Supporting Gemma to reach her goals

Congratulations to Gemma, who moved into one of our Nottingham supported living services this time last year and has since been supported by staff to achieve her goals, including her dream of having a cat.

Gemma was initially apprehensive about moving into a new home. She has paranoid schizophrenia – she hears voices which can at times make nasty comments towards her, or tell her to do and say things to other people, but she is good at recognising the voices – and change can be quite difficult for Gemma and cause her lots of anxiety. However, the supportive environment and the dedication of the staff made her transition smoother than she’d expected.

She is amazing to support, she absolutely loves staff going round to her apartment and having a cup of coffee with her and a good old chat.

Gemma first heard about the FitzRoy supported living service from her social welfare officer, after the atmosphere in her old neighbourhood changed for the worse. When she visited, she thought it would be a lovely place to live. It is a complex of nine newly built apartments with a support team on hand 24/7.

The service specialises in supporting people with a range of complex support needs, including mental health, learning disabilities and autism.

Reflecting on her journey, Gemma says:

Living here has given me a newfound sense of independence and the members of staff are very supportive in my daily activities. They even helped me fulfil my dream of owning a cat! Anyone who moves here will be supported to achieve their goals, which makes it such a nice place to live – and it’s in a beautiful area.

Michael, a support worker at the service, adds: “Gemma sometimes doesn’t feel confident to go to the shop by herself, but she knows that we’ll be there to support her whenever she needs it. That enables her to still go out, with our support, and get whatever she needs.”

Gemma has been making such progress with her visits to the shop that she recently went for a day out shopping with her friends, getting the train there and back, which is a real achievement for her.

FitzRoy runs a range of specialist supported living services across the Nottingham area, focusing on supporting people with complex mental health needs, autistic people and people with a learning disability. We’re always on the look out for creative and motivated staff, if you’re interested in finding out more, take a look at our latest vacancies and get in touch!