In-house journalists at Lifeways’ Barleycombe service create monthly newsletters!

Since 2021 began, a budding team of people we support at our Barleycombe residential service in Suffolk have been producing newsletters about life at the service.

Each month, Barleycombe’s editorial team write about local affairs, including news on COVID-19 vaccinations, people’s birthdays, fun and games, and more recently, a monthly interview with a Lifeways colleague.

“As manager of Barleycombe I love co-producing these newsletters,” said Angela Dodds, Barleycombe’s Registered Manager.

What is co-production?

The term co-production refers to a way of working at Lifeways. With co-production individuals we support, their families and the Support Team work together on an equal basis to create, evaluate and develop our services - or come to a decision - which works for everyone.

“Producing these newsletters gives the people we support a sense of pride and joy when they become involved or see their good news stories being featured,” Angela added.

“When you see them smile, you know that we are doing our job right. We have lots of exciting interviews lined up for future editions to give the people we support and colleagues a better insight into life at Barleycombe.”

The newsletter is aimed at the people we support, their families, and the Support Team. 

About Barleycombe:

Barleycombe is an 11 bedroom detached house with a kitchen, a large living room, a dining room, a quiet room for arts and crafts or quiet time, a laundry room, and two wet room-style bathrooms and five bathrooms with a toilet and sink. 

At Barleycombe, we support men who live with a range of needs including, autism, learning disabilities, Down’s Syndrome and other complex needs. 

Barleycombe is part of Lifeways.

About Lifeways:

Lifeways is the UK’s largest team of professionals who support adults with diverse and complex needs in the community.

Across England, Scotland and Wales, our supported living and residential services support almost 5,000 who live with learning disabilities, autism, physical disabilities, acquired brain injuries, and mental health conditions.