Left on the shelf

Healthwatch Surrey undertook research to understand why so few people were taking up a free course run by Surrey County Council to teach skills that support independence.  They spoke to 34 people.

There is a cohort of people who would be interested in the course, but the council needs to find new ways to reach them to promote it. The main reason for people not being interested was simply not having a “need” for it. However, some people shared concerns about getting there, the location and the 8 week time commitment.

The majority of people heard about community/day/social centres but less than half had visited one.

People told us that they attend social groups for friendship, exercise, mental stimulation, and because they are convenient.

There is interest in the library independence courses and the support which community centres can offer, but more needs to be done to alert people to them and to ensure they’re accessible.