Meet Christopher

After years of disrupted living in care homes and hospitals, Christopher now has own home and a dedicated support team. He likes his home, as he says: “It’s alright!” He’s also a big fan of Sunderland AFC.

When he was 12, Christopher was moved out of his family home. He spent the next 14 years living in several residential care homes and hospital settings.

Unfortunately, however, they were all unsuccessful at dealing with his heightened anxiety and challenging behaviour.

His mum Sandra found it particularly difficult watching Christopher being moved around. She says: “He couldn’t stay with us because it put both myself and my younger daughter at risk. But the last hospital he ended up in was 30 miles away from me and he was there for six years.”

Keen to help Christopher find somewhere more permanent to live, the hospital he was staying in liaised with specialist support provider Orbis. Thanks to NHSE funding, Christopher finally moved into his own home in July 2019.

 “Orbis said they could manage him, and that’s when Reside With Progress came into the picture,” explains Sandra. “Reside With Progress bought the house and made it ‘Christopher-safe’.”

The most difficult part of the transition process for Sandra was having faith the support provider could deliver the care Christopher desperately needed.

She says: “It was hard to believe they could actually pull it off. Over the years, we’ve been let down by so many people. But Orbis has been fantastic. Finding them was absolutely wonderful.

“Having Reside With Progress on board to purchase and adapt the property has been a winning combination. It’s great Christopher now has his own house, support workers, and continuity. It’s been a real success as far as I’m concerned.”

Giving Christopher his own adapted home and a calm environment with a support team that he trusts has brought about great changes in his behaviour.

Orbis manager, Chris Watson, who leads Christopher’s support team, explains the difference he has seen over the last two years:

“Chris understands banter and has a laugh with us. That would never have happened in hospital. He treats this as his home. For example, he relaxes on the settee, washes his dishes, puts his washing in the tumble dryer, and hangs his clothing outside. These are the types of things he has learned to do in the time he’s been here. He communicates well with us and feels respected.”

Sandra has also noticed a dramatic change in her relationship with her son. “He now lives just a few miles away from me, so we have lovely visits. And we get quality time together as there are no disruptions. He also enjoys being around the support team because they are like family to him.”

So with the help of Transforming Care, Christopher is now settled with a support team that he and his mum regard as extended family. He even went away with his support team last month on holiday in Northumbria to a log cabin. One of the highlights for Christopher? “The hot tub!” he says.