The charity creating a world where adults with learning disabilities can live their life, their way

The team at Hft shares with KtoA Magazine how they support adults with learning disabilities to live the best life possible and the importance of using a person-focused approach to empower them to live with more choice and control.

Hft provides a range of services across England and Wales, from supported living to residential care, and a few hours a week to 24 hours a day. The charity also enables adults with learning disabilities to take part in daily activities, develop friendships and find meaningful employment. Their person centred approach underlines everything Hft does to ensure the people it supports always come first.

Steve Veevers, CEO of Hft, says: ‘We recognise that a learning disability is different for everyone. Everyone is unique and so it’s vital that we use a person-centred approach to promote inclusion and enable independence for every person we support.’

‘Unfortunately, people with learning disabilities are still too often shut out of the society we all share and prevented from working towards their dreams and aspirations. Many can’t live where or with whom they choose. Some don’t get to decide what they do for work. Others aren’t able to try the hobbies they want to try or simply make the choices they want to make.’

Through its varied services, Hft works to open doors for people with learning disabilities, changing society and creating solutions so that they are supported to live their best lives possible.

I’m proud of the difference we’ve been able to make through this service to many young people.

Ian Earey, Head of Care and Support for Hft’s East region

Transition – getting it right

The transition between children’s services and adult social care is a particularly important time for those who draw on care and support and can have a monumental impact on someone’s ability to live an independent life. Getting it wrong can lead to poor outcomes and can prevent young people from having the level of autonomy and control they desire.

Getting it right, however, can set young people up for the rest of their lives.

Hft’s transition service for sixteen to twenty-five year olds in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, is the perfect example of just how important transition services are and why we need them. This specific service aims to improve the transition process for young people who are moving from children’s services to adult services, or from their family home into a social care support setting.

Ian Earey, Head of Care and Support for Hft’s East region, explains: ‘The day someone turns eighteen is the day they move from children’s to adult social care. It is such a quick turnaround and, as a result, people with learning disabilities often transition into settings that aren’t appropriate for them, because it’s the only place available. Six years ago, we realised that something needed to change and tried to identify how we could make this process better for everyone involved. That’s when our Biggleswade service came into existence.’

One of Hft’s aims is to limit the amount of disruption experienced. With the help of the local authority, they work with young people before they are ready to move to their new service, so they can identify exactly what support they might need and what they would like to achieve when they do move to the new setting. This could be anything from reducing their support hours to gaining enough confidence to leave the house alone.

Ian shares that: ‘One of the people we supported through the transition process was in a dark place when they came to us, following a period of emotional abuse. They were unable to leave their room and often isolated themselves.'

‘With less than five months of intense support from staff at the service, the individual had set clear goals and aspirations that they want to reach by the end of their time at the service. And, in just fifteen months, they had achieved everything in their pathway and was a more confident, independent individual. As a result, their support requirements were reduced by two thirds.’

By focusing on each individual as exactly that, an individual, Hft has enabled independence and has prevented young people from getting lost in a system that may otherwise not have supported their goals and aspirations.

If you’d like to find out more about Hft’s services in your area, please visit www.hft.org.uk.