Our history began with advocacy.

A Supported Life began its journey in 1996. When a group of adults with learning disabilities found themselves without a home when their then service provider ceased operation, Stuart Spackman worked together with families to start a new trust. The Kotuku Trust, which is the governing entity for A Supported Life, was incorporated in February 1995. Our founder, Stuart Spackman, served as the General Manager until his retirement in 2022 and now continues to be with us as an active Board Member.

We started supporting seven people living in two adjacent homes. The houses originally followed a traditional residential support service model with 24/7 support including sleepovers. However, the people we support advocated for more flexible support options that embed more autonomy and person-directed approach. Their words were ‘we don’t want staff sitting on our shoulders all the time’

In response, in 1998, we developed ‘supported living’ offering options for people to live on their own or in shared houses and flats with tailored support and without a team member sleeping over. Since then we have grown to support 60 people across 23 homes. Nine of these homes continue to offer 24/7 style support including sleepovers.

From inception ASL built links with the local tertiary educational institute Unitec, with many of the people we support attending and graduating from their Foundation Skills program. Additional to this was the accessing of support services from the work brokerage service Polyemp. Connecting with Polyemp and other work brokerage agencies has meant currently just under half of the people we support are in full and part-time open employment in a wide range of vocations.

From 1996 until 2002, A Supported Life ran its own day service to provide education and community inclusion activities for those not in other education and employment options. In 2002 ASL formed a partnership with another local provider organisation to create F.E.A.T. (Further Education and Training) which offered a wider range of programs with a highly effective arts based program. This saw participants win national awards for artistic endeavours and initiate the highly regarded ASDAN educational modules. By 2007 ASL was ready to develop a new innovative community inclusion service and F.E.A.T. transformed into Way Out West – Community Inclusion Support with an enhanced focus on community interdependence, volunteering and self-advocacy.  In 2013 with a change in location the new creative and life skills space, two4nine, was opened.

Advocacy remains the heart of A Supported Life. Each person receives tailored support to match their needs adn aspirations at various stages of life. We understand that life comes with its ups and downs. Having the flexibility to receive more or less support as things change plays a big part in shaping a life you want to lead.

From seven people, three staff and two houses in 1996, A Supported Life now supports 60 people across 23 homes and has 70 full, part time and casual staff who are highly skilled - some of whom are university graduates with expertise in psychology, teaching, behaviour support, counselling and staff training.