We’re proud of our successes
SUCCESSES
The ubu way
Perhaps one of greatest skills at ubu is that we are great listeners and by active and careful listening we truly understand why each of us ‘do what we do’, the issues, challenges, hopes and dreams of those we serve, from this precious information we can tailor a bespoke plan for every individual that will truly enable them to realise those goals, aims and aspirations.
SO HOW DO WE ACHIEVE THIS?
We bring together a multi-disciplinary team for every individual that we serve, these teams include experts and therapists with the range of skills to help and support each individual, this is of huge importance if individuals have complex mental health conditions, learning disabilities, personality and behavioural disorders.
This carefully tailored support will enable those we serve to live as safely, independently and as happily as possible within their own community.
North Yorkshire
Andrew
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Hello
My name is Andrew and I have my own flat in Harrogate. I moved here straight from my mum’s home. I love my mum. And she loves me. But there came a time where she felt it was really important that I move to gain more independence and have the opportunities to choose what I wanted for my own life … good mums are like that!
However, it didn’t sink in with me at first. I was very shy and didn’t want to talk to anyone except my mum. I never went to see anyone else and spent all my time in my flat, preferring to be on my own. My ubu enablers would come round to help and I would answer their questions, but very rarely would I approach them, it felt so different to me. My mum and the enabling team became very worried that I wasn’t settling in as well as hoped and that I was becoming very depressed.
Then one day I had an appointment to see my Community Nurse, with my mum and ubu manager … it was so boring, it went on and on…. halfway through the meeting I fell asleep on my ubu manager’s shoulder. After about ten minutes, they gently woke me up, and something clicked! I looked up and said “please take me home.” I’ve not stopped talking to my Enabling team since! Good friends are like that.
It’s been over a year now since I left home, and I’ve not looked back. What seemed like such a scary thought to begin with has turned out being something simply wonderful! With ubu’s support and encouragement, I have a job, a very active and full social life with friends both across the ubu supports and in the community. My next step is to learn to budget and pay my own bills.
I now make all my own decisions about my life, where I’m going and what I want to happen. I know live the independent life my parents dreamt for me, a simple wish they made … but one that came true, safely, thanks to ubu!
John
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Hello, my name is John. I moved into my home here in York in 2012, enabled by ubu. It means that I can I live with independence and choose to live in the way I want to. So much has changed over the last few years in my life. When I first came here I didn’t do much for myself. Probably that was because I had been taken care of by other people for a good deal of my life rather than being given the chance to take responsibility for doing I what I would choose to do.
I found it pretty hard at first to be around other people, I didn’t have much confidence in myself. But there has always been one thing that I do enjoy and that’s my love of music. I like to play music, I like to listen to music, I live and breathe music.
Before I moved into my present home, I hardly ever went out and I never went shopping. I felt that I didn’t have any say in what I wanted to do, what to wear or even what I wanted to eat. When I moved into my own flat, supported by ubu, things started to change. I spent a lot of time working out and planning how I wanted my place to look. For the first time ever I got to choose the colours on my walls and look for furniture and nice things to decorate my flat and make it truly mine.
Living here has given me a new lease on life. In the past I didn’t look after myself but since I’ve been able to have independence and the freedom to choose what happens in my life, I’ve become proud of who I am. I found that I like to dress smartly whenever I can. I even have a really fashionable suit which I love to wear whenever the occasion arises.
I also decided to learn how to cook, to plan and make my meals. With enabling from the ubu team, I’ve come from someone who ‘couldn’t’ to someone who ‘can’! My favourite food is Italian-style and as my confidence has increased, I’ve started to eat out in restaurants. I’m trying new things all the time and I love to list all the different kinds of food I’ve tried.
I signed up for two college courses on food preparation and health and safety. I’m proud to be able to display my certificate on the wall. In fact my new-found confidence has helped me to start working at a community-based charity in their kitchens helping to give something back to my community.
I never used to go on holidays, but with encouragement and minimal support from ubu, I’ve been to has now been to holiday camp in England and I visited Barcelona in Spain. That was a huge step forward for me. I like all things American especially the music,so now I’m saving up for my dream of a holiday which would be to visit the USA. I feel brave. Brave for what I’ve already achieved, brave for what I’m doing in my life now and brave for making plans for the future. I’m doing things now that I couldn’t have dreamed of doing five years ago.
June
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June moved house to a new uStep service this year and as part of this fantastic life change she expressed her desire to vote in an election for the first time. June spoke to ubu about the logistics of this; what it would entail and the importance of voting, following which she was supported to contact North Yorkshire County Council to obtain a voter registration form at her new address.
The forms were sent out a few weeks later and following a swift completion and return it wasn’t long before June received the confirmation she had been waiting for: “You are now a registered voter”.
