What kind of life could you build – if the world had already decided your future for you?
For so many people with a learning disability, autism or acquired brain injury, the answer used to be heartbreakingly limited. A place in a group home. A seat at a day centre. Maybe a hospital bed. A life built around other people’s decisions – not your own.
That was the reality I wanted to change when, thirty years ago, I helped start Positive Futures. As we mark our 30th anniversary, I’ve been thinking about where it all began, the progress we’ve made, and the work that still lies ahead.
The Gap in the System
When I was a young social worker, my first job was in a secure juvenile justice unit. I met teenagers with a learning disability who had committed offences – but it was painfully clear to me that they were victims too.
Some didn’t even really understand what they’d done. What struck me most wasn’t just their behaviour, but the lack of understanding that they had experienced in their young lives.
Later, working with Barnardo’s, I saw another kind of gap. Young people with a learning disability whose choices for adulthood were largely living in a residential or nursing home or a specialist hospital. I remember thinking, If this were my child at 18, would I accept that? Of course not. And if it wasn’t good enough for my family, it wasn’t good enough for anyone else’s either.
That’s where Positive Futures began – with that question. What if we built something better? Something human, dignified, and real?
A New Approach
When I co-founded Positive Futures in 1995, social care in Northern Ireland were still rooted in institutional thinking. The system was in slow transition — from long-stay hospitals and group homes towards community-based living — but choice and autonomy were far from guaranteed. Support was largely professional-led and diagnosis-driven, with autism often lumped under “mental handicap” or “learning disability.” Person-centred planning was rare, and services were allocated based on perceived risk and available resources, not the aspirations of the individual.
There were still assumptions that the only way to support people was in groups and – in order to be financially viable – these had to be large groups. I remember being told I needed to get my head out of the clouds when I said people could live in ordinary houses. People were told they couldn’t. But I didn’t believe that.
We were also told that we shouldn’t ask families what they wanted, because it would be impossible to meet their needs and aspirations. But what we discovered was that families ask for so little. They just wanted an ordinary life for their loved ones.
From the very beginning, I built Positive Futures in deep partnership with families. They were the heartbeat. They helped design what we were building. They held us to our values. We started with a small group of people in Bangor, County Down, offering something radically different: the idea that people with a learning disability, autism or acquired brain injury could live in ordinary houses, be tenants, be part of their communities, and make their own choices.
This was long before self-directed support, personal budgets or direct payments were standard. But we were already working in a way that reflected those future models — building support around the individual, rather than placing an individual into a service which had a “void”.
Person-Centred Support: Not a Buzzword, A Promise
“Person-centred” is a term that gets used a lot in social care — sometimes so much that it loses its meaning. But at Positive Futures, it has always been at the heart of our values. For us, it’s a promise: to really listen. To design support around what matters to each person. And to recognise that being different doesn’t mean needing less.
I often explain it this way: I’m registered blind, and if I received support which didn’t take account of my blindness, it would simply not work.
Being person-centred means asking the right questions: What does a good day look like for you? Who do you want in your life? Where do you want to live, and how? From the way someone eats their breakfast to how they spend their weekends, every detail matters, because every detail is part of a life.
You can see this commitment across all our services. In Supported Living, people can live where and how they choose. In our Family Support Services, we respond flexibly to the needs of the whole family. We don’t ask people to fit into our services – we build our services and supports around them.
Rooted in Relationship
An approach which we introduced to Northern Ireland over 30 years ago and something that I am really proud of is our Families Matter Shared Lives service. It gives adults with a learning disability, autism or acquired brain injury the chance to be supported by another family or individual — someone with time to give, and often, space in their home. That support might be long-term, overnight, or during the day. But what makes it special is the relationships it creates.
One story that stays with me is of a Shared Lives carer who has offered a home to a young person for the past 42 years. That young person has grown up, matured, and lives as part of that family — with the kind of consistency, love and belonging that just wouldn’t have been possible in many traditional settings. He hasn’t moved through services. He has stayed in one place, surrounded by people who truly know and love him.
