Teen Community Connect is a group where our teenagers can learn and develop social skills and self-confidence in a real-world environment rather than the Daisy Chain Centre. The club will be based off site, accessing a range of activities and locations within the local area.
Trial sessions have included trips to Saltburn via the train and Hollywood bowl. Through attending the group, we hope to offer teenagers the opportunity to gain experience of independence, budgeting and safety in the community with the support of our staff and their peers.
The club will be based in a different location each week. This will include free of charge activities such as Preston park to paid trips which will be added to the initial base cost of the club. Where possible, we will be basing trip ideas off feedback from the club attendees to try and tailor the activities towards their interests and areas they would like to develop themselves.
£10 per session, plus the costs of the chosen activity.
To attend this club your child must:
- Be available 4-6PM on a Thursday, once a fortnight.
- Be aged between 15-17.
- To be comfortable as part of a group.
- Not require 121 support.
- To agree to meet at a range of off site locations.
- To be willing to experience situations that will help to develop their own independence.
Daisy Chain specialises in strategies and approaches that are compatible with: Autism, ADHD, FASD, Sensory processing differences, anxiety and social and communication differences. For a young person to attend they must be either diagnosed, on the pathway or have been identified by a professional as having a need relating to the listed neurodiversities.
Please note: This is a progression club following on from the existing Thursday night Teen club. A trial session will be offered initially, after which it can be assessed whether your child would like to remain as part of Teen club or move up to teen Community Connect.
Success story
Over the summer a trial session for this club was held. This involved meeting at Thornaby station and catching a train to Saltburn. Each young person paid for their own train ticket and had this checked by the conductor when prompted with no support from our staff. The group then spent time accessing activities on Saltburn beach such as the cliff lifts, mini golf, arcades, fish and chips and the pier.
It was great to see the group manage their own budget of money throughout the trip, pay for what they were buying with little to no support from us and develop their social skills through interaction with their peers. We hope that this sets the tone for future Teen CC clubs where the teens can develop their own independence while building friendships in a safe and welcoming group.