Paul* has learning disabilities, autism and complex needs and has lived in various residential homes and hospitals from a young age. Paul* has been with Voyage Care for 15 years, including 10 years in a shared supported living home in Wales where he received 24-hour support. 

Five years ago we helped him move into an independent bungalow in the city following a neck and spinal operation. He needed to move as his needs changed significantly post operation, and his shared supported living home became a high risk.

Paul’s* support team worked closely with him, his family and the community team to make the move as smooth as possible. The same team continued to support him in his new home to ease his transition. 

Following Paul’s* move, he required the support of two members of staff, as his operation left him with limited mobility and affected his personal care routine.

With the care and support of our team, within a year Paul* was able to walk with the aid of a zimmer frame. We successfully reduced his support to a one-to-one basis, bringing significant savings to his local authority in Wales. Over time, we also worked with Paul* to remove the need for a second overnight support staff member.

We used TEACCH, a form of communication system, to help Paul* improve his ability to express himself positively. TEACCH allows Paul* to know what activities he has on a day-to-day basis, which leads to considerably reduced negative behaviours. 

Paul* now enjoys getting involved in a range of activities and loves going on days out with his support team. He is very happy in his new home and continues to increase his independence.

This person has chosen to remain anonymous, therefore we have changed some information to protect their confidentiality.

Find out more about our community support and supported living here.

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• autism
• autistic
• learning disability
• supported living