Off on holiday
Mark's story
It was so nice to see him truly happy and in his element, enjoying a number of his favourite things.
Mark lives at one of our residential services for people with learning disabilities. In October he went on holiday for the first time in over a year. He was so excited about the trip that he started packing months before.
Staff who have worked with Mark for a long time and are familiar with his likes and dislikes came up with some options for what he could do on his holiday. They then talked through these options with Mark to help him to decide on a plan.
Mark decided to stay in Cheddar. He has been there before and being in familiar surroundings helps him to feel confident. Despite a bed being readily available for Mark at the resort, he was determined to sleep in his tent, so the staff supporting him set this up in the living room. He had his best night’s sleep for a long time.
One highlight of the holiday was a day trip to Weston-super-Mare. Mark loves to socialise, so he chose to go to Weston-super-Mare knowing he would have lots of opportunities to meet new people. He really enjoyed talking to all the café owners and shop workers that he encountered. No trip to the seaside would be complete without fish and chips, and Mark enjoyed eating a big portion on the seafront.
Transport has been a challenge for staff on previous holidays with Mark. He can sometimes get particular about cars, their colours and the people he travels with. This can cause Mark to become unsettled, which can result in unsafe travel. Thankfully, a large orange mini-bus that Mark’s home has recently been using was available for the trip. Mark is very fond of the mini-bus and he loved travelling in the front of it whilst on holiday.
Elliott, a staff member who accompanied Mark on his holiday, was delighted to have helped to make the trip a memorable one for Mark. He said: “Mark really liked the camaraderie of going away on a trip with support workers he knows very well. It was so nice to see him truly happy and in his element, enjoying a number of his favourite things.”
Join our mailing list
Work for us
Our support for people with learning disabilities