Supported Independent Living

Overview

The Supported Independent Living Service enables persons with disability to live as independently and autonomously as possible in the community. Support is provided within personalised living accommodation, which may be apartments or houses within the community.
The primary aim of these accommodations is to enhance and promote independence, inclusion and the empowerment of persons with disability through a person-centred plan.
The Service values the person’s dignity, human strength, potential and self-determination, and is strongly led by the process of co-design and co-production to achieve their desired goals. Accordingly, the Service adopts the following principles:

 

  • Empowerment and choice – where the service-users’ voices and ideas are respected, in order to maintain control over their lives, empowering them to develop their own personalities, strengths and independence.
  • Active support – persons with disability are empowered to remain fully engaged and participating in their lives, by receiving the right range and level of support.
  • Practice self-advocacy – persons with disability should be aware of their rights and be empowered to speak up for their rights.
  • Enhanced supported decision-making – persons with disability are assisted, if required, when making decisions about living arrangements, health care, relationships, and financial matters.

 

Through the adoption of person-centred plans, persons residing in Supported Independent Living accommodation, are supported to:

 

  • Continue their education and receive tutoring according to the personal needs of the individual;
  • Enhance their skills and abilities;
  • Enroll in employment training;
  • Look for and engage in employment opportunities;
  • Participate in sport, travel and leisure activities;
  • Maintain positive relationships with their families and relatives;
  • Make new friends and acquaintances through opportunities for inclusion;
  • Participate in mainstream activities;
  • Engage in therapeutic sessions according to need, to facilitate emotional well-being and self-growth, amongst others.

 

 

Referrals and Assessments

The intake team receives and processes all intake requests by prospective services, families, and other professionals who ask for any service within the Agency. All intakes are meticulously assessed by the Intake professionals, who will identify which service/s the individual can benefit from dependent on the needs, interests and wishes of the individual.

 

Following this assessment, the team will liaise accordingly with the professionals from the departments of the services identified and carry out follow-up action plans.

The team of professionals will identify the referrals based on the significant and critical needs of the individuals.

 

Aġenzija Sapport also recognises the fact that moving into a new accommodation can be a challenging and stressful experience, so when a service user needs to move into an apartment/house, a transition programme is planned in partnership with the individual in order to assist them settling into the new environment, interact with the other residents and also the staff.

 

The Supported Independent Living Service may be accessed by any individual with disability, who require a living accommodation in the community. The Service follows the below criteria:

 

  • Priority is given to persons with disability who are at high risk of being institutionalised, or in risk of becoming homeless, after exhausting all other mainstream options in the community;
  • A request can be accommodated if and when there is a vacancy in one of the current residences, or when a new apartment or house is made available through the Service.
  • The person with disability is involved immediately from the assessment stage through to the planning of the person-centred plan, and his/her family/guardian/interested parties are also involved in the process accordingly.

 

Beyond meeting general eligibility criteria, each individual is supported, consulted, and assessed with respect to his/her suitability with the other service users who are already residing in the apartment/house.

The following is taken into consideration:

 

  • Compatibility of needs, strengths and/or psychological capability, with those of the other residents;
  • Compatibility in terms of age and personality;
  • Whether the premises meet the service user’s individual accessibility needs.

 

Click this link for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on this service

 

 

 

 

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