Maddie's story: supporting a young adult to reach key milestones and live a life of independence

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

At Thornbury Community Services (TCS), we deliver long-term care to adults and children with complex mental health needs in the community, empowering them to regain their confidence and lead fulfilling and rewarding lives.

Partnering with integrated care systems (ICBs), local authorities and hospital teams, we create personalised care packages to enable individuals to safely and quickly transition from hospital to home. This was the case for 18-year-old Maddie, who received ongoing support from Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) for an eating disorder and anxiety since the age of 12.

Shropshire Council approached TCS Mental Health Service to create a bespoke package of care for Maddie so she could safely transition back into the community to be with her family and prevent future hospital admissions.

 

Our approach to Maddie’s care

We implemented four key elements into Maddie’s care plan to ensure she received the appropriate care and support from our dedicated teams, which matched her health and wellbeing needs.

 

Providing our staff with specialist training

Before Maddie’s care with TCS began, our staff received expert training to ensure they had the right skills and knowledge to safely support and protect Maddie. The training focused on safe and effective de-escalation techniques designed for maintaining dignity and respect for Maddie.

 

Ensuring continuity to Maddie’s care

We began supporting Maddie during her hospital stay on a 1:1 basis with a skilled registered mental health nurse (RMN), which then led to a safe transition to her family home, where Maddie received 24/7 1:1 RMN care which over time transitioned to 1:1 support worker care due to the progress Maddie was making.

Throughout Maddie’s care with TCS, we maintained a consistent care team of nurses and support workers to build strong relationships with Maddie and support her in growing her confidence and independence.

 

Implementing a person-centered approach to Maddie’s care

We embedded a person-centered approach (PCA) into every aspect of Maddie’s care to create a highly bespoke care plan that empowered her to be actively involved in her care and recovery pathway. When we first started to deliver care to Maddie, she had few hopes or dreams for her future. With the support of our dedicated care team, Maddie now has aspirations and is on the pathway to achieving them.

 

Gaining autism insight and awareness

To enable Maddie to develop personal coping strategies and understand her environment and relationships, we supported her in learning more about her autism. Maddie now has the knowledge and awareness of autism to support her for the rest of her life.

 

Maddie’s development with TCS

During Maddie's time with TCS, our dedicated team supported her in achieving key milestones and implementing mindfulness best practices with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). This allowed her to do what she loves, including listening to music, baking, reading, creating arts and crafts, and walking her dog Luna.

Maddie is now living at home with her family, studying full-time whilst maintaining a volunteering position, part-time, and a part-time job. She is looking forward to growing her independence and a future without carers.

To read the full case study, please click here.

 

How can we support you?

To learn about how we’ve supported more individuals and their hospital to home transition, click here. For more information about our Mental Health Service or to book a no-obligation meeting with one of our specialist business managers, please complete the enquiry form below.

 

Enquiry form