Paris is a young man who in one of our Supported Living homes specialising in autism in Northampton. Visual communication to support progress and understanding is also a speciality at this home, as is supporting anxiety and managing behaviours, where required.
Thanks to consistent care and support from his Support Team, Paris has transformed from someone who previously struggled with going out and enjoying life, to feeling excited and hopeful about travelling on holiday abroad.
In order to best prepare Paris for outdoor visits, team members have been engaging him in regular visual exercises, and over a period of time, he has learned about positive behaviours – including what is expected of him, and what best behaviours look like. The team have shown Paris how to practise deep breathing techniques if he feels anxious, so he can regulate himself better and feel more in control of his emotions, cultivating a sense of overall confidence.
Consistent contact and communication with team members has enabled Paris to build strong relationships with them, giving him a deeper sense of trust and safety. Regular, engaging activities have been scheduled into Paris’ daily planner giving him a sense of routine, stability and confidence.
As a result of this continuous support, Paris was able to build his confidence over time to the point where he could take his first steps into community outings, for example, going to the cinema, swimming and trampolining. Following his initial community visits, he gradually built up making day trips further away from home, with a trip to Milton Keynes, where he enjoyed doing some shopping, and is planning on ice-skating sessions for his next visit.
Team members regularly support Paris with learning about money, eg. playing Monopoly and games such as how to go shopping – encouraging as much involvement as possible and asking Paris to share his thoughts and opinions.
Encouragement towards greater independence is key at Alderwood. Paris has now ventured further afield and completed an overnight stay at Heacham beach, where he enjoyed spending time along the seafront and visiting the arcades. He felt so proud of having achieved a trip away and wants to go again! Paris has expressed that his next ambition is to go on holiday abroad and is now building up to travelling over a longer period of time. Paris is also being supported by his team to consider looking for employment – an initiative actively encouraged at Alderwood.
Alex, Registered Manager at the home, says, “I‘m most inspired by seeing the difference our support makes, and the happiness and joy it brings to people we support. We have a lovely environment here. What I’m most looking forward to is seeing people we support develop further, progression for staff, and creating communal areas in the home to make this more homely, with exciting, new activities.”
