We are ambitious for the people we support and educate. By facilitating learning and promoting independence, we focus on what matters to them and their families to ensure the support we provide is right for them. We work in partnership with others to plan for the journey ahead, whatever that may look like. Through bespoke, targeted support and thoughtfully designed activities, we help people work towards their individual outcomes.
What is Active Support?
Active Support is a person-centered approach to support within social care allowing people with learning disabilities and autism to participate meaningfully in everyday life. It turns person-centred plans into person-centred action, focusing on breaking goals down into achievable steps and offering the right level of support to enable individuals to be as independent as possible. Rather than doing things for people, support teams work with them—encouraging choice, engagement, and skill development
By building strong routines and relationships, support teams promote confidence and inclusion with Active Support, adapting environments and support to each person’s needs and stage of their journey.
We have the evidence that shows us the impact that Active Support has on the quality of life of those in social care. Everyone is different, from the outcomes they want to achieve, to the support they need to get there. No matter what stage the individual is at, our support teams work with them, working towards gradual progress and steps towards improving life skills and independence, ensuring their support is continuously monitored and adapted to encourage progression and development.
Why is Active Support important?
- It leads to better outcomes, improved wellbeing, and greater social inclusion.
- It ensures support is personalised, consistent, and empowering,
- It enables people to have control over their daily lives, goals, relationships, and future opportunities.
Active Support at Bright Futures
In 2025, we introduced our new Outcomes Framework. It provides a clear, person-centred structure to support individuals with learning disabilities and autism to achieve meaningful life outcomes. This framework supports people to move from where they are now to where they want to be. By working closely with the people we support, their families, our Specialist Support Team and external partners, our Support Teams focus on key areas including communication, relationships, health and wellbeing, independence, community involvement, and employment.
Promoting Active Support within our support teams ensures the care we provide is fully aligned with our Outcomes Framework. The framework promotes participation in everyday activities, skill development, and choice. This approach ensures support is consistent, empowering, and focused on improving quality of life and long-term independence.
We deliver regular and continuous Active Support training to our Support Teams. Working closely with the team at Redstone PBS, we have trained a group of Active Support Coaches from our Specialist Support and Practice Teams who deliver in-person, 2-day Active Support training sessions to our operational teams, followed by observations across our sites to ensure that their learning is effectively put into practice.
From paid employment opportunities to steps towards supported living, we have loved seeing the impact Active Support has had on the people we support at Bright Futures and we can’t wait to see what else it can empower them to achieve!
