A COUNCIL is helping to give care of the mentally handicapped an international agenda.

Middlesbrough is playing host to delegates from Greece and Turkey who are making a fact-finding visit to the town later this week.

Councillor Brenda Thompson, Middlesbrough Council's executive member for social care, said: "This project will give us the chance to see what's happening in other countries and hopefully spread good practice across several organisations in different countries.

"Services for people with learning disabilities have changed dramatically in recent years - key aims are promotion of choice and independence, focusing on the priorities of our service users and carers.''

Alptug Calik and Abdullah Durmupoolu, from Ankara, and Niki Kousoureta and Nick Pappis, from Thessaloniki, will meet social care staff, and service users, visit a supported housing project and talk to an advocacy group.

The exchange is part of a two-year European Grundtvig 2 Learning Partnership and involves service users and professionals from Greece, Turkey and Middlesbrough working together.

The Greek visitors are from the Lliani Pappi Training Centre, based in Thessaloniki, which provides vocational training for people with learning disabilities in a wide range of skills, while the Turks are from the OZEV organisation which provides education, training and support.

Gabriela Rea, Middlesbrough partnership manager for mental health and learning disability services, said: "The visitors are here for two days and we arranged a busy schedule for them.

"As this project develops, we really want to involve service users and carers in it. It's a real chance for them to influence their own services and to build links with people in other countries."