You may have heard the phrase ‘supported living’ – but what exactly does it mean?

Supported living is a term used to cover a range of community living arrangements for people with disabilities. Often Supported Living services will offer people support to live independently. This support is usually delivered by caring and experienced Support Workers. This provision ultimately helps people with a range of support needs retain or attain independence. Many tenants have fantastic opportunities to integrate within their community by attending work, volunteering, pursuing education and enjoying regular activities.

Often when people start looking for housing with care and support, they have preconceptions about what that might look like, and sometimes these preconceptions aren’t quite right.  We’re here to set the record straight below.

Myth 1: The houses are different to normal houses

Our supported living properties here at Lisieux Trust are normal domestic houses. We believe people with disabilities have the right to live in the same type of homes that people without disabilities live in. All of our houses are homely and inviting. Tenants choose how they decorate and furnish their homes so each one is unique to the people that live there. One of the common things we hear from visitors to our properties is ‘this is lovely, I’d live here!’.

Myth 2: There will be a strict schedule that everyone has to follow

Tenants in our supported living properties have the same rights to choose what they want to do and when they want to do it as anyone else. We encourage tenants to spend time together, for example cooking and eating together, but if someone doesn’t want to, they don’t have to. Tenants can eat what they like, when they like; they can get up when they want and go to bed when they want. Tenants choose what they want to do with their time whether this is volunteering, education, work, fun activities or spending time at home.

Myth 3: All tenants receive 24-hour care

Every individual has different needs, which require various levels of support, so where some people may require 24-hour care, others may only need part-time support. No matter how much or how little support someone needs, support workers are at hand to assist when each tenant requires help.

Myth 4: Tenants don’t have any independence

With supported living, support workers are only on-site when and if tenants need their help with tasks. Many people believe that tenants may not have any freedom or independence when living in supported living accommodation, but in fact, tenants can do all the activities they enjoy and go out and socialise as much as they like.

Myth 5: Family and friends cannot visit

We always encourage family and friends to visit their loved ones whenever suits them and the tenant. Whether that’s popping by for a cup of tea and a chat or coming by for a movie marathon – family and friends are always welcome to visit tenants. Visitors don’t need to ask us for permission to visit; this is the tenant’s home and only they get to say who is and isn’t allowed to visit them.

Here at Lisieux Trust, we regularly host family events with all the tenants across our homes and their families and friends, so everyone can enjoy a fun day together.

Myth 6: The food is unappetising

Our tenants have the freedom to choose what they would like to have for their meals. Whether they fancy soup, lasagne, pie, pizza, pasta, a curry – they get to choose!

To help maintain a sense of community, we encourage our tenants to decide on meals together and take it in turns to cook. Some houses may have a cooking rota, where they each have their designated day to be the house chef. Our support workers can also offer meal suggestions for tenants if they need ideas. And if someone changes their mind on the day that’s fine; they can have whatever else takes their fancy!

About Lisieux Trust

We have 11 homes across the Sutton Coldfield and Erdington area where all our lovely tenants reside. No two of our households are the same, as each one has its own unique character that makes it feel like home.

If you’d like to find out more about our services, contact our team for a chat. You can call us on 0121 377 7071 or send an email to info@lisieuxtrust.org.uk.