For me, Shared Lives reflects our fundamental belief: that real support is built on connection, trust and consistency. When those things are in place, people don’t just receive support – they experience stability and belonging in a life where they have choice and control.
Ordinary People, Extraordinary Work
Central to everything we’ve achieved are the people who choose to work at Positive Futures. From the beginning, we’ve looked for people with heart — those who bring compassion, values, and a willingness to listen. Qualifications matter, of course, but they’re not where we start. What matters most is how someone shows up for others.
We want people who understand that doing with is not the same as doing for. People who take real pleasure in seeing others achieve. That approach has shaped a culture where our team members don’t just join us – they grow with us.
Many of our leaders began their journeys in support roles. Our Director of Operations for the Republic of Ireland started as a Support Worker. So did our newest Operations Manager in Northern Ireland Another colleague joined as a Relief Support Worker and now helps shape our people strategy from within HR. We invest in people because we believe in them.
Leadership, to me, means being present. I’ve always believed in staying close to the people we support and the staff who make that support possible. I make it a priority to know our teams, the people we support and their families. That’s how I lead – by staying connected, listening, and making sure every person feels seen, heard and valued.
A Lifeline for Families
At Positive Futures, we’ve always understood that where there is someone with a disability in a family, the whole family needs support. That’s why we developed our Family Support Services. These services not only work directly with the child or young person, building their skills and confidence, but they also provide support to brothers, sisters, mums and dads, so as to build the resilience and confidence of the whole family and to give them a much-needed break.
We also provide residential short breaks at our Wheatfield Short Break service creates space for individuals to relax, build confidence, and enjoy new experiences in a safe, familiar environment. And it gives families something just as important — time to rest, to mark milestones, or recharge their batteries, knowing their loved one is in trusted hands.
It is designed to feel like a home from home — not clinical or institutional, but warm, welcoming and real.
Changing the System, One Step at a Time
At Positive Futures, we’ve always been focused on evolving our work to meet real needs. Over the years, that’s meant introducing new approaches — like our Shared Lives service, or developing a futures planning project to support older carers. We never believed in simply maintaining services; we’ve always asked what’s missing, and how we can fill that gap.
One of the clearest examples of how listening has shaped our work came from a conversation with a father. He told me he prayed every night that his daughter would die before him — because he was afraid of what would happen to her without him there. That level of fear and uncertainty is something no family should face alone. So we acted. We created a futures planning project – Better Futures – to help families think ahead, make arrangements, and find peace of mind. That’s how we’ve always worked: by listening closely, and building what people truly need.
A major milestone came when we expanded into the Republic of Ireland over a decade ago. I remember wondering whether what we had built could really be replicated — or whether it had been a one-off. But when I saw how naturally our values carried across, I felt deeply reassured. The way we work resonated just as strongly, and that’s something I still find incredibly exciting as our journey in the Republic continues to grow.
A Mission That Endures
As I look ahead, I know the work of Positive Futures is far from finished. And that’s exactly as it should be. Real change takes time — and the needs of the people we support continue to evolve. So we must evolve too.
One of the biggest changes I still hope to see — not just in our work, but across the whole sector — is a real shift toward prevention and early intervention. Too often, the system barrels forward into crisis after crisis, funding only what’s already broken. But I’ve always believed that if we get in early, we can help families stay together. We can stop things falling apart.
I’ve never met a family who wanted to put their child into care. That family doesn’t exist. What they want is help — early, practical, human help. And I believe that’s where we can make the most meaningful difference.
Above all, we need to keep listening — really listening — to the people we support and their families. They are the ones living these experiences every day. When we design support around their lives, their choices, and their hopes, everything changes. That’s how we create something meaningful. We support other people’s sons and daughters. What a responsibility that is — but what a privilege.
