Every person is unique and communicates in a way that is meaningful to them. We believe their voices should guide their support, inspire communities and influence the wider organisation. We use a selection of decision-making and communication profiles to help match people to a staff team with the knowledge and experience that best suits their needs. People’s voices are important to us – so we ask them to share their views on the support they receive through our People We Support Survey. We use their responses to continuously review our service and improve the support experience.
There is also the opportunity for people to get involved and have their views represented by Real Life Option’s advocates. This may be through forums, meetings or events where people we support, family members/carers and other support professionals share experiences and work together for positive change. Advocates have the opportunity to meet with the Real Life Options Board and Leadership Team to influence organisation decision-making and policy. Challenges faced by the people we support are shared with our membership organisations who lobby for change on their behalf.
Click on a case study below to read how we support people to have a voice.
20th-26th March marks Down Syndrome Awareness Week, a week where people come together to advocate for the rights, inclusion and wellbeing of people with Down Syndrome. This week, Real Life Options join organisations around the world in talking about, and raising awareness of Down Syndrome. To kick start the week we spoke to Julia, our Head of Operations (South England) whose…
Read MoreReal Life Options would like to invite the people we support and their support workers to complete the latest My Voice Survey. This survey focuses on questions about your home and your support. We believe that everyone should have a real choice and a real voice and this survey forms part of our ongoing commitment to person centred support. We…
Read MoreMuch needed specialised supported living development officially launched for adults with disabilities in Swadlincote. Residents have been welcomed into a new specialised supported living development in Swadlincote, Derbyshire in an official opening ceremony. The development comprises eighteen apartments at the site on Coppice Side in Swadlincote that benefit from an array of technical solutions and large open spaces to enable…
Read MoreWe are delighted to share the results of our latest My Voice survey How We Support People 2022. The survey revisits questions taken from a survey of the same name launched over 18 months ago, to see how the thoughts, feelings and experiences of the people we support, and their families and guardians had changed over time. It is the…
Read MoreWe were delighted to recently speak to Jake from Scotland about his rewarding volunteering job, working in a local charity shop for an impressive three and a half years, and counting! At Real Life Options, we believe everyone should feel valued and have a sense of belonging within their community, so, when Jake and his support worker, Evelyn noticed the…
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