Danny has always wanted to get the most out of life. Meeting him now, you can see this clearly. Behind his warm smile is a determined, ambitious attitude that says he’s always open to new experiences and opportunities.

But it hasn’t been an easy journey for Danny. When he first moved into SeeAbility’s Fiennes House, he’d been struggling through a difficult period with his mental health. Over the previous 10 months, he’d had five placements break down, as support teams struggled to understand or engage with his frustrations. One placement asked him to leave after just 24 hours. 

A new start

Initially, Danny carried frustrations over to Fiennes House. Understandably, he had become disillusioned and his guard was up. At previous homes he couldn’t get the ambitious support he craved, so initially at Fiennes House he’d use threats to try to get what he wanted. 

But the SeeAbility team took a different approach, focusing on understanding and recognising his frustrations. Sarah, the Fiennes House manager, explains:

"We treat him like the adult he is, and that’s changed his life. We talk with him about what frustrates him and offer strategies to help him process those emotions. A lot of what Danny struggles with is related to past trauma, so we’ve gradually learnt what triggers those bad memories."

Finally being heard

Today Danny finally feels he has found a support team who genuinely listens to him. He’s formed a real bond with Senior Support Worker, Kelly. In 2019, he presented her with a SeeAbility Excellence Award, saying:

"Kelly is a good listener, she’s kind and helps me understand feelings better."

As Danny’s mental wellbeing has improved, he’s been able to start living the life he always wanted. Last October, the team took him clubbing for the first time, shifting their schedules so they could support him to stay out late. He’s been out plenty of times since! We want to learn from Danny’s lived experience, so he is now a paid SeeAbility employee, leading training on person-centred support.

Now that Danny feels more confident, we’re looking at supporting him to move out and become even more independent. He’ll have his own place, but still have access to our support. It’s a huge step forward for Danny, and one of his biggest dreams. We’re so excited to share it with him.