This case study aims to showcase the importance of person-centred and humanised care that one of our brands that fall under the Catalyst Care Group provided to Will.

Will is a young man at the age of 24 who was diagnosed with Down syndrome, a learning disability, and a speech delay. He faced difficulty finding consistent care and support due to behaviour that challenges. One of the brands that fall under the Catalyst Care Group-Leaf Complex Care, started supporting Will after his care journey experienced several different care providers over eight years. This difficult journey had a negative impact on Will’s mental and emotional well-being.

Our case study tells the story of the approach and care plan provided solutions by one of the brands that fall under the Catalyst Care Group. Under our care, Will managed to get his own life back now, he lives a meaningful and fulfilled life at home and in the community.

A Briefing on the Past: The Story of Will

Will and his family were frequently left without consistent care and support. Struggling with his emotions and behaviour that challenges, Will was the centre of attention of everyone in the family. This had an impact on his brother’s life as well, often making him feel overshadowed. In time, Will’s mother started losing confidence in going out with him due to the possibility of Will going into crisis.

As Will grew older, at the age of 14, a new care provider came on stage. Similar to previous events, this care package didn’t last long, making Will feel like his existence didn’t matter. The lack of outdoor and physical activities also affected Will’s physical health, leading to a pulmonary embolism that resulted in hospitalisation. The family’s hardship didn’t stop there. During the pandemic, Will and his mother got infected with Covid-19, and soon after, his mom was diagnosed with a tumour.

“I could hardly stand up or look after myself. I let Will alone, so a call was made by a family member to the social worker saying that I needed support. At this point, Leaf Complex Care was asked to provide the package of support for Will.” – says his mother, Maurizia.

Meeting the Challenges

The past care providers did not meet Will’s personal needs and preferences. The family was aware of the importance of having a solid Positive Behaviour Support Plan (PBS) set up. Now, Will’s PBS plan is aligned with the family’s expectations of an exemplary support worker and care provider. They wanted to ensure that failures from the past won’t be repeated. Previous care providers had assured the family they could meet Will’s needs which they failed to achieve. Sadly, this led to a placement breakdown. It was a traumatic experience that the family decided not to repeat.

Our Support Workers Opened a New Chapter in People’s Lives

When our team first met Will, his mother could see how dedicated and professional they had been in implementing the PBS plan. Our support workers designed a tailored plan and humanised approach in line with Will’s and his family’s needs and expectations. With the help of one of our Catalyst Care Group brands, Will’s quality of life and general well-being significantly improved. Our team delivered a solid positive behaviour support plan (PBS) with the assistance of Will’s behaviour specialist nurse.

“Will started on a 3:1 package of support with Leaf Complex Care. They came on board at the most distressing time of Will’s life. It was the worst that it had been for him. It started as a rapid response package and was only meant to be for a short period to stabilise him whilst I recovered with my health. The team arrived and were calm from the beginning, which immediately instilled confidence.“- says Maurizia.

The Impact of Catalyst Care Group Team

The support workers of our Catalyst Care Group Brand, Leaf Complex Care, positively impacted Will’s life in so many ways. He started using the gym regularly, had more physical activity and healthier nutrition habits. Will is now much more stable, and his reactions to potential triggers are notably less frequent and intense than before. The harmonious balance of the team has significantly advanced, and Will’s mom feels much more comfortable going to the house.

“When issues arise, Leaf Complex Care’s humanised support takes swift action, and Will and our family feel heard. Will’s clinicians are a tight team and are loyal to each other and the organisation.” – explains Maurizia. 

Our Catalyst Care Group brand supported Will with a care package of five clinicians that rotated throughout the week. The consistent team communicated between themselves and supported each other all the time. They have been caring for Will for over a year and a half, and now they feel like an integral part of the family.

“Their support has given me a new lease on life. Incidents have become less frequent and less intense. The social worker queried why they were no longer getting incident reports. Still, it was because there were none to report”. Maurizia continues, “This has enabled Will to become a more active member of his community. He can now attend family functions, whereas before, I was not confident about taking him. His team comes along too, but they respect his personal space – which has been a revelation to me.” 

Maurizia proceeds, ”Ongoing training is also key, and I love the fact that Leaf emphasises this. This is embedded in the ethics of the team. This is an added assurance for families that the clinicians are up to date with training and new techniques. I have never known another provider to be so meticulous.

Leaf Complex Care is supporting Will to live his best life, and as his mum, I could not be happier.”