Reilley House workshop day

This was the message of a workshop at Reilley House day centre in Amherst Road on Tuesday.

The day centre, which is part of East View Housing Management Ltd, is attended by 25 adults with learning disabilities and the workshop was all about encouraging them to be aware of safety issues, both at home or when they're out and about.

Manager Nikki Wilson said: "Today we are promoting health and safety in regard to community safety, manual handling, hygiene, control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH) recycling...It is basically to teach them new skills to take back to their homes, to promote the safety side, and hopefully enable them to be more independent."

There was immediate interest from clients about the workshop, especially when they began working on designs for the safety poster competition from which the winning entry will be framed and used in the day centre to promote the health and safety message.

"They are so enthused," said Nikki.

"I have been walking around the sessions today as they have been happening and pleasantly surprised at how much they are taking in and getting involved with it."

The workshop included a visit from Sussex Police with a CCTV surveillance unit which pleased clients no end, and Neighbourhood Police Team officer Roy Warren who handed out information and advice on personal safety and also gave them personal alarms to keep inside bags or pockets for added security.

Client Stephen Mulligan commented: "This is excellent - the police car and that, I just loved it! The siren was going and everything."

In the Home Safety room supervised by staff member Merci Jones, clients learned about hazards to look out for and completed spot sheets by circling items which might cause problems, as well as learning the danger of medicines which might look like sweets, or vice versa.

Christine Campbell, Rother's Environmental Health Food and Safety Officer, had with her special equipment to illustrate the importance of thorough hand washing and hygiene. She showed how rubbing disclosing lotion into the hands and holding them under UV light showed up bacteria patches on the skin and around nails, and how after thorough washing the bacteria was gone.

Health and Safety certificates from the workshop will be presented at a later date, but in the meantime Nikki added: "I think it always helps when you bring other professionals in - it's just a chance of face, someone new to talk to and get to know. They always respond to someone in a uniform but this is about building relations as well, because they need to know they can approach a police officer, and feel comfortable about doing so if needs be.

"The whole emphasis of the day is it has to be fun. As a centre that is what we are all about as much as developing and progressing and learning new skills, we like to think this is a fun environment to be in."