Meet Richard

Growing up Jon was born in Plymouth and spent his Childhood between Plymouth and Bristol. Jon moved out of the family home when he was 16 and made friends with people who did not have a positive impact on him, he started smoking cannabis and became very paranoid, pretty soon Jon became really unwell and was sectioned under the Mental Health Act and admitted to the local Mental Health Hospital. Where the care began Jon was diagnosed with Paranoid Schizophrenia, he was really unwell for a while and had several hospital admissions over the following years. In 2017 Jon was referred to Arrow and he moved into a supported living property with one other person. At the time Jon had someone around to support him all the time and daily visits from the community Mental Health Team. About 8 months later Jon moved out of this property and into a two bedroom house on his own. Jon now has just 22 hours of support a week and has been living in this house for 5 years. Jon loves living on his own and has nailed it! Jon is really proud of his home and works hard, with a little encouragement, to keep the house clean and tidy. Jon enjoys cooking for himself with his new air fryer, although also confessed that he still has a healthy relationship with McDonalds. Jon has worked hard tidying up his garden with new furniture and lighting so that he can enjoy the summer outside. Taking action with football This year Jon decided that the relationship he has with McDonalds was getting the better of him so he joined a local football group playing five aside football, with his preferred position as left back! Jon has really enjoyed meeting new people who are genuine friends, not people who would bring trouble to him. Jon did say that he has found football to be more tiring than he expected. He used to watch the footballers on the TV and think ‘why don’t you just run a bit faster’ Jon says he now understands it might not always be that easy, after the first match Jon reportedly couldn’t move the next day! Jon has shown real commitment to his football team and last month Jon was very happy to be nominated the ‘man of the match’ award. This is chosen by all the other people in the team and was a really proud moment for Jon. Jon told me that he sleeps better and feels better for doing the exercise. Jon says he has overcome his paranoid ways and he has a much better way of thinking, he deals with things that bother him and most importantly he has learnt to look up, rather than look at the floor. Jon says he always tries to be a nice person and this helps him understand things that happen and that he enjoys feeling happier and less stressed out by looking after himself. Jon is looking forward to the future and has new goals to get a girlfriend and a car!

Andrew’s zest for life knows no boundaries! Since a very young age, Andrew has suffered from undiagnosed muscle weakness and scoliosis, which has meant that his childhood and progression into adulthood have involved a range of complications. Now a young man aged 22, Andrew’s conditions have left him requiring the use of a ventilator and electric wheelchair, whilst also having to rely on others for his personal care. Andrew has faced many challenges in his life, but he hasn’t allowed anything to stop him from enjoying himself and living life to its full potential. He shows a great desire to constantly further himself and pushes the boundaries of what he can achieve. In daily life, Andrew loves nothing more than playing video games, watching TV, going to the cinema, and enjoying days out. InVent Health offer guidance and support to patients and families As a nurse-led service, InVent Health offers clinical support, guidance, and advice to patients and their families - forming professional relationships which are always open and honest. Andrew and his family have worked closely with his care team for several years, and the team is now simply an extended part of Andrew’s family. Passionate about providing high-quality care through excellent training programs, InVent staff offer round-the-clock care and support and are compassionate, caring, and reactive. 24/7 care InVent Health has been by Andrew’s side from day one, supporting him through the transfer from child to adult services and throughout his studies, 24/7, including in the classrooms at University. It’s an absolute pleasure and inspiration to see Andrew continue to grow and develop into the fine young man he is. The future is looking bright Andrew is currently undergoing the completion of a degree in History at the University of Essex, where he frequently tops his class when it comes to exam results. Want to know more about our services? You can find out more here. Our friendly enquiry team can be contacted at info@inventhealth.co.uk.

Nothing stops Zoe from attending a mainstream school Zoe has a cuffed tracheostomy, which means she gets help with her breathing. The cuffed tube aids the safe delivery of oxygen to her lungs and keeps her upper airways unobstructed. However, despite her tracheostomy, she requires round-the-clock care. Zoe has received care from Enviva since she was three years old and when she started at a local infant school, it became apparent that, if she was going to fulfil her full potential and enjoy her school life to the maximum, the school staff were going to need proper training in how to look after her. Enviva step in and support school Zoe’s school contacted Enviva who were happy to help ease her integration into the mainstream education system. Our primary importance was ensuring that Zoe could fully experience normal school life without feeling isolated or excluded in any way and that school staff knew how to detect signs of potential issues and support Zoe as and when required. The first step was to assign a Practice Facilitator who regularly attended the school and discussed Zoe’s case history with teachers and staff. Within eight weeks, the facilitator had identified several key individuals within the school community who were best suited to support Zoe and had also provided extensive training to everyone on staff. For any out-of-the-ordinary concerns or additional support, Enviva also always provided the school with access to a helpline for use when Zoe was present. Confidence is key Knowing that all the staff at the school were fully aware of her needs, gave Zoe and her family the confidence to fully embrace and enjoy school life. The future is looking bright The teachers and staff at Zoe’s school feel confident they can manage her needs and are well supported by Enviva. Zoe is now completely integrated into the mainstream school system and able to learn alongside her peers. The feedback from the school is that the training was outstanding and very professional, and as a result of Zoe’s case, Enviva has been commissioned to do similar training in other schools. Enviva is proud to work within communities to ensure that children, like Zoe, with complex needs and disabilities, can enjoy fully inclusive school life and benefit from the integration within their peer groups which is such an invaluable part of a child’s development. Want to know more about our services? You can find out more here. Our friendly enquiry team can be contacted on 0300 3033 508 or complexcare@envivacare.com.