Living more independently
Advice on building independence and getting support at home.
Think about how you want to live and what skills you’d like to learn or improve. Your family and friends may be able to help you set goals and make a plan to reach them.
There are services available to guide you and help you learn along the way.
Services available to everyone
Free courses from the Adult Learning service
It can be a big step to move out of your family home and begin to live more independently either by yourself or with others.
If you are thinking of moving out to your own place, you might need to learn about:
- cookery
- gardening
- managing your money
- healthy living
- staying safe
- discovering your community
These are just some of the free life skills courses from the Adult Learning service. They have been set up for adults with learning disabilities to help you:
- learn new skills
- make new friends
- be creative
- enjoy a more independent life
The Adult Learning service also runs a digital skills course for people with learning disabilities. The courses are fun and all learners have their own learning plan to help track their progress.
There are courses in:
- Angmering
- Burgess Hill
- Littlehampton
- Worthing
You can find more information and apply to join a course.
Healthy eating and wellbeing advice
Wellbeing hubs across West Sussex offer support and advice on:
- healthy living
- quitting smoking
- cutting down on alcohol
- other ways to stay well
They also run wellbeing groups in local communities.
Find your local wellbeing hub.
‘Find it Out’ support
Find It Out support is available from family hubs for people up to the age of 25 with SEND.
Family hubs can answer your questions and give you information, advice and guidance. They can help you find local services, make referrals and talk through your needs.
If staff can’t find the right service or you need extra help, they can offer up to 5 sessions with a team member. That person will work with you directly and tailor the sessions to help you reach your goals.
Find your local family hub.
Organisations that can help
Organisations that could provide you with support are:
- West Sussex Mind - a charity supporting mental wellbeing
- Mencap - a charity supporting people with learning disabilities
- Allsorts Youth Project - a charity which supports people under 26 who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity (LGBT+) and their families
You might find support from services listed in our Local Offer service directory. You may also be able to get help to find local support organisations at your nearest West Sussex library.
Specialist services
You may be entitled to specialist services. If you want Adults' Social Care to fund them, you will need an assessment. You can also pay for them yourself.
Assistive technology
Assistive technology helps people do everyday tasks that might be hard or impossible without it. You can find and buy many types of assistive technology yourself.
If you want adult social care to pay for assistive technology, you will need a referral for an assessment. Find out how to make a referral.
Technology Enabled Care (TEC)
TEC lets you call for help in an emergency if you feel unwell, or if you’re worried about a situation, for example, when someone you don’t know comes to your door.
There are a range of alarms, sensors and devices for different needs. They can give peace of mind to you, your family, or your carers.
West Sussex County Council now provides TEC with Livity Life. They are making sure customers get support while we change from our previous supplier. At the moment, they are focusing on repairs and emergency installations.
We know how important TEC and community equipment are for people leaving hospital or staying independent at home. We’re committed to keeping services reliable during this change.
If you have any questions or concerns about TEC services, contact the TEC Commissioning Team at tec@westsussex.gov.uk.
Your health and social care professional can also advise you about this. Find out more from Connect to Support.
Equipment and modifications
You can get equipment to help make life at home easier. Find out more from Connect to Support.
A Disabled Facilities Grant might help towards the cost of changes to your home if you are eligible. Find out more about modifications from GOV.UK.
For help with equipment and modifications, you may need to have an occupational therapy assessment.
Personal budget
Adults' Social Care can assess your strengths and needs under the Care Act. The assessment might decide that you need a personal budget.
It could mean that staff come into your home to meet your care needs. You might have:
- a budget the council manages
- a direct payment
- a mix of council managed budget and direct payment
A direct payment gives you the chance to pay for a personal assistant (PA) who can help you live more independently.
You can find out about PAs and care services from Connect to Support.
Find more information about how personal budgets work on the Choice and Control - for people with social care needs pages.
You can also read further details in the West Sussex County Council publication ‘Your life, your choice’.
Contact Adults' Social Care
If you do not already have a health and social care professional working with you, you can find out more about having an assessment by contacting our Adults' Services Carepoint team.
Request an assessment