Positive Futures and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful Launch First-of-Its-Kind Climate Training in Northern Ireland for People with a Learning Disability
PRESS RELEASE
28 January 2026
Positive Futures and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful Launch First-of-Its-Kind Climate Training in Northern Ireland for People with a Learning Disability
Positive Futures and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful today announce, “Caring for our World”, a partnership delivering free, accessible climate training to organisations supporting people with a learning disability. The training takes a two-step approach, first educating and certifying staff who, once trained, then use the flexible resources provided to educate and certify the people with a learning disability they support, empowering them to take meaningful climate action.
This is the first climate change programme for people with a learning disability to be developed in Northern Ireland. The resources are flexible and inclusive and can be easily adapted to deliver full workshops or one-to-one sessions for those with complex needs.
This project is funded through the carrier bag levy by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), supporting climate education and sustainability initiatives across Northern Ireland.
DAERA Minister Andrew Muir MLA said, “I want to congratulate everyone involved today from Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and Positive Futures who have worked together to develop these important training resources. I’m delighted that though the Carrier Bag Levy, my Department has been able to support the development of Caring for our World. We know that when climate information is made clear, engaging, relevant and accessible it empowers everyone to participate fully in both the conversation and with positive action. These resources will help to ensure that people with additional learning needs also have the tools to help bring about meaningful climate action in their communities.”
Eric Randall, Chief Executive, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful:
“We are delighted to partner with Positive Futures in delivering this truly groundbreaking approach to climate training. Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful has always promoted climate action to as many groups as possible and, more importantly, removing the barriers that some parts of our community might face in accessing this vital information. Caring for our World will ensure that climate action resources are accessible to all in our society. There should be no barriers for those who want to take positive steps to combat the climate emergency”
Dr Agnes Lunny, Chief Executive, Positive Futures: “As part of our Positive Green strategy for our organisation, we have been educating our staff on sustainability issues, particularly climate. We wanted this training to be inclusive of the people we support and the wider learning disabilities community. Caring for our World empowers staff and people with learning disabilities to take meaningful climate action with confidence. Importantly, it gives people context and rationale for their actions – many of which they may already be doing without realising just how impactful small, everyday behaviours can be in countering climate change.
Patrick McKinney is supported by Positive Futures and one of the first to complete the training: “I like to help the planet; I recycle and save energy. I know a make a difference.’
Positive Futures has successfully piloted the training. Other organisations including Mainstay DRP; Camphill Community Glencraig; The Cedar Foundation; and NOW Group are set to follow in early 2026. Organisations can register now by visiting https://bit.ly/Caring_for_our_World
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For more information, please get in touch with Claire Irwin at claire.irwin@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org or Jayne Adair jayne.adair@positive-futures.net
About Positive Futures
Positive Futures is a charity which supports people of all ages with a learning disability, acquired brain injury or autism (Charity registration number NIC101385). Positive Futures provides a range of Supported Living, SharedLives, Shortbreaks and Family Support Services across the island of Ireland. More information can be found at positive-futures.net
About Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful
Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful is a charity working towards the vision of a world where people and nature thrive, by running environmental-education programmes and awareness-raising campaigns, increasing volunteering opportunities and reporting on local environmental quality. Programmes include the national civic-pride campaign Live Here Love Here, Carbon Literacy training, and local environmental quality programmes, such as Eco-Schools NI, Blue Flag Award, Seaside Award,
Green Flag Award, Cleaner Neighbourhoods and Marine Litter surveys. For more information, visit www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org
About Caring For Our World
The Caring for Our World package includes the following elements:
· Step 1: Your staff complete Carbon Literacy training – delivered by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.
· Step 2: Your staff attend a short online Caring for our World workshop to learn how best the resource can be used with the people you support. You will then be given full access to the training materials.
· Step 3: Your staff plan and deliver the programme in a format that meets the group or individual needs of the people you support.
· Step 4: Your staff and the people they support submit brief evidence of the learning and people with a learning disability receive their ‘Caring For Our World’ certificate.
