Active Support at Ambient: Empowering Individuals who have support needs

In the world of care and support, ensuring that individuals with learning disabilities, mental health needs, or dementia are actively involved in their daily lives is essential to promoting independence, dignity, and well-being.

The Active Support approach is a person-centered care model that encourages care and support workers to work alongside the people they support, fostering engagement, skill-building, and meaningful participation in everyday activities.

What Is Active Support?

Active Support is a framework developed to transform passive care into active, participatory care. The approach is rooted in the belief that every person, regardless of their abilities or challenges, can engage in everyday tasks with the right level of support. Instead of doing tasks for individuals, caregivers using Active Support break down activities into smaller, manageable steps, guiding the person to complete them based on their abilities.

For individuals living with a learning disability, mental health condition, or dementia, this approach can be life-changing. It moves away from traditional caregiving methods, which often result in individuals feeling disengaged or dependent, toward a model that empowers them to live fuller, more independent lives.

Key Principles of Active Support

Person-Centered Care: Every individual has unique abilities, preferences, and goals. Active Support emphasises the importance of knowing the person and tailoring care to meet their specific needs.
Maximising Independence: By encouraging individuals to participate in daily tasks—whether it’s cooking, cleaning, or personal care—caregivers help build independence and self-confidence.
Promoting Engagement: The approach is not just about doing activities for individuals but ensuring they are actively involved in meaningful ways, enhancing their quality of life.
Breaking Down Barriers: Active Support breaks down tasks into smaller steps, allowing individuals with various abilities to participate, regardless of the complexity of the activity.

The Benefits of Active Support

Active Support benefits not only the individual but also the people providing that support. For those living with a learning disability, mental health need, or dementia, being actively engaged in daily life can have profound psychological, emotional, and physical benefits.

Improved Mental Health: Engaging in purposeful activities can reduce feelings of frustration, loneliness, and depression, which are common among individuals with dementia or mental health challenges.
Enhanced Cognitive Functioning: For older adults with dementia, participation in simple, structured tasks can help maintain cognitive function for longer periods.
Skill Building: People with learning disabilities gain valuable life skills, enhancing their independence and reducing the need for external support.
Increased Quality of Life: Active participation leads to a sense of achievement, empowerment, and belonging, all of which contribute to better overall well-being.

For staff delivering Active Support approaches, it can make daily work much more interesting, increasing both their morale and confidence. It can help increase innovative approaches to problem solving, as well as creativity and communication. Motivated staff teams help create happier workplaces and improve retention of staff for the all important continuity of care for people being supported.

How Ambient delivers Active Support

The Active Support approach is integrated into the daily routines by care and support workers by following a few simple strategies:

Knowing the Person they are supporting: Understanding their preferences, abilities, and goals.
Providing Just Enough Support: Giving guidance where needed, but allowing the person to take the lead when possible.
Breaking Tasks into Steps: Simplifying activities to make them more accessible, offering support at each step as necessary.
Celebrating Achievements: Acknowledging and celebrating the person’s efforts and successes, no matter how small.

Why Active Support Matters

Incorporating Active Support into care plans is a game-changer for individuals living with learning disabilities, mental health needs, or dementia. It provides them with a sense of purpose, autonomy, and self-worth, helping them to live more independently and with dignity.

As Ambient’s staff embrace the Active Support approach across all its full range of services, it ensures that care is person-centered, fostering independence, and promoting engagement—all crucial components in delivering high-quality, compassionate care.

Active Support empowers people, one step at a time.