Life Skills Training House
Life skills for independence. Confidence for Carers
Welcome to Vigilant Care’s Independent Living Training House – a real-world environment where people with learning disabilities can grow, gain confidence, and build the skills they need to live more independently
Life Skills Training House
Life skills for independence, Confidence for Carers
Welcome to Vigilant Care’s Independent Living Training House – a real-world environment where people with learning disabilities can grow, gain confidence, and build the skills they need to live more independently
Trusted Care
We prioritise your well-being with compassion, reliability, and a personalised approach. Our commitment to quality ensures peace of mind for every family we serve.
Qualified & Experienced
Our team consists of certified professionals with years of hands-on experience. You can trust us to deliver expert care tailored to your unique needs.
Support Team
Vigilant Care knows what good support looks like, and we don’t cut corners. We take people seriously, we stick with them, and we help them take real steps towards living more independently.
Vigilant Care is a Sheffield-based independent living service designed for adults with mild to moderate learning disabilities and/or mental health needs. Our focus is on real-world learning – building routines, confidence, digital skills, and the ability to manage small risks within a safe, structured environment. At Vigilant Care, we believe people grow when they’re given the chance to try, get things wrong, and learn how to put them right.
Our aim is simple but powerful Life Skills for Independence. Confidence for Families. We know that it takes time, practice, and the right support to be independent. That’s why we’ve created a real-life, practical training environment that bridges the gap between everyday life skills training and independent living. We don’t just teach life skills – we offer a safe space to live them what it’s like to live away from home, gain confidence, and build the routines and skills that will help them move forward.
Our Training House is a supported home environment offering temporary accommodation, respite, and short-stay placements for adults with mild to moderate learning disabilities. This service bridges the gap between weekly day-based learning and fully independent living.
We offer a place to practice life skills, live away from the family home, and work towards managing personal routines and home responsibilities. It’s a safe space to try, learn, and grow.
Purpose
Vigilant Care provides a safe, homely space where adults diagnosed with mild to moderate learning disabilities and mental health needs can learn to live more independently. It’s a place where people can grow in confidence, develop practical life skills, and work towards their own goals.
Our team supports each person with compassion, structure, and encouragement. We take the time to understand what matters to each person, and we involve family and carers in the process. Everything we do is focused on helping people take meaningful steps towards independence.
Who Our Service is For
Qualified Team
Focused Mission
Welcoming Environment
Positive Impact
Our Service
What We Offer
Focused, Flexible Support for Everyday Life
We provide the right support when you need it. Our goal is to help you feel happy, confident, and ready to live more independently.
Support for Mental Health and Life Skills
We help you understand what’s making life difficult, and support you to feel more in control. Together, we build routines and find ways to help you feel better.
Trying New Things Safely
We support you to try new things and make choices, safely. This helps build confidence and everyday decision-making skills.
Life Skills Assessments
We take time to get to know you, what you can do well, where you need support, and what you want to work towards.
Life Skills Training
We help you learn everyday skills like cooking, budgeting, cleaning, using transport, and planning your week at your own pace.
Staying Safe and in Control
We teach you what to do if something goes wrong.
You’ll learn how to stay safe, get help, and feel more confident in difficult situations.
What People Learn
- Managing a Household - cooking meals, budgeting, shopping, laundry, and maintaining a clean, safe home.
- Community participation - using public transport, accessing local services, managing leisure activities, socialising, and connecting confidently online.
- Work and employment access - explore training, work and volunteering opportunities.
- Self-care & wellbeing - managing health needs like dentist appointments and eye tests, communicating, asking for help when needed, and building safe, respectful relationships.
- Problem solving & positive risk taking – how to make informed decisions, take positive risks, and find solutions when things dont go as planned.
- Emergency planning - preparing for unexpected situations with clear guidance and appropriate support to respond effectively.
