Overcoming anxieties in the community

M overcomes his anxieties

M has anxieties about leaving the Community Hub in the East of Surrey, which often lead to minor challenging behaviour. It stops him from accessing community activities and enjoying outings with his peers.

The pandemic

Colleagues were working with M before pandemic to prepare for going outside, however the impact of lockdown made it very difficult for M to even think about going out in the community.

Returning to service

Since returning to service, colleagues implemented more structured conversations into his support, talking about his ideas of a ‘good day out’ and things he might like to try. Having these regular conversations has eased some of his anxieties as he became more confident to listen to ideas, rather than dismissing them straight away. Recently, M came into Priory Gate community hub asking if he could go out with Cathy in the car. He wanted to visit McDonalds for chips and a milkshake. M went out for his lunch and was gone for more than an hour! This is such a huge achievement for him.

“In the 3 years that I have supported M at Priory Gate, I have never seen him leave the building for a community trip or activity. The entire team were completely overwhelmed with joy and so proud of M in his personal achievement. M was so pleased that he went out for lunch.” Cathy Manners

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