals and being outdoors in a social environment with lots of variety and activities, supported by carers who can bring out the best in them.
Our learning disability day service
Saddlers Farm Learning Disability Day Centre is a place that your loved ones will enjoy, feel included and supported in a fun and active environment with access a range of vocational activities within spacious outdoor surroundings. A lot of current service users have been coming here for decades, with a stable and experienced team that have worked here for years and know each other very well.
This is their place to be them, to make friends, to be independent, to have a say on how they want their life to be. If our service users are not happy, we’re not happy. Most current users have been coming to Saddlers Farm for decades, which is a testament to the environment and experience provided.
A mix of daily activities are available for everyone to get involved with, from looking after the animals to potting and gardening, arts and crafts, sensory play, baking, learning life skills and much more. Flexibility and a person-centred approach comes as standard, where everyone has the freedom to engage in a way that best suits them.
Service Users Supported
The team at Saddlers Farm support adults 18+ with learning disabilities and/or autism, and co-modalities during day time ‘school’ hours.
Most service users use our day service as an enjoyable and educational experience away from home in a familiar and social environment with trained professionals. It’s a place they enjoy and benefit from, while providing respite for families and carers.
Service users usually live at home with family and use this day service to provide support, respite and a learning experience outside of home life – much like going to school, only less structured and more fun.
All our staff are highly experienced in looking after people with behaviours that challenge and complex needs and learn about each person to get them best from them and improve behaviours.
The team always consider all cases and are open to trialling bigger challenging behaviours. They pride themselves on accepting many people over the years which other services have turned down or failed to manage.
“Feedback coming soon”.
Tester Days
Finding the right place is a three-way decision. We need to be happy with the person, ensuring we can support their needs safely without impacting other service users. The person themself need to be happy coming to our day centre, and equally important is the family feeling confident that Saddlers Farm is the best place for their loved one to spend their weekdays.
Our Tester Days are the best way to ensure everyone is happy, providing reassurance of the environment, culture, activities and support. Families stay with their loved one to see what they do and what a typical day can be like.
Whether you have local authority funding or are self-funding, if you are considering where is best for your loved one, get in touch and have a chat with our team about arranging a visit, assessment or a tester day.
Activities Programme and Days Out
Saddlers Farm service users have access to and enjoy a variety of activities, with all requests and needs catered for where possible. We’ll always find a creative way to fulfil needs and wants as best we can.
The great outdoors and animal care is a big part of daily life at Saddlers Farm. From mucking out the ponies to feeding the chickens, cleaning the pens and potting and caring for plants and veg plots; there’s something for everyone to keep them busy, entertained and give them sense of achievement every day.
Creativity is also a big part of daily activities, with a variety of arts and crafts, music and life skills playing a key part most days. These activities are enjoyed by all, are super fun and put a smile on all faces.
Life skills, including managing money, cookery and baking happen too, with key and new skills learnt, achievements reached, and freshly baked foods a regular occurrence.
Regular access in the community day visits and a wide variety of day trips, such as to the zoo, shopping, fishing, restaurants, museums, theatre and much more, are accommodated for all service users, providing them experiences that they want and enjoy.
“Feedback coming soon”.
Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire
Sharnbrook is a picturesque village located north of Bedford and south of Rushden, Known for its riverside setting. It features a strong community feel, local amenities including a mill theatre, and schools. Its convenient location provides easy reach to amenities, including local shops, with green parks and beautiful countryside on its doorstep and access to Bedford and Rushden town centres within easy reach.
Staff & Training
Saddlers Farm learning disability day centre has a team of skilled and highly experienced carers who have all worked at this service for multiple years and know how best to communicate and work with adults with learning disabilities and autism of all abilities, behaviours and experiences.
The expert team’s specialist skills allow them to build strong rapport with service users – most of which the current ones have been coming to Saddlers Farm for years and decades. Staff are provided advanced training as required to meet the specific needs of the service users they are supporting, with additional training available to support their progression and career goals.
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