At Vigilant Care, we give the right support at the right time, in a safe and supportive environment. Everything we do focusses on supporting people to build real-life skills, confidence, and independence. With trained, compassionate staff and clear goals in place, we support each person to grow and move towards an independent life.
- Our service links what some people are already learning in weekly sessions to the real world.
- People build confidence and become more independent.
- Families and carers get peace of mind and much-needed rest.
- Everyone sees progress in a managing real-world situations.
- Each stay is personalised to individual goals and learning needs.
- We work closely with life skills centres, and social care teams to offer a joined-up experience.
Hear from our clients
Our clients love working with us, just read what they have to say!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Families & Carers
Will my loved one be safe?
While no one can guarantee complete safety, we take it extremely seriously. Your loved one is an adult with the right to make their own choices – and with that can come mistakes or unexpected challenges. But our priority is always to help people stay as safe as possible.
Our staff are trained to support people with learning disabilities and mental health needs. We assess risks carefully, create personalised support plans, and work closely with each person to build their ability to manage risks confidently and independently – not just avoid them.
How much involvement can I have?
As much as the person wants and gives permission for. We encourage family/carer involvement, and we’ll keep you informed of progress if they consent. You’re welcome at reviews and planning meetings.
What if they’re not ready to live on their own yet?
We use positive behaviour support and keywork to re-engage, but if someone continues to disengage, we review the placement with professionals involved.
What if their mental health gets worse?
We work in partnership with local mental health services. Our staff are trained in mental health awareness and support planning. We’ll monitor wellbeing closely and escalate to appropriate professionals when needed.
What if they refuse support or stop engaging?
We use positive behaviour support and keywork to re-engage, but if someone continues to disengage, we review the placement with professionals involved.
How do you deal with challenging behaviour or risk?
We use positive behaviour support, trauma-informed approaches, and risk enablement planning. Support plans are personalised, and risk assessments are regularly reviewed.
Will there be overnight staff?
We do not have staff onsite overnight. However, support is available in emergency situations, and we have clear processes in place to manage this safely. As part of our approach, we teach individuals what to do if something goes wrong during the night – helping them build the confidence and skills they’ll need to manage on their own in the real world. This is an important part of preparing for truly independent living.
What’s the goal of this service?
To help your loved one live successfully and confidently on their own. We teach skills, build confidence, and provide a safe environment to practise independent living.
My relative is already in a life skills programme. How is this different?
Life skills programmes are a great foundation -but practising in real life is where the learning sticks. Vigilant Care enables your loved one to:
- Apply those skills in a real home, with support
- Build confidence in everyday routines (cooking, shopping, managing time)
- Learn to make decisions and stay safe without constant supervision
- Prepare for a transition into full independence
Will they still be able to attend day services or college?
Yes, absolutely. We encourage it. We’ll help with travel planning, routines, and managing energy so they can stay engaged with those services while living more independently.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Professionals & Referrers
Who is the service for?
- Adults (18+) with mild to moderate learning disabilities and/or mental health needs
- People ready to develop independent living skills
- Those transitioning from the family home or supported environment
What type of service is it?
It is a non-regulated, enablement-focused supported living service, offering both short- and long-term accommodation.
Do you take people with a history of complex needs or risk?
We do not currently accept people who require high levels of supervision, 1:1 staffing, or personal care.
Do you have move-on pathways in place?
Yes. Our service is transitional and outcome-focused. We support people to secure independent tenancies and liaise with local housing providers, floating support, and community teams.
What are your key outcomes?
- Improved independent living skills
- Increased confidence and resilience
- Successful transition to independent
- Reduced reliance on services
- Measurable progression against personal goals
How does this service complement existing life skills courses or enablement programmes?
We work alongside life skills providers, day services, and life skills training providers to:
- Reinforce skill-building with practical, real-world application
- Offer continuity between daytime learning and evening practice
- Encourage consistency in support approaches
- Provide a structured, supported home setting to trial full independence
