“The thing that is nice about Leaf Complex Care is that you get this real sense of a family approach. And for us, they have become just an extension of our family. They are a unit, they stick together as a unit and you can feel that they want what’s the best for my son.“ – Maurizia, Will’s mum
Overview
This case study highlights the importance of person-centred care through the story of Will.
Will is а young individual living with Down syndrome, a learning disability, and a speech delay, whose mother experienced difficulties finding consistent support due to behaviour that challenges. Before receiving support from This case study will demonstrate the support and solutions we at Leaf Complex Care implemented to help Will achieve his goals, build his independence, and overcome the barriers raised by his challenges.
In this video, Maurizia, Will’s mother, talks openly about the challenges they faced in the past and how our support workers changed everything.
Hear their story.
Reflecting on the Past: The Story of Will
At the age of 14, Will experienced valuable support from a care provider, laying the foundation for his resilience. Although the support was brief, this challenging period became an opportunity for Will to develop emotional and mental health. Will’s journey reflects his resilience, adaptability, and the strength that emerges from facing challenges in the life he chooses.
“I could hardly stand up or look after myself, let alone Will, so a call was made by a family member to the social worker saying that I needed support. It was at this point that Leaf Complex Care was asked to provide the package of support for Will.” – says his mother, Maurizia.
Facing the Challenges
The previous care providers did not meet Will’s needs and preferences, and the family knew the importance of having a clear Positive Behavioural Support Plan (PBS) in place. Will’s PBS plan is comprehensive and outlines their expectations and what a good support worker and provider should look like. It’s a way to ensure that past mistakes are not repeated.
How Meeting Our Support Workers Changed Everything
Recognising Will’s unique strengths, our support team collaboratively developed an empowering behaviour support plan with him and his family, delivering personalised and compassionate support.
Knowing that all behaviour is communication, the moment we became involved with Will, we prioritised the development of a practical Positive Behaviour Support plan followed by the staff consistently. Together, we crafted a robust PBS tailored to Will’s needs, working closely with him and his behaviour specialist nurse to ensure a positive and enriching journey.
Will’s PBS plan was comprehensive, including and outlining his expectations. With input from Will and his family, we have developed a tangible plan to support him in living his best life at home and in the community.
“Will started on a 3:1 package of support with Leaf Complex Care, and they came on board at the most distressing time of Will’s life. It was the worst that it had been for him. It started as a rapid response package and was only meant to be for a short period to stabilise him whilst I recovered with my health. The team arrived and were calm from the very beginning, which immediately instilled confidence.” – says Maurizia.
The Impact of Leaf Complex Care's Support Workers
To help him thrive with his abilities and achieve positive outcomes, our carers supported Will with regular visits to the gym, exercising more, and eating healthier. Will has become much more stable and no longer reacts to things as frequently or intensely as he used to. The harmony between the team has improved, and his mother was much happier going to the house.
“When issues arise, Leaf Complex Care’s humanised support takes swift action, and Will and our family feel heard”, says Maurizia, “Will’s clinicians are a tight team and are loyal to each other and to the organisation.”
We supported Will with the care of a consistent team of five clinicians working with him who rotate throughout the week, and they all support each other. They have been working with Will for over a year and a half, and they are now an extended part of the family.
“For me personally, their support has given me a new lease of life. Incidents have become less frequent and less intense. The social worker queried why they were no longer getting incident reports, but it was because there were none to report”. Maurizia continues, “This has enabled Will to become a more active member of his community. He can now attend family functions, whereas before, I was not confident to take him. His team comes along too, but they are respectful of his personal space – which has been a revelation to me.”
Maurizia furthers, ”Ongoing training is also key, and I love the fact that Leaf puts emphasis on this. This is embedded in the ethics of the team. This is an added assurance for families that the clinicians are up to date with training and new techniques. I have never known another provider to be so meticulous.
Leaf Complex Care is supporting Will to live his best life, and as his mum, I could not be happier.”
