A Case Study
MacIntyre is committed to supporting people live a life that makes sense to them.
Joe, Bill, and Ollie (not their real names), recently moved in together. They had never lived by themselves before but are gaining independence and thriving in their new home.
Support for the three men began as the MacIntyre’s team spent time with the young men, their families and social workers, getting to know what the new housemates wanted from their new home and how they want to progress in the future – which was gaining their independence, and the understanding that for some, it would be a stepping stone to moving into their own place eventually, and they were in need of support to learn the skills to be able to achieve this.
Working closely with the parents to understand how to support the gents moving in helped the parents realise that Joe, Bill and Ollie are all young adults, and in need of independence and to fly the nest, and moving into their new home was the right option for them.
A staggered move-in over two weeks was agreed, allowing everyone to take the time to settle.
Building genuine relationships
When they first moved in, the housemates initially chose to stay in their rooms. By giving everyone the time to adjust to the changes, Joe, Bill and Ollie felt empowered and in control and the trio became more comfortable with each other, and knew staff were there if they wanted to talk, which opened up discussions about common interests. Over time, relationships started blossoming.
The neighbours, who are also supported by MacIntyre, were keen to introduce themselves, and welcome them to the area. Through common interests and being of a similar age, budding friendships emerged. The housemates and their neighbours regularly bump into each other across town and chat, and invite each other over for BBQs and socialising.
The team quickly discovered that Joe was very athletic, and enjoyed running and cycling, but was selectively mute. Since joining a local running club, Joe’s confidence has grown enormously and he is regularly found at the front of the group, happily chatting away to the other runners.
Ollie had never cooked for himself, and didn’t feel confident in food preparation, other than beans on toast. Now, the highlight of his day is coming home and cooking a lovely vegan meal from his recipe book with his staff - who are also vegan.
Bill is currently looking for paid employment after his internship which draws to a close in a couple of weeks’ time. In the meantime, the team are supporting him to find other opportunities, including volunteering at a local café. Bill is also now confident to go out alone and will just phone the house to let them know he’s on his way home.
More surprisingly, after a conversation with Bill’s family, is the change in his attitude to housework – having never used a washing machine before moving in to his new home, to Bill now having the confidence to ask staff to show him how to use other appliances in the house, which, for him, and his family, it’s a giant step towards living completely independently.
The local manager, Debbie Hall, describes the set-up of this new house from her perspective:
“We worked alongside the local authority, housing provider and social workers to identify the property; to get to know the young men and their families and to plan the move. As this was a new house, we needed a new staff team. We recruited in the local area, finding people who knew the area and would know how to connect and make things happen for the new housemates. Many of the team had no previous experience of working in adult social care – but we see that as a positive as there are no preconceptions.
3 months since Joe, Bill, and Ollie moved in we have already seen incredible changes and we are all excited for the future.”
