Self Directed Support Service

Adele is a young woman who lives with her family and left school a short while ago. Her family is very important to her, as she is to them and they all wanted support which would help their family stay together and carry on with their lives.

They needed flexible support to fit in with family demands and busy lives and this is what happens. Adele and her family are organised and agree the support to be provided on a weekly basis. A small number of staff support Adele and they all work flexibly adjusting their hours as necessary.

In some weeks Adele gets a lot of support and she likes to go shopping, out for lunch, bowling and arts and crafts. Other weeks there is less support and more time is spent on family activities. Where unused hours build up, these can be “banked” and used for something special or unexpected at a later date. Adele has chosen to use these hours in the summer holidays to go on day trips.

It is important to agree the level of flexibility which can be achieved and to keep talking about support which changes regularly to make sure that Adele’s needs and wishes can continue to be met. It means that Adele and her family have support which is truly person centred and flexible, that they are in control and that they can continue to have good lives as a family.