Skip to main content
Menu
Institute Community Reporter
User account menu
About Us
Log in
Facebook
Twitter
Youtube
Main navigation
Home
Explore
Reporters
Report transcript in: ADASS East - Jo shares her experiences as a Carer
Please Report the Errrors?
So my son, um, is 22
3 months ago he moved into his own flat, which
I had to obtain deputy ship in order to sign
the tenancy for him because he's not deemed to have
capacity to do that. I have
finance and
property, Deputy
that took
about 15 months
to get because of covid
court protection was pretty overwhelmed, I think at the time,
Um, but we got the tenancy, and
this is after I've requested from social care
full time support for my son. And,
um, because his behaviours were getting very difficult to manage
in the family home alone.
Um,
so I would say,
two years ago I was
He was probably only getting about 22 hours of support two years ago,
and then that went up to about 50 hours a week of support
when I kind of stamped my foot and said, this is really difficult.
Um,
and
that was when he had
been excluded from college because of behaviours there.
Uh,
so that was a really, really difficult time.
So we got the extra support and we had staff coming in
50 hours a week. So I was doing the other 118
on my own. Um, my son,
his sleep pattern is now much better at that time.
It was he was up until two in the morning,
Um, and then waking up again at about 67 o'clock. So it was just really hard work.
Um,
he has autism, learning disabilities, epilepsy and
very limited. Um, verbal communication.
So there was a lot of frustration for him around
the whole scenario of not wanting to go to college anymore.
That was where the behaviour started. So
anyway, we got the support.
We got the 50 hours, and then I said, Look,
this still isn't working because there's no night time support.
I'm still exhausted.
Um,
that support was only 1 to 1, and I said, I think what we need is 24 72 to 1
waiting nights,
and I'm happy for that to happen in our family homes.
And I will start looking for accommodation for him,
which again took a very long time.
But it all came together three months ago.
So the tendency, um,
for a, um
it's called a coach house, which is like
the ground floor is the garage and the front
door and then upstairs is a two bedroom flat.
And so basically, we had lived with his
2 to 1 24 7 support team
provided by an agency,
um, which involved
between
I'd say 11 and 13 staff.
So basically, it took
13 staff to replace what I'd been doing
for quite a quite a long time.
Um, dealing with
is difficult and sometimes challenging behaviours and
lack of sleep and all of that.
Um,
so we did the move very gradually, as I say,
the staff had lived with us in our family home for a year.
And when we moved Chris
to his new home, we did it really gradually. So
it took about a month to get everything.
So you fly with us.
But it's now working really well,
and he's even had covid
quite recently. Um, I think he, um it was a week ago. He came out of isolation.
Two members of staff who were with him when he tested positive,
then stayed with him for the 10 days of isolation.
So they isolated with him,
and he had that consistent support, which was amazing. So this particular agency,
they are doing really well, and there's still a lot of staff.
But, um, my son's coping with it, and I have a completely new LE
of life. I'm now training for a new career,
and
I'm just keeping my fingers crossed, but it all carries on going really well.
Up-big
Home
Explore
Reporters
About Us
Log in
Facebook
Twitter
Youtube