What we do

Independent Living means all disabled people having the same freedom, choice, dignity and control as other citizens at home, at work, and in the community. It does not mean living by yourself or fending for yourself. It means rights to practical assistance and support to participate in society and live an ordinary life

Shared definition within the Independent Living Movement.

The main aims of the Lothian Centre for Inclusive Living are:

• Provide a range of services to support Independent Living, developed and managed by and for disabled people.
• Support the right for disabled people to live independently and take control of their own lives.
• Provide the opportunity for disabled people to further their own personal and professional development, including through peer support.
• Challenge the attitudes, and the physical and social barriers that create disability

What we do

• LCiL can help you with all aspects of Self-Directed Support (SDS) 
• LCiL provides payroll and financial management support to people who use a direct payment
• In Edinburgh only, LCiL provides advice and information about anything which relates to disabled people, people with long-term conditions and older people
• LCiL provides capacity building, workshops, and training opportunities through information sessions and peer support.

LCiL provides a quarterly newsletter with information on current news and events.  If you are interested in receiving this, please get in touch via the contact details to arrange delivery.

How do we make a difference?

• The Grapevine Service is an independent, up-to-date, disability information and advice service. In 2019-2020, we responded to 2,742 enquiries.
• The Welfare Matters Project extends our welfare support to include PIP appeals. In 2019-2020, we responded to 289 enquiries, supporting 68 individuals.
• The Grapevine Home Visiting Service, in partnership with NHS Lothian, helped 62 patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) to access disability and rights information in 2019-20.
• The Independent Living Service (ILS) provides information and one-to-one support to help disabled people to recruit and employ Personal Assistants. In 2019-2020, the team worked with 716 people, enabling them to live a full and independent life in the community.
• Payroll and Financial Management Services provide wages processing/ administration for disabled people who employ Personal Assistants, reducing stress and increasing confidence around being an employer. In 2019-2020, the services helped 666 people.
• The self-directed Support Project offers learning, capacity building and peer support workshops. In 2019-2020, 161 people attended our workshops/groups. Increasing people’s confidence, skills and knowledge to assert their rights and live independently, reducing isolation and loneliness.
• The Champions programme provides training and support to volunteers with lived experience of disability to share their experiences and ‘tell it like it is’ to peers, professionals and policymakers to inspire and educate on the benefits of independent living. 19 champions have attended over 100 external events since 2013.