Page 10 - Community Living Magazine 35-2

community support
Keeping it local in partnership with experts by experience
In Lancashire, we have developed plans

and stakeholders, thinking about the
qualities and values we want our small
Small providers are offering early, highly tailored support at supports providers to hold alongside the
neighbourhood level, helping people to realise aspirations and nine characteristics the NDTi advocate.
We have been talking to people and
belong in their community. Amanda Topps reports organisations who want to become small
supports. We have asked our team to
develop excellent questions to ask each
hen I talk to leaders in adult Relationships are at the heart of small organisation to help us understand their
social care, they openly admit supports, which engage clearly and values. We are working with Self Directed
W“we can do better for people” honestly with people and their families, Futures (www.selfdirectedfutures.co.uk)
with regards to community support and commissioners and professionals from to develop individual service funds and
getting a good life. local authorities, health and integrated personal health budgets.
So how can we do better? One care systems and communities. Once small supports providers are
nationwide project is providing some Taking time to get to know individuals, approved, individuals and their families
answers about supporting people and hearing their hopes and dreams for the will get a chance to meet them to see if
commissioning services differently. future and getting involved earlier – long they would like their support.
Small Supports developed after an before discharge – are also intentions. The provider will then design the
informal group of small support support with the person, helping them
organisations in adult social care to find their own home and the people
quietly evolved. The nine characteristics they employ using a personal budget.
9
While each of the organisations is of Small Supports Providers will be supported in their
unique, they have several overlapping ● ● Control by the person and development through opportunities
characteristics, one being that they their family including networking, accessing training
remain small, often supporting no more ● ● Life aspirations of the person and mentoring.
than 15-30 people. Another is that they are key The belief is that staying small enables
are deliberately local, embedded in ● ● Supporters (staff) recruited by and quality, flexibility and quicker decision
their communities. around the individual making when changes to support are
Research into small supports ● ● People choose where they live and needed. Leaders of the organisation can
organisations has shown that who, if anyone, they live with keep in touch with everyone – the people
compromising on control and aspirations ● ● Sustainable funding designed and being supported, their families and staff.
starts to make things go wrong. used based on the individual Building strong trusting relationships with
NHS England and the Local Government ● ● Do not withdraw support or sell the individuals they support, their
Association formed a partnership with services on families, commissioners and community
the National Development Team for ● ● Rooted in their local communities teams is vital to ensuring quality
Inclusion (NDTi) to establish the Small ● ● Stay relatively small and financially continuous support.
Supports project. sustainable All small supports sites are actively
● ● Develop around these practices – looking for brave, values-driven people
How it works they are not aspirations within who want to explore how to set up their
Personalisation and being person centred large, segregated services own dynamic, citizen-focused great small
are at the heart of this approach, with 12 The full version of the nine points is supports organisation. They will need to
sites in England supporting the growth of at https://tinyurl.com/y2d6pcxm be strong leaders, tenacious, proactive,
small providers. flexible, good at problem solving and
The aim is to develop small providers passionate about making a difference and
that are able to design focused, tailored Rooted in the neighbourhood supporting people to live great lives. They
support with people who have learning Being local means the small supports’ need to be able to go the extra mile and
disabilities and/or autism. These include leaders and supporters are rooted in stick with the person.
those who have experienced difficult or neighbourhoods. They will build links Those who have successfully
traumatic events and need a different with the person to their community established small supports usually have a
approach to support them to leave secure based on the individual’s strengths background in providing or commissioning
hospitals or assessment and treatment and assets. services, have some form of lived
units, and people for whom professionals They understand the importance of experience of autism and learning
in the community have experienced supporting people to lead rich lives, disability or are learning disability or
difficulty in providing and sustaining contribute to society and belong by mental health nurses or social workers.
timely, appropriate support. building relationships outside their family n● Small Supports, Lancashire: https://
Small supports are started by and paid support. tinyurl.com/5x5hzj43
passionate, dynamic, entrepreneurial By focusing on individual aspirations, ● Small Supports, NDTi: https://tinyurl.
local people who want to make a assets and building networks, they know com/ypc9ye46
difference to people’s lives. that anything becomes possible, including Supported Living Gateway
Fundamentally, their values and focus are friendships, love, getting a job, being a Amanda Topps is a health, social care and
on the person, their human rights, good neighbour and regaining health housing consultant committed to equality,
citizenship and individuality. and happiness. justice and citizenship

10 Vol 35 No 2 | Winter 2022 Community Living www.cl-initiatives.co.uk