Livability’s charity awards in April will celebrate how staff and volunteers have lived out and displayed the charity’s values in their work.
At times, values statements can feel a bit of an organisational ‘nice to have’ or a ‘well meaning sentiment’. How do they lift off the paper and in to real life? It’s not always easy.
So we’ve been asking Livability staff what our charity’s values of being ‘open’, ‘enabling’, ‘inclusive’ and ‘courageous’ means to them in their every day work, together and with the people we support. To read our full ethos and values statement, visit our ethos page here.
Open … this is what we say
“We are open and real. We strive to be warm-hearted, straightforward and honest. We open doors and create opportunities. We take time to listen to each other and to the people and communities we work with, because that is how we learn and grow.”
What our staff say about the value of ‘Open’
- ‘We communicate openly with our service users about situations, giving informed choices and explaining how we as staff can support them.’ Mandy, support worker
- ‘I feel that the people we support have a very close and open relationship with local communities. The people who use our services are well-known here and very much involved and respected.’ Alice, support worker
- ‘We’re transparent, working with everyone to achieve what is best for people we support. We work with other professionals, the local authority and regulators in an open and honest manner, admitting when we get it wrong.’ Tina, manager
- ‘Being open means I take time to listen to each person – staff and the people we support.’ Michelle, manager.
- ‘It means we take everything and everyone at face value and accept everyone equally.’ Emma B, manager.
- ‘Being open means that we engage with the wider community as much as possible.’ Jonathan, support worker.
- ‘I like that Livability works to be an open door and a bridge into community, for those who might otherwise face a closed door.’ Francesca, Volunteer Coordinator.
Enabling … this is what we say
“We think people are amazing. Everyone has something to offer, if they are just given the chance. So, as well as helping with basic needs, we help people take part and be valued in their communities – because that is what makes life livable. We are ambitious to achieve real change.”
What our staff say about the value of ‘Enabling’
- ‘Enabling creates an environment where change can take place – and it does not always have to be big. It is the small victories that can spur you on and give you the confidence to realise better outcomes.’ Julia, support worker
- ‘It means opening doors for people, particularly ones that they have never thought of stepping through before. And reminding individuals how fabulous they are when they forget.’ Emma B, manager
- ‘Being enabling means, where possible, supporting people to do it for themselves to the best of their ability, making things happen!’ Stuart, manager
- ‘Sometimes this means standing back and letting people do it for themselves in their way, as well as removing the obstacles for people with assistive technology, aids and adaptations.’ Tina, manager
- ‘We enable each person we support to be as independent as possible. I also enable to the staff to be involved and delegate jobs to them which enables me to complete my work load with their support.’ Michelle, manager
Inclusive … this is what we say
“We demand fairness. Far too many people are excluded by unnecessary barriers in our society. We want to live in a much fairer world where we are all valued equally, not just for what we have in common, but for what makes us different too. We all share a responsibility to make that a reality.”
What our staff say about the value of ‘Inclusive’
- ‘Inclusion is about accepting that people have varying ways of doing, experiencing and enjoying things. Everybody brings something to the party.’ Julia, support worker
- ‘Being inclusive means we lead from the service user group up – for instance, the people we support being included in how the house is run by holding service user meetings that then feed into staff meetings.’ Helen, manager
- ‘Being inclusive means not limiting what people may be able to do due to their disability.’ Emma M, support worker
- ‘We’re always finding ways that people can access things they would like to do where possible, even if this mean extra staff or transport aids are needed.’ Mandy, support worker
- ‘Inclusion means ensuring everyone is involved, removing barriers that stop everyone being involved and ensuring everything is accessible to all.’ Tina, manager
Courageous – this is what we say
“We are the best we can be. Each day we ask ourselves, what can we do better? In work, as in life, we are motivated by our promise to make life better for people and their communities and we hold ourselves accountable for the difference we make.”
What our staff say about the value of ‘Courageous’
- ‘As a staff team we support people who need end of life care, people with disabilities that mean deterioration. We focus on the ‘can dos’, not the ‘cannots’. Helen, manager
- ‘Being courageous means trying new things, pushing away barriers and working with individuals to discover their abilities. This way, we grow confidence and challenge stigma and stereotypes.’ Anna, team leader
- ‘It means expressing thoughts and opinions that I feel are in the best interests of the people we support.’ Karl, support worker
- ‘Courage in my work means both keeping a level head and remaining confident in my own abilities, because the job regularly requires thinking spontaneously.’ Jonathan, support worker
- ‘I am given courage and confidence, by my peers and management, to strive in my job role, and progress.’ Alice, support worker
Thanks to contributing staff, who live out our values every day
Alice Ruddick, support worker, Livability North East
Anna Sweeney, team leader, Livability Dorset
Emma Browning, manager, Livability Dorset
Emma McNeil, support worker, Livability Conwy
Helen Holt, manager, Livability Northern Ireland, Wales & North
Francesca Williams, Livability National Office
Jonathan Laws, support worker, Livability East Midlands
Julia Turner, support worker, Livability Devon
Karl Pegg, support worker, Livability Conwy
Mandy Thompson, support worker, Livability East Midlands
Michelle Earle, acting manager, Livability North East
Stuart Crosscombe, manager, Livability Devon
Tina James, manager, Livability Conwy