FitzRoy make the difference to Jodie and her family

Jodie’s parents were so concerned with the care that Jodie was receiving in a residential care home, they built an annexe to their home for Jodie so she could live at home with them.

Jackie enlisted a series of care companies to provide support to Jodie, but her family struggled to get consistent support and management. Jodie was largely reliant on ever-changing staff, with no one able to really get to know her needs. Jodie’s mum would often have to cover shifts herself, and was on standby at all times as Jodie often asked for her. Her mum and dad had not had a full day or night away from home for almost seven years.

Jodie’s mum Jackie said  “For the previous few years I’ve been working on my own with agency staff and it’s taken a massive toll on me physically and mentally.”

The family approached FitzRoy in autumn to see how we could support Jodie, and our team in Nottinghamshire took over Jodie’s support in October.

Jackie said: “This has been massive for me and my family and for Jodie. To be able to drive out of my gates and feel more relaxed and to be able to plan things, it’s huge.

“I’m amazed at how much she’s improved in the last couple of months, the staff have been fantastic. For me, it’s just having the support, knowing I’ve got someone to talk to and things will be done. At the moment, it almost feels too good to be true.”

Deputy manager Chloe said “When we first started Jodie was non-verbal and we had to read her body language or occasionally she would use Makaton to let us know what she wanted. She also hadn’t really been anywhere in years and rarely left the house.

“The change in the last few months has been remarkable. We’ve been taking her out every day, to the park, the fun fair and lots of visits to Santa over Christmas and she’s now communicating with us verbally and not just a word or two but full sentences. It’s fantastic.

“It’s great for her parents too. They were able to go away for the day on Christmas day without having to worry that they’d be called back at any moment, and they can start to make plans with confidence.”

The team at Woodlands are now planning the next steps to build Jodie’s confidence and are looking at supporting her on an overnight break before building up to a longer holiday later in the year.