A young gentleman, Frank, came to Hope House in 2015, having been in inpatient services for the previous 10 years. Frank began his transition into Hope House 3 months before the move in date, spending time at his previous service with Hope House staff, as well as coming to Hartlepool on a number of occasions to get a feel for the new service, the staff team and the surrounding area.

Frank was very excited to live in Hartlepool, as this was originally his home town, and his dream was to live back there. He said, “I am always hoping for something and always hoped to live in this area”. Frank was very involved in the service before moving in, and his words inspired us so much that we named the service “Hope House” in his honour.

Frank has a moderate learning disability, complex behaviours, autism, and some health related issues. When he came to Hope House, he was on 2:1 observations, having previously been on 8:1. The staff team at Hope House worked closely with Frank to improve his communication skills, ensuring that he was able to meet and greet people in an appropriate manner. On a day to day basis Frank is now on 1:1 observations. He has worked really hard to get to this point and the future is looking positive for him.

One of the main things that the staff team picked up on was that Frank needed consistency, so they worked with him to create a timetable each week. Every Sunday, Frank and the staff team spend time talking about his hopes and wishes for the week ahead, which the staff team then compile into his weekly activity timetable.

Frank has a very active lifestyle, taking part in all the activities that he enjoys, such as going to his weekly activity clubs of daisy chain, table tennis and the catholic club. He is also supported to work at different voluntary jobs of his choosing, such as gardening and litter picking. Frank appreciates his increased independence and recently went on holiday to Edinburgh. His success in living at Hope House means that wider dreams can now be considered, with Frank focusing on a plane ride as one of his goals for next year!

Frank continues to have family involvement on a weekly basis. He is very keen to attend all of the regional activities, such as the Regional Service User Forum, People’s Parliament, where he can ensure his voice is heard throughout the company.

*Name has been changed to protect Frank’s identity