About Living Options Devon
We offer a range of help and support services for people with a long term health condition, disability and / or who are Deaf, where British Sign Language is their first language.
Humble Beginnings
Solid Foundations
Living Options Devon has significantly grown from its humble beginnings. The charity began with just one employee and Peter as a volunteer, to now encompass a wide range of support services for disabled people, people with a long term health condition, and members of the Deaf Community across the south west.
“I’m sure the organisation is more than capable of going on to bigger and better things. We’ve got a lot of good staff, a high quality team and I’m sure they will take it to another level. I’m only pleased that I’ve been able to play a small part in that”.
Peter Swain Founder of Living Options Devon
Our Vision and Values
Living Options Devon is a well-respected, disabled peoples’ user-led organisation. Working for over 30 years, our mission is to ensure that people with disabilities and Deaf people can live the life they choose.
Our Vision:
People with disabilities and Deaf people have the same life chances and opportunities to be active and equal members of society.
Our Values have not changed since 1990, and underpin all that we do. We model within our organisation the changes we wish to effect in wider society:
- Accessible: We believe in a fully accessible society
- Equal: Equality of opportunity and freedom of choice
- User-led: Enabling people with disabilities and Deaf people to influence and manage our work
- Quality: We aim to deliver the highest standards of service to all the people with whom we work
- Respect: We operate a culture of open communication, empowerment and
- development, where individual abilities are respected
- Achievement: People are encouraged to achieve their full potential.
Thirty years on we pride ourselves on still championing the needs and rights of disabled people and members of the Deaf Community who use British Sign Language.
Find out more in our Strategic Overview.
Thirty Years
The charity continues Peter’s legacy striving to improve the service provision for disabled people in the community.
Peter’s research in the early 1980s, along with that of those he volunteered with, centered around the extra provision for disabled people and what was available at that time by the statutory and voluntary sectors.
Thirty years on we pride ourselves on still championing the needs and rights of disabled people and members of the Deaf Community.
User Led and Disability Confident
Being led and run by disabled and Deaf people helps us understand the issues facing disabled and Deaf people. We have established trust and credibility within the community, and have a strong commitment to partnership working, particularly through joining up with other charities to provide better services for disabled people.
Exciting Future
Providing that extra service provision that Peter outlined in the very beginning remains our focus today. We offer services, information, and advice that give disabled people and members of the Deaf Community the skills and support they require to overcome barriers such as:
- discrimination
- access issues
- social isolation
- communication barriers
- lack of opportunities
We empower them to live the lives they want; to enjoy independence; gain employment; to know their rights and to find the courage to voice those rights and with your support will continue to do so.
Staff wellbeing and promoting inclusivity
Living Options Devon works hard to ensure we do all we can to support the health and wellbeing of our staff and volunteers, enabling them to provide effective services for our beneficiaries.
In a recent staff wellbeing survey (n=39)
96% of our staff would recommend Living Options Devon (LOD) as a great place to work.
95% strongly agreed or agreed LOD is dedicated to diversity and inclusiveness
92% strongly agreed or agreed that their work gives them a feeling of a job well done
92% of staff strongly agreed or agreed that they feel well supported at work by their line manager and 92% by their colleagues
Staff were asked how happy they have felt at work in a given time period. On a scale of 0 (not at all happy) to 10 (extremely happy), 82% scored 7 or above. The average score was 8. 76% of staff reported that this was fairly typical of how they have felt working at LOD.
Staff were asked how anxious they have felt at work in a given time period. On a scale of 0 (not at all anxious) to 10 (extremely anxious), 70% scored 6 or below and 48% 3 or below. The average answer was 4. 76% of staff reported that this was fairly typical of how they have felt working at LOD.
Staff wellbeing and promoting inclusivity
We promote inclusivity and support staff wellbeing across all areas of our organisation.
As a Disability Confident Leader, we are committed to having a diverse workforce and recruiting and retaining disabled and / or Deaf people and those with long term health conditions.
Our commitment to equality and inclusion is central to our mission. We ensure our recruitment processes; our policies and practices for supporting staff; our working environment; and our staff development opportunities are fully inclusive for people with disabilities and Deaf people.
As a Disabled people’s user led organisations (DPULO), staff and volunteers with disabilities as well as the wider disability / Deaf communities are fully involved in shaping, planning and monitoring our work.
60% of our staff and 57% of our Trustees have a disability, long term health condition or are Deaf BSL users.[1]
[1] Source: anonymous staff equality and diversity survey in 2023 in response to question: Do you have a disability, impairment, neurodivergence or long term health condition – lasting or expected to last 12 months or more? Please select all that apply.
Our Financial Information
Our income and expenditure can be viewed on the charity commission website.
Disability Confident Leader
We are proud to have been awarded and recognised as a Disability Confident Leader.