Nexus, part of National Care Group, has been providing support to Alfie for 6 years. Alfie is autistic and has learning disabilities and epilepsy, which contribute to challenging behaviours and the need for frequent physical intervention.
Transition into Supported Living
At the age of 18, it was determined that Alfie was unsafe living at home, leading to him being sectioned and spending considerable time in a hospital setting. Scared for his future, Alfie’s parents found the Nexus team and approached them to provide specialist support for Alfie and his brother. As they knew it wasn’t safe for them to live with him anymore, Nexus were approached to provide support to Alfie and his brother Reggie, who is also autistic and has learning disabilities, in their family home, turning it into a supported living service. Their parents moved out, finding alternative accommodation nearby.
When Nexus began supporting Alfie, he regularly engaged in self-injury by hitting his face. He often exhibited aggression towards others and required physical interventions. He did not participate in any community activities and spent a considerable amount of time alone. His quality of life was poor, and he had a very selective and unhealthy diet.
They also had to consider the support of Reggie, who was faced with his parents moving out and a brother he hadn’t seen in seven months moving back in, with a support team he didn’t know.
Personalised, collaborative support
The team worked collaboratively with Alfie and his family to introduce a new routine and a weekly activity plan. Morning and evening routines assured Alfie of predictability. He chose from the options of two morning and two afternoon activities using photos.
Closed choices helped reduce feelings of confusion and overwhelm. Alfie began developing independent living skills, and his well-being was sustained by incorporating much-needed downtime into his new routine.
The team worked with Alfie to reduce his self-injury by giving him reasonable notice before any prompts. This was supported by a timer and a ‘now and next’ board.
He was encouraged to learn single words, such as “mum”, “no” (by shaking his head), and “car”. He began to learn new skills by watching his team demonstrate activities using graded support until Alfie could do the task himself.
The tasks included working his TV and changing his DVD player, which helped reduce frustrations. To desensitise Alfie’s dislike for people talking, the team spoke calmly about the things he likes at set times of the day.
Out in the community, and following risk assessments, Alfie began to participate in consistent and predictable activities. Activities were linked to outcomes, such as getting some exercise and being happy.
“The search for the right support for Alfie and his transition to supported living has been a battle but with the support of Nexus, we got there. My husband and I were so scared that our son would spend his life in a hospital setting - so I hope this story gives other parents in a similar situation hope that there is support out there.”
Supported to live his best life
Over time, Alfie’s quality of life vastly improved, and he now lives his best life.
- He is more independent at home and meets some of his needs himself.
- He meets up with friends to do activities including bowling, gymnastics, lunch dates and trampolining.
- He takes day trips to London and enjoys countryside walks.
- His behaviours have reduced significantly, and he no longer engages in self-injury or requires physical intervention.
- With support, he tries a new food each week and is benefiting from a better diet, which includes fruit and vegetables.
“In our opinion, what has made this work is having a core team constantly around them both. The whole team is sticking to routines and working together to get the best out of Alfie so that he can enjoy a good quality of life. Alf now enjoys days out, holidays and sharing time with his brother. Going to places we never thought he'd be able to cope with. Having a consistent team that sticks to routines and works together has given Alfie the confidence he needs in those people to feel safe and secure, and they have brought out the best in him. As parents, we could never thank the Nexus team enough."
