Shaw Specialist Services home The Links celebrate their 15th anniversary

The Links is a privately run residential care home for 5 residents and has celebrated its fifteenth anniversary with a party at the home.

The Links is part of national care provider Shaw Specialist Services and opened in 1998, providing support for adults who have varying mental health and learning disabilities.

The service has helped its residents to become active members within their community in Dudley for the last 15 years, and has been marking their anniversary.

Manager at The Links Christine Le Bray said: “The Links has been enabling people with mental health issues and/or learning disabilities to live as active members of their community for 15 years now and we thought this was something worth celebrating.

“For our residents, The Links is often the first step they take towards independence. It is their first opportunity to rejoin the community and enjoy things we all take for granted like going to a restaurant or enjoying a pint in their local pub.”

Service user Jagijt Sandhu is supported by The Links and has been able to enrol at Dudley College to study for qualifications such as food hygiene and first aid during his residency at the care home.

As well as this, Shaw Specialist Services has supported his interest in music and will now be helping him to move into his own independent living.

Mr Sandhu said: “The staff at The Links have done a lot for me since I have been here. They are very supportive and I feel calm and relaxed here. They also ensure that all my cultural needs are always catered for.”

Shaw Specialist Services range from comprehensive care packages to low level support helping older people and adults with physical, sensory or mental health support needs to integrate into their community.

Councillor Steve Walto, cabinet member for adult and community services in Dudley said: “We were very impressed with how The Links is run and the variety of service users catered for. We wish them all the very best for many more anniversaries to come.”

Residents at The Links championed the quality of services it provides, with service user Martin Slow saying: “It’s brilliant at The Links. The staff have taught me how to be independent and choose what activities I would like to do. I feel safe and secure at The Links.”