Service users leading the way in care

10:43am Monday 7th July 2008

CARE UK is a leading independent provider of person-centred care to people of all ages and with widely varying needs throughout the UK.

It has been providing tailor-made health and social care solutions for more than two decades.

The Learning Disabilities part of its Specialist Care Services division currently has 27 Supported Living services and Community Care contracts in the Essex area.

Specialising in supporting adults with learning disabilities in their own homes, Care UK ensures it provides a quality driven, person- centred approach in all areas of its provision.

Service users are supported to be independent in the life they choose and to access community facilities such as college, employment and every day activities.

Jenny Ditch, regional manager, said: "It's great to see people now living in their own home and being able to have a say as to how they want to live their life. It's even better to see how people have grown in self confidence and now actively take the lead in deciding who they want to support them in their home."

Care UK listens to service users, and the newly- formed "Listen To Me" group works pro-actively in partnership with Care UK on a number of subjects, from choosing staff to quality assurance and to taking ownership of their person-centred plans.

The members of the "Listen To Me" group have identified the following attributes as most important criteria for choosing their staff:
- Good time keepers
- Happy staff/staff which make them laugh
- To support them in doing new things and where they want to go
- To be honest
- To help with cooking of their own meals
- To help a person go to the post office