Better Together information pack: 11b. Types of services - Applicable to Northern Ireland only
The Better Together pack has been split into different documents, each covering a different area of information about Mencap and our services; including how we work with the people we support, and the importance of building and maintaining strong
relationships
Relationships are about the people in your life. You might have different types of relationships like friendships, family relationships, or a boyfriend or girlfriend.
with their family and friends.
The information on this page is applicable to Northern Ireland only.
The following information follows the How does Mencap keep people safe? section (applicable to Northern Ireland only) of the Better Together information pack.
Types of services
People often take choosing where to live and who to live with for granted – we don’t. We understand that having these choices makes people feel in control of their lives, so we support people with a
learning disability
A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things.
to live how and where they choose in our services.
In Northern Ireland, all of the services in which we support people in their own homes are
supported living
Supported living is when you live in your own home with support from staff. People who live in supported living have a tenancy agreement.
services; below is some information about what this means.
Supported living
Supported living services are services where people receive support in their own home, sometimes within the family home, or in suitable or adapted accommodation elsewhere. In a supported living setting, a person will have their own tenancy agreement and support can range from visiting to 24-hours, depending on need.
In supported living services people receive support from service based colleagues for particular tasks such as personal care, laundry, cleaning, eating, going out, cooking or carrying out administrative tasks. Colleagues are employed for a suitable time period to meet the needs of individuals; this may be for a few hours or for the whole day and overnight.
Some supported living services are shared by people with similar needs.
How are the hours of support people receive decided?
Mencap is commissioned to provide support for the number of hours agreed by social services. A comprehensive
assessment
An assessment is a way of finding out what help a person needs. When you have an assessment, you might have to go to a meeting or fill in a form.
made by the social care assessor determines how these hours are calculated as well as how they are to be used. The number of support hours someone receives is reviewed regularly with our involvement. Sometimes we might ask for a review to happen earlier in order to increase someone’s hours if this is deemed necessary.
As a family member, you should be aware of the hours your family member is commissioned to receive, and what this will look like. We will inform you if there are any planned changes to these. Please ask the managers in charge of the service if you would like any further information.
How do Mencap ensure good quality and experience?
We work to ensure our services meet or exceed the standards set by their regulator. In Northern Ireland the regulator is the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA).
You can find out more about how our services are regulated in the Who regulates Mencap services? document (applicable to Northern Ireland only) in the Better Together pack.
To ensure that we provide the best quality of care regardless of external regulators, we have our own quality standards: What Matters Most, which help us support people in the best possible way. These standards have been developed to cover the things that people have told us are important to them. You can see the How does Mencap support people in a person centred way? document in the Better Together pack for further information
The next section of the Better Together information pack is Who regulates Mencap services? - Applicable to Northern Ireland only