Families
MacIntyre was established in 1966 by the parents of a disabled child. Their vision was for everyone with a learning disability to live a life that makes sense to them.
Since then, working with parents, carers and families has been at the heart of our approach to supporting children, young people and adults with a learning disability and autistic people. Our founders' vision inspires us every day.
We work closely with families to exchange knowledge and expertise. By stopping and thinking, we are able to learn more about the person, and by recording that learning, we ensure they can maintain great relationships with everyone involved in their life.
Find out more
Watch this short video
Nicola Payne, our Family Engagement Manager, works closely with families and staff to promote constructive relationships and the best possible support for your loved one.
One of our partners is Debs Aspland, who supports MacIntyre as an external family expert. You can download Debs' resource "Spring-Back Strategies" to help you work out best strategies to deal with setbacks.
Here are some ways we support you as a family member:
- Regular Families Newsletter – sign up below
- Free support programme with tips and advice on getting ready for the future: 'Preparing to Support'
- Online events
- In-person get-togethers (talk to your local team)
When any individual begins their journey with MacIntyre, we undertake a ‘Getting to Know You’ activity with family members, where a member of MacIntyre staff will talk through the content of our Families Pack. This ensures that:
- Families are provided with detailed information about the service, the team and local area
- Families get to know MacIntyre as an organisation, our values and our approach
- Everyone involved is clear about how you wish to be involved in your relative’s life and the roles and responsibilities of your relative’s team and MacIntyre.
"Staff support Tony in a professional, caring and inclusive way to enable him to access local events and places of interest. Tony enjoys spending quality time with his family and we are actively involved in his home life."
More for families
More on Our Approach
Autism
Autism is a lifelong neurological difference in how individuals approach social communication, social interaction and social imagination. There are many…
Co-production
We know that we can’t make decisions about a person’s support, staffing changes or new activities without involving them and understanding what is important…
Communities
We know that good things happen when we connect with others around us. Our Everyone Everywhere approach is about making these connections a more intentional…
Death and Dying
The ‘Dying to Talk’ pilot project will enable us to help people we support, their families and MacIntyre staff understand and feel supported talking about…
More about how we work with families
The MacIntyre Podcast, Season 4, Episode 1
In this podcast, we hear from MacIntyre's Chief Executive, Sarah Burslem, in which she describes MacIntyre as an amazing place to live, learn and work.
How You Can Feel Supported As A Family Member
At MacIntyre we want you as a family member to feel engaged with your community and supported. We offer various resources to help you to do just that.
Families Podcast: Season 3, Episode 10
In the last podcast before we break for the summer, Nicola explores a change coming to the Podcast, with guest Tess Clare Marshall
Financial Management and Legal Responsibilities
In recognition of Dementia Action Week 2024, we're sharing some useful tips and tricks to help families in supporting their loved ones, and the financial…