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Lauren empowered by pioneering care model in new Livability flat

March 18 2020

We’ve been celebrating with Lauren, who recently invited local MPS, local council contacts and Livability friends and support workers along to mark her move into a brand new supported living flat in Gateshead.

Livability Whickham Apartments in Gateshead is a new service with modern, accessible flats, using an innovative, personalised model of support for people with learning disability and/or mental health needs.

Lauren is the first person to move into the flats and has settled in well. Vicki Sharpe, Livability locality manager, notes: ‘Lauren is great, she is engaging positively with staff and has achieved so much already. She’s taken up dog-walking as a new skill and activity.’

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Lauren, out dog walking

Lauren previously lived in a residential care home with mixed levels of support needs. Living in this environment proved quite a challenge and she expressed a wish to move. Lauren is happy and thriving in her new home, and Livability has received very positive feedback from her parents too.

Vicki, who has years of experience in social care, says: ‘I’m really excited about the opportunities these flats can offer the people we support. I’m thrilled that Gateshead council is championing a truly personalised model of care – which is at the heart of Livability’s approach. By listening closely to what the people we support want, we can enable them to really strengthen and enhance their confidence and capabilities. Lauren’s positive move is one proof of the success of this service.’

Focusing care around a person’s specific needs and preferences enables people to be challenged and empowered to be more active and independent – in an environment that gets the balance right between sufficient support and not over-providing.

This service’s remaining eight flats are currently undergoing renovation, with plans for new occupants to move in over the coming months. Livability wants to build on the success of another new Gateshead service opened by the charity, in Winlaton. The eight people supported in Winlaton, using this personalised, independence-building model of care, have taken huge steps forward in their abilities and independence.

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