Robert was living in a shared house with two other people before, but his support team and family agreed he would be more comfortable and relaxed somewhere by himself.

The move to the bungalow took seven years in total, from finding the right property at the right price to making alterations like installing a wet room and a ramp.

Moving home and settling in

Once his house was ready, Robert’s support team carefully planned his move to make it as stress-free as possible for him. This was a gradual process, which started with just parking outside the new house then eventually they were moving a few small items across one by one.

By the time the moving day came, Robert was happy to watch the movers load the van at the old house and then unload it at his new one.

Lisa O’Connor has supported Robert for ten years. She explained how he’s been much happier, more social, and less distracted since moving.

“The change in him has been amazing,” she said. “It’s great how well he’s settled in.”

Robert loves music and can often be found playing his guitar or keyboard. He likes going out for a drive or popping into the garden to do some birdwatching.

Robert also likes preparing food in his kitchen. The oven at his new house is eye-level and he enjoys watching his dinner cook!

‘A leap of faith’

Despite being nervous about the change herself, Robert’s mum Paula was also impressed with how everyone handled the transition.

“It was quite a leap of faith for me when it happened,” said Paula. “Mums are always going to worry, but the house has such a lovely, peaceful vibe about it. He’s so much happier to come home – that’s where he wants to be.”

Paula is pleased her son Robert is able to live independently, whilst still seeing and spending time with family. She and her daughters often visit Robert’s house, watching TV, having meals together, or going out for the day. Sometimes he likes to visit his old housemates for a cup of tea, but Paula and Lisa say he’s always happy coming back home to his bungalow.

Some people are so quick to dismiss people who don’t communicate verbally, but it just shows how much he was processing inside his head.

“It’s almost as if he’d worked through it quicker than we would have,” she added.

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They recently took his nieces over for his birthday and the three of them had lots of fun playing musical instruments together:

“They were all making a racket and it was really nice to do that together as a family.”

Robert with his sister Becky and nieces Isla and Ayda on his birthday

Keeping in touch

Robert’s staff team texts Paula every morning and evening, letting her know how Robert’s day is going. She says she can’t fault them for always being so ‘wonderful and upbeat’.

“It’s so nice that he’s got people who really care about him. He’s got a very steady team of people who have known him for a long time and understand him. And United Response staff treat people like Robert with respect.”

Paula said she’d recommend us ‘150%’ to anyone looking for a support provider for their loved ones:

There’s so much care and support focused on the person.

People you support aren’t just cared for, you help them develop – even in the smallest ways – and look for opportunities for them.

It’s about giving people quality of life and enriching their lives. That’s so important.

Robert out for a stroll with his sisters Becky and Sarah (left) and mum Paula (right)

Lisa, who’s worked in social care for thirty years, agreed that a person-centered approach is key to good support:

I love this job. Every day is different. There’s always something to be positive about and I love helping people achieve things for themselves.

Seeing Robert’s smile makes it all worth it.

Could you be a smile-maker like Lisa and support someone like Robert to live their best life?

Take a look at our latest vacancies near you.

  • Jenna Lloyd is Senior Content Officer for United Response.