Aimee’s journey to living independently
For 22 year old Aimee, moving into her own flat has been a big step towards independence but it’s been a journey that started a few years ago when she first moved out of her family home.
Aimee lived with her dad before moving into our supported living home in Coventry in January 2025. She had her own room, with shared living and kitchen areas. At first Aimee was very shy and it took her time to get used to new people. The team introduced her support staff gradually, giving her the chance to build trust and get comfortable with them.
Learning to do things for herself
When Aimee first moved in, with support from the team, she started learning the everyday skills that come with having your own home.
She began cooking, washing up, doing her laundry and keeping things tidy. She also started becoming more confident when staff weren’t around. Being alone in the evenings was difficult for her at first, but over time she got used to it and learned to check things that doors were locked and things were safe overnight.
Finding friendship and confidence
Aimee also built a close friendship with her housemate Patrick. The two would stay up watching TV, laughing and enjoying time together. Their friendship helped Aimee come out of her shell and become more comfortable around other people.
Making space for the next step
Aimee had started to outgrow her room. She loves Lego and diamond art and her Lego collection was getting bigger and bigger. She wanted more space to display her things and have space to do her hobbies.
Aimee was also ready for more independence. Around a month ago, she moved into her own flat.
She talked with her support team about where she wanted to live and who she wanted nearby. Her new flat is closer to her dad which means he can visit much more easily.
She has quickly made it feel like home, with space for all her things as well as her pet rabbit, Peter Rabbit.
Patrick is also getting ready to move into his own flat nearby, which Aimee is really looking forward to. They’re already talking about cooking for each other and spending time together, giving Aimee the chance to build her social life and friendship in her new home too.
Aimee told the team that moving into her own flat was “the best decision she’s ever made.” Her dad agreed saying: “The move was definitely the right thing for Aimee. I was unsure at first, but she is closer to me now so I can just pop up and see her, and you can see how much she likes the flat.”
Support that works for Aimee
Aimee still has support from FitzRoy every day but this will get less as her confidence and independence grow.
Now she is used to living on her own, her support can focus more on the things she currently finds difficult, such as going out and doing things alone. Her team is also supporting her to exploring volunteering opportunities that interest her.
FitzRoy manager Tracy said: “We have loved watching Aimee’s confidence grow, our role is simply to help Aimee build a life that’s her own, with the right support around her. Maybe one day she won’t need us at all.”
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