CREATING a safe and calm environment for vulnerable people is a challenge for any care provider.

But when looking after people with autism or a disability, helping them feel at ease in a new place has to be a top priority.

This was the thinking behind an innovative centre for disabled and autistic adults in Tonge Moor, which officially opened its doors to service users, carers and families on Wednesday.

Staff behind the £2 million centre have spent months designing the space and introducing adults to their new day centre.

Day centre manager Ian Proctor said small details — such as having different coloured chairs in the dining and activities areas — will help the autistic people who use the centre enormously.

He added: “There was a lot of preparation with the service users themselves before we moved from Falcon View to Thicketford.

“We drew up a personalised plan for each of our service users, including visits to the new centre, drive-bys and drop-ins so they got used to the new place.

“Autistic people typically don’t like change, and it had to be spot on. If something went wrong, it could have set them back months in their development.”

The former Tonge Moor Labour Club in Ainsworth Lane first opened its doors in April, and offers day services for 15 autistic adults and around 40 disabled people, aged between 18 and 65.

The purpose-built space, which includes a sensory room, kitchen and break-out areas for small group activities, has been specifically designed to help autistic people feel at ease.

Features include curved entrances, sloping ceilings, and the walls are painted in calming, neutral tones.

Autism is a development disability that affects how a person interacts and communicates with other people.

As a "spectrum condition" the severity is different from person to person, with symptoms including people struggling to understand and be aware of other people’s emotions, plus restricted and repetitive patterns of thoughts, interests and physical behaviours.

The exact causes of the condition are unknown, and there is no cure.

The autism centre received accreditation from the National Autism Society, and Mr Proctor said having a specially-designed centre was a great improvement on services previously offered at Falcon View.

He said: “It’s better for us staff, but more importantly for the people who actually use the centre.

“From the outset we sat down to design the building for our services users, particularly those with autism.”

Cllr Martin Donaghy and his Mayoress Gay Wharton unveiled a plaque at the Thicketford Centre on Wednesday before meeting with staff, service users and their families.

Opening the centre Cllr Donaghy said: “I’m delighted to open the facility and I am very pleased to be able to present them with this certificate from the National Autism Society.

“It is a wonderful achievement and is down to the hard work of the staff, particularly Ian Proctor, in providing this amazing facility.”

Cllr Linda Thomas, deputy leader of Bolton Council, said the authority would emphasis spending its limited resources on vulnerable people where appropriate.

She said: “I think it’s wonderful to have a facility like this in Bolton and it puts the town on the map.

“Families caring for an autistic person need support like this.

“In schools such as Bolton St Catherine’s and Birtenshaw School there are facilities to help disabled children, and it’s important to have facilities that then support them going into adulthood.

“The staff are absolutely fantastic here and are very caring. It’s brilliant.”