NI: Department of Health backtrack on funding to enable social care to become a Real Living Wage employer
DATE 17 November 2025
Mike Nesbitt, Minister of Health, NI announced this week that he would be breaking his previous commitment to provide sufficient funding for the Social Care sector to pay care workers the Real Living Wage.
Commenting on the announcement, our Chief Executive, Dr Agnes Lunny (OBE) said “This decision undermines trust and morale across the social care workforce. Our staff deserve recognition for their vital role, not broken promises.”
Positive Futures is a member of the Association for Real Change (ARC), a body representing the care sector providers, which has 59 members and was heavily involved in the co-ordinated response to Minister Nesbitt.
ARC has expressed their severe disappointment with this decision impacting significantly the community and voluntary and private sector providers and demanded the minister rethink this decision.
I refer to the recent communication confirming your decision to postpone funding that would enable the social care sector to become a Real Living Wage employer.
Breaking the commitment outlined in the Reset Plan (June 2025) and prioritising statutory sector pay is extremely short-sighted and detrimental to a workforce already under significant strain. Expressing our disappointment does not go far enough.
Restoring pay parity for health service staff at the expense of this pledge has left independent, community and voluntary providers (non-statutory employers), facing difficult conversations with dedicated staff who were expecting the increase from September, based on departmental assurances and public messaging. Without pay equity, non-statutory social care providers cannot compete for talent, particularly in the post-COVID environment.
There are 41,825 social care workers in Northern Ireland according to the NISCC register; of whom 32,519 are employed in the independent, community and voluntary sector – hence directly impacted by this decision. This sector is vital to the health service ecosystem in Northern Ireland and yet attracting or retaining skilled staff is increasingly challenging without a Real Living Wage – it is the elephant in the room.
ARC NI represents 59 service providers of social care; the services they offer are diverse and critical to allow individuals to lead a full and meaningful life.
Your decision does not just affect homecare workers or the “winter pressures”. These are important; however, the demand is much broader than that. For example, the second-largest group of social care workers (14.34%) are employed in services for adults with a learning disability spanning several service areas, including long term support (1).
For over a decade ARC NI has provided evidence and highlighted workforce pressures experienced by the learning disability community, recently reinforced by research from the Fair Work Forum. This evidence speaks for itself, and I see no merit in re-stating this.
ARC NI has been an active partner, since inception, of the Social Care Collaborative Reform Board (as now known), the Social Care Fair Work Forum and indeed the Learning Disability Model reform. However, this decision significantly undermines trust at a time when stability, reform and cross-sector delivery is required.
All stakeholders acknowledge the critical interdependencies between primary, secondary and social care and yet the central role of the independent, community and voluntary sector continues to be undervalued.
Transparency on next steps is essential. Prioritising statutory pay has damaged relationships, sector morale and raised long standing questions around sustainability of the social care sector, delivered by independent, community and voluntary sector.
Why was the decision made to prioritise the funding of the statutory sector, knowing this risked the commitment that was made to independent, community and voluntary providers?
We are therefore urging you to reconsider the decision to make available the funds for this segment of the social care sector.
Yours Sincerely,
LA Newton NI Director
Association for Real Change
1. According to the NISCC Live Register Report (June 2025)
Head Office: ARC House, Marsden Street, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S40 1JY
‘MY FAMILY’S LIFE HAS CHANGED SO MUCH FOR THE BETTER WITH SUPPORT FROM POSITIVE FUTURES”
A woman whose son is supported by Positive Futures to live in his own home after 12 years in Muckamore Abbey has told the BBC that her family’s life has changed so much for the better as a result.
Dawn Jones, whose son Timothy now has his own bungalow near her home and lives with round-the-clock support, told the Good Morning Ulster programme on Radio Ulster that he had gone from “walking with his shoulders down and head bowed” to “walking upright” since he left hospital.
