Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 1992, 36, 489-503 Activities and engagement in day services for people with a mental handicap K. LOWE, S. BEYER, M. KILSBY & D. FELCE Mental Handicap in Wales: Applied Research Unit, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, Wales ABSTRACT. Policy on the role and function of day services for adults with mental handicaps has changed considerably during the last 2 decades. What such settings offer their users has also changed as services have attempted to evolve in line with policy. However, the impaa of these changes has gone largely unevaluated. This paper describes a study of two day centres to categorize the activity programmes of these services, and to assess service user and staff behaviour prior to a larger scale study of such services in Wales. The two centres were found to differ significantly in their programmes but not in the extent to which activities were organized in the community. Service user participation in activities varied with activity type, group composition and activity location. Whether activities were organized for thefallduration of the timetabled sessions was critical to the interpretation of the extent of service user engagement. Staff showed a commendable orientation to clients and their activities in both services. Differences in the activity programmes of the two centres are discussed in terms of a continuing lack of clarity over the purposes of such day services in general. The relevance of some activities to objectives is questioned. Concem is also expressed about the resulting level of engagement achieved in planned activity. INTRODUCTION The history of day service provision for people with mental handicap stretches back to the Mental Deficiency Act of 1913, which enabled 'occupation centres' to be established with the aim of training, occupying and supervising those people covered by the Act. After the Second World War, the number of such centres increased as a result of growing concem with care in the community, reflected in further legislation such as the Mental Health Act of 1959. These day centres had a predominantly industrial and commercial outlook, providing sheltered places of work, with clients involved in production assembly, simple manufacture and craft work. Central guidance on the role of such centres came in 1968 via a 'model of good practice' issued by the Department of Health and Social Security (DHSS, 1968). This placed emphasis on the training of people for outside employment, and marked the beginning of what has proved to be continuing change in the role of day services, by now commonly known as adult training centres (ATCs). The 1970s witnessed a broadening of the function of ATCs, through the Government White Paper Better Services for the Mentally Handicapped (DHSS, 1971), Correspondence: Dr S. Beyer, Mental Handicap in Wales: Applied Research Unit, 55 Park Place, Cardiff CFl 5AT, South Glamorgan, Wales. 489