PossAbilities had an idea for a digital activities library to support carers and empower adults with learning disabilities to build essential life skills. We helped them to turn this into a scalable, sustainable commercial solution.
- £5,000: Innovation Grant funding
- 5: Joined-up business support provided from our five services
- 82: FTE Jobs created by the organisation
From ideas to impact
The challenge was clear. Research shows that supporting adults with learning disabilities to engage in meaningful and enjoyable activities that build life skills can significantly improve their quality of life [1]. But making this happen can be difficult for carer-givers.
“The problem is time, training, and tools,” explains Michael. “Carers often don’t have the hours in the day, or the resources they need. Adults with learning disabilities tell us they want to do interesting things as well as the more everyday activities like going to the shops, etc.
We want to inspire people and their staff teams to get the most out of everyday living tasks and break down the more aspirational areas of life such as getting a job, joining in with community life, visiting new places and meeting new people.”
Determined to break the cycle, PossAbilities set out to create a solution. The result was the Life Skills Framework – a toolkit designed to enrich the lives of both service users and carers. At its core are 48 essential life skills, covering everything from understanding money and forming relationships to self-care and creativity. Each skill is illustrated with visually engaging posters and cards, making it easier for adults and their carers to identify areas of interest and incorporate them into personalised support plans.
Alongside the framework, PossAbilities developed 'YourGo', a digital activities library with videos – produced by a film crew made up of adults with learning disabilities working both in front of and behind the camera – and step-by-step guides that carers can access anytime, anywhere. The activities are designed to be adaptable, require no special equipment, and seamlessly align with the framework, making it easy for carers to choose the best activities for the adults they’re supporting.
I don’t know of another toolkit that’s so easy to use for both carers and service users, or one that connects skills to activities in such a practical way. We see great potential for this approach to be helpful for providers and adults with learning disabilities across the country.
Michael O’Keeffe, Special Advisor, PossAbilities
Scaling innovation
To bring their vision to life and prepare the framework for commercial success, PossAbilities turned to GM Business Growth Hub’s Innovation service.
“A project like this is exactly why our Innovation team exists,” says Steph Stafford, Innovation Delivery Manager at GM Business Growth Hub. “PossAbilities had a brilliant idea, but they needed our help to take it from concept to commercialisation. We provided strategic consultancy, connected them with the right research expertise, and helped them access funding to de-risk the project.”
With support from the Innovation team, PossAbilities developed a detailed project brief and was able to leverage the Hub’s extensive network of partners. They were introduced to Chris Hatton, Professor of Social Care at Manchester Metropolitan University, a leading expert in learning disability studies, who is now chairing the YourGo advisory group made up of carers, families, commissioners and adults with learning disabilities.” The collaboration was made possible by a £4,992 Innovation Grant from GM Business Growth Hub, which covered 50% of the collaboration costs.
The toolkit will be trialled at nine locations by February 2025 before being expanded to all PossAbilities sites and external providers. A full commercial launch is set for the second half of 2025. “Our goal is to support thousands of adults to improve their life skills and live the lives they choose,” says Michael. “And for providers across the industry, it’s about creating efficiency savings by offering a ready-made solution that can replace the need to create or adapt their own activities.”
Since starting its journey with GM Business Growth Hub in 2023, the organisation has received wide-ranging support from all five of our services to help it adapt to ever-changing challenges and opportunities. During this period, PossAbilities has created 82 jobs as it continues to expand its support of vulnerable people.
Looking to innovate in your business? GM Business Growth Hub can help. Contact our team today to see how we can take your ideas to the next level. Call us on 0161 359 3050 or email bgh@growthco.uk.
Joined-up support for Greater Manchester SMEs
PossAbilities is proof of what happens when ambition meets the right support. By tapping into Greater Manchester’s Innovation ecosystem, they’ve developed a scalable solution that’s set to transform lives.
The support we provide is tailored to each business’s specific set of circumstances. It’s a personalised approach that allows us to deliver targeted, actionable solutions to improve performance, workforce and sustainability. PossAbilities is benefiting from all five of our services:
- Funding: With no fees, no commission, no introduction costs and no catches
- Innovation: To overcome challenges, think differently, and find a clear pathway to new commercial opportunities
- People: Leadership and management, workforce development, and Mentoring support
- Sales: Support with enhancing and executing its go-to-market strategy
- Sustainability: Expert advice to reduce carbon and save money
This support is available at no fee to eligible businesses, thanks to part-funding by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
PossAbilities developed YourGo thanks to support from GMCA’s Foundational Economy Innovation Fund
PossAbilities supports the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter
Notes:
[1] ‘What activities individuals with intellectual disabilities do for fun: exploration into self-care’, National Library of Medicine (United States) website, accessed 6/12/2024 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9543174/
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