CELEBRATING AN AMAZING 25 YEARS OF SERVICE
BRIEF HISTORY:
On 14th November 1983 the first 3 people with learning disabilities moved into their own 4-bedroomed tenancy in Brackenbury Rd - back to their home town Preston after many years in long-stay hospital. The next three moved to a supported flat on 28th November 1983 before moving to their own shared 3-bedroomed terraced house in Ripon St in the following January.
Our brief history reflects the story of many people with learning disabilities who had been shut away in long stay hospitals - out of sight -out of mind. Because hospital services were ward and group-based rather than based on individual needs, people's basic rights and needs inevitably were gravely compromised.
Integrate was formed in the late 70’s by a number of people - relatives and professionals - who believed that people with learning disabilities, irrespective of the level of disability, had the right to live in the community, and were confident that with the right level of support people could live in ordinary houses, a part of their local community with the same rights and choices as everyone else.
At this time in the late 1970's, people had little experience of this kind of service, many people thought it could not work and Integrate had to fight hard, and take risks to get it going. The North-West Regional Health Authority came up with funding which was a relative risk for them with an untried group and similarly North British Housing Association came up with the housing. People like David Brandon, the Director of North-West MIND at the time who signed for the housing illustrate the passion and commitment of these first pioneers, and helped to make Integrate's dream a reality. Our history has shown that this early pioneering group’s confidence was well-placed as Integrate not only helped the 21 people funded by the NW Regional Health to successfully move back from long-stay hospital into 4 flats and 4 shared houses, but has since developed supported tenancies in 40 flats and 5 shared houses for 60 people. We also support another 11 people in their own or parental homes and have supported other people across the years, those no longer with us mainly due to short-term needs or having died. People have also moved internally – either to share with someone they have made friends with, to move into single accommodation or moving areas by choice.
Right from the start, Integrate’s support has been tailored to individual needs, with support relating to the risks and needs of people such that we have been able to help people to have as much independence as possible. This is illustrated by the fact that we have no single model of support and we are now doing some pilot work to see what assistive technologies might bring to people’s lives. We have also extended our client group to include some people needing more intensive support who have mental health, physical disability or health needs and have assisted some older local people on occasion – either for short term support locally or where the usual domiciliary services have not been able to meet needs. In addition, our older people with learning disabilities have developed a local charity shop in Plungington.
From our initial partnership working with Probation and Preston City Council on an initial allotment project and on furniture renovation, we have since developed comprehensive supported employment and sheltered workshop/training projects, including a wood recycling project, as well as delivering various long-term unemployed training projects including most recently the New Deal for Disabled People in our area.. Our developments here have been focusing on including a wider client group in social enterprise developments.
We employ and train approaching 200 staff and have a turnover of more than £3.5 million and developed our own City and Guilds accredited NVQ and training centre, offering some training externally too.
14 of the original 21 people who moved out in 1983 are still supported by Integrate. Sadly, the remainder have gown ill or elderly and died, but were helped by staff to spend their final years in a home of their own, with support and encouragement to live as independently as possible. We’re proud of the commitment of our staff who have enabled people to die in their own home including where people have had terminal illnesses.
Our Tenants Group has over the last year or so had good support from valued volunteers – including ex-staff who have continued their commitment to the service users.
In 2008 – our 25th year– the Tenants group will in fact hold the senior management team to account, by taking the lead on acting on this year’s feedback from service users, gained through a detailed survey which is carried out annually by the external student placements. They are also now actively linking to the local service user reps on the Partnership Board.