Wiltshire Independent Living Strategy 2022 to 2027
What people in Wiltshire want
The vision and objectives of this strategy are based on what people in Wiltshire say they want from accommodation and support. In this section, we provide a summary of some of these conversations to bring out some of the key themes and messages.
In June 2021, Wiltshire Parent Carer Council (WPCC) interviewed parents, carers and young people who still lived in the family home. Whilst two thirds of parents and carers wanted their child to continue living with them, the remaining third felt they would flourish more by living more independently1. One young person said:
I don't have enough independence living with my parents. I am nearly 19 and should be with similar aged people in supported living, but I want to live part time with my parents.
In the same survey, 100% of people said there is not enough information to help them plan for the future. One young person said:
I have no idea about what my future holds once my family are unable to take care of me. I think these conversations should start a lot earlier than they currently do.
When asked "What is the one thing you would change"? Parents, carers and young people gave a range of answers including:
To have the autonomy to do what I like.
To be treated with dignity and respect.
There are not many choices.
I would like to live with friends in my home town.
It should not be a minimum wage job. We trust our most vulnerable to sometimes the youngest and most inexperienced, who are usually paid the least, and then wonder why it all goes wrong.
Wiltshire Centre for Independent Living (CIL)'s report "A place I call home" (2021) summarises the voices of people with mental health conditions, learning disabilities and/or autism spectrum conditions in Wiltshire.
The report's key messages were:
- accommodation options need to reflect that everybody is different, they need to be varied, adaptable and responsive to the needs of people in Wiltshire
- people want to live in a place they call home, with the people they choose in their local community
- a priority for any accommodation is that it supports positive relationships both with close networks and with people in the wider community
- the most important factors for people when considering where they live is that they feel safe, they can be independent, and they can choose where they live
A survey completed by people who use Good Lives Alliance services in May 2021 found that the majority of people are happy where they live, like the people they live with and the people who support them and feel safe and part of their local community.
1 This was for several reasons, including the need for friends and other relationships, to gain more independence, because parents were or would soon be struggling to provide the necessary support for their child or young person.