Pauline’s son Nick has profound learning disabilities and has been using our short breaks services since he was a child. Nick was living at home with his mum, but a few years ago, Pauline began to think about how she could plan for Nick’s future, knowing that in the years ahead, she may not be able to take care of him.

Pauline got together with three other parents and they approached the local authority to find out what their options were. This was the starting point for a project that brought together the parents and a range of agencies including Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, Stockport Advocacy, Contour Housing Association and Independent Options.

When the parents were ready to think about the sort of housing their children would need, we helped them find a property that would provide a shared home for their children. We then worked with Contour Housing Association, who bought the property, so that Nick and his friends could become tenants.

It was decided that Nick and the others would have Individual Budgets, which they would share to pay for the cost of their support. The families chose Independent Options as their support provider and they worked with us to recruit a staff team . Nick moved into his new home in January 2011.

Pauline says that the process of enabling Nick to have his own home has been hard work, but seeing Nick being supported to live independently - and having peace of mind - is her reward.

Back to Stories Click Here