Family praises impact of Avenues support

Monday 24th of March 2025

Good person-centred support means understanding what really matters to people. and family connections are often at the heart of this. When Will’s dad had a stroke, we worked with his mum and dad to reshape our support to fit their changing needs.

 

“I’d got back home from a normal day at work and was feeling fine. I walked into the kitchen, made a cup of coffee as usual, and then just collapsed.”

Richard is still recovering from his stroke last year, with regular physio appointments and big changes to daily life for him, his wife Debra and disabled son Will.

At the time of the stroke, the family had received outreach support for Will from Avenues for 12 years, balanced with support from them at home.

Will enjoyed being supported to take trips out, particularly to the gym, bowling, and occasional pint at the local pub, and when Richard was admitted both parents were anxious how this could continue.

But through discussion with Avenues Service Manager Balinda Wood and the support team, a new way of working was agreed to support the whole family through the changing situation.

Balinda explained; “It’s a privilege for us to support Will. As a team, it’s our mission to do the best we can for everyone we support, and this also means considering what’s going on with their family life.

“Through knowing Will so well, we knew that it was really important that he could continue with activities that are important to him, but also that he could see his parents doing well.

“By talking to Debra and Richard, and understanding what would help them, we worked out how we could flex the existing support, so it worked for everyone.

Debra said that while the weekly patterns of support have changed, and staff members too, the quality and consistency has stayed the same throughout the family’s 13 years of experience with Avenues.

“I genuinely don’t know how we would have coped without the additional support over that difficult time and Balinda’s brilliant organisation in accommodating all the extra shifts.

“What’s always been so good is the small team Will has to support him. Max, Talisha and Amie, who currently support Will, know him so well. One example is that we know Max isn’t naturally a football fan, but he recognised how important Manchester United is to Will. Because of this, he started following football in his own time, just so he could build the relationship and have meaningful conversations with Will about the things that matter to him.

“We know we can go away for a break, as the team have been flexible around support hours. It means Will can stay in his own home, with people he has a rapport with, doing the things he loves.

“Of course, there have been some changes over the years as staff move on, but the quality of the support has never changed. The support given by Avenues gives us huge peace of mind.”