Brandon is the newest member of the Merry Den family, a National Care Group supported living service in Gloucester.

Brandon is autistic. As a child he attended specialist schools whilst always living at home with his parents and two sisters.

Becoming Independent

When Brandon’s sisters eventually left the family home, he observed the independent lives they were now living and he yearned to do the same. Brandon’s parents were fully supportive of him but aware he would not be able to live as fully independent as his siblings, they began the process of making supported living arrangements.

In normal circumstances, the family would liaise with their social worker and together they would seek out suitable living arrangements. This would usually involve visiting various services. What makes this story special is that for Brandon’s parents, they knew instantly where they felt their son’s new home should be to progress to living the more independent life he was hoping for.

Brandon’s parents run a business that has them visiting services, and in their business capacity had visited Merry Den on occasion. Each time they were present they had quietly observed and were so impressed with how active the people we support were, and the hive of activities that would be taking place.

Having only dealt with Brandon’s parents on a business capacity, the team at Merry Den had no idea they had a son who might one day benefit from their care. When Stephanie, the registered manager at Merry Den, was approached by Brandon’s social worker, it was heart-warming for her to hear that the family had specifically requested their son move there.

Arrangements were made for Brandon and his parents to visit Merry Den, and although they visited one other local provider, their hearts were set on their first choice.

Brandon’s Progress

Brandon is now settled in his new home and has taken a keen interest in the kitchen. With the help of his support workers, Brandon’s recent request to make home-made jam was fulfilled. He went on to make a cheesecake and used his own jam for the topping, which he was incredibly happy about.

Brandon now proudly makes his own lunch each day, something he was completely dependent upon his mum doing when he lived at home. He is progressing well with his goal of continuing to develop his cookery skills and his support workers are helping him engage in evening meal preparation. He is looking forward to demonstrating to his parents soon.

Brandon with his cheesecake

One of Brandon’s goals was to feel confident on public transport. Unfortunately, he encountered a negative experience when accessing public transport and had since been afraid to use it. The brilliant team at Merry Den made this a priority focus, and with their support, Brandon is now enjoying weekly trips into Gloucester on the bus.

Brandon is progressing so well at Merry Den. He loves to watch movies and particularly likes Marvel films, especially Iron Man. He has lots of board games which he’s been enjoying playing with Merry Den colleagues. He is continuing to gain confidence in keeping his bedroom clean and tidy, and even doing his own laundry.

Brandon’s story is an example of how our commitment to unlocking people’s potential changes lives.

Read more about Merry Den's service here