0151 236 0855History
Supporting, empowering and enabling people with disabilities for over 30 years
Our history
Options was founded in 1993 because there was a need for a better model of support for people with disabilities. The model of support that we offer is very different to the models that were used in the past, before we existed. People with disabilities were often living in long-stay institutions or large residential homes, with little-to-no autonomy over their lives. They were seen as people with disabilities living in a building, rather than people with disabilities who have value, aspirations, and want to live a full life.
An NHS commissioning manager, from Liverpool, called Peter Kinsella, was intrigued by what he had seen in the USA – ‘supported living’ for people with disabilities. The support was all about the person. Each person had a person-centred plan detailing what their aspirations were in life, and then their support was built around them to help achieve their aspirations. Peter introduced this model of support to Merseyside, and Options was one of the first four organisations to exist operating this new cutting-edge model of support.
“With support, I focused on social activities and dating. Now, I attend club nights independently, have reconnected with friends, and met my girlfriend.”
Our founding principles
Good beliefs and values underpinning all that we do
Support starts by listening to the person supported and their families and designing support around them
It is dependent on great staff with strong beliefs and values and a making it happen attitude
Stay as small as possible with as few tiers of management as possible – better communication, and quicker decision-making
A strong emphasis on relationships – in all aspects of what we do, and on a few systems to hold it all together (less paperwork for the sake of it and less bureaucracy)
A belief that it can work for anyone – not just those with lesser needs
A great culture that holds the organisation together
A bias towards working things out together – not in isolation or through conflict
Options over the years
1993
Options was founded as one of the first four organisations to offer a new person-centred approach to support. We focused on people with high-level support needs and used our learning to set a good foundation for Options to grow.
1997
We supported 10 people with disabilities in their own homes, and became confident that this approach can work. At the same time, our positive reputation was building throughout Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral. We continued to grow, and support more people.
2006
We introduced ‘Voices R Us’ – a forum facilitated by people we support, for people we support – to discuss what’s going well, what isn’t going well, what they’re looking forward to, and what Options can do to help.
2010
We continued to grow and introduce events that everyone can be part of, like our Tea Party and Carol Service, as well as community and inclusion events so people we support can explore their hobbies, passions and interests in an accessible and welcoming space.
2023
We celebrated our 30th year anniversary of supporting, empowering and enabling people with disabilities to live their lives to full. We held a celebration ball for people we support, families and our staff to celebrate this achievement.
2025
We support over 180 people, delivering over 470,000 hours of support, with around 350 dedicated staff. We are committed to giving those with disabilities a voice, advocating for what is right and showcasing our way of delivering great support.
Acknowledgements
Along the way various people have been instrumental in shaping Options to what we are today. We would like to say a special mention to the following people that we have learned so much from: Peter Kinsella, John O’Brien, Herb Lovett, David Pitonyak, Gill Goodwin, Judith North, Helen Sanderson, Dave Hingsburger, and not forgetting our previous CEO Richard Williams.
Get in touch with our team
Start the journey to getting supported living by speaking with our dedicated support team. You can reach them on welcome@optionsempowers.org.uk.
Learn more about us
About us
Learn more about our charity, who we help and the impact we have on our communities.
Meet the team
Meet the people who make everything possible, the Options team.
Governance
Understand important information to do with our governance.
Our impact
Learn about the incredible impact we have on the people we support and beyond.
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