Our Care Your Way

At Our Care Your Way, we believe great support begins with understanding the person. Everyone has their own personality, interests, routines, relationships and way of communicating. That is why we don't expect people to fit into a standard model of support.
Our ethos is simple: “JUMP INTO THEIR WORLD. DON'T EXPECT THEM TO FIT INTO OURS.”
It shapes how we get to know people, plan support, match staff, communicate, manage risk and understand what a good life looks like for each individual.
We provide personalised community-based support for adults aged 18–65 with learning disabilities and autistic people across Liverpool and surrounding areas. We support people with a wide range of abilities and needs, including people requiring 1:1 or 2:1 support and those who communicate with few or no spoken words.
SUPPORT BUILT AROUND YOU
What makes them happy? What interests them? How do they communicate? What does a good day look like? Who and what are important to them? What helps them feel safe?
People communicate in different ways, including speech, signs, gestures, expressions, pictures, visual communication, technology, body language or behaviour. Our responsibility is to learn how each individual communicates rather than expecting them to communicate in a way that is easiest for us.
We work with families and those who know the person best, while keeping the individual at the centre of their support.
CHOICE, CONTROL AND INDEPENDENCE
Having support shouldn't mean losing control. We want people to make meaningful choices about what they do, where they go and how they are supported. Choice must also be accessible. One person may understand a verbal question; another may benefit from photographs, objects, symbols, visual prompts or extra processing time.
Independence doesn't mean doing everything without help. It means having the right support to participate as fully as possible. This could include shopping and money skills, preparing food, travelling, attending appointments, communicating wants and needs, making decisions, accessing activities or building confidence. Staff should support people to do things with them rather than automatically doing things for them.
A MEANINGFUL LIFE IN THE COMMUNITY
Community support means more than simply taking somebody out because their support hours have started. We ask: what does this person actually want from their time?
A meaningful day could involve shopping, swimming, bowling, visiting a favourite café, seeing family, attending a group, going for a drive, learning a skill or trying somewhere new. For someone who finds busy environments overwhelming, a quieter activity may be more meaningful. There is no single definition of a good day – the person helps define it.
UNDERSTANDING BEHAVIOUR AND SENSORY NEEDS
We look beyond behaviour and consider what a person may be communicating. Someone may be overwhelmed, frightened, uncomfortable, in pain, struggling with change or trying to say “no” in the way available to them.
Rather than focusing only on stopping behaviour, we want staff to be curious about why it is happening and what may help. We recognise that noise, crowds, lighting, touch, smells and unfamiliar environments can affect people differently. Understanding these individual needs can reduce distress and support people respectfully and in the least restrictive way.
POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS
The relationship between a person and their support worker matters. Training is important, but so are values, personality, communication and compatibility. We aim for consistency so people can build trusting relationships with staff who know them. If a staff match isn't right, we consider what could work better for the person rather than expecting them to adapt.
POSITIVE RISK-TAKING
We don't believe a good life should be a risk-free life. People should have opportunities to try new things, make decisions, develop skills and become more independent. Our role is to understand and manage risk proportionately so people can do what matters to them safely without unnecessary restrictions.
LISTENING, LEARNING AND DEVELOPING
People change, so support should change with them. We listen to the person, families, staff and professionals and use feedback, observations, achievements, incidents and concerns to understand what is working and what could be better.
We want people to be known for who they are, not simply by a diagnosis, risk assessment or number of support hours.
For us, good support means asking: Was the person listened to? Did they have real choices? Did they do something meaningful? Were they treated with dignity? Did they feel safe? Were they supported to be as independent as possible? Are we helping them live their life, their way?
That's what Our Care Your Way means to us:
Your support. Your choices. Your life.
“JUMP INTO THEIR WORLD. DON'T EXPECT THEM TO FIT INTO OURS.”