Building independence with daily support

L is a young man in his 20s living with Cerebral Palsy, who receives daily support from Robinson Specialist Care. L requires support across all of his personal care needs, including washing, drying, and dressing, as well as having his meals and drinks prepared and provided for him. Alongside his physical care needs, L also requires support to meet his emotional wellbeing.

Central to L's support is the principle that his decisions and wishes are respected at all times. L wants to have as much independence and control over his own life as possible, with a longer-term aspiration of moving into supported living away from his family home. Building his confidence and practical skills - such as being able to go shopping for items needed to manage his meals - forms a key part of working towards this goal. Outside of his care needs, football holds a special place in L's life. He enjoys attending matches with his dad and watching games on TV, and this passion is an important part of who he is.

Our worker takes a warm and supportive approach, focused on building trust and creating an environment where L feels comfortable and at ease. Rather than simply meeting L's immediate care needs, the focus is on working alongside him in a way that gradually grows his confidence and independence. Practical steps, such as supporting L with his shopping, are being introduced as meaningful stepping stones towards him taking greater control of his day-to-day life and, in time, moving towards supported living.

Progress since support began has been very encouraging. L is now comfortable being supported by his worker without needing his family present - a meaningful and positive step forward. He is actively planning trips with his worker and is looking forward to getting out to events and attending appointments, including his physiotherapy sessions. The relationship between L and his worker has developed strongly, with genuine connection and engagement evident from early on.

"Things are going really well so far for L, with plenty of positive conversation and engagement already taking place. It's wonderful to see such a strong connection developing with S." - Feedback from L's family