Ian and Billy the cat can often be found together at Beudygwyn Farm. Billy took a shine to Ian the moment he arrived and now lives in his flat. In turn, Ian, who has always loved animals, gets great comfort from Billy. This interaction with his pet helps Ian feel calm.
Ian experiences severe anxiety which is trauma-induced due to witnessing several incidents in his past.
In-house trauma-informed care experts are assisting Ian, with the support team at Beudygwyn, to work through his past. He has set a goal of controlling his anxiety better, leading to a better quality of life. At present, he often gets ‘frozen’ due to anxiety, unable to do anything even though he may be mid-conversation. Team members are completing a PTSD tracker with him hourly to try to identify any triggers that cause this.
Settling in
Home Manager at Beudygwyn, Louise Parry, says: “Moving from a secure setting where he had been for four years, Ian was extremely anxious about living at Beudygwyn a year ago but has settled in very well. He finds social situations very difficult, and a core team worked closely with him to build rapport.
“He can become anxious if he doesn’t know who will be supporting him each day. Our solution to this is a communication board with names and photos of team members allocated through the week.”
Ian also finds comfort in his ‘safe’ book, created by his psychologist, which contains soothing and encouraging messages.
1:1 Support
With their understanding of Ian’s needs, the team choose quiet times for him to access the activities room. Here, he can watch a film or play a game of pool. Additionally, he has recently started to do some 1-1 baking sessions in his flat as part of his 12-hour daily support. He’s very proud of the bread and dessert he has made.
Another step towards improved quality of life is getting out and about more. When he feels calm and reassured, Ian has been going on long car drives, especially to the beaches – even getting out to enjoy an ice cream.
Following this, two of his trusted team members Ffion and Phoebe have encouraged and motivated Ian to visit his parents. While his parents are hugely supportive, Ian has not visited the family home 50 miles away for many years. This huge step forward demonstrates the strong relationships the support workers have built with Ian.
Progress on several fronts
On the first visit, one of them accompanied him into the house for a short visit. Now, he is able to visit on his own for an hour. He said he was really looking forward to sitting out in the garden with his parents in the good weather.
Ian has also just moved to a different self-contained flat at Beudygwyn, with Billy, and started socialising with his neighbour, another significant progression.
Louise says: “The team and I are extremely proud of Ian’s progress. This has been accomplished by Ian together with his amazing support team. With the right support people can achieve things to lead a fulfilled and independent life.
“The two team members have had the recognition they deserve. They were nominated for the Heroes Awards for ‘Making thing happen’, becoming Regional winners and National finalists.’
Read more about the Heroes Awards 2024
