Family Voices: Mrs W

What I really like about the support my son receives from You First is that it is responsive and flexible and adapts to his differing situations and needs.

This is largely due to the communication system - Slack - which is shared between support staff, leadership team and parents. I have not come acrossSlack before - this being the vehicle which generates this mutual opportunity for the sharing of observations, suggestions, concerns, information sharing and I think it is a brilliant invention!

It also means that there is a shared record and shared history about my son which can inform and support my son’s needs in the future and from which new members of staff can learn about his patterns of behaviour, his likes and dis-likes and ways to approach him and spend time with him in a positive way. In this way, consistency and confidence can grow.

In short, it is so lovely from my point of view to be able to dip in, get a sense of how he is and then offer ideas or react accordingly. I so appreciate the time support staff take to pop something on there at the end of a shift - it makes such a difference. My son tells me practically nothing of his own volition, so it is reassuring and helpful to hear how things are going for him and when he might need me or my advice to others who are acting in loco parentis.