Explaining our DNA

Here, we explain each 'strand' of the DNA you can see in the diagram.

We are ambitious for ourselves and each other

We believe people’s potential is limitless and that if we support people to find their gifts, skills and passions (their superhero powers) and put these to use in their local neighbourhoods and beyond then this leads to living gloriously ordinary lives.

Everyone has a voice and is listened to

Our staff are trained to communicate and support communication in the best ways for each person, including understanding non-verbal communication, so that everyone has the best chance to have their voice heard. We train people who draw on our support alongside their staff teams to self-advocate and co-produce (work together) ensuring people are empowered to have a voice and are listened to locally and nationally.

We keep on learning

Learning in MacIntyre truly is life-long and for everyone. We invest in supporting people and staff learning because knowledge is power.

We want equality

For MacIntyre equality is about everyone having opportunities to participate as equals. We know this isn’t always the case for people with learning disabilities and autistic people and so we support people to self-advocate and know their rights and passionate advocate on behalf of or alongside people within and beyond MacIntyre.

Everyone feels safe and in control

Feeling safe and being safe can be really different things and we know that for people to feel safe they need to feel and be in control in as many ways as possible. Often we need to take risks to empower people to have the control they need to feel safe.

We value friends, family and neighbourhoods

Most of us recognise these elements are important for everyone to be living a gloriously ordinary life and yet sometimes the opportunities to make genuine, unpaid friendships or other relationships and to be a contributing member of a local community are denied to people who rely on support to live their lives. We are changing this in MacIntyre. Where people want their families to be a part of their lives we work closely with families as partners and invest in doing this really well and understanding and overcoming barriers.

We are fully committed to supporting the Social Care Future movement.

Our staff inductions

All staff learn about our DNA during MacIntyre’s thorough induction programme which uses face-to-face and online programmes of learning. Further discussions through support and supervision, team meetings, events and further training consolidate the importance of this approach throughout a career at MacIntyre. MacIntyre staff surveys consistently show the recognition that staff feel we live our values.

Great Interactions™

In addition to the DNA, staff are trained in MacIntyre’s Great Interactions™ and this helps us make sure every interaction is a great interaction in line with our values.

The Great Interactions Ten Facilitation skills have formed a foundation to our approach to offer good support. The facilitation skills were created after watching video footage of really great support and analysing what it was that that a good support worker did at a given moment that led to a positive experience for the person they were interacting with.

We know that, whatever contact they have with MacIntyre, the one thing that means more than anything else to the people we support is the way that we interact with them, every day and in all situations. As a result of Great Interactions™, we believe that all our staff can understand what it really means to deliver great support and have the tools to keep on learning and developing their skills.