Reflecting on our recent Innovation Hour with ‘Where I Want to Live’
It became quite obvious quite quickly that she didn’t want to spend her life with an ageing dad… It wasn’t fulfilling her ambitions and her dreams. And that was, to me, much, much more important.
Roberto Morelli, founder, Where I Want to Live
In Innovation Hour, our popular ongoing series of free online events, we help you discover and explore the people pushing things forward in social care. Our most recent Innovation Hour featured Roberto Morelli, founder and chair of the charity, Where I Want to Live, a digital toolkit focused on planning for independence and housing for young people with learning disabilities. Roberto joined us to discuss his personal experience with his daughter, Alessandra, and her journey to independent living.
An idea is sparked
Roberto realised how uncertain Alessandra’s future was going to be after leaving education and the networks that supported her. However, it wasn’t until Alessandra expressed her strong desire to live independently that Roberto realised how little planning had been done. He also began to understand how rarely families and services are supported to have these essential conversations with individuals in any meaningful way. This was the seed that grew into Where I Want to Live.
The goal was to design something that empowered young people with learning disabilities (aged 14 to 35) to start thinking about their future living arrangements. It was important to Roberto and Alessandra that the toolkit would help catalyse honest, ongoing conversations about aspirations and ambitions, as well as practical needs, by putting the young person at the centre of their own planning.
From one family’s creative response to need, to a national platform
This innovative solution, which began as a response to the experience of one family, has grown into a co-produced platform developed alongside teachers, health professionals, housing providers, and local authorities, now being used across the UK and championing person-centred planning for young people with disabilities.
In our Innovation Hour, Roberto gave a demonstration of the toolkit, showing us how it not only helps young people to express what they want but also supports planning and service design. Roberto said, “The toolkit provides what I call the mortar for all these bricks, to create the wall of the house that eventually our young people can move into.”
How to get involved
Where I Want to Live is a purely volunteer-run charity, driven forward by a collective vision and passion that has earned trust from both families and professionals alike. The challenges people with learning disabilities face are real, but positive, person-centred solutions exist. When we can bring passionate people together and keep young people at the heart of the conversation, we can do amazing things to support them get to where they want to be.
To learn more about Where I Want to Live, or to explore the toolkit, visit: https://whereiwanttolive.co.uk/
Do you have a digital innovation in health and social care that you want to promote? Get in touch with Louise on louise@practicesolutions-ltd.co.uk.
