Our supported living services

We provide supported living that helps people to gain more control over their lives, encouraging them to be confident and happy to make their own choices and decisions.

What is supported living?

Supported living (or supportive living) is a service that helps people with a range of support needs retain their independence whilst still having that extra physical and emotional support needed to lead completely fulfilled lives in their own homes. 

Our support

We support adults across the UK living with one or a combination of conditions, which may include learning disabilities, autism, physical disabilities, acquired brain injuries or mental health needs. We offer both core and 1:1 support, all of which is designed around the individual needs and wishes of each person by our dedicated and specialist teams.

We weave quality into everything we do. Our teams have specialist training, allowing them to capably and confidently deliver the highest quality service for the people we support.

What is moving into supported living like?

A move into supported living can be the first time someone has left their family home or taken a step towards greater independence, and so we're here to provide friendly encouragement and emotional support to make the transition as smooth, positive and rewarding as possible.

When you choose supported living, you’re choosing to live independently, safe and secure behind your own front door. There’s peace of mind in knowing the Lifeways team is on-hand, providing tailored support that helps people to lead more fulfilling lives, surrounded by like-minded people. We also provide support to families to ensure that the transition is not only smooth for the individual but also their families.

What is supported living like with Lifeways?

Supported living is designed to help people live happy lives filled with ambition. Whether it's learning a new life skill such as cooking or money management, having the confidence to take up a new hobby or make new friends, or taking the first step into volunteering or employment, we're here to support and encourage each goal, however big or small. 

We know that it's really important to have the right support network beside you, so we make sure to carefully match our support team with each person, considering our team's skills, knowledge and specialism, along with personality traits, hobbies and interests to make sure that we nurture friendly and rewarding relationships. 

If you would like to find out more about what our support team does, please read our article on the role of our support workers.

How we create our supported living plans?

Our support plans are only created once we've really got to know each person and built a clear understanding of their history, their current situation and their future goals. We have in-depth conversations with the person, their family and any relevant care professionals to make sure that we have all the necessary information and have taken the time to hear each person's views and wishes before we provide our care. Once a supported living support plan is in place, we regularly review progress, recognising and celebrating every achievement and continuing to encourage each person to set new goals to achieve even more. 

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“Since living here I have become more confident and independent. I am able to make everyday decisions with the help from my team, who support me in a consistent way; this is very important to me. My self esteem has grown with the support I receive and I couldn't be happier at this time”

Person supported by Lifeways

What is important when choosing supported living accommodation?

Feeling comfortable, happy and safe in your home is crucial to your wellbeing and development, so we work hard to create such environments. We work closely with property developers in creating houses, apartments and bungalows across the UK that are specially designed to complement our support, enabling more independent living. We also partner with a number of housing associations to find suitable and affordable places for people to live, and we’re on hand to help sort out tenancy agreements where needed, providing individuals with the security of their own homes. A selection of our homes are also fitted with assistive technology.

With this wide variety of supported living accommodation to choose from, we take the time to get to know each person to understand what location, accommodation and adaptations will be best suited to meet their current requirements and future goals. We know it's really important to be surrounded by people you enjoy spending time with, so where individuals express an interest to live with others, we support by finding suitable housemates with similar lifestyles and interests. Our supported living homes are set in the heart of communities, meaning easy access to local amenities and attractions, along with having transport links close by.

“Our sister looks very contented and is flourishing in her new home. All of the team helped make her transition a smooth and happy one”

Relative of person supported by Lifeways

Partnership with an NHS trust and council helps a Lifeways service in Portsmouth deliver top-notch support

A partnership between a Lifeways supported living service in Portsmouth and a learning disability service run jointly by the local council and NHS trust is providing high-quality support to individuals at the service.

In February 2020, Lifeways took over a supported living service in Portsmouth from another provider. The service supports 22 people who live with complex health needs and learning disabilities.

When taking over the service, Lifeways partnered with Solent NHS Trust’s Kestrel Centre, the trust’s Learning Disability Healthcare Service, which is integrated with Portsmouth City Council.

As part of the partnership, Lifeways put in place improvements to the service, including team training that focused more on the needs of individuals we support there.

Find out more about the partnership between Lifeways supported living service in Portsmouth and a learning disability service run jointly by the local council and NHS trust.

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Ken's story