Partnering for Success

Development: Hotel in the Park

Partners: London Borough of Tower Hamlets & Tower Hamlets Carers Forum

Hotel in the Park is the end result of a successful partnership between the Camden Society and public and voluntary sector organisations in Tower Hamlets.

Approached by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets to develop an innovative respite care service, we focused on creating a quality service that would stimulate interest and build confidence amongst potential users.

Partnering with Tower Hamlets' Social Services and Property departments and the borough's Carers Forum, we consulted with people with learning disabilities and their families. Meeting the needs of potential users was our top priority and it soon became clear that people wanted hotel-type provision, based on the model of short city breaks, rather than traditional respite care.

Developing the model of Hotel in the Park, we designed the hotel on the specification set by people with learning disabilities and their carers. Expensive, yet innovative, we sought additional corporate and grant funding to complement Tower Hamlets' Property department funding and fulfill our design ambitions.

Traditionally, people with complex physical support needs had been unable to use the previous site's facilities and so meeting the needs of this group of people became a further priority within the hotel's planning stages.

Hotel in the Park was launched in 2006, the first hotel of its kind in the UK, offering the full range of services and support that any guest would expect for an inspiring city break in London. The hotel offers two rooms that have been specifically designed to meet the needs of people with severe physical disabilities whilst all communal areas offer accessibility features to aid navigation and mobility.

Development: Access Employment Agency Greenwich

Partners: London Borough of Greenwich Social Services, Greenwich Labour and Business, and Greenwich Community College

The Camden Society has enjoyed a long history of working in partnership with the London Borough of Greenwich. Five years ago we developed a productive partnership with Greenwich Social Services, Greenwich Labour & Business, and Greenwich Community College. The partnership focused on developing and implementing a clear strategy to identify and support employment pathways for people with learning disabilities.

Submitting a joint ESF bid, we aimed to develop an employment agency, vocational training courses and a social enterprise together.

Successful in our bid, we received funds for three years to develop a borough-wide employment project. The college developed vocational courses for people with learning disabilities including hospitality and catering; retail; IT and office skills; and childcare. The Camden Society developed Access to Employment, an agency that now has a track record of supporting 60 people a year into paid jobs whilst 'Working with Words' was established. Translating documents into 'easy read' versions, this social enterprise continues to support people with learning disabilities to learn graphic communication and information technology skills.