Oliver* is a young adult with autism, who had a very difficult childhood. He moved to Sapphire House from a secure hospital, where he was placed after his foster placement broke down.
Oliver's background
He had a very difficult start in life when he lost his mother to suicide and was placed in the care system with his brother at an early age. Oliver lived with a foster family for seven years, but when this placement broke down, he was placed in a secure hospital at the age of 16.
While at hospital, he was involved in a series of challenging behaviour incidents including absconding, scaling the building and withdrawing from treatment. He moved to Sapphire House as an emergency placement, after assaulting a member of staff at the hospital.
How Sapphire House helped Oliver
When Oliver joined Sapphire House, he was struggling emotionally, lacked self-confidence and had limited communication and daily living skills. He had a criminal record and a long history of getting himself into trouble. Oliver had a difficult relationship with his birth family and no support network, and he did not believe that anyone could support him to improve his life.
The multidisciplinary staff team at Sapphire House built a strong rapport with Oliver, which provided the foundation for their tailored care and support going forward. They focused on supporting him in a person-centred way, encouraging him to develop as an individual and to build the confidence and skills he needed for a brighter future.
Achieving positive outcomes
Oliver lived at Sapphire House for three years and did not have a single challenging behaviour episode towards staff or peers during this time. He was supported to manage his feelings, including the anger he felt, and to communicate with staff when he was struggling. He never absconded from our home and worked with staff to build up to accessing the community independently, starting at the local corner shop and then progressing to trips into town alone.
Oliver has grown from a worried and unhappy teenager into an independent young man, who can manage his emotions. He has been supported to build the skills he needs for independent living, including cooking, cleaning and DIY. When he moved to Sapphire House, he relied on staff to look after his money, but now Oliver has been able to open his own bank account and to manage his finances independently.
Following a successful time at Sapphire House, Oliver has moved to a supported living flat. He has achieved his dream of living in Brighton, where his brother is also based. Staff supported him with this transition and are providing support with areas such as shopping, finance and accessing the community, which will gradually reduce as he further builds his confidence and skills.
Oliver spent his time at Sapphire House working with staff to build up to this move and to his new beginning. He has always wanted a life to be proud of and is excited about the future ahead.