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A Social Enterprise providing community based support for adults with learning disabilities and/or autism and mental health in the South West
Family Voices: Lyn Barraclough

Family Voices: Lyn Barraclough

22 May 2020

My son started to receive support from You First in December 2014. Previous to this he was living in a residential setting and finding it very difficult to cope. He struggled with the noise and actions of the people he was living with. He became very nervous, spending lots of time in his room alone, lost weight and was just on the borderline of being underweight for his height.

When I told him that he would be moving out of the residential home, he gave me such a big hug, it spoke volumes of how he was feeling. My son has very limited communication and he could not tell us verbally what he was going through or how he was feeling, but he communicated his unhappiness through his behaviour and that hug told me all I needed to know. 

A settled well into his home and seemed so much more relaxed, in just a short time. You First have always tried to get the right Support Workers for him. He is supported very well and leading a far better life doing things he enjoys such as going to the gym, swimming and lots of lovely long walk, helping him with his meal planning and making choices. Inevitably, there have been ups and the occasional down, but You First  always respond quickly and sort things out. 

At the start Andy was always very good in helping with any problems and now Nathalie and Sam are so good. If you have to contact them in a non emergency and they are not available, they get back to you very promptly.

In this very difficult time with COVID-19, A has been supported with a small team of support workers. This is helping to keep him safe through minimising the risk. The Support Workers are doing a wonderful job, as he can only go out for walks and they have to find things he can do at home to keep him busy. A is doing well considering all the changes that have taken place for him at this time.

Thank you to all his Support Workers for what they are doing and all staff at You First for keeping the good work up.

Also thank you to all Key workers.