| Living Distinctive Lives (LDL) is based in the Eastern Metropolitan Region of Melbourne. Personalised Lifestyle Assistance (PLA) assisted LDL to also submit a successful proposal to DHS Innovation in Accommodation Grants. As a result LDL received funds to employ a Project Worker in April 2005 for approximately 20 hours per week. LDL aims to assist people with disabilities (many with complex needs) to live in their own homes in the community and design their own unique lifestyles and supports and thus provides people with an alternative to group home living. LDL has formed a Governance Group of families and they have chosen and employed a “host” agency, Melba Support Services. Melba Support Services not only take care of administration and legal aspects but also have a very clear understanding of LDL’s ethics and aims. The Governance Group have put much effort into the project’s design and implementation with assistance from PLA and the host agency. The Governance Group selected a Project Worker who assists families on both an individual and collective level. There are currently six members building their own visions and each person has plans to move into their own place and pursue a unique lifestyle in the community. For example, one individual wanted to move from a group home. His family found that he had become very unhappy and he had become disconnected from his local community and friends. They also found that his full potential was not being reached due to the dynamics of group home living. As a consequence the family created an alternative vision with their son. He now lives in a flat on his parent’s property with a housemate (without a disability) that has come forward to share his life and offer relationship as well as offering some support in return for free rent. His future vision will be built over time and eventually he would like to live in his own place that is not located on his parent’s property. He has also left a segregated day service and with the assistance of some creative paid supports he has rekindled many of his old connections as well as creating new ones. One of his passions for the police force has now become reality. He now volunteers at the Police Museum! Families are devoting much effort into establishing unpaid Circles of Support around their sons and daughters from the onset. This has been a very interesting process that has many useful learnings for this crucial and enriching safeguard. Over time some of the advantages of families coming together who share a similar vision has become apparent. Recently one parent stated that she had always struggled to “bring other people along”. She now feels supported by other families and people who share a similar vision, philosophy and struggle. Small collectives of support can be vital for families as they can provide strength, motivation, understanding, compassion, empathy and a feeling that they are not alone. |