A life more ordinary
How independent living enables community
engagement for people with disabilities
When Gill and Bill Lever moved from
a special needs housing complex
into their new home in Oldham, it
marked the beginning of a truly
independent lifestyle with friends,
neighbours and quality of life.
Now they are appealing for local authorities to
increase investment into community based,
supported accommodation so that more people can
enjoy the freedom and social opportunities which
changed their lives.
After suffering a brain haemorrhage in 1991, Bill who
is now 64 found himself living alone in a poorly
appointed flat. He had made a remarkable recovery
from being almost entirely unable to move and now
wanted to return to normality. “I grabbed the first
chance I got to leave the hospital. I was desperate to
regain my independence,” he said.
Determined to get on with life Bill found the energy
to take a taxi to Oldham Market where he met Gill
who was born with cerebral palsy. In 1995, Bill
moved into an independent living complex where 20
bungalows housed around 30 people with complex
needs, plus six around-the-clock staff. Gill moved in
with him after their wedding in 1998. Soon, however,
staff numbers were reduced until eventually there
was none left.
“Although the accommodation was
adequate we felt isolated from the
rest of the world”
“It wasn’t a great place to live. Although the
accommodation was adequate we felt isolated from
the rest of the world. When the staff went, we felt
incredibly vulnerable,” said Gill who celebrated her
60th birthday on 24 April. “It was frightening coming
home in the evening knowing that no one was
around to help if we needed it. Who can answer a
call for help when all your neighbours are disabled?”
“Stowing people away in care homes and
institutionalised living complexes prevents them from
engaging with other people,” said Bill.
But then, with the help of supported housing
landlord, Partners Foundation the couple was
offered a specially adapted bungalow in Moorside.
Refurbished with wide doorways, cleverly placed
plug sockets, a disability friendly kitchen and
bathroom, the couple was able to return to life in an
ordinary neighbourhood.
Being surrounded by ordinary people hasn’t just had
an impact on the couple’s ability to function: it has
profoundly improved their mental well-being as Gill
“We both feel so much better living
in a normal house surrounded by
ordinary people”
explains: “Psychologically we both feel so much
better living in a normal house surrounded by
ordinary people. I spend most of my time in a
wheelchair and would rather not be reminded of that
fact by everyone around me.
“Grouping disabled people together in an
institutional setting highlights their differences to the
outside world. Able bodied people tend to then
focus on the disability and not the person.
“I want people to see me, not the wheelchair and
now they do.”
From the moment you walk through
Gill and Bill’s front door, the couple’s
pride in their home is evident. And
that is not the only benefit. The
money also adds up.
“Placing Gill and I in a care home would be far more
expensive than providing a bit of support to help us
set up and live in our own home.” said Bill. “We do
most things ourselves and in our own time and only
need a hand once in a while.”
Juli Round who works at Partners Foundation has
been instrumental in helping Gill and Bill secure their
home. She said: “Although Gill and Bill have a
personal assistant who visits three times per week, it
is the natural support and care of neighbours which
makes the real difference to their day to day lives.
And let’s not forget that, for local authorities, this
kind of care comes at absolutely no cost.”
Gill and Bill are not only grateful for their home but
for the neighbours too. The natural support they
provide makes a difference every single day. “This
morning we got a letter in the post saying that we
hadn’t separated out our recycling properly,” said Bill
apologetically. “Thankfully one of our neighbours
didn’t think twice about doing it for us. It might seem
like a small gesture but it made a big difference to us.”
Bill drives a specially adapted car which allows the
couple to get out and about in their own time. “We
had a GP appointment earlier this year when the
weather was really bad and I was worried we
wouldn’t be able to get the car out. When our
neighbours heard about it, they immediately came
around with snow shovels,” said Gill.
”Being surrounded by people who are willing to lend
a hand means that we are cared for far better than if
we were living in a care home,” Gill added. “I would
hate to live in a care home. We want to make our own
decisions, do things in our own time and live our own
lives. It isn’t easy being disabled but we are happy and
able to enjoy life. I don’t think that is too much to ask
for.”
Gill and Bill who have been married for 14 years this
August want to spend retirement in their Oldham
bungalow and are keen to lend a voice to other
people with disabilities who are currently living in
unsuitable accommodation.
Bill said: “The government needs to understand
what it means to people’s lives before they cut
funding for homes like ours. We have been fortunate
but others aren’t so lucky. A care home isn’t always
a bad option but everyone should have the option of
living independently; to get through the day in their
own time amongst a friendly community.”
Bill, who is a keen gardener, sought their landlord’s
permission to landscape the small garden into a
wheelchair friendly layout. The result was a safe and
accessible oasis which the couple enjoys all year
around.
Phil Shanks, entrepreneur and co-founder of
Partners Foundation recently launched a new venture
“Demand from local authorities and
housing associations for low-cost
funding to help meet rapidly growing
housing need is staggering”
to provide the kind of funding required to deliver
accommodation like Gill and Bill’s on a national
scale. SAF Housing Solutions Limited is a fund for
local authorities and registered social landlords –
allowing them to acquire and provide supported
living and extra care housing stock.
Phil commented: “Gill and Bill’s story illustrates
perfectly the difference appropriate
accommodation can make to people’s lives.
Unfortunately, many more couples and individuals
are currently living in unsuitable and poorly
appointed accommodation. This is unacceptable;
as a society we can and should do better for these
people. Demand from local authorities and housing
associations for low-cost funding to help meet a
rapidly growing housing need is absolutely
staggering and we are working hard to make
millions of pounds available through our Real
Estate Investment Trust launching this summer.”
Adding up the finances
Providing supported accommodation comes at a significant cost to local authorities –
many of which are struggling to meet demand. Through SAF Housing Solutions Limited,
Phil Shanks is aiming to reduce the cost by almost 50%. Here is how...
Gill and Bill’s property was purchased in 2002 for £245,000 by a private investor who
receives an 8.5% return on the investment per annum. The accommodation is then
provided to the landlord at a cost of £400.48 per week (£20,825 per annum).
Working on the same purchase price but with a much lower return of just 4.33% financed through a large scale financing model which is the Real Estate Investment Trust
– SAF Housing Solutions Limited would be able to provide the same accommodation for
£200 per week (£10,608 per annum).