Music, soaps, football, good hearty food, organisation, and routine are top of the list when it comes to what is important to David and this is something his support team know well.
Locality Manager, Sandra Lord says her team really understand David and know what he enjoys doing. While he likes to have his days structured in a specific way, the team makes sure he feels safe and relaxed and can exercise control and choice in his daily life. Sandra says:
“David loves a bit of banter. He’s a really playful kind of guy. He likes listening to conversations about what you’ve been up to, especially if it involves any funny moments. He uses echolalia (repetition of words spoken by another person), and this brings him a great amount of enjoyment.”
David’s support worker Jackie Hancock says that he is supported with tasks around the home and likes a clean and tidy environment and gets involved with sorting and taking out the recycling. In the summer he enjoys eating his lunch in the garden. David loves tasty food and while he may not necessarily get involved with the meal preparation, he will ask lots of questions while his team is cooking. David’s team encourages him to be as independent as possible. With prompting and some support, he can wash his hair, choose his own clothes, and get dressed by himself (albeit he often opts for fewer clothes within his own walls).
The team who support David always have his best interests at heart and are committed to ensuring his quality of life is enhanced. It’s through the team’s tenacity and resilience that David has been to have several procedures that in the past have been difficult for him, including blood test and scans, which has led to the discovery of some underlying health issues that they wouldn’t have otherwise known about or be able to treat.
Assistant Locality Manager, Denise May says that David likes to keep in touch with his family and will see his mum once a month and she will call every Sunday something his support team very much encourage. Denise also says how present David’s nephews and sister are saying,
“you can never have too much help from family members, we want them to be as involved with David as they can and really value this connection and their thoughts and opinions.”
David used to go out and about in the warmer months, taking a team member’s dog for a walk, going to the shops, and enjoying fish and chips in Western Super Mare, but in the last 18 months, he hasn’t wanted to leave his home. This is something that is support team is keen to change and has enlisted specialist help to try and understand why this may be and how they can support him. The team hope that with a gentle, patient, and supportive approach, in time David will be able to go back out and enjoy all those things he once did. They are definitely moving in the right direction though as David this week wanted to accompany one of his support team when he was going out to collect his medicines. He managed to get out and to the top of the road before he was ready to return. Sandra says:
“This is monumental because he hasn’t wanted to leave his home for such a long time. These are the crucial small steps. With David, it is a confidence issue. When we say to him, shall we go out tomorrow, he’ll say no thank you and you can see it worries him because he hasn’t done it for so long. This is why we are working with the complex support team to try and help him manage these anxieties as well as undertaking sensory assessments.”
Denise adds:
“David used to love to go to the pantomime, enjoy a coffee and cake at the garden centre, and loved to spend time watching the boats sail past and it would be great to get him to do more of the things he used to love so much.”
David is urgently looking for a new support worker who is patient kind and fun-loving. If you or someone you know is interested please get in touch.
Email resourcing@dimensions-uk.org or call 0300 303 9150
We asked Denise what she enjoys most about her role at Dimensions:
“The true person-centred approach is what has kept me at Dimensions for the last ten years. Putting the people we support and the very centre of what we do, giving them choice and control, and engaging them in all aspects of their life is just so important.”
Sandra adds:
“The role of a support worker is varied; no two days are the same. It’s a role where you have an opportunity to make a significant difference to a person’s life which is rewarding beyond measure. Dimensions is a supportive organisation and provide all training and shadowing opportunities to ensure successful outcomes for the people we support. You’re part of a wider team within a locality and there’s lots of support for colleagues within the organisation.”
So, if you’re ready to take that step into an exciting new career why not give us a call today – you could make such a difference to David’s life and help him enjoy the life he deserves.
