70 years of trailblazing support for disabled people

Written by Steve Kiekopf on 23 April 2025

Over the last 70 years, Sense has grown from a small group of families supporting each other, to a national charity reaching over 30,000 people a year. We’ve evolved from an organisation focusing on deafblind children, to one that fights to ensure disabled people of all ages are connected and included.

Steve has dedicated over four decades of his life to Sense. He started as a holiday volunteer in 1982 before joining our social care team. Over the last 43 years, Steve has seen Sense reach many milestones, including growing our services throughout the West Midlands. He’s also played a crucial role in our pioneering approach to safeguarding.

Here we hear from Steve about championing person-centred care.

“Sense has always been forward-thinking. When Manor House, our first residential service, opened in the 1980’s, we encouraged the people we supported to learn new independent living skills like cooking – it was quite trailblazing back then.

Our approach has never been to restrict the people we support. – Steve Kiekopf – Head of corporate assurance and safeguarding

“We’ve never restricted the people we support. We’ve also always believed in empowering disabled people to take risks and try new experiences safely. That’s a core part of what makes our services and care so unique. It’s an ethos we firmly believe in to this day. I once took a group caving in Wales, and when one young person felt nervous, I went first, signing with them the whole way to keep them calm.

 “Person-centred care has been central to Sense since the very beginning. We used to use personal symbols and objects of reference, which has evolved into a key part of our work. Total communication has always been a focus for us.

“Throughout my time here, there has always been new opportunities and challenges. We’ve always been encouraged to find new ways of supporting the people in our services and to get them involved.”

At Sense, we celebrate what people can achieve – whether that’s making a cup of tea independently or reaching new heights on a rock-climbing wall. This ethos has been part of us since Sense was founded 70 years ago by families who proved that, with the right support, their children could thrive. We’re proud to continue that legacy in everything we do.