Press Release

Bob Tindall of United Response to ensure ASL members lobby Government with a unified voice

19 November 2007

Bob Tindall – managing director of learning disability and mental health charity United Response - has been elected as the new chair of the Association for Supported Living (ASL). He takes over from Stuart Rigg, chief executive of Advance.

“It’s essential we maintain momentum in delivering an improved quality of supported living for people who choose it as part of their preferred lifestyle,” said Bob. “There are a lot of challenges ahead, with many new policies being introduced and implemented under Gordon Brown, so all our members have to work together to make sure the Government hears our hopes and concerns clearly from the beginning. If we do that, then we’ll make supported living not just better but easier to access, something of vital importance to the 14,000 people with learning disabilities supported by our members.”

The ASL’s membership consists of support and housing providers in England who provide supported living for people with learning disabilities. Its objectives are to provide a central source of support, information and knowledge for all its members and to lead on the development of best practice. It also advocates for supported living as an accessible lifestyle option for people, irrespective of how much support they need to live their daily lives. It aims to influence the development of national policy through dialogue with government and its agents for change.

The ASL is a member of the Department of Health’s Learning Disability Task Force and the joint Healthcare Commission/ Commission for Social Care Inspection’s Learning Disability Improvement Board. It holds an annual conference and other member consultative events.