At SCS Lancashire, the ladies we support recently enjoyed a creative and uplifting evening centred around setting their own personal independence goals. What began as a simple activity quickly became an experience filled with conversation, encouragement and shared pride as everyone explored what independence means to them in their daily lives.
The idea for the session originated from a “hand goal” concept that Team Leader Donna adapted specifically for the people we support. As Donna explained, “The hand goal image was inspired by one of my partner’s resources used with his health and social sciences students, and I adapted it to better suit the needs of the people we support.”
Donna further developed the concept to ensure it was engaging, accessible, and meaningful, reshaping it so the group could easily understand, participate, and reflect in a way that felt personal and empowering.
Earlier in the day, Donna introduced the activity by showing the ladies a few examples online to help spark ideas. The response was immediate. “The ladies were very excited to take part in a group activity,” Donna shared. “They enjoyed sharing ideas with each other before we’d even begun.”
To ensure the experience felt empowering rather than overwhelming, each person chose one independence‑focused goal to work towards. These goals were small and achievable, yet meaningful—ranging from making their own lunch to cleaning their glasses daily, wiping their phone screens or remembering to use their teeth‑cleaning timer. Donna explained, “The displayed goals act as a reminder of what the people we support are working towards and help remind staff to ‘do with and not for’.”
The creative process brought a sense of enjoyment and focus to the evening. The ladies selected their favourite coloured card and used materials from their art drawers to design their posters. Tracing around their hands quickly became a highlight, with one person bursting into giggles as the pen tickled her fingers. The atmosphere was positive and supportive, with everyone sharing ideas, encouraging one another and taking real pride in what they had created.
Throughout the activity, staff offered gentle support to help identify goals that were realistic within a short period of time. This helped create early successes, boosting motivation and confidence. Donna reflected, “We wanted to create a safe and supportive environment where they could feel capable and motivated.”
By the end of the evening, the ladies were eager to show staff their finished posters and talk about why their chosen goals mattered to them. “They couldn’t wait to share their posters and explain why their goals were important to them,” Donna said.
These hand‑goal posters will now be revisited throughout the year during keyworker reviews, allowing each person to build on their goals at a pace that suits them. The activity has already sparked motivation and pride within the service, reflecting SCS Lancashire’s commitment to helping people set meaningful goals, celebrate achievements and develop their independence in ways that feel personal, empowering and achievable.
A huge well done to Donna and the whole SCS Lancashire team for creating such a meaningful and uplifting experience. Your creativity, care and teamwork have made a real difference and set such a positive tone for the year ahead.
