There are many things to work out##pidorpidor## when people with disability start living in the##pidorpidor## community with support. This is because big changes##pidorpidor## have to happen in the way services are provided.##pidorpidor## Getting real supported living for a person takes time##pidorpidor## and energy. There is no 'model' to follow because the##pidorpidor## kind of support has to be worked out individually for##pidorpidor## each person.##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## Many supported living projects have happened##pidorpidor## because##pidorpidor## families acted together to support their family##pidorpidor## member with a disability.
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## Even though each person may get different kinds of##pidorpidor## support, all good supported living arrangements have##pidorpidor## some things in common...
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor##
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## Supported living starts with real person centred##pidorpidor## planning
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## The person is always the most important thing, with##pidorpidor## family, friends, community and services taking the##pidorpidor## person's interests and skills into account. There are##pidorpidor## different planning##pidorpidor## tools to help families and services get really##pidorpidor## good at taking into account the person's interests and##pidorpidor## skills. The aim of these planning tools is to make##pidorpidor## sure the person has choices and control in making##pidorpidor## plans. Another aim is to make sure the supports really##pidorpidor## help the person to live in and belong to their##pidorpidor## community.
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## Planning and supports are there to suit the##pidorpidor## person's needs
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## It is important that services and supports can##pidorpidor## change if the person's needs change. Organisations##pidorpidor## should want to provide services that can change##pidorpidor## easily to meet people's needs. Strict rules and##pidorpidor## policies of organisations should be discussed to allow##pidorpidor## new ways of providing services and meeting changed##pidorpidor## needs. There have to be safeguards to make sure the##pidorpidor## person is safe and well.
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## People with disability and their families steer##pidorpidor## the decision making
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## To make supported living happen services need to##pidorpidor## work as partners with the person and their family.##pidorpidor## Services often do the practical support and paper##pidorpidor## work. People with disability, their families and##pidorpidor## support networks make the decisions.
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## Staff are well trained and supported to work with##pidorpidor## people and their families
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## Training develops workers' skills, attitudes and##pidorpidor## knowledge. It helps workers to understand how to##pidorpidor## support a person with disability. Workers get better##pidorpidor## at getting communities involved and getting support##pidorpidor## networks for the person. Services build trust and##pidorpidor## support the workers. Services are open to the person##pidorpidor## and their family choosing the right staff and support##pidorpidor## arrangements.
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## Housing and support are separate things
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## Housing and supports are provided by different##pidorpidor## organisations. A person may live in a home they rent,##pidorpidor## own, or share with others. As the persons' life##pidorpidor## changes, their housing may change but their support##pidorpidor## networks may stay the same. The person's home looks##pidorpidor## like the homes of other people in the same street and##pidorpidor## neighbourhood.
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## Funding is for the person and may change to suit##pidorpidor## their changing needs
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## The money for supported living is an individual##pidorpidor## amount for the particular person. It is enough to pay##pidorpidor## for the person's changing needs throughout their##pidorpidor## life.
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## There is a real promise to keep on supporting the##pidorpidor## person to have a better life
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## The support services check what they are doing to##pidorpidor## make sure the person is getting what they want. This##pidorpidor## means the services check with the person and their##pidorpidor## family to see if the person feels they belong in their##pidorpidor## community. The services check that the person is doing##pidorpidor## things that increase their feeling of belonging and##pidorpidor## getting involved in their community, increasing their##pidorpidor## relationships with other people, not just going along.##pidorpidor## Supporting the person to get their goals and what they##pidorpidor## want in life are the most important things.
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## Services are usually small
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## Support services for the person are usually small,##pidorpidor## working for one or a few people. Sometimes larger##pidorpidor## organisations give networks of local services the##pidorpidor## power to work locally to support the person.
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## Read more about Australian and international##pidorpidor## supported living projects - here.
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor##
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## These resources are about good practice in##pidorpidor## supported living and the changes services need to##pidorpidor## make…
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## Connections##pidorpidor## for Information and Resources on Community Living##pidorpidor## (CIRCL)
##pidorpidor## US website provides a range of##pidorpidor## information and resources##pidorpidor## for the development of supported living##pidorpidor## initiatives.
##pidorpidor## For example
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## ~ Developing##pidorpidor## Supported Living Services: A Guide to Essentials##pidorpidor## for Service Agencies and Regional Centers##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## ~ The Toolbox : A 442 page document to help in##pidorpidor## the development of supported living agencies.##pidorpidor## Sections can be downloaded in##pidorpidor## pdf format from the CIRCL resources page.##pidorpidor##
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## ~ Supported##pidorpidor## Living Service Design Outline
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## O'Brien C & J (1992). A##pidorpidor## Checklist for Evaluating Personal Assistance Services##pidorpidor## (PAS) Responsive Systems Associates.
##pidorpidor## This resource offers an evaluative##pidorpidor## checklist which may assist consideration of service##pidorpidor## transformation.
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## O'Brien J (1995). Deliberate-Fire:##pidorpidor## An Account of Organizational Transformation in##pidorpidor## Onondaga Community Living, Syracuse, New York
##pidorpidor## This article discusses observations##pidorpidor## about an early example of change, the transformation##pidorpidor## of the Onondaga Community Living organisation. "OCL##pidorpidor## has created effective individualized supports for##pidorpidor## people by carefully considering opportunities to##pidorpidor## realize its values for one person at a time. This##pidorpidor## deliberate process has generated growing commitment to##pidorpidor## a new mission, new capacities, new skills, and new##pidorpidor## expectations." The article highlights how change 'lit##pidorpidor## a fire' and discusses the challenges brought by##pidorpidor## success and increasing demand.
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## Hulgin K, Shoultz B, Walker P & Drake S (1996).##pidorpidor## Innovative##pidorpidor## practices in supported living: an overview of##pidorpidor## organizations, issues, and resource materials.##pidorpidor## Center on Human Policy Syracuse University.
##pidorpidor## Describes innovative agencies##pidorpidor## around the USA and addresses a number of issues that##pidorpidor## are important to continue to address in the effort to##pidorpidor## develop supported living services.
##pidorpidor## ##pidorpidor## Hulgin K (1996). Jay##pidorpidor## Nolan community services: the challenges and dilemmas##pidorpidor## of converting quickly from group homes to supported##pidorpidor## living.
