Working in partnership with the people we support

One of the themes of #SafeguardingAdultsWeek #SAW2024 is working in partnership with the people who are being supported so we're sharing Barrie's story to show how listening and getting to know the person at the heart of a safeguarding process is vital.

When we first met Barrie he was living in unsuitable housing where he was at risk of hate crime and anti-social behaviour.  He struggled to manage the stairs to the top floor and found daily tasks such as keeping his home clean and paying his bills difficult.  Barrie’s support network was small and he was socially isolated and not looking after his health and wellbeing.   

Barrie was referred to us by his local Learning Disability Team and we quickly got to work getting to know Barrie to find out more about his needs and what he wanted to change about his life, using our ‘How Am I Doing’ tool to find out what was important to Barrie.

One of our first steps was to liaise with Adult Social Care to arrange a care needs assessment which resulted in Barrie moving to a new home in supported accommodation which is a much safer environment where he gets help to manage his home alongside receiving tailored support from our Financial Health team to access the right benefits and stay on top of his bills.

Through getting to know Barrie, we became aware he wasn’t managing his health and was at risk of self-neglect, so our Health and Wellbeing team also stepped in to help him engage with the health services he needs.

We also encouraged Barrie to join some of regular groups for people with learning disabilities, helping him to develop his skills and confidence and making friendships that have a positive influence on his life. In his words:

“Since last year my life changed with all the help Your Voice Counts has given me. Before I moved house I wanted to end my life. With all the help from YVC I don’t feel like that anymore. I am walking around with ‘A GEET BIG SMILE AND MY HEAD HELD HIGH’.

"I wake up everyday and can’t believe that this is my home. I don’t feel scared to go to sleep or leave the house now. I can get on with my life and even have friends over.

"I have not thought about ending my life since I have moved homes.”

Our Communities team provides a specialist, person-centred service to support people with learning disabilities and autistic people in Gateshead and South Tyneside.  Visit Learning disability & autism | yourvoicecounts for more info or to make a referral.