Her polling card was sent out along with instructions explaining that she could vote in the 2nd May local council elections. Though this date clashed with a college course June attends she said “I want to vote, I want to go this Thursday and have my say”. She contacted the college and in fact was able to work her course around the polling times; June made all of this possible thanks to her commitment to placing a vote – knowing that this will let her voice be heard and really help make a difference to the wider community.
Sophie
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Hello I am Sophie. I have recently moved into a shared home in Harrogate where I can live independently enabled and supported by ubu. I have only lived here a few months and things have already started to get better for me. Before moving in I was really unhappy, my parents noticed and were very worried about me. I haven’t had the best start to my adult life, I have been in and out of social care for a long time, I could not settle anywhere and nowhere felt like home.
I have mild learning disabilities yet I am very independent. I am not very confident and I struggle with organising myself, taking my medication, managing my money and tenancy. I usually find day to day life hard. Having to leave my home and be around other people makes me anxious.
When I moved in, the ubu the enabling team asked me to think of a goal or something I dreamed of doing. What did I want to do? Where can I see myself going? I had never been asked this before…. I used to be very confident and I used to have a job with children. I loved being with them and the job gave me a lot of happiness. I am a ‘people person’ and I love chatting to people and being in the company of others. I wanted the old me back but how could I get there?
I was given the opportunity to go to the Hub to help interview for new enablers. I wasn’t sure at first and I was very nervous but with encouragement I went. When I arrived at the Hub I was greeted by a lady called Helen who also lives in a flat supported and enabled by ubu.
Helen made me feel very welcome and relaxed, she explained that she helps the managers interview quite often. She wasn’t very confident in the beginning and interviewing really helped her. She told me that she could help me with everything I needed to know about interviewing.
Spending the day with Helen and the ubu team really encouraged me. I felt like I had taken the first positive step to getting back to the old me. A week later I was asked if I could interview again with Helen. I was happy to asked back to help. I really enjoyed learning new things and helping the managers so I jumped at the chance. I also got the opportunity to spent some time with my new friend, Helen.
I have been asked to help at the interviews quite a few times since that nerve racking first time and I am a lot happier and more confident. I am not thinking about where I want to go in my life …. I can see a future, I have applied for a job in a charity shop to help me gain more skills and independence.
With the support and encouragement of the ubu enabling team I have started to believe in myself. I believe that if I want to do something then I should go out and do it. In the future I would like a career, maybe go back to working with children. Maybe even marriage? Who knows?
Elizabeth
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Hi I’m Elizabeth and for a number of years I lived in a flat on my own. However I started getting upset and anxious. I was getting abuse and harassment from my neighbour. I never wanted to go outside of my flat and I became very upset and lonely.
I tried discussing this with several of my health professionals, the Local Authority and also the Housing Association, but no one wanted to help. Everyone, including my family were worried for me and realised I needed to move.
I saw a flat where I could live with greater independence had become available where ubu provide specialised enabling support. The area was quieter and I would have support from ubu’s enablers if anything happened – it sounded perfect.
It wasn’t an easy process but ubu helped me make a successful application to present to the Health, Housing and care professionals. They all agreed with me that moving home was the right choice for me.
When I moved into my new home with my ubu support, I finally felt safe. It’s been so great and I feel much more relaxed. Now I am so active – it’s been good and I have even reduced the amount of support I need. Of course it’s daunting at times but I see that as a good thing as my life wasn’t enjoyable before and I needed a fresh start.
I have been in my new home for over a year now and I am so much happier. My health has improved and my anxieties have decreased. My family are relieved I have moved and can see the difference in me. I am more outgoing I am making friends where I now live – life is great.
I always enjoy coming home now!
Joseph
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Hello. I’m Joseph and I live in York. When I moved in and started to work with ubu, I set myself the goal of being able to travel to and from the various activities I attend on a daily basis. This was an achievable goal, but would require hard work by both myself and my enabling team.
I started by walking with support to a particular location, with staff pointing out specific landmarks and streets which I could reference and remembered for when I would be walking on my own. Staff then encouraged me to lead the way, only helping me when I needed, but ultimately allowing me to take control. We also used the Internet to search and create maps to my desired locations, and then printed and laminated them so I could take them along wherever I went. I now use all of this and make my own way to activities, with the only obligation being to make sure I tell the shift leader when I am leaving, and phone them on arrival so that they know I made it safely.
My main form of transport was usually by walking or taking the bus. By setting up a system in this way, I grew to be comfortable and confident, and became more and more independent with every trip. However since Christmas, I’ve added another mode of transport to his list. I bought a new bike! The ubu staff worked with me to make sure I was safe to bike unsupported, with my enablers traveling with me for the first couple of weeks until I was confident enough to travel on my own. All this allows me to choose how I want to travel to all my activities, and gives me the freedom and independence that comes with it.
Why not, sit back and read more about some of our great successes.
