David has given himself the title of ‘King David’ at his new home called The Willows, a name the staff enjoy hearing him say because it shows how comfortable and safe he feels with them. 

David’s support needs and deteriorating eyesight prompted his mother, Elizabeth, to seek a change for her son from the support provider that had been his home for over 30 years. Arriving at The Willows at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Elizabeth says the calm, gentle and kind way in which he was treated from the outset enabled him to cope with the huge change and settle in quickly. 

When David first moved into his new home, he seemed particularly introverted and the team knew they would need to work hard to earn his trust. 

Led by Deputy Manager Nadine, they did just this, personalising his support in essential ways so that David felt comfortable in his new home and understood that the support team were interested in him, and would support him to make meaningful personal choices. 

David was prescribed psychotropic medication before being supported by SeeAbility, but his dose has since been lowered significantly, following exploration of different coping mechanisms and guidance from his psychiatrist and other healthcare professionals. 

David is supported with compassion in a calm environment, enabling him to enjoy his days. He is now so confident that he is being supported to take on the role of representative for his home at the SeeAbility Taking Control self-advocacy meetings.

When encouraged to join in his favourite dice game, his competitive spirit is shown by a cheeky smile each time he rolls a high score. There are regular moments of happiness when playing games, dancing to a favourite tune, looking at the pictures of his books about birds or taking a walk, which are now much more common than the disorientated, anxious and sometimes challenging behaviour that David’s mother saw before his move. 

When Elizabeth phones or visits, she feels strongly that she has got her real son David back. She takes great comfort as she gets older in knowing that he will have devoted and kind support for the rest of his life. 

"The kindness, the gentleness, the compassion, the love that he met was something that he hadn’t met before." – David’s mother, Elizabeth.