When we started the “Creating an Ordinary Life” pilot there were some very mixed feelings. The people we supported were not in a good place at that time due to long term staff leaving and new staff being recruited. This resulted in a lot of changes taking place which impacted on the three men in the service whom did not respond to change very well.
This meant that there were a lot of behaviours that could be described as challenging occurring. There were also communication barriers as two gentleman used Makaton as a form of communication and two gentlemen had no verbal communication. The mixture of poor communication and adapting to change resulted in some high intensity behaviours. Joe would go for the last resort to get his needs understood dragging people, pushing punching and grabbing.
We realised that a lot had to change. Joe needed to be heard and understood and the staff needed to listen and understand. We had to work closely with SALT and BAIT teams to ensure that we were putting the right systems and strategies in place. This took quiet a long time and the work with SALT is still ongoing.
Since ensuring that we had the right systems in place we could see the changes in Joe. The behaviours decreased as communication skills improved and Joe and his support staff began to understand each other and communicate effectively.
Joe’s confidence has also improved and has begun to involve himself more around the house and actively taking part in tasks with very little prompts.
Joe has been enabled to participate in a wider range of activities within his community.
Overall active support has really benefited Joe in all aspects of his life. He is now a confident young man with a cheeky personality and a pleasure to support.
Angie Pollin
Team Manager
Edward Lloyd Trust