Celebrating Me!
About Me
My Name is Stephen and I am 32 years old.
I have support 24 hours a day. This is to support me with my mental health, to manage my chronic nerve pain due to an operation I had when I was 13 years old. I have a support team to help me with my medication, meals, ensuring I drink enough and day to day living skills.
I am very independent in lots of aspects of my life and sometimes just need my team to guide me. I really enjoy doing mindfulness to help with how I am feeling and also the pain. The people around me are very important to me – my family and my staff team, also Ginger and Hugo and my sister’s cat, Tiger. I enjoy going on days out with my teams.
I like music and film and making my own games and I’ve started making my own superhero.
History
When I was young, I lived at home with Mum and Dad and Sister.
I went to school but I didn’t enjoy school but when I had a one to one at school that made it better.
I became unwell at 13 years old and moved out of my family home when I was 18 years old. I moved into a temporary place until a permanent place in a residential setting was ready.
I lived in a shared supported living setting for four years. In May 2021 I became unwell and went into hospital. This is where I learned I was unable to go back to the shared house I lived in.
With this news, I started working with my social worker to get me my own home. This had been a big dream for me and something that I had always wanted but was never sure if I was going to get. My social worker worked with me, my family and Inclusion Housing to ensure my house was purpose built for me.
When I met SCA Care
I was in hospital, I was well and ready to come home, however at that time I wasn’t sure what the future looked like for me.
I was worried and nervous about meeting people but I was excited too. I had been meeting with my social worker and knew that I had a home and I was going to have my own staff to support me.
I met Stephanie and Serena from SCA Care with my family at the hospital and together they got to know me and we all made a plan to meet my staff team.
Over Christmas 2021 I met my staff team. Stephanie and Serena listened about what I wanted in my team and together we all built this. So by the time I moved into my own home I knew my team and had the confidence that they knew me. Stephanie and I planned my first day well, I had the staff on shift that knew me best and my Mum and Dad were around too, which was very reassuring for me. I was in my own home with my own staff, this really was my dream come true.
Making my House a Home
Inclusion Housing listened to my social worker and family to ensure that my home would be purpose built for me and meet my needs.
When I moved in I was able to choose everything in my home, as well as my family helping me. I bought stickers and wallpaper to personalise it. I now have pictures up and it is really mine. Having my own home is a dream come true. I really enjoy having my team in my home, we have a great laugh and have some great days out.
Achievements
I now feel happy and comfortable to let the staff know how I am feeling, and speak up for myself. Last year I had a review that I wasn’t able to attend as it would have been too much for me, however this year, my review was at my home, with my family and staff. I felt happy to answer all the questions required and confident in being involved. Managing my pain has become easier as I feel able to speak to my staff team and let them know when I am in pain. I try and stay active and I don’t let this beat me.
I have learnt to manage my complex health needs with minimal support, I mostly need support to prompt me and reassure me with this.
Due to my past experiences, accepting new staff is something that is very hard for me to do. However SCA Care have really worked with me to ensure I have the right staff team. Stephanie works with me to ensure that I meet staff first, just for a talk or a coffee to ensure that I’m comfortable before they then start to complete shadow shifts.
I have also started interviewing my own staff. This is something that I wouldn’t have done before. SCA Care allowing me to interview means a lot to me, then after the interview Stephanie and I speak and I can choose the staff that I would like to offer the role to.
I have space in my home to do Arts and Crafts and display art at home, and a computer area which I enjoy. I am currently working on a project for my niece’s birthday.
Recently SCA Care surprised me with a photographer to take some pictures whilst I was at the beach. I really enjoyed this and having my picture taken. This really supported me to be proud of who I am and what I have achieved. This was something I didn’t like in the past. Now I have some beautiful photos for my home and my family. This gave me confidence to be in more photos.
Goals for Moving Forward
I’m looking forward to what my future holds and I am going to be working on the following goals: Healthy eating, Team Go-carting, Big days out, reaching milestones, spending time with family, spending time with staff and Playing jokes on people. Really enjoying my life.
Thank you to Anne (LD Specialist Practitioner), My Team from SCA Care – especially Simon, Stephanie, Ricky and Serena, Inclusion Housing, my family and also the nurses and doctors at the Basingstoke hospital. You have all been an amazing part of my story.
I would really like to update you about my story soon.
Stephen.