Background

John first joined one of our residential services in 2007, having previously lived with a Link family.

Initially, he lived in a residential home with several other adults. He then moved into one of our smaller supported living homes and then into bespoke individual flats, which we developed with the help of local housing providers. This was an achievement for John, who had been wanting to live in his own flat for a while.

John is autistic and struggles with traditional communication. He cannot read or write but uses pictures as a way of understanding day to day situations. He also needs to be around noise and enjoys having music and TV in his own flat. Structure is very important to John as it helps reduce his anxiety. 

How we supported him

Our staff understand John's requirements and provide him with strategies that enable him to take control of his daily life.

At first, John was reluctant to take part in community activities due to his anxiety around people, and he would only go out for the occasional cup of coffee. Since then, he has started going out on his own and likes going to the pub for a drink. John used to work at Cafe Autisan, a National Autistic Society enterprise. He now volunteers at the Cancer Research Shop, working on the till, arranging stock and writing labels.

To help increase his independence, John is learning budgeting skills. He uses a pictorial menu of food staples and meals which enable him to plan his week's meals and shop for them on his own.

A particular interest of John's is health and safety, which he has become something of an expert in! He has taken control of fire alarm testing in the flats and likes to ensure everything is clean and tidy. He also recently tried out horse riding, which he really enjoyed, and is now interested in working/volunteering with animals.

John said:

"I love supported living because it is helping me to become more independent and I am now living in my own flat."

Outcome

Since living in his own flat, our staff have seen a notable improvement in John's overall confidence and behavioural skills. Having mentioned that he would like to have a girlfriend and learning more about relationships with our support, John recently shared that he now has a girlfriend, and this is going well.

With the right support in place, John is continuing to take control over his life, his flat and his future.