Timothy enjoys outings with his staff and eating his favourite McDonald’s meal in the local park. Recently, he has visited the Exploris aquarium in Portaferry and the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in Cultra.
To prepare for his move to the community, Positive Futures staff spent several months working alongside staff in the hospital to get to know Timothy.
Dawn said: “He looks happier, he looks more in control of his environment. He has changed so much. He’s non-verbal, but he’s starting to make some noises, which is promising.”
She added: “My life and the family’s life has changed so much for the better. “We’re all happy, we realise that Timothy is safe. He’s in a happy environment. Life is good now.”
Our Chief Executive, Agnes Lunny, told the programme: “Positive Futures has a genuine commitment to listening to people whose needs are a little bit different to the rest of ours.””This is not a miracle, this is not magic, this is the result of very hard work.” She added that anyone could be supported to live in the community with the right support from the right people.
The MAC, Belfast has won a charity award for providing a warm welcome for people with disabilities.
The Positive Futures Welcome Award celebrates organisations that go the extra mile in creating a supportive environment for people with a learning disability, acquired brain injury or autism, and their families.
Carers and people supported by our Family Matters Shared Lives Service have been attending the annual Christmas Show at the MAC for several years.
Julie McDowell, Service Manager for the Families Matter Shared Lives Service said: ‘The Carers, staff and family members attend the relaxed performance which is specially adapted to meet the needs of the people we support. Over the years and in particular last Christmas, the staff went above and beyond in accommodating all who attended. At our most recent visit people we support were so grateful for the warm welcome and excellent treatment they received. Nothing was too much trouble for the staff, who showed respect and patience to everyone.’
Dr Agnes Lunny, our Chief Executive, said: “We believe it’s really important to recognise organisations who are inclusive, compassionate and demonstrate understanding, and the team at the MAC certainly live up to those ideals. We look forward to many more businesses and organisations receiving our Welcome Award in the near future.”
Lisa McGinley, Director of the MAC said “Inclusivity is at the heart of everything we do at the MAC, so we’re really pleased to receive this award. It shows our commitment to making sure everyone feels welcome and valued when they visit us. We believe the arts should be for
everyone, and we’re proud to be recognised for the kindness and respect our team shows to all our visitors.”
At Positive Futures, we’re supporting the campaign by the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) to encourage more people into social work.
So what does a social work career involve, and what are the rewards?
To find out, we asked Christine, a social worker in our Families Matter Shared Lives Service, which provides opportunities for carers to have a break from their caring responsibilities.
Why did she choose a life in social work?
“I wanted a career in which I could work with people who, through no fault of their own, find themselves on the margins of society, and make a positive difference in their lives,” she says. “My own personal values aligned with a lot of the values of social work, which really attracted me to it. I also liked the range of different work you could do, and the variety of opportunities social work training could open up.
“The rewards include great job satisfaction – some days you get to really help people by improving the quality of their lives by getting them the help or support they need. You get to meet a lot of amazing people and be let into their lives, and you often get a lot of appreciation from the people you support and their families.”
What qualities are needed to succeed?
“You need to be compassionate, patient, fair and empowering. You need to be able to communicate well with a range of different people and be able to speak up and advocate for people. Challenging social injustice and anti-oppressive practice are also important qualities, as is having emotional intelligence. “Also, you need practical qualities such being organised and proactive. Good time management is crucial, because there are often a lot of tasks to follow up on, within deadlines.”
Finally, what’s Christine’s advice to anyone thinking of a career in social work?
“If you are passionate about helping making people’s lives better and like a challenge, go for it. It’s not always the easiest role and sometimes you are presented with very complex situations, but it is a rewarding, dynamic career, with a lot of opportunities for growth and development.” Find out more here: https://niscc.info/interested-in-becoming-a-social-care-practitioner/
Health Minister Sees Social Care Need At First Hand
From left to right: Professor Bengoa, Susan, Frazer Curry, Minister Mike Nesbitt and Karan Spence (Service Manager, The Arches Family Support Service)
Positive Futures was delighted to welcome Health Minister Mike Nesbitt and Prof Rafael Bengoa, who led a major review of health and social care in Northern Ireland, to one of its services in north Belfast, today.
