Disability Worthing - A PA's guide

As well as working as SEN Pastoral Support I do a little personal assistant work for children or young adults with disabilities. Every so often I want to know about new places I can go and whether they will be accessible to me and my client.

To make it easier for you to see if the venue will suit you too, I will include when I last visited and who I took there!

Aquarena swimming pool                                                                                       Where? Here

I'm pretty sure it has closed down now [Edit. Yes it has]. Part of me is glad, because the last time I went it was filthy and it was difficult to supervise my brother getting changed. He is 23 and has Down's Syndrome and is reasonably independent - the problem came when I had to loiter in the corridor between the male and female changing areas. This is where the gym doors are so I felt a little foolish! I also wasn't pleased when I found out the reason he was taking so long: the lockers are a type I haven't come across for years, they take less money but don't return it when you open the locker again. My brother had turned the key too soon and lost his 10p. I ended up going into the male change room to rescue him, and also running upstairs having thrown some clothes back on to get some change.
Brilliant.
On the positive, the staff there knew my brother by name and were very friendly and polite. As the new staff have been transferred to Splashpoint I'm sure they will carry on their good customer service. Which I'm glad is the only thing that will carry on....
Last visited: April 2013

Berick's Cafe, Findon                                  Website                                                        Where? Here

Another place I visited with my brother. He wanted to go out for breakfast and so we ended up at Berick's Cafe. I was impressed by the friendliness of the two staff working - neither were fazed by our arrival and they were patient when my brother placed his order. They didn't do the classic check-what-the-person-with-speech-impediment-is-saying-by-looking-at-their-neighbour, which always irritates me, and the food was lovely. They also have brownie points for selling us orange juice without bits in (you really don't want to know what happens when you give him juice with bits in).
Last visited: April 2013

Mewsbrook Park, Littlehampton                                 Website                                      Where? Here

Mewsbrook Park is a lovely place to have a gentle walk. There are wide paths around the small lake so accessibility is no problem, especially as the park has good parking at both north and south entrances. I tend to park on the south side in Hendon Avenue as it is essentially a cul-de-sac. I go here mostly with a teenage girl with mobility issues as it takes us a little over half an hour to get round the lake (quite slowly, admittedly) so it's a nice, non-stressful place to stroll. There is a play park at the north end too.
It's never too busy but is frequented by dog-walkers so beware if your child/client is scared of dogs. Or swans for that matter. There are a couple of viewing platforms with information about the birds which is a nice touch.
Last visited: Summer 2012


Worthing Library                                                Website                                             Where? Here

You've got to love your local library! Free and warm with a nearly endless supply of books suitable for everyone. I've curled up in the kids section with teenage clients before, reading them stories because of the horrible weather outside. I've never had anyone upset that the person I'm with is usually about ten years older than the other children in the kids area. However, the children's/disabled toilet is tiny, and quite difficult to help someone go to the loo in such a cramped space!
Last visited: May 2013


Steyning Swimming Pool                                       Website                                             Where? Here

I went here with my brother the week after our fairly disastrous trip to the Aquarena so my expectations were close to rock bottom. But Steyning pool turns out to be quite lovely. The facilities are clean and new, with changing rooms on the pool side so there are no problems with waiting outside the gents for my brother to change. we went at a specified lane-swimming time and the pool was quiet and calm with a minimum of family swimmers even though the next session included fun floats. The life-guards didn't panic at my brother's doggy paddle, trusting that I knew what I was doing with him! This has been a problem at Felpham swimming pool with a different client (P) who prefers to swim with a woggle or swim noodle. I had to prove that he could swim without one which caused him a lot of distress, just so he could swim lengths. I'm a lifeguard myself so I know they can't take people's word for it that their friends, relatives or clients can actually swim but I couldn't put P through that everytime a new lifeguard was there and, as they seemed to change shifts every week, I ended up acting as a buoy so he wouldn't swim too far.
Anyway, I found Steyning relaxing as well as clean and they had the added bonus of not putting the unhealthy drinks and snacks machines near the exit so my little brother couldn't spend his money on junk food!
Last visited: April 2013


Swanbourne Lake, Arundel                                      Website                                         Where? Here

I used to love coming here as a child as there are plenty of hills to climb and woodlands to explore. Other than that you can have a pleasant, if bumpy, walk around the lake in about an hour or rent a rowing boat. Not recommended for wheelchair access, especially as the parking is limited and involves a little walk up the road without pavements. I also think that the toilets have turnstiles although this may have changed. There are always plenty of ducks, swans and other water fowl to see and feed and, in the summer, the ice-cream shack sells beautiful ice-creams! The cafe isn't bad but there are narrow doorways and a few steps to negotiate. Good place to picnic or have a walk around here, feed the ducks, row in a boat and then head down the road to The Black Rabbit pub for a drink on the river-side.
Last visited: Summer 2012


Ferring Country Centre                                       Website                                             Where? Here

One of my favourite places, not least because my brother goes here. Recently they had a Royal visit to open their small animal pavilion so that at least is worth a visit! The small animal farm is a great place to go, I go every summer, although the ground is a little bumpy but there's not a lot of walking so it shouldn't be a problem. They have a wide range of animal including pygmy goats - my favourite! - and plants, fresh veg and other produce for sale. They also have a superb riding for the disabled unit with gentle horses and kind staff and volunteers and even a hoist. There is also a cafe on site. Parking is limited, but flexible - every summer we take around 70 special needs children here in shifts through CCPS and they are wonderful to us! Cannot recommend enough.
Last visited: Feb 2013

Hope these ideas and reviews help - I will add more when I have time. 
On the training front, we had another 5:30 training session this morning and it was hell! I found running up and down Highdown Hill really difficult but Martin reckons it's psychological. The pain in my feet definitely wasn't! At any rate, we have just under 4 weeks to go so I better get over whatever it is. 
I'll let you know!