Tom's* story
From a few words to full conversations, discover Tom’s journey at St Brannocks.
Tom* is a young adult with a diagnosis of global developmental delay, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), epilepsy and a sleep disorder. When he arrived at St Brannocks, Tom had very little speech, which made communicating with others difficult and frustrating for him.
Person-centred care and support
Tom could not speak in sentences and could manage only a few words such as, “tea tea” for dinner and “ding ding” meaning that he wanted to go out on the bus.
Located in New Romney, Kent, St Brannocks provides person-centred care and support for people living with learning disabilities, autism and other needs. When he joined the service, Tom became a resident in a safe and homely environment where he could make choices about the support he received. The dedicated multidisciplinary team at St Brannocks provide 24-hour support, with 1:1 assistance where needed.
How St Brannocks helped Tom
The staff team carefully planned and delivered person-centred support and care, tailored to Tom’s individual needs. They focused on developing his speech by regularly involving him in as many conversations as possible. This included talking through how they were supporting him and each activity that he took part in.
Each day staff members would show him menu cards and ask him to choose his meals, talking through the options and explaining who was cooking dinner. They would ask him plenty of questions, particularly about subjects he was interested in, such as travelling on the bus.
As Tom’s speech began to develop, staff would correct him when he did not use appropriate words and praise him when he got things right. After consistent and intensive support, Tom is now able to speak in sentences and hold conversations with staff and visitors. Tom has learnt to express himself well. He can communicate his needs very clearly which means that new members of staff are also able to support Tom effectively.
He uses sentences such as, “I want to go out, who is taking me out?” and, “What’s for dinner?” and will get involved by asking, “Can I help with dinner?” After eating, he will compliment the staff by saying, “That was a nice dinner.”
Tom’s parents, his care manager and visiting health professionals have been astounded by how improved his speech is. They have praised the staff team at St Brannocks for their dedication to Tom. At Priory, we are very proud of the work that we do to support our service users to achieve such positive outcomes.
*Name and images have been changed to maintain confidentiality