Community building: moving into the mainstream
The picture on the left shows John Condon in his garden. His passion for gardening has helped him win a grant to set up his own business.
The right to lead an inclusive lifestyle is something everyone deserves to have.
Services for people with learning disabilities or mental health needs have come a long way over the last 30 years. Thankfully, we've bid farewell to institutions and their impersonal approaches to support. But as people were moved in their droves to more 'homely' services up and down the country, it became clear in time that while their physical surroundings might have changed, the people residing in those ordinary houses were still very much living isolated lives.
At United Response, Person-centred Active Support has allowed us to find out more about the individual hopes and dreams of the people we support. The introduction of the Developing the Way We Work tools have given us practical, structured ways to understand what each person wants and needs from us and the wider world. But they also set us a new challenge: to help the people we support to develop and nourish relationships with people outside of their families and paid circle of support. Relationships with people who choose to spend time with them based on shared interests and genuine friendship, rather than obligation.
More and more stories are emerging about how people we support are getting more involved in their community. Good examples include the church-goer who now takes their turn hosting regular coffee mornings; a sports fan addicted to watching Grandstand every Saturday afternoon being introduced to the local rugby club by his rugby-playing support workers – and being missed by club members when he's not there.
Such seemingly small achievements play a huge part in the agenda to breakdown the barriers which segregate society.