Our Wheatfield Short Break Service offers residential short break support to allow families a break from their caring duties. The purpose-built facility can accommodate up to five people at any one time.
The Minister and Prof Bengoa met members of our staff, volunteers and carers and people supported by the Wheatfield Short Break Service, Families Matter Shared Lives Service and the Arches Family Support Service.
Minister Nesbitt said: “I am acutely aware of the very real challenges and difficulties faced by people with learning disabilities, families and carers and the vital role providers like Positive Futures play in supporting them to live fulfilling lives.
“Short Breaks are an important way that we support families and an area that we need to rapidly expand for children and adults. This will be achieved through collaborative work with the independent sector.”
Professor Bengoa said: “Engaging and supporting carers is a fundamental aspect of maintaining people within their own home and it is essential that the HSC continues to develop services in this area.”
Our Chief Executive Dr Agnes Lunny OBE said: “We hope this short glimpse at what we do will have given the Minister some pointers for his recently promised roadmap aimed, as he put it, at setting health and social care services on a clear path to recovery. We were delighted to welcome him together with Prof Bengoa, who, with his expert colleagues, recognised eight years ago that the system in Northern Ireland needed a radical transformation to make it fit for the future.
“We believe we have a major role to play in the future of social care in Northern Ireland, with our tailored support for individuals enabling people to live their best lives. We have shown repeatedly that we can provide high quality support and demonstrate better outcomes very cost-effectively. We were very pleased that both men heard directly from people and families we support. At the end of the day, theirs are the views that really count.”
At Positive Futures we take pride in the number of people that work for us who have progressed through the social care career pathways and realised their ambitions, many of whom are now in senior positions within the organisation.
We know It’s not for everyone and, we have plenty of dedicated staff who love providing support directly to people every day and that’s what they wish to continue doing but, for individuals who would like to pursue a career at a higher level in social care we try hard to enable people to achieve their dreams.
As part of the Social Care Council’s campaign focusing on careers in Social Care, Kerry Mallon, our Operations Director, Ireland, recently spoke on a podcast with Dr Wendy Austin. MBE recounting her own experience of ‘falling’ into the role of relief support worker as the start of a 20 year career which saw her appointed to the board of Positive Futures as Operations Director, Ireland in 2023.
Shauna Steps Out to Raise Money For Positive Futures
And she’s off! Shauna, who’s raising money for our Autism Outreach Service on a marathon 3-day walk with her friend Mairead, set out from our Enniskillen office on July 12. Chief Executive Agnes and Executive Director Paul joined them. Shauna’s husband Michael also lent his support. You can sponsor Shauna at https://www.justgiving.com/page/shauna-falconer-1719947989304.
Two country dance groups from Lisburn and Hillsborough have put a spring in our step with a £3,200 donation.
Boots’n’Buckles and Hillsborough Hoedowners raised the money through a number of events, including a monthly charity club night.
One regular attendee is David Brown, who we support. He and his Support Worker Beryl Hunter accepted the cheque on behalf of Positive Futures.
Our Chief Executive Agnes Lunny said: “I want to thank Boots’n’Buckles and Hillsborough Hoedowners for this fantastic fundraising effort which will go directly to supporting our children and families service in Lisburn, providing opportunities for children to engage in community activities and have fun and giving parents a much-needed break. I also want to congratulate Boots .n. Buckles and the Hillsborough Hoedowners for welcoming David to the group, ensuring that he feels very much a part of his local community.
Pictured are Beryl Hunter, David Brown, and Karan Spence from Positive Futures (centre) with Keith Armstrong and Shirley McWhinney (left) and Denise Armstrong (right) of Boots’n’Buckles and Hillsborough Hoedowners.
