When people with multiple needs in complex situations join our care, at the beginning, we often get to see just a small part of who they truly are. A version that appears quiet, withdrawn, scared or confused, based on their past experiences in care. Yet we hold firmly to the belief that everyone carries hopes and aspirations for their life. That’s why we tend to focus on and recognise the version of themselves that wants to achieve their goals, the one that needs support to start learning life skills, and receive support that nurtures their potential.
And often, kind words over a cup of tea with the families mean a lot. While it may not undo the weight of difficult past experiences with institutional care, it brings a sense of a new start. And this time, with meaningful outcomes they hope to see for their loved ones.
We believe learning about Vladan’s care journey will make you rethink what the right support can do for a person, before saying they are ‘too complex to support.’ Let us guide you through the process and the outcomes.
Meet Vladan
Vladan is autistic, has a learning disability and OCD. When he first came into our care, he was nonspeaking and required ongoing support with communication, personal care, and structured routine. To set the foundations towards his progress, our multidisciplinary team conducted a comprehensive assessment. Support workers, education specialists, occupational therapists, and healthcare professionals were included in tailoring a person-centred plan focused on Vladan’s strengths, interests, and communication needs.
The team’s goal was to uncover not just what Vladan needed, but what motivated him, what encouraged him to feel safe, and what made him feel seen. A regular input from his MDT has helped ensure a consistent and responsive approach to support his evolving needs and goals.
Laying the foundation towards desired outcomes began with:
- Creating a person-centred care plan
- Our support workers attended specialist training and team meetings.
- Working with our internal PBS, OT and SALT team, attending monthly CIN meetings to discuss Vladan sharing timely concerns.
- Getting support from all professionals, including PALMS and Service for Complex Autism & Associated Neurodevelopmental Disorders (SCAAND), and National & Specialist CAMHS.
- Completing ABC/Incident reports
- Introducing PEC and Now and Next boards
- Attending regular tutoring sessions
With an ultimate focus on communication support, daily living skills and social skills, Vladan has made incredible progress in all areas of his development. In just 6 months after joining our care, the care teams have seen a huge improvement in his regulation, and within 1.5 years, his communication has improved massively.
We have created a mini booklet on Vladan’s progress and outcomes. We invite you to take a look and celebrate each milestone with us.
Vladan’s Achievements to Date Include:
- Speech development and functional communication
- Recognising animals, colours, and body parts
- Preparing meals with support
- Actively using PECS and verbal requests
- Building friendships and becoming involved in his local community
- Writes his name independently
Future Goals for Vladan:
- To begin recognising and writing more words.
- Engage in basic numeracy tasks, such as counting objects or matching numbers.
- Expand verbal vocabulary to form short, functional sentences (e.g., “I want water” or “I feel tired”).
- Use communication more spontaneously across a variety of situations.
- Identify and label basic emotions such as happy, sad, angry, and tired.
