VH's* story at Roseneath Avenue

Background

VH* is an individual who is on the autism spectrum with a borderline learning disability. Prior to moving to Roseneath Avenue, she lived in another residential setting where she had a negative experience and was exposed to significant trauma. This had a lasting impact on her emotional wellbeing and how she responded to support.

Presentation on arrival

When VH first arrived at Roseneath, her presentation was highly complex. She experienced significant challenges with emotional regulation and engaged in severe self-harm. Incidents occurred frequently, often requiring hospital treatment and, at times, police involvement. Her distress was acute, and she found it difficult to express her emotions safely.

Building trust and emotional safety

The focus of support at Roseneath was to create a safe, consistent, and trusting environment. Staff prioritised building strong, therapeutic relationships through reassurance and active listening, helping VH to feel more secure and understood.

As trust developed, she became more able to talk openly about her feelings. This marked a significant shift, as she began to replace self-harm with communication. The consistency of staff support and a calm, person-centred approach were key in enabling this progress.

Developing independence

Alongside emotional support, there has been a clear focus on building daily living skills and confidence. VH has made steady progress and now engages more actively in everyday tasks:

• Preparing meals with support and encouragement
• Completing weekly food shopping with staff
• Organising and storing shopping independently

She is also increasingly able to manage her emotions safely by speaking with staff when she feels overwhelmed. This has led to a significant reduction in incidents and an overall improvement in her wellbeing.

Finding her voice

A notable area of progress has been VH’s growing confidence in social settings. She has been attending the Northern Home Counties ‘Our Voice’ group. Initially quiet and reluctant to engage, she has become more confident over time and was invited to present at a senior leadership team conference, reflecting her progress in expressing herself.

Daily life and interests

VH enjoys a range of activities both within the home and in the community. She enjoys watching YouTube videos of vloggers visiting theme parks and has expressed an interest in creating her own content. She also enjoys visiting the salon to have her nails done and spending time with her mother, staying at home every other week.

Goals and future aspirations

VH has clear goals for the future and continues to work towards them with support from staff. She has expressed a long-term aspiration to have a family and is motivated to travel.

Following a previous visit to Alton Towers where she was unable to access rides, VH showed strong determination to improve her health. She engaged in regular activity, including fortnightly personal training sessions, and achieved weight loss. In September 2025, she visited Chessington World of Adventures and was able to access all rides, further strengthening her motivation.

Positive outcomes

VH has made significant progress since moving to Roseneath:

• A substantial reduction in self-harm incidents
• Improved emotional regulation through communication
• Increased independence in daily living skills
• Greater confidence in social and group settings
• Stronger engagement in meaningful activities

Looking ahead

VH continues to build on her progress, supported by a consistent and compassionate approach. Her journey highlights the importance of trust, stability, and personalised care in enabling individuals to feel safe, develop independence, and work towards meaningful life goals.