Positive Futures

24/04/2026

Really great session delivered by Helen Sanderson with the Positive Futures team on person‑centred thinking, planning and practices.

This was a brilliant opportunity to reflect on working collaboratively, consolidating our strengths and values, and keeping people at the centre of everything we do.

Thanks Helen for such a thoughtful, practical session, lots of insights we’ll be carrying forward into our day‑to‑day practice.

23/04/2026

With only 10 days to go until we caught up with our Finance Director Ian Todd on how training is going 🏃‍♂️

⏳Time is running out and we need all the support we can get to hit our target of £3000 that will be put towards an exciting new programme of training and empowerment workshops for the people we support!

If you can, please click the link in our bio or stories to donate 💙.

22/04/2026

Happy Earth Day🌍

Today, we’re celebrating the impact of the "Caring for Our World" programme, co-designed with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful to support people with a learning disability to take action against climate change.

Together, we’ve achieved:
🌱 45 staff trained in Carbon Literacy, with a further 45 already booked
🎓 17 people certified
🤝 14 sector organisations and 3 special schools engaged in training
🌍 3 additional organisations now delivering the programme in their own settings

This programme is all about making climate education accessible and empowering people with a learning disability to take real, everyday action using accessible resources such as bingo, encouraging them to get outside and engage with nature.

All made possible by Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs who have funded this initiative via the carrier bag levy.

🔗 Learn more about the programme: https://ow.ly/TwcK50YNrp1

21/04/2026

Transform a life, including yours!

If you want to truly make an impact on somebody’s life like Kathleen’s, we’re recruiting both entry-level and leadership roles across Northern Ireland, for people who want a purposeful career in the health and social care sector.

✅ NISCC Registration paid (where applicable)
✅ Ongoing CPD and development opportunities
✅ 24/7 GP & Wellbeing Support
✅ Competitive benefits package

🔎 Explore current opportunities and apply here: https://ow.ly/3BEh50YNmo6

If you’re compassionate, values‑driven and want to be part of an organisation that puts people first, we’d love to hear from you ✨

20/04/2026

Positive Futures in full bloom🌻

It’s been a busy and inspiring few weeks across our services, with lots of moments that reflect the impact of our support and the dedication of our teams.

Great to see Ethan from our Autism Outreach Service in Derry/Londonderry, achieving a significant personal milestone with a supported visit to Titanic Belfast. With careful planning and dedicated support, Ethan navigated travel, queues and a busy environment, while fully engaging with the exhibitions and interactive displays. He also took the opportunity to practise communication skills with staff during his visit, making it a hugely successful day🏛️.

Meanwhile our Lakeland Supported Living Service in Fermanagh brought colleagues together for an International Food Day, celebrating diversity, inclusion and teamwork with plenty of laughter😊.

In Belfast, Emmett, from our Crescent Supported Living Service tested his bowling skills out🎳, while Brian from our with Sperrin Supported Living Service, Co. Omagh. enjoyed a trip to The Jungle NI and a visit from the Easter Bunny🐰.

A very exciting week for Rodney and Oliver from our Cookstown Supported Living Service having great fun choosing their own cars🚗, each picking a colour that matched their personalities.

Finally, we were delighted to see Cameron settling into his new home 🏡 with support from our Ards Peninsula Supported Living Service and celebrating the milestone with a housewarming party!

These moments, big and small, show what can be achieved through supportive relationships, choice and opportunity. Thank you to all of you who continue to support us and ensuring the people we support live the life they want✨.

18/04/2026

It's nearly 2 weeks to go🏃‍♂️

We've been catching with one of our runners, Sheldon from our finance team, who has always enjoyed running and loves how accessible it is for people of all ages and abilities. Running helps him stay active, manage stress and challenge himself, which is why he’s taking on the Belfast City Marathon.

Early morning training runs aren’t always easy, but once he gets going, they’re incredibly rewarding and often leave him feeling energised.

Sheldon is proud to be running in support of Positive Futures. Every donation, no matter the size, helps create positive opportunities, from summer schemes to fun activities that support connection and confidence.

Together, we’re making a positive difference!

Help us continue to the work we do and support our team along the way:
https://ow.ly/giVi50YFzxB

📸Throwing it back to last year to remind us of what an incredible day it was!

15/04/2026

And that's a wrap!

