Getting to know you

No two people are the same, and we all want different things in life. That’s why our staff prioritise getting to know a person when we begin offering them support, and why ‘starting with the individual’ is one of our four values. We can’t give people the support they deserve without understanding what’s important to them, and how they want to be treated. Below is a story about a person called Sebastian. It shows how committed our staff are to getting to know the individuals we support, and the positive impact that can be achieved as a result.

In the summer of 2021, Sebastian moved into Mayo House, one of our residential homes. He had lived with his parents for the first 24 years of his life. With his behaviour becoming increasingly challenging, social workers arranged for him to live at Mayo House whilst they looked for suitable long-term accommodation.

Sebastian has learning disabilities and autism. Living away from his parents’ house, the only home he had ever known, was initially very difficult for him. He couldn’t understand his new situation. He felt stressed when staff members provided him with meals or offered him medication, and at times he would act aggressively towards them.

Day by day, our staff got to know Sebastian better and learnt how he likes to be supported. Certain materials act as triggers for him and this led him to damage some of the fixtures and furniture in his flat. Staff have completely refurbished Sebastian’s flat so that now there is nothing in it that causes him distress.

Staff also learnt to communicate much better with Sebastian. Sometimes he will use physical gestures to express himself, such as touching his chin to say ‘thank you’ and waving ‘goodbye’ when he would like to be on his own. When staff enter Sebastian’s flat and clearly communicate to him what task they intend to carry out, he will now happily accept this.

With time, Sebastian has settled into life at Mayo House. Staff have discovered more of his kind and cheerful personality, and it has become much less common for him to act aggressively towards them. He has been helped greatly in adjusting to his changed circumstances by the support of his loving family.

Not long after he moved into Mayo House, staff began to plan interesting outdoor activities for Sebastian. They get great pleasure from seeing a big smile on his face as he explores nature on a beach or in a forest.

A month after he had moved in, Sebastian’s social workers came to visit Sebastian at Mayo House. They found him sitting on his bed smiling, completely relaxed as he watched television. They were astonished at how much progress he had made in such a short time. Seeing the positive relationships that have developed between our staff and Sebastian made them rethink their plan to find alternative accommodation for him. Instead, Mayo House will be his permanent home.

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