Fiona*, who has a diagnosis of a learning disability, previously resided at her family home in a rural setting. She came to live at Apple Mews after her mother, who was her main carer, unfortunately suffered a stroke and could no longer provide care.
Supporting a successful transition
Previously, Fiona was known to exhibit behaviours of concern, which could include incidents of self-injury, and injury to others. In the period before Fiona came to Apple Mews, she spent most of her time in respite and day care services, where her behaviours were considered high-risk. This meant that she was kept away from her peers, and had minimal access to the community.
The management team at Apple Mews worked closely with the service’s positive behaviour support (PBS) practitioner, to undertake a comprehensive assessment process. This enabled the team to develop a strong understanding of Fiona’s needs, so they could ensure compatibility with other residents, and put interventions and adaptations in place to build the right environment. Given the complexity of Fiona’s needs, and the fact that she had never lived in a communal environment before, it was decided that a structured transition period was in her best interests.
Priory developed a bespoke transition plan for Fiona, working collaboratively with Fiona’s family, the staff teams at her day care and respite services, and a multidisciplinary team (MDT) to facilitate visits, build relationships, and co-produce holistic care plans for Fiona, during this process. Ahead of the move, it was arranged for Fiona to continue going to her day care service, to provide stability for her during this period of significant change.
Achieving positive outcomes
Fiona successfully transitioned into Apple Mews, with a package of support that included one-to-one additional support, 18 hours per day, and with day care continuing on weekdays. Initially, Fiona found the change to a new environment difficult to cope with, and this would lead to incidents. However, within a matter of time, her care team were able to build up trust, and support her to integrate into her new home.