Our 2026 Easter scheme has come to an end and we are so grateful! Thanks to a generous donation, 19 young people we support at Lakeland Family Support Service in Enniskillen enjoyed some incredible activities that wouldn't otherwise have been possible.

If you'd like to be part of this incredible team, we are recruiting for an exciting Relief Community Support Worker role in Fermanagh!

Find out more: https://seemehired.com/jobs/positive-futures/62784

14/04/2026

Words matter. Lives matter.

For 30 years, Positive Futures has believed that support should fit around people, not the other way around.

In this reflective blog, our Executive Director Paul Roberts explores why the language we use in social care isn’t just descriptive, it actively shapes people’s lives, choices and opportunities.

Person‑centred practice asks something deeper of us. It challenges us to move from “doing for” to “doing with”, to organise support around people’s lives, relationships and aspirations rather than fitting people into what systems already offer.

That belief has shaped Positive Futures since 1995. It’s also why ideas from SocialCareFuture and Gloriously Ordinary Lives resonate so strongly with us: because changing practice requires us first to change the story we tell, about care, about support, and about people.

👉 Read Paul’s full blog: https://ow.ly/bcZ950YIGkH

I sometimes feel as though I’ve spent more than thirty years trying to unpick the meanings of words most people take for granted. “Care.” “Support.” “Service user.” Words that slip off the tongue yet carry assumptions about the people they describe and those doing the describing. My jo...

12/04/2026

Weekly roundup✨...

It’s been another fantastic week for the people we support making the most of the sunny spells both north and south! A big thank you to Kathleen Breen from our Sperrin Supported Living Service who wished everyone a happy Easter. We hope everybody is full of chocolate 😋.

Lovely to see Finola from our Magherafelt Supported Living Service out enjoying a coffee at her favourite café on Good Friday and Andy and Fergal from NAHVI, Donabate, out enjoying a dog walk in the great outdoors at New Bridge Park in Malahide last week. The sunshine really gave us all a spring in our step as Rodney and Oliver from our Magherafelt Supported Living Service enjoyed a trip to feed the swans in Ballyronan.

10/04/2026

Looking for work that truly makes a difference?

This Autism Awareness Month, we’re celebrating 30 years of supporting people to live more independent lives.

🎥 Michael’s story reflects the power of consistent, relationship‑based support. Our team has worked alongside Michael to help him build confidence, independence and thrive; this is the impact our staff create every day!

📍 We’re recruiting Support Workers in Bangor, Co. Down
☑️ NISCC Registration Paid & many more benefits
☑️ CPD opportunities
☑️ 24/7 GP & Wellbeing Support & many more benefits

Find out more: https://ow.ly/beEq50YGWGI

If you’re compassionate, motivated and want a career with real purpose, we’d love to hear from you😊.

08/04/2026

We’re lacing up and getting ready for the Belfast City Marathon 2026 on 3rd May 🏃‍♀️

At Positive Futures, we’re all about celebrating having real choice and control over your life, and this year, our team is taking that energy to the streets of Belfast. This week we caught up with one of our brilliant staff runners, Andrew, about why he’s taken on the challenge👟.

Behind every step is something bigger..

We’re aiming to raise funds to launch an exciting new programme of training and empowerment workshops designed to empower the people we support to:
⭐ Build confidence and back themselves
⭐ Find their voice and be heard
⭐ Step into more opportunities in their communities

We’re a friendly bunch, but our mission is real and relentless, breaking down barriers, exceeding expectations, and enabling the people we support to take real control and carve out the life they want to live, not one that has been dictated by circumstance.

If you can, support the team and help us turn energy into impact 👉 https://ow.ly/giVi50YFzxB

Best of luck to Andrew and his fellow relay team members!

01/04/2026

We’re growing in Bangor✨

It feels special to be expanding our services in Bangor, the place where we opened our very first supported living service 30 years ago.

As our East Coast service continues to grow, we’re evolving too. To make sure we can keep providing the best possible support, and create space to welcome more people, we’re splitting the service into two new supported living services: 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 🏰 and 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 ⛵.

This change will help us stay personal, connected and focused on what matters most, supporting each person to live the life they choose, while also allowing us to grow in a really positive way.

It’s also great news for Bangor, with new job opportunities coming as our team expands.

If you’d like to be part of our journey, take a look at our latest roles:
https://ow.ly/xW5f50YAGty

Special mention to We dump your junk who supported us during our move!