What is Supported Living?
Supported living helps individuals with physical and mental disabilities who have challenges completing everyday tasks or leading a quality social life. These services aim to lead people to greater independence through tailored physical and emotional support in their own homes.
Supported living accommodation covers assistance for adults who live with the following:
- Autism
- Learning Disability (https://leafcare.co.uk/learning-disability/)
- Different mental health conditions
- Down’s Syndrome
- Prader-Willi syndrome
- Acquired brain injuries
Supported living services enable individuals to lead enhanced independent living in their homes. Some service users may prefer to live alone, enjoying the independence and privacy that comes with it. On the other hand, some may prefer to live in a shared service, where they can have their own space and front door but also have the opportunity to interact with others and build social connections. Trained support workers visit supported living homes and assist individuals with daily activities such as cooking, shopping, or paying their own bills.
Different Types of Supported Living
Supported living accommodation comes in several forms, always focused on high-quality support according to the individual’s personal needs. Some schemes assist people in their own homes, while others provide shared housing.
Before choosing a supported living service for yourself or a loved one, it is crucial to understand all the options. Types of supported housing in the UK include:
- Single tenancy – This model provides support in daily activities and during the night for people who prefer to live independently in an individual house or flat.
- Shared property – Individuals with similar complex needs can live in shared social housing, provided everyone has their own bedroom and tenancy agreement (smaller households). Trained staff are available on the property for any support required.
- Transitional services – Young adults with complex needs may face challenges with integration into adult life after leaving children’s care services. Transitional services can help them manage the challenges of ordinary life, such as cooking meals, cleaning, washing clothes, and paying bills.
- Village care scheme – Also known as the good neighbour scheme, this model involves volunteers from within the community assisting individuals in their area who need personal care.
How Does Supported Living Work?
Supported living services pave the way to more independent living for people with various mental and physical disabilities. By providing person-centred support with their own tenancy agreement, supported housing offers tailored care with a sense of agency and dignity.
You can choose a supported living arrangement with independent home ownership in your family home or a shared local community with other residents. Support workers are dedicated to improving the quality of clients’ daily living, self-esteem, and involvement in social activities.
Different Types of Supported Living
Living with a mental health condition may often feel isolating and challenging. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, agoraphobia, and personality disorders can mean a person struggles to access their community or complete basic household chores. Our expert clinicians at Leaf Complex Care Bristol area provide personalised care and support that enables individuals to live independently and develop meaningful relationships.
Supported Living For People with Learning Disabilities
While individuals with learning difficulties or mild/moderate learning disabilities can live their lives with minimal support, society often fails to accommodate those with severe learning disabilities. Supported living services could provide an alternative approach for a person with more complex needs. Your social worker within the local authority should be able to share options with you for appropriate care in your own home.
What Services Does Supported Living Offer?
Supported living homes provide tailored personal care for people with mental health needs, learning disabilities, and various other needs. Below are some of the benefits supported living offers in people’s everyday lives:
Medication Management
Supported living providers are trained to manage people’s prescribed medication and monitor their efficacy safely. One key aspect of medication management is ensuring that supported individuals receive the proper medications at the right doses and at the right times. This requires healthcare providers to have a thorough understanding of each person’s medical history, including any allergies, current medications, and underlying health conditions.
Personal Care and Hygiene
Each clinician in supported living is highly trained in support services to enhance and maintain the health and self-esteem of the supported individuals by assisting them with their hygiene. This includes dressing, showering, bathing, toileting, grooming, nail care, hair care, and more for the person supported.
Finance Management
Handling money in your own home plays a vital role in independent living. Therefore, supporting people with covering their own bills and other personal independence payments is an essential role of supported living service providers.
Looking After the Home
A clean household is a human right and a major factor in improving the physical and mental health of the individual. So, your assigned support worker from Leaf Complex Care will assist you with dusting, vacuuming, mopping, clearing the clutter, and more.
Maintaining Relationships with Family and Friends
This includes providing support for communication, arranging visits, and ensuring that the individual can participate in social activities and community-based services that are important to them. These services recognise the importance of maintaining these relationships for the individual’s emotional well-being and overall quality of life. Support workers may also provide guidance on social skills and interpersonal relationships to help the individual navigate social interactions with more ease.
Leisure and Social Activities
Supported living services usually have good community networks and can offer a variety of indoor and outdoor leisure activities, such as board games, dancing, swimming, exercise, dining at a restaurant, and visiting entertainment facilities and local amenities.
Grocery Shopping, Meal Planning, and Food Preparation
A scheduled and balanced diet is important for individuals to retain their health and independence. In a supportive living scheme, the support team can provide assistance with grocery shopping, meal planning, and cooking.
Finding the Right Supported Living Option for Your Needs
In order to access community services, it’s important to speak with your social worker or case manager within the local council. They will be able to guide you with regard to housing benefits and what your support allowance might look like.
Here are a few factors you ought to take into consideration before opting for a specific supported living provider:
- Housekeeping and maintenance – Inquire about the maintenance options provided in the supported living scheme (room cleaning, vacuuming, dusting, changing linens, trash pickup) and find out whether standard rent covers these services
- Transportation alternatives – Ask about the possibility for residents to keep vehicles and other transportation arrangements
- Dining options – Learn more about the meal schedule and the possibilities for complex dietary needs (vegetarian/vegan, gluten-free, low-carb, or diabetic-friendly dishes). These should be tailored to the individual.
Transitioning from Care Home to Supported Living Arrangements
Transitioning from a residential home into supported living is a significant step for those who feel ready for independent living. Everyone has a unique emotional response to this process, so the changes can initially be quite uncomfortable at the beginning. Your social worker and support workers will provide support at every step.
For example, your local council might design and implement a six-month plan and keep assisting you when the transition finally occurs. Support workers accompany future residents on transport routes and help them familiarise themselves with the environment.
Who is Supported Living Suitable for?
Supported living is suitable for individuals living with a learning disability, autism, mental health needs, or other complex needs who require assistance with daily living tasks but want to live more independently. It provides flexible, person-centred care that promotes choice, control, and community integration.
People who prefer not to reside in a residential care home have the option to receive support in their own homes.
What are the Benefits of Supported Living?
Supported living services offer you maximum flexibility and humanised care.
Supported living helps individuals with various physical disabilities and neurodevelopmental differences to live fulfilling lives. The local authorities connect people in need with trained clinicians for physical and emotional support in their own homes.
In a supported living scheme, the individuals can:
- Create a home they love with families and friends by their side
- Enjoy an independent life with dignity and confidence
- Access tailored complex care and support from an expert team 24/7
- Receive a dedicated, friendly, and compassionate approach from assistants
How Leaf Complex Care Can Help with Supported Living
At Leaf Complex Care, we offer tailored care for individuals with autism, learning disabilities, various mental health conditions, and behaviours that concern. Our support workers and clinicians share one dream – to create a fair world for people with complex care needs. For them, supporting people into an independent and fulfilling life is not merely a career but a lifelong mission.
Hear Chantelle’s story, one of our support workers, about her everyday inspiration and motivation to provide humanised care and the reason behind why she started working in the healthcare industry.
We provide services for children and adults with support needs across the UK, with offices in Bristol, Exeter, Slough, Birmingham and Somerset area. Contact us and learn more about the benefits of supported living with 24/7 on-hand compassionate care.
