Family Voices: Sally Lever

When my son first made the move to independent living, he was supported by a local agency that was recommended by Adult Social Care. Although they supported him well for a few years, they encountered financial and staffing difficulties which entailed letting some of their clients go. Sadly, my son was one of those who was left without support.

Thankfully, You First had already been recommended to me as a provider with sound values who specialised in supporting those with learning difficulties and autism. They sounded like a good fit for my son and, with his agreement, I made enquiries to see if they could take him on. Following an initial interview with my son, You First pulled out all the stops to take him on with minimal disrup-tion and had soon put a team together who could meet his needs.

During the Coronovirus pandemic my son has had to self-isolate due to being asthmatic and You First have taken all appropriate steps to modify his support in accordance with our wishes and to minimise infection risks to both my son and to their staff. We’re very grateful for this. My son has always got on very well with You First staff and finds them genuinely friendly and kind and that he is treated as an equal. They take an interest in what he has to say and make sure to include time in their support sessions to listen to him.