From being present to having presence

Community support

We believe that it is not enough for people just to be present in the community. We support people to truly "have presence" — to be visible and valued members of that community, taking an active and valued role in local life and developing the skills they need to live more independently.

One team which has made great strides in making community living a reality over the past year is United Response’s Community Support team in Essex. Based in Colchester, the team supports nearly 50 people with learning disabilities to live independently in their own homes, providing each person with anything from two hours of support a week to 22 hours a day dependent on their individual needs.

The support is already making a huge difference to people’s lives. One person recently moved out of a shared house where she received 24 hour support from United Response, to a flat of her own, where she is now supported just 13 hours a week.

"Amanda is definitely someone who knows what she wants and she made it clear to us that she wanted more of her own space and was ready to move on. A flat became available and we thought the set up there would work really well for her. After only a few months, we have already seen a huge change in Amanda. Previously, a lot of things would have been done for her, but now, with support, she is taking responsibility for her own things. She’s sorted out all the things you have to do when you have your own place — such as the furniture for her flat and her finances. Whereas before, someone else always made sure the shopping was bought and she had her meals, now Amanda has to check that she has the food in her fridge that she needs and the money to buy it. When Amanda lived in the shared house, she never really had to travel anywhere on her own. Now, with a bit of support, she has learnt to use the buses on her own to go to college and to see her family and her boyfriend. I know that Amanda would like to work in the future and seeing how much she has progressed in such a short space of time, I can’t see why that couldn't happen for her."

United Response Team Manager, Lorraine Parrott