Individual Spotlight: Marc
Roy Brandon, from, was left a little disappointed at Christmas when Santa failed to deliver the iPad he longed for.
He had been using similar tablets regularly for a number of months during sessions at Lockwood, in Guildford and had hoped to receive one for Christmas.
When Roy’s keyworker, Peta Hayden heard about his disappointment, a plan was put into place to help fulfil Roy’s wish. We immediately started a campaign, working with people across the organisation to get him an iPad.
After securing the resources to purchase the iPad, Peta then enlisted the help of the Surrey Choices IT department to set up the gadget with suitable apps.
Peta said: “Tablets have been steadily growing in popularity with the people who use Surrey Choices, and not just because they can be a lot of fun. The variety of apps available, combined with the touch screens, mean they are a useful tool for people to express themselves, make choices and connect with others.
“Roy’s iPad is loaded with apps that will help him to be more independent. Some apps will help him tell people about himself and his needs, while others will help him improve his social skills and independence. He even has a vegetable planting calendar app to help him with his gardening.”
The iPad was presented to a delighted Roy on Wednesday (Feb 4) by our operations manager, Mel Oliver.
Roy said: “This is great. I am very happy.”
Over the next few months, Surrey Choices will measure the value and positive impact the iPad has for Roy, with the intention of extending the iPad pilot scheme across our services.
Mel said: “We hope that this iPad will be the first of many used by our customers to help enrich their lives further
“With Roy’s help and feedback, we will be able to understand which apps are helpful, interesting and enhancing for our customers. Assistive technology is a creative way to support and enable people to maintain their independence and helps us to provide assistance that is even more personalised.
“Going forward, we are encouraging customer reviews of applications and new technology to shape the delivery of our support services. This will enable us to utilise the latest technology in the most appropriate way possible to help the people we support to become more informed and independent.”
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