Sheffield Safe Places, part of South Yorkshire’s Safe Places Scheme, offers approved ‘safe places’ across the city where people with learning disabilities can feel supported by trained staff if they feel lost, ill or uneasy if out alone in the city.
The scheme was launched during Learning Disabilities Week (June 18 to 22). Sheffield City Council will work with the police and trading standards to ensure that venues are suitable and staff from Heeley City Farm, already a safe place, will provide training. Once shops, businesses and venues are trained they will display a Sheffield Safe Places sticker.
Over 20 venues across Sheffield have already signed up to the scheme including all of the city libraries, St Wilfred’s Centre, Weston Park, Millennium Gallery and Heeley City Farm.
Martine Cragg from Heeley City Farm said: “This scheme is very important to us here at Heeley City Farm. We decided to get involved with Sheffield Safe Places as we believe it can make a difference and that by identifying ‘safe places’ we can support vulnerable adults to feel confident as they go about their lives.”
People with learning disabilities will be able to join the scheme by application form, phone or e mail. Once someone has applied they will attend a training session on being safe and reporting harassment before being issued with their Sheffield Safe Places card. That card will be used to identify the person when they arrive at one of the ‘safe places’. It will display the emergency carer contact details as well as additional non emergency contact information and advice.
Councillor Mary Lea, Cabinet Member for Health, Care and Independent Living said: “This is a fantastic initiative and will help people with learning disabilities feel safer and supported whilst out alone. Sheffield is a safe and I’d like to think, welcoming city, but this scheme gives people added confidence, which can only be a good thing.
“The work the Council and Heeley City Farm are doing will help support independent living in the city. This is a very positive story where local residents have used their experiences to improve the local community offer. I would encourage local shops and businesses to get involved and become an approved ‘safe place’.”
From the autumn, Sheffield Safe Places will include people in Sheffield who have mental health problems and older people with dementia. The scheme is expanding to Sheffield to complement schemes in Doncaster, Rotherham and Barnsley.
